Many travel nurses would agree that their jobs are highly rewarding. However, working as a travel nurse comes with its fair share of challenges.
Some travel nurses may find it challenging to meet people and form friendships in a brand-new city, or they may miss their family members on the other side of the country.
Nurses also experience burnout. The Mayo Clinic defines burnout as a special type of work-related stress, which can result in a reduced sense of accomplishment or even a loss of personal identity. That’s why practicing self-care as a travel nurse is essential to your success.
Because burnout is so prevalent in the travel nursing community, it’s crucial that travel nurses regularly engage in self-care activities. Not only does caring for oneself combat burnout, but it can also lead to a healthier work-life balance, improved job performance and higher job satisfaction.
Below, we’re going to get to the nitty-gritty of self-care. We’ll describe what it really means, the types of self-care that exist and how you, a travel nurse, can practice self-care in today’s demanding work environment.
What is Self-Care, Really?
Regardless of their profession, many think of self-care as a long, hot bath, a massage, or treating themselves to a glass of wine after a long day of work.
And while these activities can certainly fall into the “self-care” category, true self-care goes a bit deeper.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), self-care is the ability of individuals, families and communities to promote physical, mental and emotional health, prevent disease, maintain health and cope with illness and disability.
The ultimate goal of self-care is to preserve overall well-being.
Types of Self-Care
Self-care comes in various forms, each involving different activities to improve your well-being. Here are the main types of self-care:
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- Emotional
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- Mental
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- Physical
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- Social
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- Spiritual
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- Professional and Educational
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- Financial
Daily activities can fall under one of these seven categories. For example, journaling is a form of emotional self-care, while praying at home or your place of worship is considered spiritual self-care.
All types of self-care are important, as they play a role in your physical and mental well-being.
Why Bother With Self-Care?
As someone who is in the profession of caring for others, it can sometimes be challenging to care for yourself.
Travel nurses spend their time educating and caring for patients and their families, often for long periods of time each day. This might seem as though there is little time to engage in self-care.
However, engaging in self-care can lead to a slew of benefits. It can reduce stress levels, increase energy and even lower your risk of illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
4 Self-Care Tips for Travel Nurses
Compared to your standard registered nurse (RN), travel nurses may need a different prescription for self-care. Not only do travel nurses take care of patients and perform typical nursing duties, but they also travel from place to place on assignment.
All of this travel might make you feel lethargic, burned out or tired. Therefore, practicing self-care is of the utmost importance.
These are our helpful self-care tips to help you perform and feel your best as a travel nurse.
1. Schedule Intentional Self-Care
The key here is to carve out specific times. If it’s not scheduled, it’s not gonna happen.
Set a specific time each night to journal before bed, or journal with your coffee or after a mid-day walk.
Schedule a monthly massage to keep your muscles and mind relaxed.
Prefer to play it by ear? Squeeze in activities you love every once in a while – go for walks, visit a local farmers market or music festival or participate in hobbies. The key is doing things that help your mind and body relax and bring you joy.
Travel nurses deal with working long hours, unpredictable schedules and stressful work environments. It might seem impossible to engage in self-care with all this going on.
Try to create a self-care schedule and stick to it!
2. Focus on Sleep, Nutrition and Exercise
Three critical categories under the self-care umbrella are sleep, nutrition and exercise. These three elements allow you to perform your best while on the job. You know this. We don’t have to tell you!
But here’s your reminder to take care of YOU.
Get between six and eight hours of sleep when you’re not working, exercise regularly and eat nutrient-dense meals. Without these core self-care activities, you could wreak havoc on your physical, mental and emotional health.
3. Spend Time with Friends or Loved Ones
Moving from city to city can be challenging and can either positively or negatively impact your social life.
Try to take up a new hobby or sport to make new friends in your area, and be sure to give your friends and loved ones back home a call every so often to keep in touch.
The social aspect of self-care plays a significant role in your happiness! Socializing and getting out to meet new people will help you achieve a healthier work-life balance.
4. Learn to Say No
At some point in everyone’s life, learning how to say no is essential. Saying no can be challenging for some people, especially those with people-pleasing tendencies.
However, learning to say no is really about setting boundaries and protecting your inner peace.
Suppose coworkers invite you for a drink after a long day of work. You want to socialize, but after a long day, all you can think about is showering and getting into bed. In that case, it might be the right time to say “No, but thanks! Maybe next time.”
Prioritize Self-Care
Travel nursing is and can be a highly rewarding career for many people. However, it comes with its disadvantages, such as constant traveling, long work hours and stressful environments. Due to the nature of travel nursing, it’s crucial for you to put yourself first when you can and engage in various self-care practices.
We hope you can implement some of these tips and create a self-care practice for yourself.
If you’re interested in finding your next position or want to discuss your career goals with seasoned travel nurses, we’re here to help! At MSP Healthcare, we’re dedicated to helping YOU land your dream job.
Give us a call or text us at 504-226-7720 to learn more about your travel nursing options.
