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Five Ways to Meet People on Your Travel Nursing Assignment

Nurses meet others for lunchMoving to a new location every 13 weeks or so for your travel nurse assignment can make it difficult to meet people and make friendships, both at work and in your current neighborhood. Rather than spend your days off alone or parked in front of the Friends marathon on TV, read these tips for finding friends in a new area.

Invite a different coworker to lunch once a week. Nothing helps people connect like food, and asking another nurse to join you for a snack or meal in the cafeteria is an easy way to get to know him or her and find out what you have in common. Break the ice by talking about your travel nursing experiences or asking what your coworker likes best about his or her job — but avoid gossiping. The quickest way to make enemies is to give other nurses the impression that you’re not trustworthy or don’t like the staff.

Read the bulletin boards at work and in public areas. Events that meet your interests are everywhere, but you might not hear about them from coworkers. Get in the habit of checking the bulletin boards in the hospital break room, the one in your apartment building’s lobby or even a board at the gym you frequent. Restaurants also include flyers and posters for different events, so you’re sure to find something that interests you and allows you to make new friends.

Volunteer with the United Way. With more than 1,200 chapters across the United States, the United Way allows you to serve the people in your new community — and you can help out through another United Way chapter when you move to another assignment. Visit the United Way website to find a location close to you and see the current volunteer efforts available. You’ll be able to meet people through the events and also reap the satisfaction of giving back to others.

Stay connected through NextDoor. Want to get to know your neighbors better? Download the free app NextDoor to stay up-to-date on what’s going on in your neighborhood. Members simply enter and verify their addresses to find their neighborhood and then have access to classifieds, upcoming events in the area and even news about break-ins or suspicious activity. NextDoor allows you to meet the people that live close to you and ask for advice on car or appliance repair shops, the best restaurants and even fitness and craft classes nearby.

Join a group on MeetUp. One of the easiest ways to make friends and find someone with your interests is joining a MeetUp group in your new area. Whether you’re looking for an indoor soccer team, book club, group of foodies or even a karaoke meet-up, you’ll find a group on MeetUp once you enter your zip code? Can’t find a group you like? Start your own!

What suggestions do you have for meeting new people on travel nurse assignments? Do you have a favorite app?

About the author

Lindsay Wilcox

Lindsay Wilcox is a communication professional with experience writing for the healthcare and entertainment industries as well as local government. When she's not circling typos, she's enjoying fish tacos and hanging out with her family.

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