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s the Travel Nurse profession has really taken off this past five years, more of its members have resorted to extensive advance planning to get the most out of each new experience. Sometimes so much effort is put into this that the Travel Nurse almost feels the after-work experience is more exhausting than the work itself. This leads to an increasingly popular question: can you try to accomplish too much?
First, let’s take a look at some of the typical options Travel Nurses consider when deciding how to fill their after-work time in a new community: dining; entertainment; education; career enhancement; and romance. Certainly these are things—the big five—a Travel Nurse should feel free to explore, but becoming obsessive about squeezing every possible drop of new experience in each category can hinder the primary goal of doing your job well.
Take dining. Everyone enjoys finding a fantastic new restaurant, but you don’t have to find them all! A good approach is: one low-key and one elegant new place, each week. Once you have your assignment, query that city’s Chamber of Commerce for a list. But remember, who they recommend can be a matter of whose dues are current. So if the local newspaper has a gourmet column, email the columnist and ask him to suggest places to try during your stay.
Here’s another tip: all things being equal, choose the restaurant closest to home. Driving in a strange new city can be confusing, expensive, dangerous, and exhausting.
Here’s another: if you find a place that’s really special, share it with a co-worker, or another new friend. You’d be surprised how little some people know about their own city.
The combination of Chamber and newspaper can also help plan your evening entertainment. The purpose here is not just to see the best that is offered, but to experience representative entertainment, which will help you develop a good understanding for this part of the country. Try too to alternate types of entertainment. Don’t just select concerts, or ballets, or lectures. Make a list of your options for each week of your proposed stay, and rotate.
Before you head off on your assignment, see what colleges are close by. Get their course offerings from their net site, and phone a secretary to learn about the school’s auditing policy. Sometimes auditing makes more sense than enrolling, particularly if your assignment seems imposing. But after you’ve learned the ropes about the field, it may be possible to pick up three credit hours with every other quarter-year posting.
You can improve your career status in any number of ways. Find out what goes on at the facility to which you’ve been assigned, and the other facilities in your assigned area. If they are known for something you would like to acquire, offer to float to, or put in an extra shift in, this area, or to help in any way you can. Sometimes secrets are revealed and breakthroughs made, right across the hall!
As for romance, well, we’d have to write a book—and you’ve probably already read it. Just remember that, being new, there’s probably a lot going on that you don’t know, so you’re vulnerable. Because you’re vulnerable, there’s one rule you must always follow: no matter what, be safe. Decide in advance what you’re willing to do, and don’t let anyone push you over this line. Any possible gain is far less significant than the possible travail. So, have fun, but stay safe!
And as for how much Advance Planning is too much, it’s always better to err on the side of excessive; it’s only good sense. You’re still likely to encounter things you have not considered.
