There's no need for a traveling nurse to resort to snail mail (unless she wants to) in the modern age. Maintaining the relationships that shape a nurse while on travel assignments that have her hundreds or thousands of miles away from loved ones can be difficult without preparation and a plan. However, 21st century technology has provided a multitude of answers to the potential problems that keep traveling nurses and their loved ones virtually in each others arms.
A traveling nurse may wish to invest in certain hardware to make these connections easier. A smartphone, laptop and webcam are key elements to posses while trying to maintain connections in the modern era.
Smartphones are blurring the lines between phones and laptops, but the key elements of communication a phone provides a traveling nurse are texting, phone calls, email and social media access. For some traveling nurses, texting can provide the link they need to friends or family while avoiding disruptions to work or other activities for idle, yet comforting, chit chat.
"Texting is a godsend," Heidi Haldeman, RN, told Healthcare Traveler. "You can have that phone in your pocket vibrating, and no one knows. Then if you need to take a look, you can take a break."
For other nurses, setting aside time for phone calls or web conferencing with Skype, a free online telephone video feed service, can provide the answer. The visual and audio connection to a loved one with the use of a webcam may offer more aid in recreating the feeling of being right there with the person. Scheduling the time will also assist in making sure things do not get in the way of making contact, resulting in long periods of neglect.
In between phone calls of Skype dates, a traveling nurse may wish to use her phone or laptop to connect with everyone about her daily life with the use of social media networks, such as Facebook or Twitter. Pictures and messages are available for those who wish to share.
Discuss the best method of communication before setting off into the sunset to the next assignment. Is texting throughout the day the answer? Perhaps scheduled Skype meetings once a week are more appropriate. The answer is up to the traveling nurse and the people she wishes to keep in contact with throughout the assignment. Either way, the technology is there to provide a multitude of solutions to fit the schedules and preferences of everyone involved.