As a travel nurse, you love the thrill of exploring new places and meeting diverse individuals. But amidst the adventure, you find yourself feeling a little disconnected from other nurses. You know that networking is important, but knowing where to begin as a travel nurse can be daunting.
Navigating the realm of networking as a travel nurse is especially important. While being a travel nurse poses some unique challenges, there are actionable steps you can take to enhance your professional connections and enrich your travel nurse experience.
In this article, we’ll dive into why networking is so crucial for travel nurses, offering six practical networking tips for travel nurses to help you foster a meaningful professional network.
Table of Contents
- Why Is Networking as a Travel Nurse Important?
- How Do I Connect With Other Travel Nurses?
- How To Network as a Travel Nurse: 6 Ways To Connect
- Benefits of Networking for Travel Nurses
- Trusted Nurse Staffing Can Help You Connect With Other Travel Nurses and Secure Your Next Contract
Why Is Networking as a Travel Nurse Important?
Networking plays an important role in any profession as it helps foster connections and can open doors to new opportunities. As a travel nurse, the transient nature of assignments can sometimes feel very isolating. However, networking presents a powerful solution to this challenge.
You should also consider the support from your travel staffing company as part of your network. At Trusted Nurse Staffing, we understand the importance of support throughout your travel assignment. Unlike some of the larger companies, we will always pick up the phone and be available to you throughout your contract.
How Do I Connect With Other Travel Nurses?
Connecting with fellow travel nurses is essential for enriching your experience and expanding your professional network. Exploring social media platforms, attending nursing conferences, and engaging in online forums are all great ways to connect with other travel nurses. Building a network within this community can provide you with support and guidance.
How To Network as a Travel Nurse: 6 Ways To Connect
#1: Join Nursing Associations
Joining a nursing association provides valuable networking opportunities for travel nurses. With memberships, you often can join networking events (online and in-person), and they also often offer online forums where you can interact with other nurses online, post any questions, etc.
There are organizations like the American Travel Nurse Association, offering tailored resources and support for travel nurses. Alternatively, you can join a broader nursing association like the American Nurses Association.
#2: Look at Each Assignment as a Networking Opportunity
Approach each travel assignment with an open mindset. View it as an opportunity to not only expand your professional skills but also to expand your professional network. Whether you’re interacting with fellow nurses, doctors, or other healthcare professionals, consider each encounter as a chance to forge meaningful connections and learn from them.
Embrace opportunities to engage with colleagues outside the workplace or make an effort to meet people in the local community. Building relationships beyond the confines of work can lead to lasting connections and enrich your travel experience.
#3: Attend Nursing Conferences and Workshops
Nursing conferences and workshops offer more than just educational benefits — they’re often motivating experiences that provide excellent opportunities to network.
Often nursing associations host annual conferences. Not only do they often offer Continuing Education (CE) credits but they also serve as a platform to network with peers and industry professionals. You can also often receive a discounted rate if you’re a member of these organizations.
For example, TravCon is specifically designed for travel healthcare professions where nurses can network with peers, learn from industry experts, and stay up to date on the latest trends in the field.
#4: Take Advantage of Online Platforms
Social media and online forums present fantastic opportunities for travel nurses to connect and share their experiences. Here are some ways to leverage these platforms effectively:
- Join travel nursing groups: There are many groups within social media sites for specific interests like travel nursing. These groups provide opportunities to ask questions, seek advice, and share insights.
- Participate in discussions: Actively engage in discussions within these groups. Share your experiences, offer support to others, and ask questions. It’s also a great place to share your favorite travel recommendations and fun pictures with fellow travel lovers.
- Engage with other accounts: Talk with people you meet on these platforms or follow along with travel nurse influencers for great tips and insights.
- Utilize professional networking sites: Platforms like LinkedIn offer opportunities to connect with fellow healthcare professionals. Build your professional profile by adding skills, certifications, and relevant experience.
Remember to always remain HIPAA compliant and never share patients’ identifying information when sharing experiences or discussing cases in these groups.
#5: Maintain Your New Nursing Network Post-Assignment
Imagine you’ve forged great friendships with coworkers during your travel assignment. When the time comes for your next assignment, it’s important to maintain those friendships and connections.
Consider these strategies to maintain your travel nurse network:
- Stay connected through social media
- Schedule regular phone calls to catch up
- Share job postings
- Attend conferences together
- Take courses together
- Schedule reunions
- Collaborate on professional projects
- Host virtual meetups
#6: Seek Out Mentorship Opportunities
Mentorship is important for professional growth as mentors can provide guidance, support, and inspiration as you navigate your career. Research has shown the importance of mentorship in healthcare for fostering career development and enhancing job satisfaction.
Travel nurses often encounter diverse work environments, varying patient populations, and unfamiliar healthcare systems. Finding a mentor who has experience in travel nursing can provide valuable insights by sharing advice on adjusting to new assignments and locations and insight into varying patient populations.
Benefits of Networking for Travel Nurses
Networking is important in any career field, especially for transient careers like travel nurses. By following our networking tips for travel nurses, you can expect several career benefits.
Staying Informed
It can be challenging to keep up with the latest best practices and industry trends for travel nurses. However, with a strong support network, you can gain a lot of information such as:
- Job openings
- Trends in healthcare technology
- Changes in healthcare regulations and policies
- Continuing education opportunities
- Salary trends
Finding Support
When you first considered a career in travel nursing, you likely envisioned all the exciting adventures, diverse nursing opportunities, and the chance to meet new people. The drawbacks of travel nursing may not have been at the forefront.
Travel nursing is a wonderful experience, but it can also be a little isolating and lonely. By having a strong support network, you can ease that sense of loneliness and get a lot of support from your community.
Staying in touch with people from previous assignments can lead to new connections and friendships at future locations — fostering a sense of belonging wherever your next assignment takes you.
And just as you rely on fellow travel nurses, you should consider your travel nurse staffing agency as another support partner. When considering agencies, be sure to ask the right questions to ensure they meet your needs and offer you the support you deserve.
Professional Development
Networking and finding a great mentor are essential for professional development in travel nursing. By actively keeping in touch with other professionals, you can open doors by:
- Learning new skills
- Staying up to date with industry trends; and
- Advancing your career.
For example, suppose during one travel nurse assignment you worked in the step-down unit but interacted with nurses from the cardiac ICU. By maintaining contact with those nurses, you may have the opportunity to learn from their expertise, paving the way for a potential transition into a cardiac ICU travel assignment.
Expanding your network not only benefits your professional development but also supports your significant other. While it may be challenging for your partner to find a job at each travel assignment, a strong network can help make it possible. Check out these great job ideas for spouses of travel nurses.
Gaining a Competitive Edge
Just like many careers in healthcare, travel nursing can be competitive. Establishing a robust professional network can be your secret weapon. These connections not only provide support and advice, but these relationships can also help you land the next travel nursing assignment. Recruiters and facilities often rely on recommendations from other providers to find qualified candidates.
Trusted Nurse Staffing Can Help You Connect With Other Travel Nurses and Secure Your Next Contract
Networking is one of the keys to success in the dynamic world of travel nursing. Networking isn’t just about finding your next assignment, but it’s also about forging lasting connections with other professionals who share your passion.
At Trusted Nurse Staffing, we recognize the value of these connections. We’re committed to helping you find a supportive network for each new assignment.
Here’s why you should consider Trusted Nurse Staffing as a part of your network:
- Personalized service: We pride ourselves in exceptional service and are available for you anytime throughout your contract. If you call us, you can expect us to answer.
- Flexible contacts: We offer contracts ranging from per-diem to assignments that are 52 weeks in length.
- Tax-free allowances: Benefit from housing, meal, and travel allowances that are tax-free if they’re used for duplicate expenses.
- Referral bonus: As an incentive for growing your professional network, we offer a $1,500 bonus for each referral you send.
- Comprehensive benefits: We offer full, pre-paid health insurance. We also provide options for both low and high-deductible dental and vision plans.
- Student loan assistance: You’ll have access to our student loan assistance program just 30 days after you start an assignment with us.
If you’re ready to expand your professional network, explore jobs on the Pronto job search.
Let Trusted Nurse Staffing be your partner and unlock the countless networking opportunities at your next travel nurse assignment.