5 Things I've Learned In One Year of Travel Nursing
Last month marked my one year anniversary of hitting the road to my first travel nursing assignment. This is what I've learned about myself in the last 12 months.
1. Having a lot of unnecessary stuff stresses me out.
I did a biiiig purge of all of my stuff in my family's home in NJ before leaving last year. I got rid of my nursing school work (it's hard to let go of your blood,sweat, and tears in paper form, okay? Or that might just be me), set aside clothes and shoes to send to consignment shops, and went through all of the boxes in the basement. This cleared my space and head for travel nurse packing. It felt so good to be free of unnecessary stuff at home that I knew I didn't want to be bogged down with extras while traveling either. I limited myself to what could fit in Lily (my car)- no shipping boxes or putting stuff in a roof rack thingy.
Moving around and unpacking/repacking every three months forces me to be intentional with the things I accumulate while on the road. Before buying something, I ask myself if I truly need it and how portable it is. My definition of "a lot" is now comically different than that of a stationary persons'. But I like it. A lot.
2. My tolerance for workplace gossip and politics is ZERO.
I've never been a a fan of gossip and was ill-prepared for the continuation of high school-esque drama and politics in an adult workplace. It was one of the reasons I left my permanent staff position 14 months ago. Sadly workplace politics and drama occur everywhere, but as a traveler it's much easier to insulate myself from it. I simply don't engage in it.
3. I'm an adaptability queen.
Different patient assignment every night? Ok! Same patient assignment for 3 consecutive weeks? Not ideal, but do-able (I did, however, hit my limit on shift #11). Float to heme/onc without any experience? I'm da bomb at asking questions, so sure!
This is for two reasons. 1. If you're not adaptable, being a successful and happy travel nurse would be incredibly difficult. And 2. my job does not consume my identity. I'm not only a pediatric ICU nurse. I'm also a traveler, humanitarian, wannabe photographer, and language-learner (albeit a slow one). When you realize success and happiness doesn't hinge on a single dimension of your life, the impact of a bad or off day is significantly decreased.
4. Nightshift is not for me.
After being on day shift for the majority of the past two years switching back to nights has been difficult. I knew it would be a rough transition but I was hoping to get used it like I did in the past. False hopes. I still prefer the nightshift vibe and its people, but I don't sleep well, my skin is retaliating, and my health is suffering. I've promised myself that I will only work day shift from now on. This will limit my assignment options, but it will force me to be selective and keep my priorities in line... which leads me to....
5. I want MORE freedom and flexibility.
My brother calls me "semi-retired." I don't want to do less work. I want to do more meaningful work, how and when I want to do it; not when someone else tells me to. I've (naturally) been doing a lot of thinking and researching about my options and ideas. I don't have a definitive plan yet. However, I do know I'll continue to search and experiment until I figure it out. Plus, figuring it out is half the fun!
1. Having a lot of unnecessary stuff stresses me out.
I did a biiiig purge of all of my stuff in my family's home in NJ before leaving last year. I got rid of my nursing school work (it's hard to let go of your blood,sweat, and tears in paper form, okay? Or that might just be me), set aside clothes and shoes to send to consignment shops, and went through all of the boxes in the basement. This cleared my space and head for travel nurse packing. It felt so good to be free of unnecessary stuff at home that I knew I didn't want to be bogged down with extras while traveling either. I limited myself to what could fit in Lily (my car)- no shipping boxes or putting stuff in a roof rack thingy.
Moving around and unpacking/repacking every three months forces me to be intentional with the things I accumulate while on the road. Before buying something, I ask myself if I truly need it and how portable it is. My definition of "a lot" is now comically different than that of a stationary persons'. But I like it. A lot.
2. My tolerance for workplace gossip and politics is ZERO.
I've never been a a fan of gossip and was ill-prepared for the continuation of high school-esque drama and politics in an adult workplace. It was one of the reasons I left my permanent staff position 14 months ago. Sadly workplace politics and drama occur everywhere, but as a traveler it's much easier to insulate myself from it. I simply don't engage in it.
3. I'm an adaptability queen.
Different patient assignment every night? Ok! Same patient assignment for 3 consecutive weeks? Not ideal, but do-able (I did, however, hit my limit on shift #11). Float to heme/onc without any experience? I'm da bomb at asking questions, so sure!
This is for two reasons. 1. If you're not adaptable, being a successful and happy travel nurse would be incredibly difficult. And 2. my job does not consume my identity. I'm not only a pediatric ICU nurse. I'm also a traveler, humanitarian, wannabe photographer, and language-learner (albeit a slow one). When you realize success and happiness doesn't hinge on a single dimension of your life, the impact of a bad or off day is significantly decreased.
4. Nightshift is not for me.
After being on day shift for the majority of the past two years switching back to nights has been difficult. I knew it would be a rough transition but I was hoping to get used it like I did in the past. False hopes. I still prefer the nightshift vibe and its people, but I don't sleep well, my skin is retaliating, and my health is suffering. I've promised myself that I will only work day shift from now on. This will limit my assignment options, but it will force me to be selective and keep my priorities in line... which leads me to....
5. I want MORE freedom and flexibility.
My brother calls me "semi-retired." I don't want to do less work. I want to do more meaningful work, how and when I want to do it; not when someone else tells me to. I've (naturally) been doing a lot of thinking and researching about my options and ideas. I don't have a definitive plan yet. However, I do know I'll continue to search and experiment until I figure it out. Plus, figuring it out is half the fun!
____________________________________
Not every moment of being a travel nurse has been perfect but I'm beyond happy and proud that I made the choice. I left my personal and professional comfort zones, and during the journey found the motivation to continue to build the career and life that fits me.
Your ideal life is possible, but it's not going to magically happen one day. You have to create it. The responsibility is solely yours.
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