Travel Nursing and Dating Love

Dating Love Travel Nursing

Love And The Itinerant Nurse

Although the prospect of travel is appealing to many, especially when it’s traveling for your travel nursing job, the transient lifestyle can have several challenges, one of which is maintaining a relationship. Working as a travel nurse can be financially rewarding but it can be exhausting for those who want to find a life partner.

Making New Friends

Making new friends outside of work can be a significant challenge for a travel nurse. Online meetup sites can be dangerous so you need to exercise caution but local Meetup groups can be one place to start if you’re looking for non-work friends with similar interests to yours. Since these groups meet up in public places and there’s many people congregating, they’re usually pretty safe. If your new workplace has extracurricular activities outside of work hours, you may find new friends there. Be careful of those who consider the newbie as fair game for a fling though, unless that’s what you’re interested in of course.

The Gypsy Nurse has a Facebook page that may connect you with fellow itinerants who understand your lifestyle. Dating sites like eHarmony or Match can be an option but most people on those sites are stationary. No matter the site you use, be careful not to reveal too much personal information to anyone you don’t know well. Trust your instincts. If you have a bad feeling about someone or about a particular situation, you’re probably correct so be prudent and stay safe.

If you attend church or are interested in meditation, yoga, or similar, those are excellent places to meet new friends with whom you share a common interest. Some of your coworkers might have a suggestion, or Yoga Finders can help you locate yoga classes in your area.

Revealing Your Itinerant Career

If you find a partner in whom you’re romantically interested, it might be difficult to reveal the itinerant details of your career. Learning that a prospective partner won’t be in town for very long can stop a relationship before it has a chance to get started. Many people aren’t interested in being a temporary fling just as many aren’t interested in a long term commitment. If you’ve been in a relationship for weeks or months or you think there’s a possibility it might become more permanent, it might be a good idea to let the other person know about your career. Sometimes, the information is well received, sometimes it isn’t but waiting too long to broach the subject may cause trust issues. If the thought of extending your assignment causes your partner to panic, pick up the pieces and go on. There are plenty of people out there so don’t take it personally.

Dating Your Coworkers

There are pros and cons to dating within the workplace but many companies have policies prohibiting the practice. If you’re contemplating dating a coworker, be sure to check company policy first. If it’s acceptable, you should carefully consider the pros and cons of the situation beforehand. Although it’s great to be with someone who understands the demands of your work, it can be difficult to be around another person 24/7 and jealousy and competition may interfere with both the personal and the professional relationships.

Some permanent employees may be serial daters. They know that traveling nurses won’t be at the workplace for very long and they’re interested in having a fling. If that’s what you want, then that may work but you should be aware of it beforehand. If someone seems more interested in you than the situation warrants, it might be an indication of a serial dater.

Staying Positive

It may be frustrating for those who want a permanent relationship to have such difficulty in finding it, but don’t give up hope. Many love stories abound between travel nurses and partners they’ve met because of their occupation. Itinerant nursing is a great way to meet new people and make new friends of both genders even if they’re not romantic involvements. If you’re a travel nurse, enjoy your career and the many opportunities it provides to enrich your life. Focus on the immediate aspect of the journey rather than on a goal that may take years to come to fruition.