Travel Health Care Professionals

What is a travel health care professional?

Travel health care professionals have the same types and durations of training as other health care professionals, but rather than serving one area, they work in different temporary assignments all over the world. If you’re a licensed health care professional, you might want to consider joining a travel health care agency. By doing so, you can help to alleviate personnel shortages, to assist during seasonal upticks in demand, or to fill a temporary position until a permanent candidate can be found.

Job Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the usual training and certification requirements, travel health care professionals also have to meet a few other requirements before going on assignment. First, virtually any staffing agency that deals with travel health care placement will require you to have at least a year of experience under belt, and possibly more. They also have to be adaptable not only to different locales and customs, but also to different facility policies and approaches to care because these will differ from location to location.

Perks

If you meet these criteria, you’ll have the opportunity to reap all sorts of rewards. Not only will you be able to aid people across the country, and around the globe, but you’ll have the chance to experience new surroundings and take in different cultures. Plus, expenses for housing and travel are often covered for the length of the assignment, and families and pets may be accommodated for. Another perk is that you won’t need to sign a contract with the facility you’re working with, but you may still be eligible for benefits like health insurance, bonuses, and retirement funds.

Work on Your ScheduleThese positions also offer a level of flexibility that allows you to work on your terms. For instance, if you wrap up an assignment and you want to take a vacation to recoup and recharge, simply let your agency know and give them your next available date. Taking some time off work can give you the chance to catch up on home improvement projects or go on a much-needed vacation. Another excellent use of your time off is keeping up on your CE courses. While many health care professionals find it difficult to juggle these courses while working 40 hours or more a week, you can take them at your own pace, without the daily responsibilities of a regular position.

Potential IssuesOf course, every position comes with its own set of challenges in addition to the benefits. In this case, you’ll need to be ready to take on all of the normal issues you might associate with health care positions – from belligerent patients to poor communication among staff – but you’ll also have to cope with some problems unique to traveling professionals. For one, you may not have your friends and family around to keep you company throughout the weeks or months that you’re away. Not only does that mean that you won’t be able to look after your kids or keep your spouse company, but it also means you may get lonely and homesick. To banish these feelings and prevent a bout of burnout, you’ll need to commit to making connections with the people in your new facility. After all, it only takes a few friendly faces to banish the blues.

Learn More

If you believe you can meet all of the challenges a travel health care professional faces, and if the perks sound appealing, contact your staffing agency of choice to find out more details.