Five Side Hustles for Travel Nurses
If you’re in need of some extra cash and in between travel placements, there are other ways you can use your nursing (or traveling) skills to earn a little bit of income. Side hustles aren’t a replacement for full-time work, but they can be fun and sometimes creative ways to make a little extra spending money, especially in a time when everyone is feeling financial burdens.
Here are five fun ways you can make a little more money without having to take on that extra shift at work.
Become a CPR teacher
If you’re a nurse, you most likely had to take a CPR class at some point. Now you can put those dreaded weekend class hours to good use. Check with your local YMCA, Red Cross or community health clinic and see if they are looking for CPR instructors. Coming from a nursing background will put you at a great advantage above other candidates.
The pay for these kinds of positions usually ranges from $10 to $20 an hour. It’s not much, but is a solid, low stress way of making a little bit of extra cash if you’re willing to put in the weekend time, especially if you are currently in between placements!
Blogging/Instagram
This is a pretty common side-hustle for nurses. Your expertise as healthcare professionals is of pretty high value for the average googler, wondering what their symptoms mean, how they should address aches, pains, bruises etc. If you have a natural knack for writing, blogging could be a really fun way to earn a little and help a lot.
The first step to blogging is figuring out what you’re going to write about. Writing about your experience being a nurse or about health and nutritional tips is an easy go-to, but if you have other interests, you might consider blogging about those instead. There are successful, money-making blogs about any number of things: cars, tech, yoga, food. As a travel nurse, it might also be a no-brainer to start a travel blog or travel Instagram.
You have to play the long game if you’re looking to make money by starting a blog or becoming an Instagram influencer. You won’t make a lot of money at first, but if you invest some time and do enough research, you might end up with a reliable stream of additional income. The key is to strategize how to grow your follower base. Then you can start enlisting affiliate links on your site and see some income flow in.
If you want to learn more, here’s a great guide to how to start a nursing blog.
Tutor
You’ve already gone through the trials and tribulations of nursing school. You know the ins and outs, every study routine that works and every one that doesn’t work. Not to mention you probably know the material like the back of your hand at this point. Freshman nursing students could benefit from your expertise!
There are some official tutoring services you could seek out, or you could go rogue and do your own thing. Put a feeler out on campus Facebook pages, bulletins or newsletters and see if any students are in need of a tutor. Your rate could range from $10 to $40 an hour depending on how generous you’re willing to be and how much college students are willing to dish out.
You also don’t have to only tutor nursing students. We’d wager a guess that your knowledge of biology and science might be up to snuff to help kids in grade school and even high school.
Health coaching
This is a fun and fulfilling one. As a nurse, you’re already inclined to want to help your patients live in the healthiest way possible so they can get better. So who better to start clients on a wellness journey? Being a health coach involves setting goals with your clients and walking through their week with them step by step. It can be really rewarding.
You do have to get certified to be a health coach, but the process isn’t too grating. You can learn more about getting an ACE Health Coach Certification here.
Once you have your certification, many insurance companies will hire health coaches for their clients, and there are a number of wellness agencies looking for folks to work as contractors, where you can make anywhere from $200 to $2,000 a month. You can also just start your own business and spread the word through friends and family. That way you can work with your own rates. Whether it’s $100 a month or $50 a session. You make the rules!
Start an Etsy shop
Lean into your creative side! Quarantine is making all of us cling to our hobbies or form new ones. Why not make some money doing something you love?
Starting an Etsy shop can be a fun way to harvest your entrepreneurial spirit. Coming to this from a nursing perspective can actually be very profitable for you. What’s a product that other shops might not anticipate nurses wanting or needing? One blogger sold homemade ID badge holders for nurses and made a buck. The mask-making market might be a little oversaturated at this point, but maybe you’ve found a good hairpin hack for keeping your mask on throughout the day. Think outside the box!
Etsy is also a great place to sell anything creative. If you love embroidering, painting, making candles in your time off, consider making a shop and selling some goods.
If you’re interested in becoming a travel nurse, Stability Healthcare is your go-to for finding some of the best travel nursing opportunities in America.
Search for career opportunities, set an interview, and book your next nursing assignment through our detailed online portal. Browse for travel nursing jobs here and find your ideal placement today…
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Becoming an RN: Steps to Getting Your Nursing License
On average, a registered nurse earns about $80,000 a year. Of course, this does depend on your credentials, experience, education, and a number of other factors.
Even so, if you’re thinking of getting your own RN license, know that a decent income is a definite possibility. And although the journey to becoming a nurse isn’t the same for everyone, there are a few things that anyone can do to get the most out of their learning experiences.
Do read our carefully outlined steps to getting your license below for more insight.
1. Studying the Requirements Specific to Your State
The very first thing you ought to do is look up the requirements specific to your state. Some states are a part of the nurse licensure compact which enables you to practice across multiple states with the same license.
Additionally, be on the lookout for other necessary requirements in the form of education, background checks, and more. Once you’re familiar with the rules within your state, you can then move on to getting the education you need.
2. Complete an Accredited Program
Find an accredited nursing program that’s approved by your State’s board of nursing. Since you want to pursue an RN license, you have to take a course that caters to that kind of training.
Make sure that whatever course you take is accredited and recognized. Your education will ultimately determine your job opportunities and salary to a large extent. When an institution is accredited it means that it meets that bare minimum standard set by the state board.
Find a good nursing school with a good track record, reviews, and credentials. Also, be on the lookout for scholarships or financial aid if you need it.
In addition to the usual program getting other nursing certifications are a great way to boost your employability and resume.
3. Get Experience Working Under an RN
During your course, you will have the opportunity to intern or work under an RN. Do take it to earn experience in your field and get on-field, practical knowledge about your job.
Supervised clinical experience is how everyone starts their careers, and it’s an important stepping stone to getting your own license to practice.
4. Apply for an RN License
You can apply for your license during the final months of your course, or after your course. If you want to expedite the process, apply towards the end, before your graduation.
Most states will allow you to access the application online. You may be asked to provide transcripts and pay a standard application fee. Once again, do note that the exact requirements will vary from one state to another.
Depending on your state policy, you may even be able to get a temporary license to practice.
5. Pass the NCLEX
Every one of the United States has the same licensing exam. This is the NCLEX. If you’re applying for an RN license, you’ll need to take the NCLEX-RN which might cost you approximately $200.
Your application is usually reviewed, and if accepted you’ll get around ninety days to schedule a test. Now, you can only take these tests once a year, so be sure to study and practice with the assistance of practice tests and other available material.
You can find good practice tests at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. These computerized tests are designed to mimic what the real NCLEX is like. Once you’ve taken these, you’ll definitely feel more confident about taking the NCLEX.
Of course, this is not mandatory, but it does help if you’re someone who experiences test anxiety and would like to feel more prepared.
You have around 6 hours to complete your test, which follows computerized adaptive testing. This form of testing is one that adapts to the user during the test. If it senses that you are knowledgeable and well versed with your material, it may progress to more challenging questions.
The test stops when the algorithm determines your results with certainty or if you run out of time or questions. Depending on what state you’re in you will have to wait a few days until you get your final results. This usually takes around six to eight weeks.
6. Make Sure You Meet All Other Additional Requirements
Once you’ve cleared your exam, you have clear additional requirements required by your state. This could range from criminal background checks or an examination of professional and legal past. While having some sort of criminal history by itself should not automatically invalidate your license, withholding information could have different consequences.
It is advisable to be upfront and honest at the very beginning, rather than get found out later on and have your license suspended. You may also be required to sign waivers or other documents that give access to personal background information.
7. Getting a License in Another State
It isn’t necessary for you to go through this entire process again if you want to practice in another state. You will need to get your license verified by the state you used to practice in, and in some cases, you might have to take a refresher course.
However, as far as education or taking the NCLEX goes, you can skip them for the new state license.
Follow These Steps to Getting Your License
By following the above steps to getting your license, you should be an RN in no time. You can then explore various opportunities like working with a clinic or finding travel nursing assignments that work for you.
Once you get your license, be sure to check our website for the best travel nursing jobs available to you. We bring you the best assignments with the best pay rate around!
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Our Top 6 Most Bikeable and Accessible Cities in the U.S.
As an increasing number of people start seeing the environment (and their wellbeing) as a priority, cities have no choice but to adapt to this new mindset, and one of the main ways in which this occurs is through the creation of bike lanes.
Citizens want to switch their cars by their bikes, and in order to do so safely, they need to have the right infrastructures.
The question is, which cities are most ahead when it comes to this fast pacing trend?
Discover the answer today, as we list six of the most bikeable cities in America!
1. Minneapolis, Minnesota
In Minneapolis, you’ll find 40 miles of bike-accessible paths, which were once the abandoned railroads of the city.
However, there’s even more to come for cyclists in Minneapolis, as the city is currently working on a transportation plan that puts bike-friendliness as a number one priority.
2. Chicago, Illinois
Divvy is the second biggest bike-share system in the U.S. and guess where it comes from… Chicago!
Although it is a busy city, you won’t have a hard time finding bike lanes and parks everywhere, and hey, cycling by the beach while feeling the fresh breeze on your face doesn’t sound like a bad idea, does it?
3. Portland, Oregon
Portland has 385 miles of bike lanes, which are valued at $60 million, and that were used, in 2017, by over 22,000 people to get to work, making it a platinum bicycle-friendly community, according to the League of American Bicyclists. Need we say more?
4. Austin, Texas
In Austin, you’ll find nearly ten miles of protected bike lanes and there’ll be no shortage of people riding around in their bikes, whether they’re commuting or simply having fun.
Chances are that these lanes will grow and become even better over the next few years, as the city is expanding, so we’d say this is a great choice for any cyclist!
5. Manhattan, New York
When you think of New York, you probably picture the busiest city on Earth, which is why you might be wondering…
“How will I ever ride my bike there?!”
The truth is that it is possible, as over the past five years, the city’s Department of Transportation has built bike routes that go on for 330 miles, and the number of people biking there has been on the rise since then.
6. New Orleans
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina damaged countless infrastructures in New Orleans, forcing the city to repair and rebuild them.
During this recovery phase, the city decided to invest in roadways and parks where cyclists could ride safely, and the residents were undoubtedly big fans of this change, as New Orleans became on the most biked cities in America.
Which Bikeable City Will You Move to?
When it comes to turning its cities into more bikeable and accessible spots, America is definitely putting in the work. Now all that’s left is for you to choose where you want to move!
No matter which city you pick, remember that with Stability Healthcare, you can easily find great travel nursing placements. Sign up today!
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Tackling Debt as a Travel Nurse
People have various reasons for becoming a travel nurse. For one, there’s the flexibility of time off between contracts. Then, there’s the opportunity to travel. But, with the average nursing student graduating with anywhere between $40,000 and $54,900 in debt, the pay difference compared to being a staff nurse, is reason enough to choose this lifestyle.
However, as a travel nurse, tackling your student loan debt, in addition to your traveling debt can seem quite the challenge. Don’t despair, the fact that you’re currently working as a travel nurse will help you tremendously to tackle your loans and become debt-free.
Understand Your Debt
To tackle your debt efficiently, you must understand how each one works. For example, most student loans have fluctuating interest rates and high fees. On the other hand, credit card debts tend to have high-interest rates too. But then, you have something like a mortgage, which hopefully has a fixed rate.
Most people assume tackling their most significant debt first should be their strategy. However, most financial experts agree that handling your debts with the highest interest rates, fluctuating rates, or high fees, should be your priority.
For example, the average student loan carries an interest rate of 4.53% to 7.08%. But, the average interest rate on credit cards is 15.09%. So, following the one-debt-at-a-time technique, you should focus on your credit card payments first, and then, start tackling your student loan.
Of course, each case will be different. If you’re struggling with multiple debts and loans, consider speaking to a financial expert that can help guide your decision on how to tackle debt.
Cut Down Expenses Back Home
Once you’re aware of the structure of your debt, it’s time to find ways to save more money. One way to do that? By cutting expenses back home. Check if your house qualifies as a tax home, and if there are some tax deductions, you can benefit from every year. Perhaps you can deduct meals, certain travel expenses, and even professional expenses.
If you own a home, consider if there’s a possibility to rent out a room while you’re gone. If you live by yourself, maybe listing your place on Airbnb while you’re on assignment can help you bring in additional income. Ask your cable and Internet provider to see if you can pause the service for the months you’ll be on assignment.
Otherwise, do your best to downside your permanent home and figure out ways to cut down on expenses such as gardening, utilities, and so on.
Set Up an Assignment Budget
Having a budget will help you get a better idea of where you’re spending money. Working long hours and fluctuating schedules can easily change your perspective on spending. Between transportation expenses, rent, travel arrangments, taxes, and so on, it can be easy to drop large sums of money without realizing it. Thus, ending up with more debt than ever before.
As you create your budget, set different categories for your recurring expenses, for example:
- Food and dining
- Personal products
- Transporation
- Rent
- Entertainment
- Miscellaneous
Give yourself some wiggle room in each one of these categories to have some potential money leftover.
Then, once you can see how much money is left over, you can create a separate budget to allocate a payment towards paying your debts. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate plan, list your debts by priorities, and highlight how much you will be able to pay each month.
Control Your Travel Expenses
Even though, as a travel nurse, you spend most of the days working, travel expenses can add up quickly. Make sure you’re using the budget to help you stay on track with your expenses. Analyze where you can cut down:
- Consider driving towards your assignment city versus flying
- Think about finding a roommate(s) to divide living expenses
- Choose smaller towns that have lower living-costs than larger cities
- Avoid eating out as much as possible
- Analyze the pros and cons of using public transportation versus renting a vehicle
Overall, being mindful of your expenses will help you work towards minimizing your debt in the long run. If you’re able to stick with your budget, managing your expenses shouldn’t be an issue.
Keep in mind that life happens, and as a travel nurse, shifts can often be everchanging, making your expenses the last thing on your mind. Consider syncing your bank account and credit cards to a budget app on your smartphone to stay organized. Make sure you have automatic payments set up for your credit cards to avoid late-fees. Set up reminders or auto-pays for your non-high-priority debts, so you can at least pay the minimum balance each month.
The Benefits of Being a Travel Nurse
Travel nurses earn slightly more than staff nurses, placing you at an advantage to tackle your debt. If you’re able to track your expenses, take advantage of tax deductions for travel nurses, and set up your budget, most likely, you’ll be able to pay off your debt.
It might be challenging in the beginning, and cut-cutting measurements might take time to become habits, but you can do this. Remember that all of these steps towards a debt-free life are somewhat temporary. Once you’re able to get rid of your most burdening debts, you’ll have to adjust your budget to make sure you remain debt-free going forward.
If you work with a travel nurse agency, remember to tap into their resources. Most travel agencies can help you with housing and travel expenses by pairing you with partners or other travel nurses. Don’t hesitate to reach out to an agent and discuss your debt situation. While they might not provide financial assistance, they might be able to offer solutions to help you control your expenses.
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Fueling Up or Winding Down: 4 Easy Breakfast Recipes
Breakfast is often referred to as the most important meal of the day—and for good reason. Not only will it replenish the nutrients in your body but it’ll also boost your energy levels.
Whether you’re coming home from your night shift or getting ready to head out for your day shift, it’s definitely not something that you want to skip! Here are a few healthy recipes that you might want to try.
1. Avocado Toast (With Optional Egg)
Avocado toast is both easy to make and delicious. Start by toasting two slices of bread—you want it to be golden and crispy.
From there, peel and mash one small avocado. Add in a teaspoon of lime juice and some salt and pepper to taste.
Spread the avocado evenly onto your toast. If you prefer, you can also top it with a boiled egg, poached egg, or scrambled egg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Yogurt and Berry Smoothie
This recipe is great for those with busy schedules as it takes less than five minutes to make. The first step is to gather your ingredients—we recommend using 3/4 cup of blackberries and 3/4 cup of blueberries.
Add the berries to a blender. Next, add in one cup of soy milk, one whole banana, and one pack of plain Greek yogurt. Pulse for 30 seconds.
Mix well with a fork and pulse for another 30 seconds. Serve immediately or put it in the fridge until ready to serve.
3. Cheesy Spinach Microwave Quiche
Believe it or not but you can make a quiche in the microwave. Start by adding 1/2 cup of fresh spinach into a mug. Add in two tablespoons of water.
Cover the mug with a paper towel and microwave for one minute on high. Drain the water from the spinach.
Crack an egg into the mug. Add in 1/3 cup of milk as well as 1/3 cup of shredded cheese. Mix with a fork until everything is thoroughly combined.
Cover with a paper towel and microwave again for 2-3 minutes on high.
4. Banana Chia Seed Pudding
Puree two ripe bananas and 1 1/2 cup of milk in a blender. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and add in 2-3 tablespoons of chia seeds.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours. It can be refrigerated for up to a week if you store it in an airtight container.
Making Healthy Meals For Breastfast
And there we have it—four quick and tasty breakfast recipes. The best part is that you can make them easily anytime—whether it’s before or after your shift. After all, you can’t work on an empty stomach!
Are you a travel nurse? Thinking of broadening your knowledge and experience? Feel free to give our online platform a try—we offer exciting travel nursing opportunities that can expand your career prospects.
Interested? Check out our travel nursing jobs page for more!
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Tools to Help You Manage Difficult Patients
Dealing with difficult patients is every nurse’s daily cup of coffee. After all, nurses tend to interact with patients when they’re at their best and worst versions of themselves. One report even goes as far as pointing out that at least 15 percent of patient encounters are what we would consider “difficult.” Yet, as nurses, caring for challenging patients is part of the job. A difficult patient can be:
- The dependent clinger that makes unreasonable demands
- The entitled demander who’s often a bully and has a long list of needs
- The manipulative will do anything to make things go their way
- The self-destructive who engages in dangerous behaviors
No matter what type of difficult patient you’re dealing with, following these helpful tools will help you stay calm and take care of yourself as well.
Give Yourself a Break
When the situation has escalated, and you start to feel tense, it can be impossible to deal with a problematic patient without taking a break. Most people will advise you not to take it seriously, but deep down, you know that’s easier said than done. After all, nurses are known for their ability to remain calm in stressful situations or to work with troublesome patients.
Communications skills are key here. Make sure you remain calm and continue to speak in a soft voice to your patient. However, allow yourself a break and set time to reset. To let it go, you need to step away from the situation. Go for a brief walk, talk to a colleague about it, fit in a quick meditation session, or maybe enjoy a sweet treat to bring the stress down. Giving yourself a break will help you come back recharged, refreshed, and ready to give it another try.
Consider the Root Cause
Patients can get irritated by infinite things while at the hospital. If you’re struggling with an angry or irritated patient, think about the root cause. Is it fear? Are they stressed? Could it be a side effect of medications? All of these are potential root causes that can improve the nurse-patient relationship. Try to think about the possible causes of their outburst. Once you understand this, it will be easier to assess the situation and know the next steps into achieving harmony. Talk to the doctors and other nurses, consider speaking to their family, whatever it takes to help you understand the patient better will help you find the best way to manage them.
Check Your Body Language
Nurses like to believe their patients can’t tell when they don’t like them. In reality, your body language speaks volumes. So does the tone of your voice. After the first rocky encounter with a patient, you might look tense, and your voice might sound more irritated, patients can quickly pick up on these pointers. At this point, both of you have your defenses up and are ready to fire at each other.
Before walking into the room or even speaking to your patient, do a body and mental check-in. Take a deep breath and remember that having an attitude towards your patient won’t do much good in the long run.
Lean on Empathy
When people say not to take it personally, they mean it. Remember that your role is about the patient and their journey. Lean on empathy and try to look at the situation from the patient’s perspective. Being at a hospital, for whatever reason, is a scary situation for anyone. Not being their best self is quite common. Lean on empathy and try to communicate your efforts for understanding how they’re feeling with your patient.
Even when you can’t 100% be in their shoes, expressing that you’re thinking about things from their perspective will make patients feel understood and cared for. It might also help them lose their guards since they’ll realize that you’re there to care for them.
Use the Behavior Agreement
Here’s the most crucial tool of all — the behavior agreement. Listen, while nurses are empathetic and caring, that’s no excuse for tolerating abuse. Set up clear boundaries with abusive patients that don’t understand these boundaries. Never let a patient yell, curse, diminish, or discredit you in any way. Ensuring they’re fully aware of these boundaries the moment they exhibit abusive behavior is paramount to stop them on their tracks.
Ask your supervisors about your abusive behavior protocols; many hospitals will allow you to be discharged from treating those patients. If that’s available to you, let the patient know that you won’t be treating them any longer due to their abusive behavior and that their abusiveness won’t be tolerated in the clinic. It’s surprising how many patients will change their demeanor after hearing such agreement and terms.
Know When to Ask for Additional Help
Sometimes, some patients will need additional help, and so will you. Recognize when you need to speak to another nurse for support. If you believe your patient might benefit from talking to a counselor or mental health specialist, don’t be afraid of raising the question. In the end, it’s all about the patient and their wellbeing.
Throughout your career as a nurse, you’ll always encounter difficult patients. Keep these helpful tools to stay centered and calm so that you can offer your patients the best care possible.
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6 Ways to Boost Morale During Nurses Week
There’s never been a more needed time for Nurses Week, which is celebrated every year from May 6th to May 12th. All across the country, our nurses are working harder than ever to save lives in the middle of a global pandemic. If they were underappreciated before, they certainly can’t get enough praise now. So this May is the time to go all out for Nurses Week. Morale needs a boost, and there are so many simple, but fun and meaningful ways to celebrate this week. Here are a few ideas.
Bring in Therapy Dogs
A lot of facilities have therapy dogs to comfort patients in hours of need. But nurses need comfort too! If your hospital or a hospital nearby already has a therapy dog program, you can inquire about bringing in pups for the nursing staff. There’s nothing like some puppy love to lighten the mood during a stressful time.
Free Massages
Some hospitals celebrate their staff by bringing in masseuses to give free 10-minute shoulder massages. It’s a great way to say, “we know you’re working hard, and you deserve some time for yourself.” In fact, it’s likely that there are several massage therapists who would be willing to donate their time, free of charge, during the coronavirus.
Handwritten Notes
Donuts and cookies might taste good, but they are impersonal. The best way to show you care is just to write it out. Nurses can write sweet letters of appreciation to each other, or staff leadership could also write individual notes to the staffers that help them each day. Nurses could craft some cute letterboxes to put on their desk and encourage their coworkers to drop in a few kind words. You could also make a “snap cup” like Elle Woods did in Legally Blonde 2. Throughout the week, everyone can drop in praises for nurses across the floor.
Ping Pong
Sometimes, you have to give your hardworking staff permission to let loose on their lunch hour. Installing games like ping pong or giant Jenga, is a good way to encourage some fun staff bonding throughout the week. You could even have a ping pong championship with winners getting bonuses or gift cards to local businesses.
Ice Cream Social
Go all out with the ice cream bar this year. Deck it out like a frozen yogurt shop with all kinds of toppings to choose from. Maybe even offer different kinds of cones. Nothing says “I love and appreciate you” more than mint chocolate chip ice cream with fudge and whipped cream topping.
“We don’t want to do our own potluck!”
One nurse told us that her offices in the past have planned potlucks for nursing week, but this often asks the nurses themselves to do unnecessary preparation on a week that’s supposed to be celebrating them! Instead, plan for a local restaurant to cater lunch. You’re supporting a local business during COVID-19 and you’re treating your nurses to food they love! And “provide a whole meal, not just pastries and snacks” our nurses say. There’s no shortage of sweets in the breakroom of any given clinic or hospital. If you really want to show them you care, do the full lunch. Also, giving out gift cards to local businesses is always a good idea too.
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Mental Health Tips for Nurses Working the COVID-19 Unit
Feeling under pressure is a given for most nurses. Nurses working in the COVID-19 unit are not only facing long hours and extended shifts, but the anxiety and isolation when they go back home continue to take a toll on them. When everything seems to be spiraling out of control, it’s essential to take control of your mental health and do your best to focus on self-care. If you’re a travel nurse working on the frontlines of the Coronavirus pandemic, keep these mental health tips in mind to stay healthy and sane.
1. Allow Yourself to Feel All Feelings
As a nurse, your mission is to care for others. Frequently, you prioritize others’ feelings over yours. Don’t. Allow yourself to feel stressed, sad, anxious, scared, and everything else you might be feeling right now. Permit yourself to have a bad mental health day without feeling guilty. Don’t try to sail the pandemic without acknowledging the elephant in the room. Instead, intentionally allow yourself to feel all the feelings and let your body react how it wants to. Know that this is by no means a sign of weakness or breakage.
2. Take a Break from the News
You’re already living and breathing the progress of the pandemic in your daily life. Consider breaking up with the news and social media information overload to give your mental health a breather. Evidence shows that constant news and social media bursts can make people more anxious. Choose one or two sources for your medical news. Limit your news briefings to twice a day to get an idea of how the outbreak is evolving. There’s no need to check the news every hour.
3. Stay Connected to Friends and Family
Travel nurses, in particular, can feel quite isolated and alone, especially since most of the time, their family and friends live miles away from their workplace. However, isolation and the fact that your family and friends are staying at home doesn’t mean you can’t stay connected. Use mobile apps to video chat such as Zoom, Facebook, Whatsapp, FaceTime, or Google Hangouts to see friendly faces. Studies believe face-to-face interaction, even when over a video call, can be useful in preventing depression and anxiety.
4. Practice Conscious Mindfulness
Whether you’re having a rough day or you feel mentally drained when you get back home, mindfulness can help. Meditation can be particularly helpful at alleviating mental pressure, improving mental focus, and reducing stress levels. A short 15-minute breathing session can help you recoup and recharge yourself. Look for mindful meditation sessions on YouTube or download one of the many meditation apps available to get started.
5. Watch Your Diet
When stress kicks in, it’s easy to fold under cravings of sugary and fry foods. Not to mention, right now, nurses working in the COVID-19 unit are burnout and exhausted. High levels of stress can wreak havoc your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to disease. You must keep eating leafy green vegetables, garlic, ginger, turmeric, yogurt, and other immune-boosting foods to keep your body fueled.
6. Ask for Help
Don’t try to do it all alone. Your workload, your personal life, and everything else that’s happening can take a toll on your body and mental health. Ask for help whenever you need it. From someone who can pick up some groceries or food for you to someone who can check-in on your children while you’re at work via a video call. Whatever it is you need, ask for help.
7. Speak to Someone
It’s common for family and friends who are not on the frontlines of the outbreak to have a hard time empathizing with your experience. Talk with someone who understands what you feel from a nurse or healthcare worker’s perspective. Know when you need to talk to a colleague and when you might need to speak to a therapist or mental health professional. Either way, don’t feel ashamed or guilty of discussing your feelings and thoughts with those that can offer help and guidance.
8. Perform Regular Check-ins with Yourself
No one knows more than you how you react to stress, burnout, and exhaustion, so practice self check-ins. Make sure you stop for a few minutes and self-analyze yourself for signs of anxiety, depression, or chronic stress. Remember that this has been an unprecedented scenario for many workers, and your previous coping mechanisms might not be as useful right now. If you notice you’re having difficulty sleeping, feelings of hopelessness and intrusive memories, talk to someone.
9. Spend Time Outdoors
While parks and most outdoor areas are closed to the public. You can still spend some time outdoors. If there’s a patio, balcony, or backyard you can go out to, please do so. Spending time in nature can help reduce work pressure, stress, and anxiety levels. Whenever you have a chance, whether at work or at home, try to spend at least 15 minutes outdoors and practice regenerative breathing techniques to help you stay calm and centered.
10. Do Something You Love
Obviously, when you go back home from working long hours, all you probably want to do is nothing. However, staying active is key to maintaining your mental health during this time. Actively practicing self-care means you carve out time to do the things you love. For example, watching a movie, baking, cooking, reading, dancing, or maybe even painting. Whatever it is you enjoy doing, spending time with these activities will take your mind off what’s happening and nurture your mind.
11. Practice Gratitude
When everything seems to have lost sense, practicing gratitude can do a lot for your mental health. Incorporate gratitude as part of your daily self-care routine to help you stay grounded, grateful, and hopeful. Every day, think of three things you’re thankful for. Repeat these things to yourself out loud whenever you feel down. Another great way to practice gratefulness is by writing down things we’re grateful for by the end of the day. Affirmations can be quite powerful for our mental health.
12. Consider Positive Self-Talk
With so much negativity around you, it can be easy to fall down a path of negative self-talk. Try to avoid this by first noticing your negative self-talk patterns. Once you caught yourself having those thoughts or feelings, immediately replace them with something positive. Maintaining a positive outlook amid adversity is the best shield you can put up to protect your mental health.
For nurses battling the COVID-19 outbreak and working on the floors treating sick patients, self-care is mandatory. Keep these mental health tips in mind while at work and after work hours to make sure you care for yourself during these challenging times.
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10 Common Mistakes Made by New Travel Nurses & How to Avoid Them
Starting a career as a travel nurse is both exciting and frightening. We all know that starting in the nursing field comes with its number of common mistakes. But, when you add in the travel aspect, you’re bound to face even more risks of making mistakes.
1. Not Taking The Housing Search Seriously
When it comes to housing, travel nurses can work with their agency to arrange accommodations for them, or they can choose a stipend to find their arrangements. It’s common for new travel nurses to choose the latter as they believe they’ll be able to find reasonably priced housing and save some money.
However, most people underestimate how long it takes to find housing. By the time their assignments begin, many new nurses find themselves without housing arrangements. Not to mention, many find accommodations that are too big or too small for their needs, which can mean additional expenses.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Start by planning your house search way early in the process. Ideally, you want to talk with your travel nursing agency to ask for help with housing. Remember, they have experience making these arrangements for thousands of travel nurses across the nation. Whatever you believe you can do, they’ll probably do it faster and find a better deal.
2. Making Charting or Documentation Errors
As you’re going through nursing school, there’s a lot you focus on, but most people forget about paperwork. One of the most common mistakes new travel nurses make in the field is charting or documentation errors. Recording the essential patient’s information is a critical part of your job as a nurse. But, it’s also one that leads to many common mistakes. You must become aware of the proper way to fill charts and documentation, as any error can make you liable for lawsuits.
How to Avoid this Mistake: First of all, make sure you take the time to read through the documentation as you see it for the first time. Make it a habit to double and triple check your input before you file away a chart. Include any prescribed medication, discontinued medicines, every nursing action, any changes in your patient’s condition, and any order or suggestion given regarding the patient’s care.
3. Making Assumptions About Policies
If this is your first job as a travel nurse, you’re unlikely to make this mistake. However, if this isn’t your first assignment, but you’re still new to the industry, making assumptions about policies is a common mistake. Not knowing the procedures and policies of your workplace can be detrimental. While no one expects you to memorize them on the first day, you should follow policies and protocols after a few weeks in the role. Remember, never assume policies or procedures are universal; what works for one hospital might not work for the other.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Try to familiarize yourself with the policies and procedures of your new workplace before you arrive. Reach out to your travel nursing agency to see if they can help provide you with the right information. If you can’t do this beforehand, then make it a priority to ask about policies on your first week and start getting used to their process.
4. Not Asking for Help
Most new travel nurses fall for this mistake. Travel nurses are expected to be experts in the field, which leads new nurses to abstain from asking questions out of fear of looking inexperienced. However, not asking for help from a coworker or your travel nursing advisor might place you at risk of making a medical error that could potentially endanger a patient’s life.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Get rid of the idea that seasoned nurses are unwilling to help. Stop making excuses to avoid making questions. If you have a concern or question, reach out to coworkers, supervisors, and other personnel around you for help. Ideally, you want to find yourself a mentor that will guide you through the various situations you’ll encounter as a travel nurse.
5. Making Mistakes with Medications
While this mistake might arise from faulty administration policies, it is a common mistake many new travel nurses make. Dispensing the incorrect dosage, handing out the wrong medication, or giving a prescription to the wrong patient are all errors that most nurses have experienced. It’s common for new nurses to feel extra pressure, which can lead to a foggy mind, therefore result in common mistakes like handing out the wrong medication to a patient.
How to Avoid this Mistake: The best way to ensure you prevent this mistake is by focusing on your patient and having a clear mind. Try to find ways to manage your emotions and stress, as well as keeping your personal life outside of your work life. As a nurse, you need a sharp mindset to prevent as many mistakes as possible.
6. Not Being Prepared
Many new travel nurses get caught up on the excitement of their assignments and forget about the details. Making sure your state nursing license is ready, your credentials and other documentation are current, that you’ve done all required training and tests before deadlines. These are just some of the things you need to know before starting your assignment. Also, knowing who your supervisor will be, what floor you’ll be working on, and more is all part of the process.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Talk to your travel nurse agency recruiter and make sure they can guide you through every checklist item you need before you start your assignment. They should be able to provide you first-day instructions to give you a better idea of what to expect.
7. Skim Through Your Contract
Landing your first assignment as a travel nurse can be quite exciting. However, most people forget to read through their contracts and end up having questions or issues with the terms and agreements. Beyond the overall picture, you have to look at your compensation package and your assignment guidelines. The more you get familiar with your contract, the fewer surprises you’ll encounter than the road.
How to Avoid this Mistake: First of all, read through your entire contract. Look for sections that discuss missed-hours penalties, your untaxed income, contract violations, and more. If you must, try to find a lawyer with experience working with travel nurses to look over the contract before you agree to any commitment.
8. Not Having a Tax Home
Even many seasoned travel nurses make this mistake. Most travel nurses have what’s known as an untaxed income, or stipend portion of their salary. The only way to reap these benefits is by establishing a tax home. It’s not difficult to have a tax home, and your travel nurse agency can help you make sure you have all the paperwork needed to file for one.
How to Avoid this Mistake: The moment you start looking for your first travel nurse assignment, you should begin the process of filing for a tax home. There are many IRS rules for establishing a tax home, but if you have them all, it should be an easy filing.
9. Staying Too Long
Stemming from our previous common mistake, staying for too long is another common issue. It’s easy to fall in love with an area, but sometimes it can become a double-edged sword. When you stay too long on the same location, you can undermine your tax home, which means you might lose tax benefits. While “too much” is a challenging timeline to determine, you should avoid any long-term assignment contracts. If you don’t qualify for a tax home, then this is a mistake that won’t bring you any adverse effects.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Make sure you double-check your assignments timeline. If you’re working with an agency, let them know you have a tax home established, and you cannot work in one place for more than 12 months in any 24 months.
10. Failing to File All Your Taxes
We all make tax mistakes from time to time. But, new travel nurses often find themselves making the same tax error. It can be confusing, after all. As a travel nurse, you’re likely to move from state to state, which means you have to pay taxes in every state you work. It doesn’t matter where your tax home is, or how much your agency pays in taxes; you still have to pay them in every state. How much you pay depends on many factors.
How to Avoid this Mistake: Even if you understand your taxes well, as a travel nurse, it’s best to work with a professional. Because you have to deal with various state laws, don’t procrastinate on your taxes. Start working on your filings as soon as you can to avoid any penalties or issues.
While there’s no way to prevent these mistakes altogether, knowing about them can help you be more self-aware of your actions and your first steps as a travel nurse. Reach out to seasoned nurses and travel nurse agencies and ask them about the common mistakes they’ve seen, their stories might help you avoid some of these mistakes.
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Keep moving! A Guide to Staying Active Under Social Distancing
The concept of social distancing during COVID-19 is daunting, but incredibly important. As a travel nurse, you should still be practicing social distancing while you’re not at work. Keep in mind that even though Stability Healthcare offers day one insurance with United Healthcare, you still want to take steps to keep yourself in the best physical shape.
It’s easy to feel sluggish while you’re home, especially in between shifts. It’s important to remember that keeping active will help with your energy levels and overall health. Below, find an overview of what social distancing is, and how to stay active when you have to actively distance yourself.
What is social distancing?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, social distancing “is deliberately increasing the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness.” That’s why upcoming events, such as conferences and concerts, and non-essential businesses, like movie theaters and restaurants, have been closed until further notice. Additionally, the CDC recommends that people stay at least six feet away from each other, preferably more. This applies when you need to go out for necessities, like food or medication.
This does not mean that you should still go to the beach or a popular hiking path. The best way to protect yourself and others is to stay at home. Even though a brisk walk to get a latte from the walk-up coffee shop seems tempting, it’s not worth the risk. Protect yourself and others by staying at home.
Ways to stay active while socially distancing yourself
Use online methods to exercise
Skip going to the gym, whether it’s in your apartment building or on the way to work, and exercise at home instead. Chances are, your gym is closed anyway. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of credible online guides for at home workouts. If you’re lucky, you may have some equipment at home to work with, such a stationary bike or weight lifts. However, don’t fret if you don’t own any workout equipment. There are several bodyweight exercises you can do, or you can turn objects you have at home into make-shift weights. Here is a brief list of a few suggested exercise guides:
MyFitnessPal (phone/online app)
The MyFitnessPal app is available online and on most smartphones. In addition to being a useful tool if you’re counting calories and tracking your weight, the app offers different exercise routines. These routines fall in different categories – “Healthy At Home”, “Run Strong,” “Core Strength,” etc. There are also different routine lengths – so if you need a quick workout between your travel nurse shifts or a longer workout for when you have the evening off, MyFitnessPal can be tailored to your needs. Although the basic app is free, you can upgrade for perks like macro and micro counting food, amongst others.
Making household objects into weights
This will depend on what you have available at your house and if you like to lift weights. For decades, people have been turning household objects into weights; cans of beans, milk carton, vinegar bottles, laundry detergent, and more. There are quite a few articles that give suggestions on what to use and how to use them, like Cosmopolitan, Thrillist, and HBFIT. Obviously, this is customizable to what you have in your household.
Blogilates (plus other Youtube channels!)
Blogilates was started by Cassey Ho about a decade ago. Since then, she’s won awards for her social fitness videos, and has amassed millions of social media followers and subscribers. She has hundreds, if not thousands, of videos to choose from, ranging from 10-minute core exercises to full-length at home workouts. She also does 30-day workouts, which include different daily routines. Seeing as social distancing is most likely going to span several weeks, this may be a fun challenge to try. Ho is incredibly easy to understand and is very encouraging, and a great at-home workout guru for beginners.
Purchase at-home workout equipment and guides
If you feel like you need actual weights, try looking online. Even though a lot of websites are backed up due to COVID-19, if you’re willing to wait a week or two, you should be able to get some basic weights online. On Amazon, you can buy everything from dumbells to weight lifting benches. If you’d like to support smaller companies, you can buy their in-house tools, like the Glute Lab’s glute loop.
Why is being physically active important?
There are ways physical activity benefits your overall health; it puts you at lower risk for chronic diseases, early death, cancer, diabetes, and more. Additionally, according to the CDC, higher amounts of physical activity can lower your annual health bills, improve your cognitive function, and help you destress. By keeping active during the COVID-19 pandemic, you can encourage your own personal and mental health.
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