Guest Post By: Alex Close
A nursing student’s window of exposure to different jobs, roles, and positions thus far has been through our clinical experiences, stories from our peers, and conversations with professionals in a career of interest. This could be true for any career, but in nursing, there are so many sub-specialties within the profession that talking to one nurse about their job could be completely different from talking to another nurse about their job.
A Nursing Student’s Perspective
For instance, this morning, I was at an outpatient clinic in a homeless shelter. Performing foot care, assessing vital signs and blood sugar. One of the nurses in the clinic described her typical day as working with walk-in patients. Dressing wounds, helping with medication administration. Also, dealing with the psycho-social and physical needs of people living in homeless shelters in Boston. The next day I find myself in a labor and delivery unit chatting with a nurse about her role. Her days vary as well but consist of helping a woman through labor; before, during, and after birth.
Both of these women are considered nurses and have their RN. Yet both spend their days dealing with a very different patient population. Their daily jobs are very different. I was lucky to have the experience during my clinical placements of observing these nurses in their different roles and what they do on a typical day.
Understanding the Role of a Travel Nurse
But how do we go about understanding the role of a travel nurse? Is it the same as the nurses I’ve been talking with but comes with a different title and employer? While brainstorming ideas for this article, I ran into a nurse who a travel nurse agency employed. She spoke to me about the similarities and differences of her job compared to the other nurses on the floor, what she liked and didn’t like, and so on. If I didn’t recognize that her identification card was a little different and contained a travel nurse sticker, I wouldn’t have been able to form this connection and form a better understanding of the roles of a travel nurse.
Many of the nursing students in my program have not had the opportunity to detect which nurse on the unit is a travel nurse. Several of my student peers told me that they are interested in becoming a travel nurse. But have not yet spoken with someone in that career. These nursing students are interested in the travel nurse experience but can only rely on the internet to fulfill their curiosity.
Reaching Out Online
Communities like The Gypsy Nurse share information with their readers. About personal experiences, the pros and cons. And other related material for nursing students to get a better understanding of the job. Some of my peers mentioned they would really like to speak with a travel nurse directly, hear about their experiences and see if the role is right for them. There isn’t exactly a way for us to shadow, intern, or try out travel nursing for a day. Their experience comes with time and travel, not from the day-to-day tasks they do.
So, travel nurses, any tips for student nurses and future travel nurses to get a better understanding of your role?
Please note: Before becoming a travel nurse, you should have at least a minimum of 2 years of experience; click here to find out why.
