Travel nursing allows you to explore dozens of cities across the country. But the experience can be filled with highs and lows. As a visiting nurse, you will likely feel excited, but out of place, hopeful, but homesick, and glad to meet new people, but lonely for familiar faces. Even those who love to travel will go through the emotional journey of travel nursing. Fortunately, knowing what’s ahead can help you hang on through the tough parts and have a great experience overall.
Excitement, Hope, and Curiosity
What often drives us to become travel nurses is a combination of excitement, hope, and curiosity.
- We are excited to see new places and meet new people.
- We hope to make a positive difference where our work is needed most.
- We are curious about new opportunities to explore, learn, and grow.
These positive emotions are the uplifting aspects of travel nursing. They are shared by many travel nurses and inspire us to take the next job no matter what the emotional journey has been so far. Remembering your core drivers can help you get through times when you may feel more stressed out.
Dealing with Homesickness and Loneliness
Any time you spend an extended period away from home and the people you love, it’s only natural to feel homesick. You may make new friends in each travel nursing role you take on, but you will likely also miss the people who have been your close friends, family, and support system.
Fortunately, you can deal with these emotions more easily with a few reminders and techniques
- Accept your feelings as normal and healthy
- Close the digital distance
- Spend time with new friends
- Schedule regular calls with loved ones
The first step is to accept that homesickness and loneliness are normal and accept them in yourself. They can exist right next to your feelings of excitement being in a new city, working in a new environment, and meeting new people.
Closing the Digital Distance
In today’s digital world, your loved ones aren’t as far away as they seem. Everyone you miss is only a phone call, video chat, or silly text message away. You can easily reach out and stay connected to your support system even when you’re far from home.
Socialize with New Friends
Avoid loneliness by spending time with good coworkers and new friends during your travel assignments. Let them fill your need for social companionship by making happy memories and building your nationwide network of friends.
Call Home Regularly
Schedule frequent video calls with your loved ones. Find a time in your schedule when you can enjoy a long, relaxed talk with someone comforting, like a partner, parent, or best friend. Reconnecting can help you reduce homesickness and loneliness while feeling more connected.
Handling Work Stress Far from Home
There’s no doubt that work stress can play a role in the ups and downs of travel nursing. Travel nurse positions are often listed because a facility is short-staffed and in need of extra help. You then need to adapt quickly and may be dealing with a demanding list of responsibilities as soon as you arrive.
While this is exciting, it is also stressful. Whether you’re suddenly so homesick it hurts or you find yourself devastated when the snack machine is out of your favorite candy, that is absolutely normal. High work stress will do that.
Being far from home can also make it harder to destress, but there are many ways to cope.
Take Time to Release Stress
If your emotions start to feel overwhelming, take a look at your stress level. A little self-care can go a long way to help you intentionally release stress and regain your emotional equilibrium.
- Take a long bath at the end of the day. Give your mind and your sore muscles a chance to recover with a long, hot soak. Sip a cool drink while listening to soft music, and let the stress flow out of you.
- Discover new restaurants and parks. Whatever your de-stress ritual is, rediscover it in each new city. Find a nearby park to walk through to lift your spirits and explore restaurants until you find the perfect cozy cafe or hidden gem that serves your go-to comfort food.
- Call a friend. If you have a friend who helps you release stress, call them. Watch a movie through a video call together, or just vent and let your stress evaporate like it always does with their help.
Building a Support Network on the Road
One of the best ways to prepare for the emotional journey of travel nursing is to build a support network that can help you no matter where you are located.
Put together a network of friends, family, and colleagues who enjoy virtual calls and can help you destress when you need companionship and comfort. Some people are in-person people who you will appreciate when you can meet them in person. But many people in the modern day are very comfortable having long video chats, trading uplifting text messages, and sharing digital routines that help you feel connected whenever you are on an assignment.
A support network also provides stability and consistency because they are always there for you, no matter where you travel. While your surroundings and workplace may change, your network can help you maintain the connection, comforting routines, and emotional support you need to thrive.
Finding Joy and Fulfillment in Changing Environments
The final piece of the puzzle is to embrace your love of adventure and travel. Once you have methods to deal with those occasional waves of homesickness and natural work stress, you can fully appreciate what drew you to travel nursing in the first place.
The Love of Travel
Embrace the joy of exploring new cities, whether you’re in it to tour restaurants, sight-see the unique architecture, or hike nature trails in every new city. Make time to do the travel activities that you love so that every assignment fulfills your passions.
Professional Fulfillment
At the same time, you can also fully enjoy the sense of fulfillment that comes from mastering each new role. It can feel amazing to make a difference in medical facilities that need your help. From easing the pressure of short staffing to providing a specialty that balances a medical team, every assignment offers the chance to feel professionally fulfilled, enhance your skills, and grow your breadth of professional experience. Appreciating the satisfaction that comes from these experiences can help you stay positive and enjoy each opportunity to the fullest.
Find Your Next Travel Nursing Job
Choosing the right assignment can also play a valuable role in creating a positive emotional experience. Choose opportunities where you know you will feel fulfilled and locations that you’ve always wanted to explore like AZ, NC, AK, CA and more. Plan carefully and work with a travel nursing agency to help you find the best assignments for your talents, motivations, and desired experiences. Here are some open positions that may interest you:
- LPN in Portsmouth, Virginia
- Director of Nursing in Cordova, Alaska
- Labor and Delivery RN in Cibola, New Mexico
Contact AB Staffing for personalized guidance in finding the best next travel nursing assignment for you.