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o you like the extra money and the travel in your Travel Nurse assignments, but could do without the occasional expressions of envy? Well, perhaps it’s time to do something to reduce the jealousy of your new co-workers.
Remember, while your new co-workers may not know exactly how much you’re making, they have a pretty good idea that its at least 25% more than them. So being treated in a warm and friendly fashion won’t just simply happen. You’ve got to make extra efforts to bring this about.
The first thing to keep in mind is, don’t ever lie about how much you make. It’s a slippery slope. Lies are like infections: they can wreak havoc if they aren’t carefully expunged. You don’t have to answer your co-workers’ inevitable questions, but since you’re trying to make friends here, being too evasive won’t help.
Honesty is the best policy—but couch any answer you give about your salary in the context of all the sacrifices your position requires you to make. “Serious problems forced me to try to make some extra money,” you might admit, “but I don’t know if I can take it. I mean, being away from home, having to deal with new people in a new town, with new ways of doing things. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed.” This is a good tactic; people usually relish the chance to help the overwhelmed.
Another tip is: don’t flaunt it. Don’t lease a sports car. Don’t lease a penthouse for your assignment. Don’t dress like a fashion maven. Let your coworkers know that most of your pay has to go to solve the problem that drove you to the road, and that you see very little of the “good pay” yourself.
A good rule of thumb stems from the psychological truth that no one envies an envier. So be the first to envy. Express envy for your co-workers, for their stability, sustaining family life, and greater ability to maneuver around the idiosyncrasies of your new community. Let them know how much you hope to get your life back on track so you can do what they do: stay home, and derive some enjoyment from life.
Don’t boast. That seems obvious, but the act of boasting can provide some temporary positive stimulation, and people who should know better can fall into this trap. Don’t downplay your accomplishments and advantages so much that you lose credibility, but don’t boast. Remind yourself after sudden good fortune that boasting is really in invitation to be slapped.
Above all, never date anyone your co-workers might know—particularly members of the staff, or their close friends. If you do, anything you choose to reveal might become common knowledge—as well as things you did not choose to reveal.
Some Travel Nurses consider each new assignment as an opportunity for sexual experimentation, and there is nothing wrong with that if it’s managed properly. But if one doesn’t know the dating history of one’s co-workers, it can be easy to make a bad enough mistake to ruin the experience of coming to a new community.
If dating is part of your plan for getting to know your new community, it is imperative to take precautions to not step on a co-worker’s toes. Find out where they like to go to meet new people—and go somewhere else! There almost always are places to meet people which your co-workers don’t frequent. If not, subscribe to an above-board dating service (you can sign up and arrange dates before you even arrive), and come right out and ask any prospective date if they’ve ever been involved with anyone from your facility. It’s a big enough world that hurt feelings can be avoided with a little care.
