You Can Be a Travel Nurse at Any Age
Travel nursing is a rewarding career for the right type of person. To be a great travel nurse, you need to be compassionate, passionate and curious. One of the greatest myths about travel nursing is that you need to be young. There is nothing about being young that gives you an advantage over others in travel nursing — read on to find out why.
Travel Nursing is About Compassion
The number one requirement of being a travel nurse is to have compassion. Compassion means you have sympathetic pity and concern for the suffering of others. A recent study shows that compassion, although not a new concept to healthcare, is a crucial component when it comes to the perception of nurses.
In the study, patients saw compassion as acts that demonstrated “knowing me and giving me your time;” acting in a way that shows you’re trying to be in the patient’s shoes and that “compassion was the essence of nursing.” All of these aspects of compassion may be magnified in people with more life experience. The more you’ve seen and done, the greater the likelihood that you will be able to sympathize with another’s situation.
Travel Nursing Is About Passion
If you don’t absolutely love being a nurse, it’s not likely that you can last long in the field. The grueling and often thankless hours spent serving others can be challenging.
Passion in nursing doesn’t come from making money, having easy work schedules or pressures from society. It comes from having a high degree of compassion, a desire to make a difference and feeling a great amount of respect and pride for the nursing profession. Passion exists at any age.
Travel Nursing Requires Curiosity About the World
Curious people travel. When you are curious about the world, you want to explore new places and experience new things. Wondering about what other places look like, how the locals live, what foods are popular, how people think, look and speak are all signs that you’re a curious person.
Satisfying your curiosity by traveling and combining it with your career is perfect for a travel nurse. Whether you choose to travel somewhere far from home or stay nearby, you can satisfy your curiosity by being a travel nurse. Curiosity doesn’t wane with age. It can become stronger the more you explore the world.
Travel Nursing Is Right for Any Age
Age is not a factor in the travel nursing industry. What you need is compassion, passion and curiosity about the world. With the right skill set, you can succeed almost anywhere. Many people start traveling more and exploring in their later years, which shows that it’s really never too late to follow your passion. Traveling is all about curiosity and exploration, which can grow with you as the years go by. Don’t limit yourself from being a travel nurse just because you are older. You might just begin the career of your dreams.
