Travel Nurse Job Description: 7 Vital Interpersonal Skills
A travel nurse description that goes deeper
When you apply for travel nursing jobs, you are signing up for a profession where communication is one of the most important parts of the job description. As a travel nurse, you will get the opportunity to work with a diverse group of people; therefore, interpersonal skills, or people skills as some may say, will help ensure a successful experience for yourself, your colleagues, and most importantly, your patients. After all, healthcare is a service-based profession.
Things you may not find on any travel nurse job description that are vital to your success:
- Active Listening
Look at the person who you are talking to and maintain eye contact when engaging in a conversation. In addition, make sure that you are maintaining your body language, such as occasionally nodding throughout your conversation. Small comments in between conversations help show your patients that you care. Don’t forget that nonverbal cues are just as important as verbal cues. - Communication
Both written and verbal skills are equally as important in this field. When working with a lot of different people, being able to communicate with a diverse group of people is important. Specifically, being able to use the right tone with different people and using the right language based on who you are speaking to are both crucial to your role as a nurse. - Personal Stress Management
A profession in healthcare can mean a lot of stress. With night shifts and a full schedule, it is important for travel nurses to be able to manage stress. Being able to deal with pressure will not only help yourself in the long run, but will also prevent your mood from interfering with your patient interactions. - Compassion
As a travel nurse, compassion is one of the most important interpersonal skill that you need to have. Not only will others see your passion, but having compassion will also greatly help your communication skills. In a patient-centered industry like the medical field, compassion is important for helping you empathize with your patients. - Attitude
Important attitudes travel nurses should have are empathy, self-confidence, and the ability to keep a positive outlook in times of difficulty, both in your personal life as well as inside the hospital’s four walls. Without self-confidence or a positive outlook, patients might not feel comfortable approaching you or confiding in you. It is your job to provide a safe and inviting space for their patients. - Teamwork
Since nurses often serve as the liaison between doctors, families, and the patients, it is important that you are able to work with different groups of people and engage in teamwork and collaboration. - Problem Solving
Nurses need to be able to quickly think through a problem in order to effectively analyze the issue. Due to the fast-paced and stressful environment, strong problem solving skills are important for those seeking a profession as a travel nurse.
Author Bio: Troy Diffenderfer has been covering the healthcare industry for numerous years. In addition to interacting with healthcare professionals on a daily basis, he’s written content for websites like www.TravelNurseSource.com and www.AlliedTravelCareers.com. In his free time, he is a voracious reader, and also enjoys the typical Netflix binge session.