Travel nursing comes with several exciting benefits and offers for most people within the occupation. You get to go on exciting trips and adventures, enjoy a variety of local cultures, and go home with a fat paycheck at the end of the day. However, it’s not all roses and sunshine over here.
While this occupation can be very beneficial, it might be at the detriment of your romantic relationships.
So how do you solve this? Well, whether you’ve just stepped into a new relationship or you’ve been with your partner for ages, there are ways for you to keep the strings of your relationship together as a road trip nurse.
Let’s explore these tips, shall we?
Set expectations and plan effectively
Although most relationships are often spur of the moment, it’s important to plan ahead and set expectations before you set out for your trip. Talk about what you need and expect from each other while you’re absent.
Whether you’re a travel nurse or simply dating a nurse, mapping out these expectations and plans will help reduce stress and the likelihood of experiencing avoidable issues. For instance, you can decide if either of you would take a trip to see the other party. You can also decide what your major communication channels would be. Do you prefer regular text messages or phone conversations?
Although mapping out these plans won’t necessarily eliminate the strain of long-distance relationships, it certainly makes it easier.
Maintain constant communication
Communication is the bedrock of every working relationship, and if you and your partner are long-distance, you’d need to communicate even more. As such, try as much as possible to stay in contact with your partner regardless of how stressful your day might have been.
Share updates about the little mundane moments in your day, such as what you had for breakfast or how you commuted to work. You can also share some of the significant moments you experienced at work.
To boost your communication with your partner, you could also consider using up all communication channels at your disposal. Use pictures, video calls, or texts to stay in contact with your partner. Remember: they can’t see or touch you, so you’ll need to make your presence felt as much as you can.
Remain positive
We get it: being in a long-distance relationship can be extremely difficult and have psychological effects on both parties. However, it’s important to keep your chin up and maintain a positive outlook on things. This will help you to put in the required effort and get you through on the bluest days. Even though your partner might not necessarily be frolicking with hot brunette women while you’re away, long absences can certainly put a dent in your relationship.
If you’re ever feeling blue about the distance between you and your partner, just remind yourself that your assignment is only temporary. Think of the positive memories that you’ve both shared, and in no time, it will all come to an end.
Surprise each other
While you’re away from your partner, it’s important to constantly remind them of how you feel about them by surprising them. You can do this by sending them small delightful packages that will brighten their entire day. For instance, you can send them a small lunch package or a tiny piece of jewelry.
In some cases, you could even send a small romantic note to their workplace to make them smile. This will help to strengthen your relationship and make each other’s hearts grow fonder.
Share and do things together
Even though you and your partner are miles apart, you can still do things together in your free time. This will tighten the bond you share and reduce the loneliness that comes with long-distance relationships.
For instance, you can try playing shared online games like Words With Friends. You could even watch your favorite Netflix shows together.
Another way to lessen the strain of distance relationships is by recommending new books, games, or movies to your partner. This way, you both can try out new things and have fodder for your late-night conversations.
Make New Friends
Constant communication with your partner is great, but if you have no friends, you might feel even lonelier, which could further strain your relationship. As such, it’s important to make travel nurse friends who are in the same situation. When you converse and bond with people who can relate to your problems, the whole situation seems more bearable and short-lived.
If you aren’t sure where to find these friends, there are tons of travel nurse apps where you can find nurse friends and build a close-knit community.
Final Thoughts
Being in a relationship as a travel nurse is certainly not an easy journey for both you and your partner. Luckily, the tips outlined above will help you enjoy a strong, healthy relationship and an amazing career at the same time.
If it ever gets too tough, remember that it’s only for a short while!
We hope you found this article on tips for maintaining a relationship as a travel nurse. Are you a travel nurse in a relationship? Have you found ways to maintain the relationship, even while on assignment? Comment your tips below.
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