Travel nursing offers some amazing benefits and opportunities to those who decide that this is the right career path and lifestyle for them. The chance to see a variety of new places and sights and to experience a variety of local cultures is a wonderful motivator for medical professionals. Plus, there are opportunities to learn from new people with a variety of different experiences as they travel from assignment to assignment.
There are, however, some downfalls to travel nursing and one of the biggest of these is the effect on personal relationships. It takes a lot of work to develop and maintain relationships when you are on the road. Sometimes, travel nurses find that they drift away from friends and loved ones at home or that they quickly lose touch with newfound friends or romantic interests that come into their lives while they are on assignment. Though this can’t always be avoided, here are a few techniques that can help you to manage your personal relationships as you pursue your career as a travel nurse.
Maintaining Relationships at Home
Spouses, children, and other friends and family are high priority relationships that will require your effort when you are traveling as a nurse. When an assignment keeps you on the road for a long period of time, it can be hard to keep your loved ones feeling as if they are a priority in your life. By creating communication plans and sticking with them, knowing at all times when you are planning to come home, and making yourself as available as possible when they need your help or just want to hear your voice can go a long way to maintaining your relationships at home.
Make sure that you and your significant other are on the same page about your career if you hold your relationship at a higher priority than your job. Look for creative solutions, such as your partner traveling with you and working remotely. Finding ways that you can be together on both of your terms can be a miraculous epiphany for the relationship and prevent hard feelings and separation.
Developing New Relationships While on the Road
As you move from city to city and assignment to assignment, you will come in contact with many amazing people. Some you will instantly connect with and others with whom you naturally fall into a friendship. While it is important to maintain your friendships and relationships at home, these newfound friendships can often fill a void and enhance your life. Put a concerted effort into spending time with new acquaintances and keep in contact as you travel to your next assignment or return home.
A budding romantic relationship that starts when on an assignment could be difficult to maintain, but with some effort on your part, it is a definite possibility. While you are on location, make time for dating and growing the relationship with a potential partner. Communicate openly about your next career move and discuss what that means for your relationship, developing a plan for how you will take things to the next level or decide together what the next steps should be. When you are both in agreement about the future of the relationship, you can work together and give your romance the chance it deserves.
How has travel nursing affected your relationships? What are some of your best tips for relationship maintenance as you travel?
