Being a travel nurse means you don’t have to be in one spot for too long. This can be pretty thrilling, especially if you love to explore new regions. However, it can require some recalculating. For instance, how do you handle being a travel nurse and a parent at the same time? In this guide, we’ll tell you all about juggling these two major responsibilities.
To Keep Travel Nursing Or Not To Keep Travel Nursing
If you or your partner learn of a pregnancy while working as a travel nurse, a big question comes up. Should you keep up this career or look for a permanent nursing position somewhere else? It’s not a decision to be made lightly. However, that doesn’t mean you have to just pack things up, especially not if you’re enjoying your current assignment.
While it’s safe to travel during the majority of your pregnancy, you might prefer the stability of being in one spot during these trimesters. Perhaps you’ve grown familiar and fond of your current city and assignment. Additionally, having a regular OBGYN to see is important. Work with your current staffers and see if they’ll lengthen your stay. If they decline, look for other hospitals and clinics in the area.
Once your baby is born, you don’t have to be tethered to one spot. It can be challenging to travel with a baby, especially a newborn. However, you can figure it out with practice and lots of preparation.
Where To Go Next?
Ideally, you’ll be able to choose from many excellent locations as a travel nurse. It can be less important when you’re by yourself or just with your partner. When a baby comes into the mix, there can be a lot more priorities.
Before moving to a new city, check out its reputation for families. How safe is it? Does it have fun places for kids? You don’t need to find the perfect city, especially not if you need a new assignment on short notice. However, you shouldn’t compromise on basic safety.
This also goes for your housing. It should be in a safe location with plenty of room. Talk with your agency about your needs before they set you up in a new place. A hotel room, no matter how nice, probably won’t be suitable, especially not as your children grow up.
Family Involvement
Your children can still get to know their relatives while growing up on the road. Your family might all live around each other or be scattered around the country. A plus side of travel nursing is being able to see family members who live in different regions. Maybe you have a cousin in the south and grandparents in the midwest? They can all get a chance to get to know your beautiful children.
Then, there are assignments that bring you to places where you just don’t know anybody. This doesn’t have to lead to total isolation. Schedule video calls with family members. These let you feel closer to your loved ones and help show how your kids are growing up.
Education
You may think it’s impractical to be a travel nurse and have children, because how will they go to school? Aren’t they going to have to choose between being homeschooled or just changing schools frequently? That’s not the case at all. Like with other tips in this article, schooling can be handled without sacrificing quality.
Homeschooling can be a great option, but it’s not practical in many cases. Since you’ll be busy with nursing, you won’t be able to teach your children on a regular basis. Your partner could be the instructor, provided you’re able to support your family or one salary. However, the best option is hiring a private tutor. Look for tutoring agencies in the areas you’re staying in.
You also don’t have to be traveling all the time to be a travel nurse. If need be, you can have a city that you stay in while your children are in school. Once it’s summer, you can look for traveling assignments. This can also show your kids exciting new places. It certainly beats sitting around the house during the summer.
Childcare
Being a working parent is tricky enough, but it can be a lot more difficult when you’re a travel nurse. You’ll need people to look after your kids, especially when they’re babies. How do you know who you can trust, and how can you guarantee they’re available?
You can’t ensure that someone will be available, so make sure you keep your options open. Make a list of the most-popular pediatricians and childcare providers in your area. Call the doctors’ offices, and see if they’re accepting new patients. The same goes for daycares and babysitters. Make these calls before you settle in the new city, and keep up hope. You’re liable to hear a few “nos” before you hear “yes,” but that doesn’t mean it’ll never happen.
Socializing
Perhaps the hardest part of being a travel nurse parent is helping your children make friends. Moving around is tough for kids, as they form attachments to their surroundings and the people in them. When you reach a new city, look for new ways for your kids to meet other kids their age.
This is especially important if your kids are homeschooled. Look for child-friendly activities like readings at the library and art classes. This can also help you socialize, as you’ll get to know other parents. They’ll hopefully love hearing about your exciting career.
When the time comes to leave town, your kids don’t have to say goodbye to their friends forever. They can keep up through phone calls and video chat. Who knows, you might even end up in that location again or extend your stay.
Being a travel nurse is a wonderful career, and you definitely balance it with being a parent. With nurse traveling jobs by trustaff, you can find the right travel nursing career. You never know where life is going to take you, but nurse traveling jobs helps to steer you in the proper direction.
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