This article was provided by Krucial Staffing.
Written by: Maria Blong
Oh, the woes of preparing to travel.
We all love the idea of going on a trip, traveling to a new place, engaging in new experiences, and expanding our breadth of knowledge about the world. In our heads, traveling is a rosy-colored dream. However, after taking off those rose-tinted glasses and examining the details with clearer vision, we quickly realized that preparing for a trip is a huge task.
Any veteran to travel, or medical deployments, in this case, knows the list of to-dos before embarking on the road is extensive. The items on your list stand at attention like little dotted soldiers, dutifully listing off all the cleaning, packing, checking, and double-checking that must be done before leaving.
The medical professionals with a few emergency deployments under their belt can march through that list in a heartbeat. But, when you’re a newbie to this type of employment, it can be a bit overwhelming. As you’re rushing around to pack, your scrambled brain is probably thinking, “Why did I commit to this?”
Well, don’t worry – we’ve compiled a guide for beginners to help leapfrog your emergency response skills from novice to expert in no time.
Before Committing to a Job
When it comes to emergency response nursing, the turnaround time of committing to the assignment and arriving for your first shift is rather short. To be candid, it’s not a lot of time to put all your ducks in a row. So, it’s even more important to have as much as you can sorted out before hopping on the earliest flight to your assigned location.
Preparation looks different for everyone in this situation. For instance, if you own a dog or inhabit an indoor jungle (we see you plant moms and dads), make sure you ask a partner or a family member to take care of what you leave behind. Arrange these plans with them in advance, provide proper care instructions, and communicate that you might need them to take over at a moment’s notice.
However, you might not have these concerns if you have other members in your household. Maybe your main concern is how to stay in contact with your loved ones while away. We go more in-depth on this topic in our blog titled, How to Stay Connected with Your Loved Ones on a Travel Assignment. In general, it’s a good idea to discuss what communication will look like when you’re away. Try to set expectations that are realistic for your work schedule and desired method of communication.
Packing a Go-Bag
When it comes to packing a bag for emergency responses, you’ll want to include a couple of street clothes for running errands on your days off and to relax in after a long shift. In addition to your PPE, scrubs, and comfortable shoes, it is also important to bring some more obvious things like your immunization records, two forms of I-9 documents, and snacks. Some less obvious items to pack include physical photos of your loved ones, a pen and paper for notes, and a flashlight.
While you might not have much free time while working, you should consider bringing something to help you decompress or entertain yourself after a long day. You could bring an e-book reader, some essential oils, a deck of cards, or any small, light item that is easy to pack in your bag.
The most important tidbit to remember is this: TRAVEL LIGHTLY. When the time comes to return home, you will wish you hadn’t jammed half your belongings in one luggage bag. So, strip down what you need to the essentials as much as you can.
Flexible Attitude
There’s a common saying that states, “You can’t control what happens to you, but you can control how you react to it,” and in the realm of emergency responses, it seems to apply here. This is not a walk in the park. These are emergencies, and you are the cavalry. Patient needs, the people you work with, and the hospitals you are supporting will demand a lot of energy. Understanding the facts and reality of the situation will help prepare you for the deployment.
Simply put, emergency/crisis medical deployments have many, many moving parts, and nothing stays in place for too long. This is what we signed up for. Showing up with a good attitude and a willingness to adapt to provide the best care for your patients creates a more positive atmosphere for you and everyone in your vicinity.
Create a Guide Best-Suited for You
The first hurdle is always the hardest. Once you complete your first assignment and prepare for a second round, you will better understand what to expect and bring with you. Whether that’s deciding to pack an extra set of black scrubs or choosing to board your dog instead of asking someone else to care for them – you will figure out what is best suited for you and your emergency response experience. We wish you nothing less than the best of success and will be here every step of the way to make sure your time with us is handled to the best possible extent.
Interested in looking more about emergency response travel options? Check out emergency response and healthcare staffing company, Krucial Staffing. Krucial Staffing specializes in high volume, rapid response staffing, driven by a mission to serve others at their greatest time of need. To learn more about what positions they currently have open, then check out their Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter page for more information.
Are you looking for your next travel nurse assignment? Click here to view our job board. Do you have your assignment lined up but need to secure housing? Click here to search our housing page.
