First Day Tip on your Travel Assignment GetMed Staffing

First Day Tip on your Travel Assignment

Apr 13, 2020

The first day of your assignment has finally arrived. You’ve traveled to your new temporary home, unpacked and explored for a day or two. During those first days in a new city, it’s important you map out how to get to the hospital. Look at traffic patterns when you anticipate you’ll be driving to work. If you aren’t used to living in a metropolitan city, it may take you by surprise if it takes 45 minutes to make a 10 mile trip in traffic. You don’t want to be surprised on your first day of work! 

Once you’re sure you know how to get to work, and that you’ll arrive on time with traffic, then it’s time to think about . . . what’s next? 

Day 1: Orientation 

If sitting through one more first-day orientation makes you want to pull your hair out - or it sounds like nails across a chalkboard (whichever is worse for you!) - then get prepared, because it’s coming again. 

If it’s boring for you, think about the HR person leading a class of people who are all bored, and who has likely been over the information more times than you ever will. The first day of orientation is a hospital mandate for your safety and theirs. Certifications depend on every staff member being prepared in the same way for every eventuality when you’re caring for people who may be incapacitated. 

Do you know you can make orientation more fun for you and make yourself memorable to those in the class with you? This can go a long way toward networking within the hospital during your assignment. 

Simple: An Open Mind Catches More Information and Engages More People 

It sounds simple, and in truth, it is simple. But all that is simple may not be easy. Speaking candidly, it is essential to approach your first day and your first week with an open mind. Much of what you learn may not be new information to you, but there could be nuggets of information that are important to advancing your career

Do you know about how knowledge can be transferred and synthesized differently? For instance, you may learn one tidbit of information from your last orientation, another in this one, and a third on the unit. Suddenly, you have an idea that can reduce workloads and improve patient care because you were listening and absorbing the information you thought you already knew. 

It’s fun and exciting when you get inspired by the information you’ve synthesized from multiple sources. It’s important to keep your eyes open on your unit, as they likely do things differently here than they have at any other assignment. You are there to fix an urgent need for the hospital and can learn a few things along the way when you approach it with an open and positive mindset. 

When Your Frustrated, Call Us! 

Anytime you’re working with people, you can be faced with frustrating or challenging situations. Before you get angry with a colleague or tell off your supervisor, take a breath, and give your recruiter a call. It’s why GetMed employees some of the best recruiters in the industry - to help you find the right assignment and help you make it a positive experience for you and the hospital.  

Contact GetMed Staffing 

If you’re ready to travel, explore your career options and enjoy new cultures, then it’s time to call our professional recruiters. We’ll help you achieve your goals, all while going on an exciting adventure.