(PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/COMSTOCK IMAGES )
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Like most people around this time of year, you've probably made some New Year's resolutions. For mobile healthcare professionals,
these may be wishes for more favorable work prospects. Travelers in 2009 faced increased competition from retired nurses returning
to work and part-time RNs taking full-time shifts to make ends meet. Lucrative travel contracts, and those based in desirable
areas of the country, became rare as hospitals slashed budgets for temporary workers.
But don't despair! We've queried your fellow nurses, as well as industry figures, for their top resolutions in the new year.
With a few for your career, a few to nourish your soul—and one old standby—these resolutions will help 2010 be your best year
yet.
1. Be flexible ...
Flexibility regarding work location, shift choice, and department will be key to moving seamlessly and swiftly between assignments.
"You've got to go where the work is," Jeff Schoepf, sales and recruiting manager with Trustaff in Cincinnati, told travelers
in 2009. "We want them to travel a little farther than they had in mind. Everybody wants to go just three hours from home;
how about 13 hours from home? Let's expand that radius of travel." Connie Schwendeman, RN, BSN, a traveler with CRU48, expanded her horizons to Alaska when she couldn't secure a California
position. But she still had to settle for night shifts at first. "I've seen such a decline in the use of travel nurses in
2009," she says. Communicating her shift preferences to her manager eventually secured some swing and day shifts. Her ability
to cover other departments has helped, too; she can rotate from the ED to same-day surgery, ICU, PACU, or CCU as needed. "It's
such a tight market. You have to set yourself above and beyond, and not be so strict in what you want to do," she adds.
2. ... But be persistent, too.
When the labor market improves, recruiters and hospitals will remember nurses who have made their long-term goals clear. "You
have to market yourself so that the hospital's going to want you over someone else," says Schwendeman, who mentioned that
some hospitals are still reluctant to commit to nurses before observing their performance. "They want to see how you'll do.
And that's fine, because I know that once I get there, I can prove my worth."
Citing the tighter 2009 travel nursing market after years of rising demand and salaries, Schoepf calls the year "a good dose
of reality. We've seen who our loyal employees are. The ones who are in it just for the money, or because the timing is just
right, we saw who those were—but we also saw the ones who hung around for a couple more weeks to see what we could find them."
3. Review your finances.
Did leaner times between assignments cause you to tap more deeply into savings last year? Wondering if your retirement fund
will ever reach its pre-2008 crash levels? As reluctant as many people are to address money issues, organizing and automating
your finances now can help you avoid unpleasant surprises.
In addition to speaking with your CPA or financial planner about any unusual situations for this or last year, you can do
a lot on your own to improve your money IQ. Visit getrichslowly.org, a beginner-friendly site dubbed 2008's "most inspiring money blog" by Money magazine. Its founder, J.D. Roth, has taught his readers to craft budgets, break their credit card addictions, build an emergency
fund, and embrace frugality. "Few people get rich quickly," Roth writes, "but almost anyone can get rich slowly by patiently
following some simple rules."
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