We all seem to be so attached to our phones, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As a travel nurse or other healthcare professional, it’s so convenient to have everything right at your fingertips and accessible right away. It also makes the world a much smaller place, allowing you to travel and explore on one end of the country, while still keeping in touch with everyone back at home. While there seems to be an app for everything nowadays, there are a few great apps that travel nurses need to have at the ready. Here are some great tools for travel nurses that are only a tap away.
Photos
You’ll likely be taking an excessive number of photos to remember your experiences and share them (and rightfully so), so you need a great way to store your photos without taking up all the valuable storage on your phone. One of the best free apps for photo storage is Google Photos, which automatically backs up photos from your phone and then allows you to delete them from your phone’s valuable megabytes with ease. You can then access all your images from the app on your phone and from any desktop. Shutterfly is another app that allows for secure storage and access to making prints or additional gifts using your own travel nursing adventure photos.
Communication
With technology in the palm of your hands, it helps to kick homesickness and keep in touch with friends and family all over the world. Apps like Skype and FaceTime are wonderful for a quick catch up. Another option is Marco Polo, which allows you to record a video chat that the other person can watch on their own time, whenever it is convenient for them. It’s perfect for travel nurses who are working different shifts or have friends in other time zones. You can still see the faces of your loved ones, hear their voices, and keep up-to-date with their lives, but it’s a bit more convenient than having to schedule a date and time that works for both of you.
Housing
Of course, when you’re relocating to a new city, it’s necessary to look for a place to call home. There are lots of ways that travel nurses can use their housing allowance to save more while still finding accommodations that suit their needs. Depending on your contract length and what kind of place you are looking for, it is worth perusing apps like Airbnb and VRBO, even if to find a place to land before settling in for your full contract. Once you’ve chatted with your agency’s housing coordinator and decided the best place for you, you can start reorganizing with the intent of making your travel housing feel like home and settle in.
Healthy Living
While great adventures and delicious food are waiting for you in your new home, it’s also essential to maintain healthy habits and some sort of a routine. Pinterest is a great app to use to tap into creative tips for staying healthy, and with so much content added daily, Pinterest has a huge library of quick and easy meal planning ideas. MyFitnessPal is another tool for travel nurses who want to track workouts and meals and create attainable goals while on the road. If quiet meditation is what you need, apps like Calm or Headspace can help you clear your mind and ease stress and avoid burnout.
Travel
Last, but certainly not least, it’s time to tap into travel nursing apps that will help you with your travels! While you may want to take advantage of public transportation, Uber and Lyft can also be quite useful when first arriving in a new destination. Make sure to check the license plate number and make and model of the vehicle when using a ride-sharing app; those pieces of information are listed for your safety! Looking to go on vacation or venture home? Apps for flights like Kayak, Skyscanner, and Hopper can help you by tracking prices and alerting you when it is the best time to book a flight. Plus, with access to Trip Advisor, you can quickly thumb through the most popular dining and entertainment spots in your new area and make sure you don’t miss anything exciting!
There’s nothing like connecting with others in person, and you will in all your travel nursing contracts, but these apps and tools will help you when you are on the go and need a little extra assistance. Ready to take on your next assignment with these travel nursing tools in hand? Join our talent community today!
