What to Do if You Don’t Like Your Travel Nursing Assignment
One of the greatest benefits to taking on a travel nurse assignment is gaining valuable experience all over the country, though sometimes, those experiences are negative. If you’ve found yourself dreading your next shift, take a step back and assess what it is you don’t like about where you are. Once you’ve found your pain points, you can decide what to do. Here are some tips on how to navigate some of the most common circumstances travel nurses experience when they dislike their travel nursing assignment.
You and Your Coworkers Aren’t a Good Match
Are the people you’re working with not the type of people you want to be around? Whether it’s unprofessionalism, cattiness, or misalignment on goals and values, at some point in your career, you may work with people who make each shift difficult.
If this is what you’re up against, try to remember there’s more to this assignment than the work. You’ve landed a role in an entirely new city, so focus your energy on creating plans to explore where you are before or after your shift or even on your lunch break.
Your Assignment Isn’t What You Expected
If, for example, you were expecting to work in a brand new unit and you found yourself working somewhere old and run down, then it’s completely fair for you to not be excited about heading into work. Your expectations weren’t met, which is why it’s so important to get all your questions answered at the interview stage before you accept your role.
If you can, power through the circumstances and make the best of it. Despite your situation not being up to par with what you envisioned, the experience can still be incredibly valuable if you see past the negatives.
You Feel Homesick
Even if you add pieces of home to your current living space, such as photos and furniture, it still gets tough to be away from where you love, but try sticking it out. As time passes and you spend more time in your new city, you may be surprised by what elements of your new home will grow on you.
If being homesick still outweighs wanting to experience a new city, restructure your schedule to plan a trip home. For example, if you’re on schedule to work three 12-hour shifts at the beginning of the week, you have four days to make the trek back home for a quick visit.
You Don’t Feel Like You’re Set Up for Success
Whether you’re handling more patients than you’re used to or you’re too overwhelmed to juggle all your responsibilities, you may feel like you aren’t prepared to make it through your shifts. If this is the case, talk to management and ask for support. You and your manager can work through your obstacles together so you can make the most of your time at your new assignment. However, if the circumstances make you feel like your license is on the line, then call your recruiter about backing out of your assignment.
Your recruiter should support you as you take your next steps in your assignment. Be clear about what it is you’re experiencing so they can help you move forward. An honest conversation now can best set you up for your next placement down the road.
Land Your Ideal Travel Nurse Placement
Wherever you are in your travel nurse journey, our recruiters will be there to help you move forward and find a role you love. HealthCare Support is a national staffing resource for the healthcare industry that helps talented, passionate healthcare professionals like you find an ideal career path and workplace. Our network is vast, and our highly responsive team will help you get to where you’ve always dreamed of working.
To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.