The first time embarking on something new can be a little scary, mostly because you’re not sure exactly what to expect. Whether it’s making a cake for the first time or flying a plane for the first time, while these are drastically different, there is some legitimate fear there. In most cases, these things tend to work out for the best, and you will find that your fear is somewhat illegitimate after it’s all said and done.

For the first travel nursing assignment trip, it’s essentially the same thing, as you’re not sure exactly what to expect. Luckily, there are many people who have done this, and there are a few tips to keep in mind to maximize the success on your initial assignment to the destination that you have chosen.

Scouting Report

Ideally, you would want to know your area before you go there, so you can see what you’re up against. Actually, this is good advice for whether this is your first time or ninetieth time travel nursing. Anyhow, you want to investigate the area as much as you can. When you do this, you can see if there’s enough to do to keep you there on your downtime, so you won’t be bored or too entrenched in your work.

Make It Favorable

If at all possible, you’d want to go to a destination where you’ve been meaning to go anyway, like a vacation. There are multiple reasons why this is a good idea. For starters, if you go somewhere you’ve been meaning to, you’ll find that you’re a lot more excited about the job. This is something that will work wonders for you in the long run; you disposition will be sunnier, and you’ll absolutely love waking up in the morning. And during your days off, you will essentially never run out of things to do during your stay, as a typical 13-week contract will leave you with a lot of downtime.

Take It Easy

You don’t want to be overextended, because you’ll be burnt out too quickly and the whole process may leave a bad taste in your mouth. Let’s say that you work in a hospital with only a couple hundred beds, you don’t want to jump into a situation where there are sufficiently more beds. Additionally, if they are a teaching facility, that would also be favorable, because you would want to be totally updated on the hospital’s protocol; you don’t want to make many mistakes. Not only that; you’ll find that you’re tired and when you’re tired, the accident rate is a lot higher than if you were fully rested.

There is nothing wrong with having a few pre-assignment jitters, and it is completely normal. If you keep these tips in mind, you’ll find out that you have made an amazing decision in becoming a travel nurse, as it is infinitely more rewarding than just the money that comes along with it. The experiences that you’ll have once you reach your destination will last a lifetime.