Whether you are on your first healthcare travel job assignment or your tenth, you want it to be a good fit and an enjoyable assignment. So what do you do if you’re unhappy with your travel job? The first thing to do is relax and remember you have options. Consider some of the following suggestions to help you figure out how to handle an assignment that leaves you disappointed.
Figure out What is Wrong
You may know exactly what you don’t like about your assignment or you may have to do some soul searching to figure it out. Take a little time to think about what is wrong. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are your work duties not what you expected?
- Do you feel your co-workers are unfriendly?
- Are your living arrangements unacceptable?
- Is something else going on in your life, such as homesickness, relationship issues, or burnout?
Talk with Your Hospital Supervisor
If the problem is with your work situation, such as your responsibilities or workload, talk with your manager or supervisor. Depending on the situation, you may be able to make adjustments to meet the needs of the healthcare facility while also improving your situation.
Keep in mind that it may also be necessarily to consider some level of compromise. For instance, if you’re asked to float to another area outside of where you normally work, it may be needed to ensure proper staffing. Although floating to other areas may not be your first choice, consider it an opportunity to broaden your skills. Additionally, compromise is often needed in a work environment and a healthcare travel job is no different.
Discuss Issues with Your Recruiter
In some instances, your unhappiness may be from your living arrangements and is something your recruiter can help you with. For example, if you are sharing an apartment with a roommate who likes to party until all hours while you try to sleep, that may be a fixable situation. Housing reassignments may be possible. Remember, your recruiter can’t help you if he does not know what is going on. Maintaining open communication is essential in order to correct problems.
Give it Time
Just like any new job it may take a little while to adjust to your travel assignment. Before you judge your new job too harshly, give it a few weeks for you to adjust. An unfamiliar work environment, new people and different living arrangements all at once can take a little while to adapt to. In a few weeks, you may get used to your new travel assignment and love it.
Keep in mind that every travel assignment may not be the right fit for everyone. But most of the time you should be able to work out problems and stick with the assignment. The good news is travel assignments don’t last forever, and before you know it you will be onto your next one. As a last resort, if you feel your medical license, safety, or sanity are at stake, you may have to look into getting reassigned.