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Inviting a permanent staff member for a cup of coffee, meanwhile, isn’t just an icebreaker; it’s also a great way to find out more about each new healthcare team and facility. If you think of a travel nursing assignment merely in terms of getting through the 13-week stint, you may be putting out a disinterested vibe to coworkers. In some cases, travel nurses report feeling overlooked or passed over by permanent staff members. By doing your job, pitching in to the best of your abilities, and exemplifying a can-do attitude, you’ll make a positive impression on skeptical permanent staff, earn their trust, and be welcomed as part of the team.

And while nearly a million patients at 26,000 healthcare facilities around the country benefit from formal music therapy programs, nurses can also harness music’s immense potential to improve both the patient experience and clinical outcomes. The American Music Therapy Association defines music therapy as “the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program. And while music therapy in its most formal sense must be performed by credentialed music therapists, patients stand to benefit from nurse-administered, non-clinical music therapy, as well. Research recently published in The Lancet indicates that music has the ability to reduce both pain and anxiety following surgery, while the results of a different study published in The Journal of Clinical Oncology reveal that “including music therapy as a complementary modality with cancer surgery may help manage preoperative anxiety in a way that is safe, effective, time-efficient, and enjoyable.

In fact, thousand of nurses enjoy satisfying work and unprecedented job security while traveling around the country contributing their invaluable skills to hospitals and other healthcare facilities in desperate need of qualified temporary staff. And while the projected situation is foreboding, it’s good news for travel nurses looking for both personal and professional development. In addition to getting to see the country, having their pick of plum assignments, and ongoing professional development, nurses are also experiencing the benefits of increased respect and new opportunities. Travel nurses, in particular, are poised for maximal growth as each new assignment offers the chance to acquire new skills — which can be used for everything from acquiring a permanent job in nursing administration to delivering better care toward enhanced patient outcomes.

It’s perfectly natural, therefore, that nurses contemplating traveling careers might immediately fear the potential negative impacts on their children. While many people spend their whole lives yearning to travel the country, children of traveling nurses actually have the chance to do so. Not only do children of traveling nurses have the chance to make new friends, but thanks to technological advancements like texting and video conferencing, it’s easier than ever to keep in touch with friends back home, too. Encouraging kids to keep travel journals of their own is a great way to help them hone their writing and critical thinking skills while sharing their experiences with new and old friends alike.