Tag: traveling nurse

The Ultimate Travel Nursing Packing List

We are more than excited to welcome new travel nurses to the community. However, we know that packing can be stressful. What do I bring? What is essential?

It is important to note that if you are traveling out of state or far from home, you will need both the essentials and comfort items. Items that you may want or need to make yourself feel at home while living at a distance while you create a home-away-from-home for yourself.

Below are some essentials to pack with you when you travel:

  • Scrubs: We all know you can never have too many.
  • Medication: Taking care of and staying on top of your own health is important to thriving. Bringing prescriptions, stomach medication, eye drops, allergy medication, and more can help provide a comfortable traveling experience.
  • Lounge/Exercise Wear: It is important to dress comfortably while relaxing at home or exploring your new location. Being comfortable in your clothing is important to take on any changes with certainty.
  • Clothing: Depending on what time of year it is and where you will be traveling to, ensure you have the clothes needed for the designation ahead! Whether it is tank tops or thick sweaters, make sure to pack what you will need.
  • Toiletries: Bringing your favorite hygiene items will make you more comfortable while traveling and taking on a new career.
  • Comfort Items: Perhaps you have a favorite blanket, coffee mug, or picture. All of these things can be important to making sure you take this new journey with confidence.
  • Hobby Items: Of course you will have time off. You may take this time to explore the area, or sometimes you’ll want the time to decompress with your favorite things to do. Don’t forget that favorite book, the knitting project you’ve been working on, or other craft and essential supplies.
  • Other Necessities: Chargers, laptops, earbuds, phone, laundry needs, flashlight, batteries, and anything else you may need in your new home. Don’t forget, the small things can often be the most impactful.

If you need anything during your assignment, we are here to make sure that you are comfortable and successful.

The Spring Season – A Time for Joy… And Sickness

As spring quickly approaches, most people are overjoyed with the warmer weather, longer days, and flowering plants. After all, spring is just a hop, skip, and jump away from summer pool days. However, spring is also the time for peak-season colds, thanks to the change in the weather.

It is important to us that our travel team stay healthy as the season changes. As healthcare workers, prevention is nothing new. However, we want to give out a gentle reminder about things to keep in mind during the coming weeks to prevent as many of these seasonal colds as possible.

  • Stay Hydrated: A key to much of our health is the amount of water that we consume every day. It may seem small, but making sure you drink enough water can be a great help in making sure you stay healthy.
  • Wash Your Hands: As we all know, this is nothing new. But with the various viruses and germs making their way around, this is a simple way to keep from catching anything that could be spread around.
  • Exercise: This is a great way to manage stress. Taking a daily walk, doing some stretching, or getting in the weight room is a good way to keep your body moving and endorphins pumping. Stress can be a quiet influence to causing a cold, and doing what you can to reduce that as much as possible can help in prevention in so many ways.
  • Rest: Making sure to get plenty of sleep every day is perhaps most important. Not getting enough sleep can quickly run down your body, and cause many other issues, including an open invitation to an uninvited virus.

Our traveler’s health is important to us, and we want to make sure we are doing our own part, and we encourage you to take the precautions available to do so as well.

How to Reach Your Goals With Fidelity

Statics tell us that after the 3rd week in January, we have already forgotten our goals for the new year. We want to remind you that, as spring slowly approaches, the time to put your goals into action is now. Are you ready to explore a new career opportunity? Do you need more flexibility in your schedule? Are you a parent or a student? Is it time for a career change?

Travel nursing is popular for providing an opportunity to its nurses to expand their knowledge, practice, and network with peers. Beyond that, travel nursing has a reputation for creating a flexible space to create a schedule tailored to the individual nurse.

Creating a space for growth and career satisfaction, travel nursing can very well be the answer to one of your goals. One big opportunity that it provides is the ability to travel and try out new places, where a nurse, as an individual, can carve out a space for themselves. Being able to explore new options, places, and opportunities not only increases the probability of prosperity, but most importantly, it decreases the possibility of burnout.

Often, spring goals are centered around putting ourselves first.

  • Perhaps taking a new leap or facing a challenge.
  • Bettering oneself in various ways, whether it be emotional or physical health.
  • Maybe it isn’t about a change within ourselves, but a time to alter ourselves socially. From our workspace to our friends, all of which impact our moods, priorities, and everyday lives.

This is the time to create a new space for yourself within your career. Putting yourself first in your career is possible, and we are here to offer you that help and guidance in order to make your spring goals possible.

How to START your Travel Healthcare Professional Career Part 2

As we mentioned in PART ONE, thirty years in the healthcare travel industry gives our experienced, professional healthcare recruiters knowledge that so many others do not yet have.

Once you have researched agencies, connected with a recruiter, and have some clinical experience under your belt you should follow these next steps:

  • CREATE your RESUME: While you will be or should be required to complete an employment application with any reputable agency you seek, it is always a great idea to have an up-to-date resume to ship over to your recruiter to save you both time and energy. Detailed work histories are not only important in the process but required by every potential client.
  • PREPARE your DOCUMENTATION: Gather necessary documentation like transcripts, licenses, certifications, and immunization records. Every facility has unique requirements for a traveler to work in their facility, but the above items are wanted by every facility. The rest will come when the onboarding and credentialing team know the location selected.
  • Location and Housing Options: Perhaps you wish to start traveling locally or at minimum in the same state. Discuss what you need for housing and what is available. Perhaps you wish to work housing out on your own. You may also want to use the agency housing specialist to set it up on your behalf.

Now is the time. Reach out to one of our experienced recruiters to get all your questions answered. Leave us a message or call (309) 691-1500. You can also check us out and chat with us on our social networking sites.

How to START your Travel Healthcare Professional Career Part 1

This year Fidelity On Call will celebrate its 30th year in the industry. We have a team of the best healthcare professional recruiters in the industry and partner with some of the best healthcare facilities in the country. With that background, we want you to be a success in your travel career so we are sharing  some information for selecting your travel company.

  • Research Agencies: Explore reputable travel nursing agencies. Get to know their length of time in business, payroll practices, reviews, and benefits offered.
  • Connect with Recruiters: Reach out to recruiters at the travel nursing agencies you’re interested in. Discuss your preferences, goals, and availability. Be transparent and ensure the agency allows you to switch recruiters if needed.
  • Gain Experience: You will need to acquire at least one to two years of clinical experience in your chosen specialty. Travel nursing requires experienced professionals and an experienced recruiter can help navigate this with you. We have many future RNs who reach out to us. We will keep you in our files and answer questions as you gain the experience you need in order to travel.

Start the research today! It’s a new year, new month. Now is the time. Reach out now to one of our experienced recruiters and ask all the questions. Contact us or call (309) 691-1500. You can also check us out and chat with us on our socials.

Read more: How to START your Travel Healthcare Professional Career Part 2