Are Travel Healthcare Social Media Groups Too Toxic?
Social media is a pillar of many people’s daily lives in spite of numerous controversies over the years. Currently, 68 percent of adult Americans use some type of social media, and a majority of them use it on a daily basis, according to data from the Pew Research Center. Daily social media use mirrors the original goal of the platform for many—to help them stay connected with their friends, family and loved ones, and to share their experiences with them. This is emphasized even further in the travel healthcare community, as travelers have an added incentive to use social media platforms. It not only lets them stay in touch with their friends and family on the road, but it provides a platform to network and share knowledge with a vast number of their travel colleagues on a daily basis. “I use Facebook the most for sure,” said Kayla Jones, a travel certified surgical technologist. “I would say mostly because of my job. I’m away from my boyfriend and my family and all of that so I use it to keep up with them. I’m part of a couple of different traveler groups obviously, and I’m also part of scrub tech groups so I use it for…keeping up my knowledge for my next assignment.” Despite these benefits, that same Pew Research Center study found a majority of adults say they would have no problem giving up social media entirely, and many have begun reducing their use of Facebook. It’s easy to assume the decline in usage is related to the barrage of privacy scandals that have hit Facebook, Twitter and other platforms in recent years, but several travel healthcare professionals have pointed to a different issue entirely. Toxicity on social media is not a new problem—studies have shown that social media has a negative effect on mental health—but some say it’s an even greater problem in the travel healthcare community, where a combination of career stress, misinformation, and a mixing of generations can cause a perfect storm of angry posts and nasty comments. “Sometimes it’s too toxic,” Jones said. “I have to close my computer.” Travel nurse Alex McCoy, who manages both a Facebook page and a social Facebook group for her blog website, Fit Travel Life, has reduced her daily social media use to avoid getting caught up in general travel group discussions, she said. “People have started to realize how unhealthy parts of social media can be, and this is across the board,” McCoy said. “It’s a time suck and can cause a lot of negativity, so I see more people talking about filtering.” The Platform: Facebook reigns supreme Social media use is ubiquitous, but not all of the platforms are equal. Facebook still reigns as the most popular social media platform by a wide margin, despite seeing a decline users last year for the first time since 2008. For travelers, one major appeal for using Facebook over competing platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or Snapchat is the ability to form groups. Groups can be created by any Facebook user and provide a public or private space for people to connect through shared interests. Use of groups grew rapidly in 2018, after Facebook changed its algorithm to encourage users to engage more with groups and friends instead of businesses or brands. Healthcare professionals have their choice of numerous different traveler-oriented groups, which range in size from a few dozen users to tens of thousands of members. The focus points of travel healthcare groups also vary greatly, from catch-all travel nursing discussion forums to hyper-specific premium job boards. LinkedIn has also offered a Groups function since 2004, but there are noticeably less groups on the platform targeted at or created by travel healthcare professionals. Thomas Piper, a travel nurse and admin for his own group Scrub Squad 1978, said he’s experimenting more with LinkedIn and Instagram but still prefers Facebook because there’s a lower barrier of entry to communicating with others. “You can connect more,” Piper said. “People don’t have to subscribe to your Instagram, and you can get more information and more messages across that way.” Alex McCoy prefers Instagram to Facebook because of its focus on photo and video content, but agreed that Facebook offers the best tools to connect directly with others. “Instagram can be good for connecting but there is just not really the capability of creating communities,” McCoy said. “It can be hard to get ahold of people. I have tried to connect with people on Instagram and they literally just don’t see my messages because we aren’t following each other so that makes it harder to connect unless you are commenting on posts.” The Problem: Stress, separation and a lack of information Researchers, bloggers and many others have tried to identify the reasons behind social media toxicity with varying conclusions. Some have pointed to the growing political discord surrounding the upcoming 2020 presidential election, while others have aimed the blame at the “commoditization” of likes, comments and shares. Travelers and Facebook group moderators brought up several specific issues that they felt either contribute to the problem of social media toxicity—or make it worse. Picking a target Personal attacks aimed at a person, staffing agency, or healthcare facility came up as the most common type of toxic or negative posts in travel healthcare social media groups. “There are different levels,” said Andrew Craig, a former travel nurse who runs the Traveler Talk Facebook group and website. “The most subtle version of that is simply a sarcastic or condescending comment. We like to think it’s just a comment but in reality, it can affect the other person on the other side of the screen in a physical and emotional way.” Most agreed heated debates are not a problem. Discussions, even when people don’t agree, can be helpful for the community at-large, Kayla Jones said. The discussion crosses into toxic territory when it devolves into targeted, angry comments. “That’s kind of where things on Facebook and
New Report Weighs Costs, Benefits Of Vermont Joining Nursing Compact
Vermont’s Office of Professional Regulation released a new report that found the state could see many benefits from joining the Nursing Licensure Compact, but also noted the change would have a large financial impact. Sen. Virginia Lyons introduced a nursing compact licensure bill on February 22 which would allow for Vermont to join the NLC. If approved, Vermont would become the 32nd state to join the compact. Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses from Vermont nurses could obtain a compact license, and current out-of-state compact license holders could work in Vermont without paying for a single-state license. In terms of regional impact, Vermont nurses would have easier access to New Hampshire and Maine, which are current NLC member states, and potentially Massachusetts, which also has NLC legislation in the works. The report found the benefits of joining the NLC “large and singular.” “The removal of the licensure barrier to practice in Compact States carries particular benefits for traveling nurses and military spouses, as well as in cases of disaster, labor action, or other surges in demand for nurse inflow,” the report finds. “Compact licensing also facilitates e-health and telehealth access, thereby improving the continuity of care.” The report also noted improving license mobility could potentially relieve pressure on healthcare facilities caused by nursing shortages, specifically during emergency situations. “If Vermont joins the eNLC, nurses from other Compact States will be able to provide services in Vermont without encountering the deterrent of obtaining an additional license,” the report finds. “Without these barriers to practice, nurses may be more likely to fill nursing vacancies in Vermont; however we find no studies or other data conclusively demonstrating that participation in the eNLC will alleviate state nursing shortages.” Potential costs of joining the NLC include a hit to the state nursing board’s annual revenue. The report estimated about 4,705 RNs and LPNs would no longer need a single-state license, which would cause a loss of nearly $1 million from the board’s $4 million annual revenue. “Nurses seeking Vermont-only licenses are likely to see licensing fees increase as these licensees bear a greater proportion of the State licensing administration and enforcement costs,” the report finds. “Due to the anticipated revenue loss the Office can forecast that prior to Compact adoption or shortly thereafter the Office will need to see a fee increase in this profession even after the proposed fee increase in the 2019 Legislative Session.” The current annual renewal fee for Vermont state RN and LPN licenses are $140, but if the proposed fee increase and NLC legislation are approved, the report estimates license costs will jump to $280 for RNs and $245 for LPNs. The report also pointed to costs in other areas, including increased administrative needs, staffing needs, the adaptation of licensing software, and the annual $6,000 membership fee owed to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Members of the state nursing board voted in support of the state joining the NLC in 2017, and the report noted many of the state’s nurses and major healthcare organizations support the legislation as well. The full report can be viewed here.
New York Nurses Set April Strike Date At 3 Hospital Systems
Registered nurses at three New York healthcare systems issued a 10-day strike notice on Monday, amid claims of unsafe working conditions caused by inadequate staffing, according to a recent union press release. New York State Nurses Association members delivered the strike notice to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Montefiore, and Mount Sinai hospitals and set the strike date for April 2. The strike could affect more than 10,000 nurses at the three hospitals, according to the union, which have been in contract negotiations for several months with the New York City Hospital Alliance. More than 8,000 members of the nurses union voted earlier this month to authorize a strike if necessary. Union contracts at the facilities ended on December 31, but both parties have met about 30 times at barganing sessions with limited progress, according to an ABC 7 NY report. “Now is the time that all New Yorkers must have what they need and deserve,” Robin Krinsky, RN, NYSNA Board Member and negotiating committee member at Mount Sinai, said in a NYSNA Facebook post. “Safe patient care by educated professional nurses who know how to provide excellent care each and every time a patient requires it.” The union claims nurses are working with anywhere from 9 to 10 patients at at once, and has protested in support of legislation that would establish mandated nurse-to-patient ratios. A “Safe Staffing For Quality Care Act” bill that would establish mandated ratios statewide was reintroduced during this year’s legislative session, and is currently in committee for review. Advocates have pushed for mandated ratios since 2009, when a version of the bill was first introduced.
Travel Jobs: Competition Low, Opportunities High In March As Market Moves Into Spring
The travel healthcare job market is affected by a number of economic and environmental factors, but one of the most prevalent forces shifting job demand are the changes in season. As such, the spring season (and March in particular) represents a major transitional period for the market. Travelers are coming off of winter contracts and are looking for new opportunities in northern states that could turn into summer extensions. One could assume this would mean competition for jobs is fierce in March, but Oren Lavi with LiquidAgents Healthcare said the candidate pool is still slim despite the high number of open positions, meaning jobs are staying open for longer and are easier to book. Since the average length of most travel healthcare job contracts lasts 13 weeks, it’s reasonable to think that most travelers would have just finished their winter contracts from December and are now looking for new opportunities at the start of March. However, many travelers avoid working in December because of the holidays and instead wait until January to start a new contract. This means that, while competition is low for now, travelers can expect to see it ramp up towards the end of March and throughout April. “A lot of nurses need to make extension decisions, and once they do, the market will get flooded with available candidates,” Lavi said. Facilities are most committed to finding qualified candidates that are interested in extending through the summer, so travelers who have already found a breezy and adventurous summer vacation destination up north for their next contract are ahead of the curve. Keep an eye on states like Idaho, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah and Washington to offer enticing pay packages in March, because they may not stick around as we get closer to summer. Travel Healthcare Jobs March 2019 Here’s a quick breakdown of the states and travel healthcare job specialties that are most-in-demand now and are expected to stay popular in March, according to data provided by staffing industry sales and recruiting representatives. Arkansas RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, step-down/PCU Surgical Tech: OR, Cath Lab Illinois RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, step-down/PCU Surgical Tech: OR, Cath Lab Other Notes: Crisis bill rates were recently implemented at OSF HealthCare facilities in Illinois Indiana RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, ER, ICU. Other Notes: Lots of openings in Indiana right now, but facilities are being more picky with candidates, so jobs are not moving as quickly as they did in February. Kentucky RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, step-down/PCU Surgical Tech: OR, Cath Lab Maine RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, ER, ICU. Bill rates up by $10 more than usual on average. Other Notes: Maine is on fire—more than 20 medical-surgical and telemetry nurse needs have been posted in the past two weeks. Hospitals are staffing up for summer break. Nevada RN: Telemetry, OR, CVOR, ICU Surgical Tech: OR Non-Certified Surgical Tech: SPT Other Notes: ER needs are on the decline, but OR and ICU needs are picking up speed. Most positions are coming out of Reno. New Hampshire RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, ER, ICU. Bill rates have remained high since the start of February. Other Notes: New Hampshire remains a hotspot for ICU needs offering premium bill rates. Oklahoma RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, ER, ICU Other Notes: Not many job postings available, but when jobs open they close very fast. Quick on callbacks and interviews for qualified candidates. Pennsylvania RN: ICU, OR, medical-surgical, telemetry. Surgical Tech: OR Non-Certified Surgical Tech: SPT Other Notes: Bill rates in Pennsylvania are quite high compared to other states in the region, and have steadily increased in preparation for spring. Texas RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, step-down/PCU Surgical Tech: OR, Cath Lab
New York, Rhode Island Nursing Unions Vote To Authorize Strikes
Members of registered nurse unions in New York and Rhode Island have both voted to allow union representatives to issue 10-day strike notices if necessary, according to recent reports. United Nurses & Allied Professionals (UNAP) members in Rhode Island voted Wednesday to authorize a strike notice for Fatima Hospital, located in northern Providence. Workers want to bring attention to what they claim is a lack of commitment to patient and worker safety under Prospect CharterCARE, according to a WPRI report. Fatima Hospital is an affiliate of Prospect CharterCARE. “We don’t take this step lightly and we realize what’s at stake for each other, our patients and the community we are proudly a part of,” Cindy Fenchel, president of UNAP Local 5110 said to WPRI. “It’s time for Prospect CharterCARE to come to the table and make substantive commitments on improving patient care and strengthening worker safety.” In New York, more than 8,000 members of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) voted to authorize a 10-day strike notice amid ongoing contract negotiations with New York City Hospital Alliance, according to a recent blog post. The collective bargaining agreement between the two organizations ended on December 31. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Montefiore, Mt. Sinai, Mt. Sinai West, and St. Luke’s hospitals are involved in the negotiations, and a potential strike could affect an estimated 10,000 nurses at those facilities. Nurses held open protests against the 13 facilities in February over what they claim are unsafe working conditions and inadequate staffing levels. New York City Hospital Alliance disputes these claims and said NYSNA has not provided a “single shred of evidence” to support this claim, according to a CBS WLNY report. “We have remained committed to bargaining in good faith and have put forward a significant proposal that demonstrates the value we place on our nurses, who are the best in the business and should be rewarded for their essential role in the delivery of excellent care,” Farrell Sklerov, a spokesperson for the Hospital Alliance told WLNY.
Alabama Legislators Introduce Nursing Compact License Bill
Alabama legislators introduced two bills Tuesday that could allow the state to join the nationwide Nursing Licensure Compact, according to data from Legiscan. House Rep. April Weaver and Sen. Gregg Reed pre-filed and introduced House Bill 44 and Senate Bill 38, respectively, during the first special session of 2019. Both bills were referred to House and Senate health committees for further discussion. If approved, Alabama would become the 32nd state to join the Nursing Licensure Compact, which allows for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses to practice in multiple states without having to apply for a single-state license. It would also allow Alabama nurses easier access to jobs across state lines, as Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee are all members of the Nursing Licensure Compact. The Alabama Board of Nursing voiced support for the compact license legislation last Thursday on social media and in their organization’s newsletter, stating that the board decided to pursue the legislation after “very intense, detailed analysis” last September. “This was not an easy decision, as the Board was careful to pay special attention to protecting Alabama’s regulatory prerogatives and to ensure that Compact participation would not negatively impact patient care in the state,” the newsletter statement reads. “The Board is honored to recognize Representative April Weaver, RN (R-Alabaster) and Senator Greg Reed (R-Jasper) for sponsoring the historic bills (House Bill 44 and Senate Bill 38) that would enact the Compact in Alabama. Part of the reason the board wants this legislation to pass is because of the growing nursing shortage in Alabama, according to the statement. Analysts project Alabama will have a surplus of nurses by 2030, according to a 2017 labor study by the Health Resources and Services Administration, but healthcare leaders in the state say they are having problems finding and retaining nurses. Many Alabama healthcare leaders have pointed to common factors affecting the nursing shortage at a national level, including higher demand with an aging population and workforce, a lack of available educators to train more new nurses faster, and issues with pay and working conditions. Alabama is on the lower end for compensation—the average nursing salary in the state is $57,890, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. This also includes travel nursing pay, where the average contract ranges from $1,400-1,500 weekly, according to the most recent StaffDNA job board data. Despite this, Alabama remains a fairly popular destination for travelers, and nursing professionals in the state have said travel nursing is also a factor contributing to staff retention issues, according to a WFSA 12 report.
SIA Announces 2019 ‘Best Staffing Firms To Work For’ List
Staffing Industry Analysts announced the winners of their 2019 ‘Best Staffing Firms To Work For’ Wednesday at their 28th annual Executive Forum North America in Austin, Texas, according to a company press release. Among the categories–which were split into eight sections based on company size, types of staffing and geographic location–four U.S. travel healthcare staffing firms took home Grand Prize honors, which are awarded to firms that score the highest in each category. Those four Grand Prize winners from the 2019 Best Staffing Firms To Work For list are: Fusion Medical Staffing (Firms with 201-500 employees) LiquidAgents Healthcare (Firms with 51-200 employees) Health Providers Choice (Firms with 21- 50 employees) Austin Major Group (Firms with 10-20 employees) Each category also had several notable travel healthcare staffing companies that didn’t win a Grand Prize but still placed in the top percentiles of their category, including Atlas Medstaff, Aya Healthcare and Medical Solutions. About 400 staffing agencies participated in the 2019 awards program, which was conducted by SIA in conjunction with Quantum Workplace, according to the press release. Internal employees at each firm were asked to complete a 40-question survey that measured specific quality-of-life and engagement categories, including trust in senior leaders, teamwork, manager effectiveness and more. Staffing firms are not charged for their participation in the awards program and must have a minimum number of employees participate based on their size to ensure statistically sound results, according to the press release. “Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Best Staffing Firm to Work For Awards,” Barry Asin, president of SIA said in a press release. “These high-performing companies stand out for their quality of leadership and as organizations that prioritize culture and employee engagement. There is a strong correlation between employee engagement and growth. These firms have made that connection and use it to excel in their business and drive outstanding results.” Readers can view the full list of winners and top-placing staffing firms here.
New Jersey Compact Nurse License Bill Passes Senate
A New Jersey compact nurse license bill is one step closer to becoming law after state Senate members passed it last Thursday. The bill passed unanimously, 35-0, with five senators abstaining. The bill would allow New Jersey to join the Nursing Licensure Compact. If approved, New Jersey would be the 32nd state to join the new enhanced NLC which was fully implemented in January 2018. Currently, seven other states also have pending legislation to join the NLC. It would also provide access for New Jersey nurses to practice in its neighbor state Deleware, as well as several other compact states in the Northeast region including Maryland, New Hampshire, Maine, Virginia and West Virginia. Some business associations and nursing groups have thrown their support behind compact nurse license bill in recent weeks, including the New Jersey Business and Industry Association. “I want to first thank Senator Singleton for recognizing the nursing shortage in New Jersey and for introducing legislation that would simplify the process for out-of-state nurses to work in New Jersey,” NJBIA vice president Tony Bawidamann said in a press release. “As a result of his great work, nurses will only need to obtain a license from the state they reside in to be permitted to work in New Jersey, instead of having to go through the whole licensing process again.” One of the largest nursing and healthcare labor unions in the state, Health Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE), has not endorsed the bill, citing concerns that it could lower the bar for workforce qualifications, according to a report by NJ Spotlight. This is the third time an NLC bill has been introduced since 2015, but the first time that it has made it out of committee and passed through a Senate vote. Senators Troy Singleton, Joseph Vitale and Fred Madden, Jr., sponsored the most recent bill. A companion bill in the New Jersey General Assembly is currently in committee and awaiting a final vote in the Assembly before moving to Gov. Phil Murphy’s desk. The next full Assembly session is scheduled for March 25, according to the state legislature’s website.
Hey, Hey! Ho, Ho! Is Striking For School Nurses The Way To Go?
By Ana B. Ibarra, Kaiser Health News As teachers across the country walk out of their classrooms, hit the picket lines and demand higher pay, they’re keeping school nurses in mind — asking for more of them or, at the very least, better pay for them. Oakland, Calif., teachers plan to strike Thursday if they can’t hammer out a deal with the district that includes a “living wage” and more nurses and counselors. Last week in Denver, thousands of educators and school nurses went on strike and marched to the state Capitol asking for a significant raise — and got it. These unions follow in the footsteps of Los Angeles teachers, who, after striking for six days last month, won a 6 percent salary increase and 300 more school nurses over the next three years, enough to staff every school with a full-time nurse. “It shows that teachers recognize the importance of having a nurse on-site at all times, but it’s sad that it takes a strike to get more nurses,” said Nina Fekaris, president of the National Association of School Nurses and a school nurse in Oregon. Student health is key to academic success, but when it comes to putting nurses in schools, the education system has often “turned a blind eye,” Fekaris said. Now, teachers are making nurses a critical piece of their contract negotiations in a bold move that seems to be working, she said. For districts, it comes down to limited funding, said Erika Hoffman, a lobbyist with the California School Boards Association. “You’ve got massive competing interests: Do I hire a new teacher, a counselor or a school nurse?” School districts do not make these decisions lightly, Hoffman added. “We know healthy kids learn better,” she said. “It’s great that the unions are looking at the needs of the whole child, but [nurses] don’t come for free.” School nurses make a national average salary of $63,944 to $66,973, according to the latest figures from the National Association of School Nurses. About 55 percent of them earn less than $51,000 a year. In many school districts across the country, there simply aren’t enough nurses to tend to students’ medical needs. Nurses often split their time among several campuses, leaving many schools without a nurse at critical times and short of the recommended staffing ratio. In some instances, teachers or support staff administer medication when a nurse isn’t around. And in at least one extreme case, when a gun accidentally discharged inside a Los Angeles Unified School District middle school classroom last year, teachers scrambled to figure out how to tend to the injuries before first responders arrived. Nonetheless, when districts face budget cuts, nurses are among the first staff to go, Fekaris said. That’s because school nurses are not required by law in most states, even though their services, such as vision, hearing and scoliosis screenings, are. The American Academy of Pediatrics used to recommend a ratio of 1 nurse for every 750 students, but the organization updated its recommendation in 2016 to at least one nurse in every school. During the 2017-18 school year, California schools employed 2,623 full-time registered nurses, according to the state Department of Education. With about 6.22 million students enrolled, that averages out to about 1 nurse for every 2,370 students. In West Virginia, teachers went on strike last year and won a 5 percent raise for all staff, including nurses. Now, proposed state legislation would improve the school nurse ratio, which currently stands at 1 nurse to 1,500 students, according to the West Virginia Association of School Nurses. In Los Angeles, the district is still working out how it will pay for the additional 300 nurses it agreed to hire. The union says there’s enough money in the district’s reserve to cover at least the first year of pay for the additional nurses and other support staff. “Our parents really wanted more nurses, and it became one of our top demands,” said Arlene Inouye, secretary of United Teachers Los Angeles. After the strike, Inouye visited Oakland to advise that city’s teachers union, which announced Sunday that it will strike this week, barring “dramatic changes” from the district. “L.A. has been an inspiration,” said Chaz Garcia, a vice president of the Oakland Education Association. “There has been a lot of focus on salaries, but that’s not the driving force and that’s not all we’re looking for,” she said. The union is asking for 1 school nurse for every 750 students “because we do not have enough to deal with students’ growing health issues,” she said. School nurses and teachers in the district are seeing more students with chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes and food allergies — which require constant monitoring and the administration of medications such as insulin. It’s not that the district doesn’t want to hire nurses, said Andrea Bustamante, executive director of student services at Oakland Unified School District. It’s that it can’t. The district, which has about 37,000 students, budgets for 32 nurses, but seven of those positions are vacant, she said. “Like many other California districts, we have struggled to find qualified candidates to fill our vacancies,” Bustamante said in a written statement. She cited obstacles including the additional state certification required to become a school nurse and competition from hospitals. What school districts really need to do if they want to attract more nurses is offer them a “living wage,” said Sean McFarland, a school nurse at Denver Public Schools who participated in the strike there. Before working in schools, McFarland was a charge nurse in an emergency room, where he made about $16,000 more a year than his starting salary at the school district, he said. He took the pay cut because he wanted to try nursing in another setting and give back to his community in a different way, he said. When he started, he befriended four other new nurses. “Out of the five of us, I am the only one who
5 Reasons Why Travel Nurses Would Actually Want To Work Night Shift
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life My relationship with the night shift has always been a tenuous balance between love and hate. Being on day shift allows for a more normal routine and definitely makes my husband more at peace with my work schedule. The feeling of being fully rested on my off days has led me to continue taking day shift assignments, but there is always a small piece of me that is envious when I meet the new night shift crew. Night shift has plenty of downsides–less support staff on duty, irregular sleep schedules, and more difficulty contacting physicians are just a few of the problems any night shift nurse could list for you. But at the end of the day, there is a reason many travel nurses prefer nights even if travel contracts don’t come with a hefty night shift differential. Less support staff at night means night shift travel nurses don’t have to learn extra procedures for working with these staff members. via GIPHY One of the first things I ask about at each new assignment is how to contact people I have to coordinate care with on day shift. Whether you are trying to contact a social worker or order lunch, there is a different procedure for these tasks at each hospital. If you work the night shift, you have the blessing—and the curse—of not having access to most of these extra pieces. While missing out on the support may cause some stress, it is nice to know you don’t have to relearn these procedures because they simply don’t apply to your shift. Unless it is a rare exception, the night shift gets to skip over this piece of knowledge when zipping through each new orientation. Less pressure from management or less involvement in unit politics. via GIPHY I wrote a whole article on the reasons why travel nurses should avoid hospital politics. The bottom line is: it’s much harder to accomplish this during the day shift. One of my least favorite scenarios is having a manager wander through on day shift and stop to ask my opinion on the unit. I appreciate the fact that they are looking for constructive feedback, but I also like to have more time to think through responses and articulate my feelings. As a night shifter, you are much less likely to get pulled into these types of conversations. If a manager is looking for some feedback it will be easier to strike up that conversation via email. For me, I prefer this method because I can still give meaningful feedback without becoming too involved in whatever issues the manager is trying to address. Patients are less likely to need to be prepped for procedures and testing. via GIPHY Another policy that can change drastically between assignments is pre- and post-procedure policy. I have seen several variances from how a patient is transported to how frequently nurses monitor post-op vital signs. I very rarely had to know the details of these procedures on the night shift. Except for rare emergent cases, my patients rarely left the floor at night. I was especially thankful as a new traveler to not have to learn the ins-and-outs of consents and transport when I was desperately trying to pick up on all the other new procedures during my short orientation. The night shift lull can be a great time to get to know your coworkers. via GIPHY During the day shift, the 2-4 p.m. period can be one of the busiest. This is when baths are fit in, discharges and admissions become a revolving door, and all the catch-up charting happens before starting the 4 p.m. rounds. On the night shift, this is what I liked to refer to as the “golden period.” Once your midnight rounds are done you inevitably cross your fingers and hope for no excitement during this chunk of the night. Some of my favorite memories as a night shift nurse were made during this time frame, where patients are finally sleeping for a bit and families have calmed down enough to get a bit of rest themselves. As a traveler, this is when you have time to get to know your coworkers. Use this to your advantage and strike up conversations or share some stories to make the shift go a little faster for everyone. Breakfast drinks are a great icebreaker to meet new friends. via GIPHY There is a weird bond that can only be formed over a glass of local beer at 8 a.m. in the dingy bar two blocks from the hospital. If you are feeling shy or struggling to make friends at your new assignment, one of my favorite ways to break the tension is to ask about the favorite night shift hangout. I have found that once you have a breakfast and beer date with new coworkers, a wall comes down that allows for more camaraderie and connection at work. Even though I enjoy having a normal schedule and not having to nap on my days off, as a traveler I truly do miss working the night shift. There is a certain bond that all night shifters share and I don’t feel like day shift has quite the same connection. I absolutely loved my night shift assignments and felt they were less stressful for reasons other than the stereotypical “Oh, it must be easy because all of your patients are sleeping” (Hard eye roll to that statement). Even if the money doesn’t necessarily change between day and night shift for travelers, I certainly understand the draw many nurses would feel to work nights as a travel nurse and am thankful for those who love the nocturnal life and adjust to it so well. Alex McCoy currently works as a pediatric travel nurse. She has a passion for health and fitness, which led her to start Fit Travel Life in 2016. She travels with her husband, their cat, Autumn and