Onestaff Medical provided this article.
Are you a nurse who may be getting burnt out dealing with the same-old, same-old at your current job? Do you have the desire to go out into the world to make a real difference and truly help those in need but are worried you may fall behind in your career? Fortunately, there are many ways to advance your career as a travel nurse. Below, we’ll discuss a few benefits of why travel nursing may be the right decision for you in the long run.
9 Ways Travel Nursing Can Advance Your Career
As a travel nurse, you have the chance to learn various different skills, work with a diverse group of people, and unlock the door to future opportunities. Not only do you need to be knowledgeable about the medical professional, but you should be willing to learn about yourself, be curious about the people you are treating, and be comfortable in stressful situations. Developing all of these skills can give you the tools that you need to advance your career as a nurse.
Boosts Your Resume
Employers love candidates who have diverse backgrounds in their fields of focus. You have the potential to cultivate several different specialties all over the country, making you a more holistic medical professional. Whether you are a CNA, X-Ray tech, or ER nurse, there is a chance for you to help others while also helping yourself. Showing that you are uprooting your life and moving to a different city to help other people is the level of empathy and passion that employers hope to see in their candidates.
Along with broadening your resume, having an impressive background and unique skills will give you the chance to negotiate a higher salary at your next position, especially since pay rate predictions remain strong in the coming year.
Gives You New Skills and Experience
While it is possible to explore an abundance of career opportunities as a travel nurse, you also have the possibility of working with advanced technology, practices, and procedures that may not be accessible anywhere else! Technology is becoming relied on more and more every day, and hospitals need people who can easily use these devices. By having the knowledge and experience that other nurses may not have, you stand out from the crowd.
Proving you care and have an eagerness to learn is a great way to advance your nursing career. With a great background and limitless passion, your experience can make you vulnerable to jobs at Magnet hospitals, which are known for their high retention ratings and satisfaction from nurse employees.
Allows You to Learn from the Experts
When you work all over the county, you will learn from medical professionals who have also trained and practiced in different locations. You will want to be a sponge and absorb as much information and practice as possible so that you can move forward with confidence and a unique set of skills.
By learning from a multitude of people that approach problems in different ways, you give yourself the ability to provide your patients with personalized care.
The Possibility of Reimbursement for Professional Licenses
When on a new job, you have an excuse to focus on different areas in the medical field. Employers often encourage their nurses to explore education opportunities and strive for new licenses. In many cases, you can receive reimbursement for the cost of class tuition up to thousands of dollars! By broadening your horizons and being open to developing new skills, you are creating different ways for you to advance your career as a nurse.
Exposes You to Different People and Cultures
You get out what you put in. Not only will you learn from the doctors or nurses that you work side-by-side with, but you will also gain knowledge from the people that you are treating.
When you speak to your patients and study their medical history, you can discover new and important things that you may not have known about your profession or field of focus. This level of understanding, curiosity, and empathy gives you a quality that other rival candidates down the line may not possess.
Not only will you be able to meet with and treat all kinds of people with different backgrounds, but you will also be able to treat patients with unique ailments, illnesses, or injuries. By having a diverse work background, you are showing future employers that you have the willingness to learn and adapt, which is how you will be able to advance your nursing career.
Teaches You Flexibility, Adaptability, and Teamwork
Working as a travel nurse can help you advance your career by not only giving you the chance to hone your medical skills but also your interpersonal ones. Employers and patients alike desire nurses who are ready to go with no hesitation. That means you need to be ready for whatever comes your way. By working all over the country, you will be forced to get to know many different people–people that you need to trust and be able to work as a team with. Along with being book-smart, you need to be willing to grow as a person.
In addition to being adaptable and flexible, you are also given the privilege of being able to create your own working schedule. After a travel nursing contract has ended and you want to take a vacation or much-needed break, you have no one telling you you can’t. Having this freedom can give you the time that you need to recharge and prepare for your next assignment.
Improves Your Communication Skills
Another interpersonal skill that can help you advance your career as a travel nurse is communication. When high-stress situations occur, you need to be able to express your needs and wants perfectly for the betterment of the patient and your co-workers.
Being able to compassionately and transparently describe diagnoses, procedures, or anything else that may be difficult to understand is very important, especially in a setting where the stakes are high. Gaining that experience in both stress management and authoritarianism shows that you are growing as a nurse and human.
Expands Your Professional Network
Many people may think that the only way to advance your nursing career is by being loyal to one hospital or place of employment and then being promoted. However, working all over the United States means that you meet and work with dozens of people. Down the line, those relationships can turn into job opportunities that you may be attracted to. It is important to nurture these relationships and to be open about what you are looking for over the course of your career.
Challenges You and Gives You the Confidence You Need to Move Forward
Lastly and most importantly, working as a travel nurse can give you the confidence you need when moving forward in your career. Some people do not like change, and that is okay; however, as a travel nurse, you may be forced to adapt to new situations quickly. When advancing your career, being able to show that you are quick on your feet and willing to make changes means that you are easy to work with, which is something that most employers look for.
Are you looking for ways to advance your career as a travel nurse? OneStaff Medical is one of the fastest-growing travel nursing placement agencies in the United States and has helped hundreds of nurses advance their careers. We are here to help you make your dreams come true and help you grow in your career. Contact us today, and let’s put your skills to good use and find your next destination.
Our job board is a great place to search for your next travel nurse assignment. We have you covered with our housing page if housing is an issue. You can search for what you are looking for.
