What Are the Most Common Mistakes Committed by New Travel Nurses That You Should Avoid?

The field of travel nursing is challenging and exciting. Given the numerous daily challenges, such as news things to learn and patients to deal with, becoming a travel nurse is never simple. It's normal for people to make mistakes, including ones that can be easily avoided by being watchful.

Starting your first contract might be intimidating, whether you're just out of school or a metro nurse making the shift to travel nursing.

In this blog we will discuss the most common mistakes committed by new travel nurse that you should be aware of in order to avoid major difficulties and ease the transition from urban to rural and remote nursing.

The below image states the top reasons for you to become a travel nurse.

Source: https://www.advantismed.com/ 

Table of Contents

• Treating every employee at a facility as a “friend”
• Not being adequately ready for your first day of work
• Not becoming familiar with new policies and procedures
• Lack of awareness and complacency
• Insufficient rest
• Failing to acknowledge your errors and dwell on them
• Forgetting to enjoy yourself!
• The bottom line

1. Treating every employee at a facility as a “friend”

Being an agency nurse is fantastic because you get to travel and meet new people.

It's important to know that while some nurses value developing relationships, others are purely professional. Try your best to stay away from office politics and rumours, as these things can taint your relationships with your co-workers.

Stay professional and talk to your boss or supervisor if you uncertain about anything or have any doubts. Always be constructive when addressing criticism or concerns.

Keep your guard up and steer clear of office rumours; just smile and never stir up trouble.

2. Not being adequately ready for your first day of work

On your first day, be ready to get your hands dirty, especially if there is a staffing shortage at your facility. Your co-workers will count on your competence to fill this position if you are filling in for a specific duty.

While some hospitals may be calmer than others, some may have a busy atmosphere that requires you to stay up all day. Be prepared to go out strong on the first day if you are a new travel nurse and unsure of what to anticipate.

A fantastic strategy to prevent feeling overwhelmed and disillusioned on your first contract is to mentally prepare for a big shift.

3. Not becoming familiar with new policies and procedures

It's important to comprehend each hospital you have a contract with when you move about as an agency nurse working at several locations. Depending on the risk and patient type profile of two facilities, different processes and rules may be applied.

Study the local protocols that apply to each situation; for example, should you perform a certain task yourself or should you delegate it to a more experienced nurse?

Never attempt to alter a facility's practises or procedures based on your previous experiences. A rural or isolated facility may not always be able to adopt a metro hospital's methods, and vice versa.

Keep in mind that just because protocols are used in a different way doesn't mean that fundamental concepts are ignored.

Take a look around you, pay attention to what other employees are doing, and take notes. If you have any doubts or questions, make sure to speak with someone earlier on in your contract.

4. Lack of awareness and complacency

Being unable to see past your ideas indicates a lack of awareness. Due to your inability to understand how your emotions and actions may affect others, it can negatively affect your capacity to make wise judgements.

When a task has been performed frequently enough to become routine, complacency frequently results. Simple daily procedures like giving IV medication to patients or taking blood can fall under this category.

Ultimately, our patients rely on us to provide them with top-notch treatment. Being unmindful of things together with being complacent at the same time might be a deadly combination. Make sure you are taking extra care to complete the usual tasks diligently.

5. Insufficient rest

It should go without saying, but before a shift, make sure you are well-rested. Make sure to collaborate with your team and take your break times as specified. Speak to your boss or supervisor to make a change if your workload prevents you from being relieved for breaks.

If you're feeling sick, make sure you take some time off as well. Forcing oneself to work while feeling unwell can have negative effects on you, your co-workers, and your patients.

The below image shows why Travel Nurses are high in demand?

Source: https://online.arbor.edu/ 

6. Failing to acknowledge your errors and dwell on them

We are all human; therefore, mistakes and blunders will inevitably occur from time to time. To prevent making the same mistakes again, it is critical that health professionals recognise, consider, and learn from their past failures.

While it's important to consider what went wrong, a self-introspection emphasises the value of considering what went right. In order to perform it again on another occasion, doing so can help you develop excellent habits and increase your confidence.

When introspecting you could ask yourself the following questions:

What happened, where were you when it happened, and who else was involved?

Was there potential for improvement and why did things turn out the way they did?

Critical analysis: Is there anything you would have done differently?

What will you do differently the next time you make changes?

What transpires when you put this into practice?

Applying and analysing these stages of reflection can help you make wiser decisions for your nursing career.

7. Forgetting to enjoy yourself!

Finding the ideal work-life balance as a nurse is made much easier by working in agency nursing. How frequently do you get paid to work while travelling?

As with the prior advice, we emphasise the significance of treating your work seriously while also making sure you enjoy your free time while on contract.

Get the most out of your contract by seeing new places; perhaps connect with other agency nurses and organise a day trip together.

8. The bottom line

Everyone, including travel nurses are susceptible to mistakes. The constant travel increases the likelihood of occasional mistakes. In this blog, we have highlighted the most common mistakes that new travel nurses frequently make so that you can avoid it. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact our experts at MWT Education Consultancy.