first time travel nurse

[catica1124]

I am a NICU IV nurse with 5 years of experience. I have been out of work for 9 months due to life changing events. I really want to start doing travel nursing in Florida but am so nervous that orientation is only 1 or 2 shifts and then you are on your own. I feel like am already forgetting the practice on a lot of things. Any suggestions or comments on how to start travel nursing with the right foot? does anyone have any experiences with florida hospitals?

Thank you all in advance.

[NedRN]

Depending on where you practice now, the chances are that Florida hospitals will be a disappointment. Physicians have big attitude, and nurses have high loads (may not be less of an issue in the NICU). Florida sees tons of travelers, so they don't have the patience for handholding and extra orientation. And really, travel nurses are paid to hit the ground running.

So after discouraging you, here is some encouragement. If it really sucks, you are only there for 13 weeks and 36 hours a week. You'll have plenty of beach time to compensate. So that's the worst really. I think the stuff you have learned will come right back again in context when you need it. I'm always amazed what I can still pull up from my surgery orientation 22 years ago. 9 months is nothing after five years of experience.

Discuss any concerns you might have during your interview with the manager, but only so much. You need to project confidence to succeed at an interview and at real work. You might try doing some per diem shifts locally to see how good you are at adapting to a new hospital, but I think of NICU as being fairly easy to go to a new hospital. You will have to adapt to the unit culture, figure out communication lines to physicians and departments inside the hospital, and learn the computer system. Often computer training is a full day of orientation or more by itself.

Just jump back in and see how you do!

[catica1124]

Thank you NedRN. Have you worked in Florida? Per diem sounds like a great idea. The problem is getting canceled frequently and not having income to pay rent and stuff. I think most Physicians have attitudes everywhere.

[NedRN]

I was just suggesting per diem as a reality check. It is possible make a living doing per diem in some markets or if you get block scheduled by a hospital that likes you.

I have worked in Florida and generally speaking, physicians in the South really believe they are better than everyone else. That is not the general case in the NE and west.