Shots are fired. People are scattering. There are hundreds hurt and wailing in pain.
Car after car, the injured are dropped off to the emergency rooms across the city.
This was the scene in the immediate aftermath of the Las Vegas shooting on October 1st.
Recently, I watched a video in which a travel nurse described his eye witness account of the scene in the hospital. He was one of many travelers at this facility.
He said, though you never want this type of thing to happen, he was honored to have been there to help.
It got me thinking and reflecting. This tragedy illustrates an obvious fact that is largely overlooked. Travel healthcare professionals make such a large impact in communities, and here are just a few reasons why I wholeheartedly believe it.
You are helping facilities.
Hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, and other facilities can be put in a bad position when there is a sudden increase in census or when a full time employee leaves. If they can’t find adequate coverage, they may have to turn down patients. Travelers solve this issue. Even if it is for just 13 weeks, travelers help to fill a big need, which is a load off of the facility’s shoulders.
You are helping patients
If there is little or no coverage at a facility, the patient is the one who really suffers. If help is limited, they may not get the treatment they really need. Whether you are a nurse that stabilizes the patient, a physical therapist that helps restores motion, or an occupational therapist that helps with normal functioning, you are making a huge difference in their lives.
You are helping colleagues
For one, you are helping lighten the caseload of the full time staff. So, that helps reduce burnout! Also, you could teach other colleagues new ways to approach care. There could be a new strategy or technique that be could be used in that facility for years to come.
You are saving lives
As demonstrated in Las Vegas, paired with full time staff, travelers helped to save lives. Imagine if there were not any travelers at those hospitals. They would have been undermanned and things could have gone way worse.
Why did you start traveling? Comment below!
Louis Teal is a Recruiter for the Aureus Medical Social Media Recruitment Team.