by scott | Jan 26, 2022 | Blog, Job Seekers
Is there life after travel nursing? If you’ve been on the road a while, you may not be able to see the forest through the trees of the travel nursing lifestyle. Travel nursing is a great lifestyle for all kinds of reasons but over time you may decide it’s time to settle in one place. This blog will help you start to think about your career after travel nursing is over.
Life After Travel Nursing
Travel nursing is a lucrative way to experience many different healthcare settings, new communities, and new work teams. Many nurses adopt this lifestyle and all the benefits it affords for years. But almost everyone decides at some point they may want to select a full-time role without the travel. If this is you, the first thing we recommend is taking some time off in between the traveling and your new position. Reflect on the years you’ve spent on the road and the next step you’re taking in your career. Taking a much-needed break will help reset your internal clock for this next stage in your career.
Do a strengths assessment as part of this process. What have you learned and what skills do you bring to the table? Think about the leadership skills you’ve picked up. Also, reflect on the types of environments you’ve worked in. Which ones felt more like home? Your goal is to figure out what type of work environment will make you happy in the coming years.
Many travel nurses are recent graduates. If you’ve been on the road straight out of school, or if you finished studying during your travels, start thinking about what’s next. Do you need additional certifications to go into the area you’re interested in? Do you have the drive to attain your next credential? Or, have you found a specialty area you particularly have an affinity for that you’d like to pursue?
We recommend that travel nurses practice journaling as part of their experience. This will help you remember which environments particularly challenged you. What were your high and low points? After going through this reflection process, it’s time to begin to ramp up your resume. There are dozens of jobs to pick from these days; you want to figure out the type of job that will motivate and inspire you while using the skills you’ve learned.
Travel nurses seeking a full-time role are highly in demand. They bring a level of adaptability to a sometimes-tumultuous work environment. These are skilled nurses who don’t look away from challenges, but instead seek them out. This gives the “retiring” travel nurse a leg up over other candidates whether you’re searching for a leadership or a more patient-centered role.
Sometimes the hustle and bustle of travel nursing or working a healthcare-related travel assignment can become exhausting. If you think you’re ready to settle down & find a more permanent placement near home, consider starting your search with AG Globe Services! The consultation is free and we can provide an expert set up eyes for your resume as well as helping you talk through your next steps. Get in touch with our team to learn more!
by scott | Jan 12, 2022 | Blog, Job Seekers
Burnout is a big problem in the healthcare industry. But also sometimes, you just feel stuck. The job is the same old same old. You are secretly bored, but also highly efficient because you’ve been in this role for some time. If this sounds like you, it’s time for a career jumpstart. If you’re trying to kickstart a great professional year, this blog is for you. We have tips to help you take more initiative at work & advance your healthcare career.
5 Tips for Advancing Your Healthcare Career
Take stock of yourself.
A self-assessment is a great way to determine your feelings about your current role. We want you to take a candid, clear-eyed look at yourself within the context of the job and your life. Have you taken on more work since COVID hit? Do you feel you’re missing key educational credentials to move up the ladder? Do you even like the work you’re doing? Take time right now to figure out if you’re satisfied with the work you’re doing.
Find your mission again.
Through the process of self-assessment, we hope you will find your mission again. What is it that motivated you to do this work? What is the spark that keeps you going? Helping people is almost always a motivator and mission for healthcare teams. But most healthcare careers last for decades, and your mission may change during that time. Right now, your mission may be to learn enough skills so you can achieve promotion. Or, maybe you’d like to move from direct patient care to the back office. Either way, figuring out your mission will help you keep moving forward in your career.
Learn to lead.
Advancing your career requires that you stand out from your peers. To do this, you must become a leader of teams. Take the initiative and step up. Consider what projects you could take on to illustrate your leadership potential. Is there training you need to help you step outside your comfort zone and lead other healthcare workers? If you can take on new tasks or initiatives, it will help you stand out and advance your career. It will also challenge you in new ways.
Leverage your network.
If you’re thinking about the next step in your career or want to give yourself a career boost, we have to ask: When was the last time you used that extensive network you’ve been building all these years? Consider making it your mission to talk with other professionals to find out what they’re doing and where they’re working. Have some crucial conversations with other professionals to find out what’s out there in the job market.
Rethink the employment contract.
Begin to think about your career from the perspective of it being a contract between you and the employer. Begin to think in terms of what you can bring to the relationship and what you want from the employer in return. It’s an interesting idea when you consider that today’s healthcare employers will pay top dollar for your skills. This puts you in the driver’s seat if you add value to the organization. Ultimately, what this means is that you have more power than ever before. Consider this reality as you push to move your career to the next level.
If you’re looking for a new position that’s a step up from your current one, start searching with AG Globe Services today! We can help give you the jump-start your career needs to take the next step up the ladder. Contact our team to learn more today!
