5 Health Tips For Travel Nurses in 2019
It’s a new year and there’s no better time to reset the areas where we need to be refreshed with some health tips. As healthcare professionals, we can all take some time to learn how to take better care of ourselves in order to help others the way we desire to. We’ve gathered 5 essential tips to use this year wherever you are. Get inspired with new ideas and even reminders for sleep, exercise, social media, self-care, and improving your process of finding your next travel assignment.
Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
Poor Quality Sleep: Poor Quality Health. As far as health tips go, this should be high on the priority list. As employees in the healthcare industry, it’s vital that we’re in good spirits in the midst of situations that need up-lifting. According to sleepfoundation.org, getting enough sleep improves your mood, productivity, health, and strengthens your immune system; chronic poor sleep is linked to poor health, mood disorders and low productivity. Improving sleep in various demographics could make a positive impact on public health. Getting the recommended amount of sleep also:
- Keeps your heart healthy
- Reduces inflammation
- Stay more alert
- Improved memory
- May help you lose weight
- Helps the body repair itself (your cells produce more protein while you are sleeping!)
- Live longer
Find The Exercise That’s Right For You
We may not all love the idea of exercise, but the benefits far exceed our desire for it, and the great news is that there’s a type of exercise for everyone. Even though walking is part of a work shift, there’s a mental aspect to getting exercise from another source that allows us to clear our minds and separate it from a work or stressful environment. According to hostelworld.com, hiking is the best travel workout for several reasons: for one, it really is its own beast. Along with the obvious muscular and stamina benefits, there is something soothing to the mind and soul that comes from communing with nature. Just try and be stressed after a scenic hike up to a breathtaking view. Impossible!
- Take on hiking in a scenery you haven’t seen yet
- Look up a fun class in your city (chances are, you’ll be able to take advantage of a first-time visitor discount or meet a new friend)
- Walk as much as you can
- Go out dancing or dance in your home (let off any stress from the day while increasing your blood flow)
Take A Digital Detox
Sometimes it’s good to get away from social media to let the mind recharge and gain new focus for the new year. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh asked 1,787 American adults to report how much time they spent on 11 popular social media platforms (for non-work purposes). They also assessed study participants’ risk of depression only to discover they spent an average of 61 minutes per day on at least one platform. And the more time they spent sharing, liking, tweeting, and hashtagging from morning until bedtime, the greater their risk of depression seemed to be.
- Taking a break takes away the competitiveness that can often creep in as we see what else the world is up to or measuring how much of a response we get on something we post
- Improve your overall mood
- No more fear of missing out: stay more connected and intentional with the relationships and people in your life
- Live in the moment. Give yourself the first opportunity to truly experience something instead of missing out right away because of taking a photo and posting it
- Get more free time: breeze through long overdue to-do’s, catching up with friends, and errands that just might not have gotten the time because of time spent on social media
Prioritize Self-Care
We’re big advocates of self-care because the nature of a healthcare professional is constantly giving to others and it can be draining very quickly if you don’t know how to recharge yourself, too. The American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics refers to self-care for nurses in its fifth tenet: “The nurse owes the same duties to self as to others, including the responsibility to preserve integrity and safety, to maintain competence, and to continue personal and professional growth.” Nurses should take care of themselves as much as they focus on caring for patients. You want to be able to give the best care to others and they feel taken care of when you’re at your fullest.
- Take on self-care with what you eat: a high-nutrient diet — with a focus on fresh vegetables and fruits, healthy protein, high-quality fats and whole grains — is key. Try to avoid sugary drinks and fast food as much as possible
- Take on regular exercise, stress management, and plenty of sleep
- Have a spa day, listen to relaxing music, or take a walk
- The art of doing nothing: it may feel strange, but it often allows our minds to recharge and regain focus
Simplify Your Job Search
We know how tough it can be to find the right assignment– information about that assignment, the paperwork, endless phone calls, and… do we need to go on? It’s always a great time to simplify this process starting with a few easy changes:
- Browse and compare the highest paying opportunities from trusted agencies all in one place on Wanderly. You can sort by pay, location, compact state, agency, and more. Not only that, but you can request the pay package you want from all recruiters in the system if you don’t see what you’re looking for
- Skip the phone calls and chat anonymously with recruiters without sharing any personal information until you’re ready. Ask questions and get the information you need before you’re ready to apply
- Remove the endless paperwork and store your application/profile in a safe place to access on the go. You can refer to these stored documents whenever you need to apply to all future jobs
We hope you enjoyed these tips. Let us know if you’d like to share your tips you’ve learned along the way by emailing mel@wanderly.us. For more blog posts like this, don’t forget to also check out:
