When you’re adventuring in a new city and focused on thriving in your career as a traveling healthcare professional, it can be difficult to make time for socializing. However, if you’re proactive about connecting with people, your efforts can lead to lifelong friendships.

Here are some tips on the easiest ways you can begin to make friends as a traveling healthcare worker.

Take a Meal Break with Your Coworkers 

Making friends on the job doesn’t just help improve your personal life, but it can also make for a more enjoyable work day. When it’s time for you to take a break for lunch (or even breakfast and dinner, depending on the hours of your shift), don’t be afraid to join or talk to your coworkers in the cafeteria or break room. Not only will you begin to befriend whoever you’re working with, but you can also take this opportunity to learn about the area. Over food, try asking for restaurant recommendations, local hot spots or any other must-visit places in your new neighborhood. You can even ask them if they’d like to hang out and unwind in those spots after work.

Attend Community Events

From in-person meetups to virtual events, there will always be something new happening in your area — you just have to look. Do a quick search on Eventbrite or Facebook events for any types of events that you’re interested in and mark them in your calendar. You can also join Facebook community groups to ask what’s happening in the area. Once you’re at the event, be open to who you may connect with. You’re likely to share similar interests with the attendees, so use that as a starting point in conversations. 

Visit the Dog Park

If you’re traveling with your pup while you’re on assignment, head over to your local dog park. While your pup is playing and making friends, you can make friends of your own by getting to know fellow pet parents. It’ll be a win-win for the both of you. 

Sign Up for a Friend-Meeting App

Friend-meeting apps are an easy way to talk and meet with people in your area. Like dating apps, you can make a profile with photos, write a short bio, and swipe right on who you want to connect with. Bumble BFF and Friender are some of the most popular friend-meeting apps out there. Other friend-meeting apps specify who you can meet. For example, Hey! VINA is designed for women to hang out with other women, and if you’re in need of a running or exercise buddy in your new town, ATLETO helps you find people based on your favorite sports or exercise habits. 

Reach Out to Your Recruiter 

If making friends is important to you during your assignment, communicate that to your recruiter and they can do what they need to to help you make those connections. Your recruiter may know of other traveling healthcare professionals that are in your area, or they may also be aware of networking events, such as seminars or conferences. 

At HealthCare Support, your recruiter will be there with you every step of the way in your travel placement journey. As a premiere, national staffing resource for the healthcare industry, we help talented, passionate healthcare professionals find the perfect long-term career or short-term job. With one-on-one guidance and highly responsive support, our dedicated team is ready to help you achieve your professional goals so you can meet your personal goals. To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.

When traveling on vacation, it is okay to enjoy less healthy foods at restaurants because you are constantly on-the-go. And, besides, eating while on vacation can be written-off as a short term indulgence. However, if you travel frequently for work, as many healthcare professionals do, it is important to consider the foods that you’re eating when away from home. 

Here are some ways traveling healthcare professionals can eat healthy and stay healthy while on assignment. 

Travel With Healthy Snacks 

It is well known that good snacks are a staple of any travel situation. However, snacks often fall into a category of food that is known for its empty calories. Therefore, if you’re looking for a more health-conscious travel snack, consider those that will fuel you throughout your day and keep you feeling fuller for longer, like cheese sticks or mini cheese wheels, instead of snacks that will only fill you up temporarily, like a bag of chips. With real cheese snacks, you can also enjoy all of the added benefits of dairy, like increased bone and muscle health. 

Choose Restaurants Carefully 

It is a common experience to crave a dish at a restaurant, only to see that its calorie count is almost double the number of calories you should be eating in a single day. While it is okay to enjoy those meals from time to time, it is best not to do it too often if you travel for work. Instead, if you are going to eat at a restaurant, choose a place with healthy options on the menu, like a restaurant that will give you the option to choose grilled chicken over fried. 

Get Proper Accommodations 

When traveling for work, you should try to eat out about as much as you would at home. This can be difficult because when on assignment, you likely won’t have access to a full kitchen. This is why it is important to look for accommodations that offer kitchen upgrades, which are available in most hotel suites. Make sure your hotel room at least has a mini fridge so you can store healthy snacks and groceries. While you likely won’t be able to cook, you can still keep fresh ingredients for cold meals like salads, sandwiches, and healthy wraps in your room to pack for lunch.

Bring Your Own Cookware

Packing a large cooler, preferable one with wheels and a handle, can help if your place lacks a sizable refrigerator. With your own large cooler, you can store healthy perishable items that won’t fit in a hotel minifridge and keep them cool by refilling your cooler daily with free ice from the hotel ice machine. Another great tip to manage your healthy eating habits is to bring an air fryer. With a portable, electric air fryer, you can crisp, cook, and fry a wide variety of dinners and sides to make balanced and budget-friendly meals while traveling.

Keep Your Career Healthy With HealthCare Support

If you’re ready to tackle your next healthcare assignment but don’t know where to start, look no further than HealthCare Support. A national staffing resource dedicated to serving those in the healthcare industry, HealthCare Support is staffed by dedicated and knowledgeable professionals who will help you navigate our vast professional network in order to help you achieve your next career goal. 

Take the first step towards achieving your goals by calling HealthCare Support at 888-219-6285 today.

Traveling is a great way to break up the monotony of day-to-day life by spending some time in another place. However, not only does traveling disrupt the bad in your daily routine, but it also disrupts the good. This can especially be a concern for those who travel frequently for work—like traveling healthcare professionals— and find it difficult to maintain a regular workout routine while away from home.

Fortunately, there are ways to maintain a healthy fitness routine while traveling for any length of time. Here are a few ways traveling healthcare professionals can stay in shape while on assignment.

Follow Online Workout Videos

One way you can stay in shape without stepping outside of your temporary residence is by following online workout videos. Because such videos often exclusively rely on the use of body weight, they are perfect for those who don’t have access to a gym or any workout equipment. In addition to subscription-based online workout programs, popular resources for exercise videos include video sharing websites like YouTube and social media platforms like TikTok.

Explore Your New Environment

Staying fit can be as simple as adding more steps to your day, so why not take advantage of your situation by exploring your new environment? Be sure to wear comfortable shoes and bring your phone with you to record your step count. Try and search for any local parks or areas that may be good for jogging and other cardio.

Adjust Your Timing

When adjusting to a new assignment, many end up omitting exercise from their day because they do not feel like they have enough time. Instead, think about where you can implement exercise into your new schedule such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Also consider shorter exercise breaks if you can’t maintain longer ones. For example, if you usually do an hour on the bicycle machine every day but can’t keep up with that, consider trying out some HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) exercises. These workouts require less of your time and will often provide you with the same, if not better, results as your usual routine.

Find the Right Traveling Assignment

When it comes to maintaining a healthy exercise routine, location matters. So, think carefully about what type of exercise you enjoy the most and try to ensure that your assignment is in a place where you can maintain that. For example, if you’d pick swimming as your preferred cardio, you’re going to want to be assigned somewhere near an indoor swimming pool or somewhere that is sunny all year long. If you need help finding an assignment in a location that suits you, look no further than the dedicated professionals at HealthCare Support.

At HealthCare Support, a national staffing resource in healthcare, our team has been helping healthcare professionals like you find the perfect assignments to achieve both long-term and short-term career goals. With access to our vast professional network, our compassionate and highly response staff will provide you with a customized staffing solution that is sure to suit your individual needs.

For more information on our open jobs and services, call us at 888-219-6285 today.

Balancing work and family life can be difficult regardless of what career you’re in. This is especially true if your job requires you to travel often, such as travel nursing. If you have a family and are considering becoming a traveling nurse, here are some things that you can do to make the journey easier for you and your family.

Include Your Family in Your Decision

Even if you’re dead set on becoming a traveling nurse, if your family is coming along for the ride, it is incredibly important to consider their wants and needs as well. While it may be obvious to discuss your career move with your spouse, it is also important to ask your kids about how they feel. Having a formal conversation about the matter will help you to address any concerns or insecurities they may have about moving around. By consulting with your family instead of just springing the news on them, they are much more likely to adjust well to your new career and the lifestyle that comes with it.

Take Inventory of Your Belongings

From toys and furniture to appliances and electronics, families accumulate many items over time. However, life as a travel nurse requires a fair amount downsizing. Therefore, you should consider taking inventory of all of the items in your household before you hit the road. Unless you are going to get a storage unit, you’re likely going to have to sell or give many things away, because, when traveling, the less baggage you have the better.

Establish a Sense of Home

No matter where you go, it is important to remember that it’s a place that you and your family are going to call home for a period of time. So, once you start your new job, it is important to remember to create a sense of home for your family. Throughout your workday, check in with your family as you can to see how they are doing. When you’re off the clock, stay off the clock and spend some time with your family to help them adjust. Visit new restaurants and parks in the area so that they can become familiar with their new surroundings.

Supporting You and Your Career Needs

When managing your career as a traveling nurse gets difficult, having a little bit of support can make all the difference. At HealthCare Support, one of the top national staffing resources for those in healthcare, our staff is dedicated to helping talented professionals in all of their career-related needs. From helping you land a short-term job to getting you closer to a long-term career, our vast professional network and dedicated team of healthcare experts can provide you with the support you need to move forward in your healthcare journey.

To learn more about our career services, call us at 888-219-6285 today.

One of the best parts about being a travel nurse is in its name: travel. Indeed, the opportunity to explore new places and meet new faces is alluring to many prospective nurses. However, it can often be difficult to decide where to go next. Here are some tips on how to choose a destination as a travel nurse.

Understand State Licensing Requirements

When you’re in healthcare, you must be licensed to practice in whichever state you plan to work in. Therefore, when you are considering a new travel nursing destination, it is vital to look into the licensing requirements in that area. This way, you can prepare yourself by obtaining the additional qualifications needed to apply for and accept a desirable travel nursing job as soon as it becomes available.

Consider the Competition

When it comes to the number of positions available, not all places are created equal. Some areas of the country are much more competitive than others. For example, healthcare positions in Hawaii are notably more difficult to land than those in Wyoming. Therefore, if you’re looking to start working as a travel nurse sooner rather than later, it may be worthwhile to look for jobs in areas that are less competitive first. However, if you’re dead set on a particular location, be sure to start looking for positions and obtaining state licensing early on.

Keep Your Ideal Lifestyle in Mind

When choosing a travel nursing destination, it is important to consider your ideal lifestyle and personal interests. It goes without saying that you won’t spend every hour of your day at work, so when you move to a new place for your career, you should consider choosing a location that aligns with your interests. If one of your hobbies is surfing, you probably shouldn’t move to a landlocked state. If you hate the cold, you may want to choose a destination in a warmer climate. Even if your travel nursing position is temporary, you’ll be a happier and better care provider if you are somewhere that is comfortable for you.

Helping You Find Your Ideal Travel Nurse Destination

If you’re trying to decide where your next career destination as a travel nurse should be and don’t know where to start, contact the professionals at HealthCare Support. At HealthCare Support, we are dedicated to providing you with the resources you need to make your next step professionally by connecting you with our vast professional network and providing you with the expertise and knowledge you need to make an informed decision.

For more information about our career services, give us a call at 888-219-6285 today.

A big part of making the most of your travel nurse journey is knowing where you will live next. When it comes to housing, travel nurses have two options: agency-paid housing, which involves an agency figuring out housing for you; and stipend pay housing, which means you will receive a stipend to make your own housing arrangements.

Since you will have professional support and will not have to worry about utilities, availability, or security deposits, agency-paid housing is significantly less stressful. However, with stipend housing, you will have complete control and responsibility to determine where you live. Regardless of which option you lean towards more, you have a say in where and how you want to live. Below is what you need to keep in mind when booking your housing as a travel nurse.

3 Tips for Booking Housing as a Travel Nurse

1. Plan with the length of your assignment in mind. Your assignment length can influence where and how you want to live. If it is a short assignment, staying in a hotel or rental space may be a reasonable option for you.
   1. To book a shorter stay, reliable resources include sites like AirBnB, known for hosting vacation rentals, or Travelodge, which caters to traveling professionals by offering daily, weekly, and monthly rates.
   2. For extended placements, long term stays in apartment or house subleases could be your best bet. To find open availability, try searching Facebook Groups, such as Travel Nursing: Places/Rooms for Rent. You can also browse through Extended Stay America to book a place in your assigned location.
2. Live in a furnished home. Keep in mind that locking in housing can mean leasing an unfurnished home. To make sure you live comfortably throughout your placement, check out Furnished Finder, a site dedicated to renting out completely furnished spaces to travel nurses and other traveling professionals.
3. Join loyalty programs. As a travel nurse, you may see yourself frequently staying in hotels at every new placement. If you see yourself consistently checking in to the same hotel chain, consider signing up for a loyalty program to get the most of each stay. The points you earn can add up to free or discounted stays, room upgrades, dining experiences, and more.

Let Someone You Trust Find You Housing 

Don’t let housing details stress you out or keep you from making the most of your travel placement. If you’re ready to travel to the places that need you most, then we’re ready to get you on the road to your next great adventure.

As a premiere, national staffing resource, HealthCare Support places talented and passionate healthcare professionals like you in dream roles and dream locations across the country. We’ll work with you to place you in the role that aligns with your goals, help you settle into a new home and stay by your side to support you throughout your entire assignment. To learn more about our open jobs and services, please give us a call at 888-219-6285.

It’s rare to find a career that’s as rewarding as it is exciting. From working in different facilities and specialties to working in entirely new locations, it’s easy to see why there’s a demand for travel nursing. If you’re still wondering whether this profession is right for you, here are five benefits you’ll want to think over.

Opportunities to Explore

For most, the biggest draw to travel nursing is traveling. As a travel nurse, you have the option to choose from contracts all around the country. The length, setting, and type of contracts available will fluctuate by demand, but there certainly won’t ever be a shortage of selections to apply for.

Eligibility for Permanent Staffing

While some nurses lean toward travel nursing because of the opportunities to explore, others might sign a contract with the hopes of finding their dream location or healthcare center. That’s because many travel nursing assignments also give nurses the option to sign on permanently. So, if you want to settle but don’t know exactly where, make a list of your top destinations and start searching for contracts in the areas and facilities that you rank highest.

New Ways to Network

Each travel nursing assignment comes with its own unique benefits. But something you’re certainly going to want to take advantage of no matter where your contract takes you is the chance to network. The people you meet in any given contract can be pivotal to your career path, helping you unlock opportunities you might not have been able to as permanent staff.

Exceptional Pay Rates and Benefits

Travel nurses often earn as much or more than salaried nurses. Moreover, most travel nursing positions include the same or similar benefits and allowances given to permanent staff. If you aren’t happy with the pay rate or benefits in a contract, however, you have the option to either negotiate or start looking into other assignments.

Experience for Your Resume

Choose your contracts carefully, and you can use travel nursing to achieve your largest professional goals. If you have a long-term dream of working in management, for example, you can seek out contracts in high-profile hospitals. Or, if you want to build a top-notch resume that will make you a stand-out candidate for certain specialties, you can work with a healthcare recruiter to find the right assignments.

Interested in Travel Nursing?

For anyone seriously considering travel nursing, talking with a healthcare recruiter is the first step in finding contracts. At HealthCare Support, our talent network is filled with healthcare professionals around the country — and our staff’s goal is to assist them with resume building, interview prep, and negotiation. To talk directly with a healthcare recruiter and learn more, contact HealthCare Support today at 888-219-6285.

Am I capable of taking on this new role? What if I don’t fit in with the rest of my team? It’s normal to have a lot of questions and a mix of emotions heading into a new nursing practice. Here are some tips to help you adjust.

Schedule Time for Self-Care

It might take some time to settle into your new nursing practice, but don’t forget to allocate some of that time for yourself. Prioritizing self-care can help you find the right work/life balance and avoid burnout. As your new schedules roll in, see how you can make room for hobbies. Or, if you have a fixed schedule, block out hours of your week to dedicate toward your favorite activities.

Allow Yourself an Adjustment Period

Remember when you were new to the entire profession — fresh out of college and filled with a range of emotions? Your first weeks and months in a new nursing practice might feel similar to your first few weeks and months as a nurse in general. Fortunately, you already have an established network of information and experience under your belt.

Before you start listening to thoughts of doubt or getting overwhelmed with anxiety, remember that you’ve already, and successfully, faced this kind of newness before. Allow yourself an adjustment period of at least six months to really learn your unit, facility, and role before you start making any serious reevaluations.

Don’t Hide Your Dedication

The longer you wait to fully commit to your new role, the longer it will take to adjust to the practice. If you’re dedicated to succeeding in your career change, don’t be afraid to let it show. Stay engaged by asking questions and retain the information you learn on the job by keeping a notebook handy. To get to know your team, interact with your coworkers on the clock — and consider taking up offers to grab lunch or coffee with them off the clock.

Work With a Professional Mentor

Your surroundings and some of your job duties might change, but you still have the same skills. If you’re thinking about making lateral or upward moves in your nursing career, consult the healthcare recruiters at HealthCare Support. We’re here to help you ace interviews, perfect your resume, negotiate job offers, and adjust to your next role in nursing. To join a talent network exclusive to the healthcare profession, contact HealthCare Support today at 888-219-6285.

Are you thinking about becoming a preceptor? Have you been offered the chance to take a preceptee under your wing? If you think preceptorship might be in your future, take a closer look at why it’s worth pursuing.

What Is a Nurse Preceptor?

Preceptors are experienced nurses who help train and support student nurses in the classroom and recent graduates on the job. Serving as a mentor, preceptors typically work with preceptees in a one-on-one relationship — full-time, part-time, or as a volunteer. After establishing expectations and getting introduced in an orientation, preceptors start taking on a number of new responsibilities:

• Introducing a nurse to the practice or certain specialties
• Supervising and offering feedback on a nurse’s performance
• Communicate with the preceptee and answer questions
• Encourage time management and decision-making skills

Becoming a Nurse Preceptor

The path to becoming a nurse preceptor looks a little different for everyone. While the requirements to apply for this type of position will vary by state and setting, there are a number of courses and a plethora of literature for aspiring preceptors. If you have specific questions or need advice on how to prepare for the role, consider reaching out to preceptors in your community.

Top 4 Benefits of Precepting   

Students and new nurses seek out preceptorships to learn, find support, and get advice, but preceptors themselves have a lot to gain from the relationship, too. Here are four benefits of precepting.

1. Leadership skills

   As a preceptor, you’ll educate, guide, and support your preceptee, which will certainly enhance your confidence as a leader.

2. Resume building

   The skills and experience you acquire as a preceptor make for a great addition to your resume.

3. Ongoing education

   Taking on a preceptor and teaching them about the practice is a great way to sharpen your existing skills.

4. Long-term relationships

   By helping a new nurse assimilate, understand their role, and find a work/life balance, preceptorship creates strong professional bonds.

Your Path to Preceptorship

Leaders and teachers, preceptors are an integral part of the nursing practice. Breaking into the role of preceptor might seem intimidating, but our team of healthcare recruiters at HealthCare Support are here to help. We have the experience and professional network to help you find openings where you can take on preceptorships and mentor other healthcare professionals. If you have any questions about our hiring process or want to join our talent network, contact HealthCare Support today at 888-219-6285.

Along with all of the experience and education you’ve garnered as a nursing student, you’ve also incurred quite a bit of debt. Furthermore, the options available for paying off that debt might look a little different for you than they do for other nurses. Factors like where you live, when you graduated, and where you work all play a part in the types of programs you may be able to benefit from.

Top 3 Loan Forgiveness Options for Nurses

Whether you’re approaching the end of your post-graduate grace period or years into making payments, here are three student loan forgiveness programs you may have heard of.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program is a popular option among nurses working full-time for government organizations or nonprofits. Candidates must make 120 qualifying payments on their loan before they are eligible for PSLF.

Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program

Available to RNs working in critical shortage facilities such as public hospitals and free clinics, the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program (NCLRP) repays up to 85% of nursing student loans for qualifying applicants. Candidates must work two or more years in a critical shortage facility to qualify.

Perkins Loan Cancellation

Nurses with a Perkins loan may have a unique opportunity to have their debt fully forgiven. The program that provided Perkins loans ended in 2017, and nurses that obtained Perkins loans before 2017 and have worked for five or more consecutive years may qualify for partial or complete loan cancellation.

Other Ways to Pay Your Nursing Student Loans

On top of looking into the loan forgiveness options mentioned above, check to see which specific opportunities are available in your state. You might qualify for loan forgiveness if you work in a shortage area or commit to a specific amount of service. If you aren’t eligible for any student loan forgiveness program or are searching for a different financial option, you may want to consider refinancing and securing a lower interest rate.

Find Your Perfect Career Match

Next to paying off your student loan debt, your top goal as a nurse is finding fulfilment in your work and your place of work. If you’re trying to qualify for a specific loan forgiveness program and need professional help finding the right nursing openings, join the HealthCare Support talent network. Our team of healthcare recruiters work day in and day out to match candidates with the right opportunities and offer continual career support. To get in touch with a healthcare recruiter, contact HealthCare Support today at 888-219-6285.