It would be difficult to find one person who could honestly say he does not experience stress. Work, family, responsibilities and money – the list of potential stresses can go on and on without end. For a traveling nurse, the stress can pile up due to an increase in outside influences that remain in constant flux when one has to move and work in new environments constantly.
While nothing physically is being done to cause harm, the additional anxiety may eventually begin to have very real effects on the overall health of the nurse.
"The predominant sources of stress are now internal rather than external, having much more to do with what we think about than with what happens to us," Dr. Martin Rossman, MD, told Healthcare Traveler magazine.
These emotional and psychological stresses can eventually lead to weight gain, lethargy, insomnia, headaches and an increase in susceptibility to illness. Once these symptoms appear, more stresses on the physical body will create more psychological stress until an unhealthy cycle is underway. Once the cycle is in full gear, a traveling nurse may find it hard to break out of, and this pressure might become the norm. The body will slowly become dependent on unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as a caffeine addiction and weight gain.
This harmful cycle is not just found in the travel nursing industry, but across the board in almost all industries throughout the United States.
While some thrive on constant upheaval, many travel nurses may need an element of consistency to counter the revolving door of locations, technology and staff.
To counteract the negative effects of stress, a traveling nurse should find a healthy "break" activity, such as reading or exercise. Pleasure reading allows the brain to work creatively in a non-pressure environment and escape while still keeping those neurons firing, unlike television. Regardless of whether a nurse finds working out a break activity, one should take the time to get 30 minutes of cardio a few times a week. Working out promotes endorphins, and endorphins relieve stress and use natural chemicals to buoy the spirit.
Life is stressful, but that doesn't mean a traveling nurse must let that stop her from leading a healthy and happy life. Finding ways to counter stress and decrease it can make traveling to new locations an adventure rather than an ordeal.