You travel a lot, you have a live-out-of-a-suitcase kind of life. Your assignments, no matter how dreamy and perfect they are, can easily turn into another employment pain when you’re constantly on the go. Keeping track of your records and employee files isn’t easy, especially when it comes to shot records and other test records. It’s a hassle for the hospital, and let’s be honest, no one likes shots. It costs both parties time and the employer more money than they would otherwise need to spend. After all, hospitals and others hiring for travel nurse jobs have to be compliant with health laws.
Make it Easy for You and Your Employer
Why do you need an organized employee record? It makes even the most complicated onboarding process easier. Drug tests, physicals, TB tests, and other mandatory assessments with each hospital get costly for the employer. Jen Fox said:
“As far as the differences from being a staff nurse, a [traveler] has to keep all of his/her paperwork organized, where the hospital would do that for a staff nurse. I have to have a yearly physical, and take a drug test for each new contract. I have to get TB tests done about 2x/year. So there are a lot of medical records to keep track of.”
Don’t delay the contract for you or the employer. Keeping track of your own records expedites the process, ensuring the contract starts smoothly and is fulfilled without complications (or negative first impressions).
Consequences of Disorganization
A systematic and orderly employee file means faster onboarding, sooner start dates, and quicker paychecks. Missing compliance standards can make the process a thorny inconvenience for both parties. As a medical traveler, disorganization is a recipe for added stress and prevents longevity in the traveling career. Don’t waste time searching (or even redoing) the 15 different requirements with each employer. You don’t want to spend more time onboarding than you have to for each contract. Keeping all of your records organized ensures you can start work quickly, easing the burden for you and the employer.
How to Keep Your Employee Files Catalogued
Organization isn’t everyone’s strength. As a traveler, however, a box with a chaotic jumble of papers and printed records of employment and various contract checkpoints isn’t conducive to the mobile career.
● Like graphs and formulas? – Something as simple as a spreadsheet can track things like travel dates, licenses, certificates, and award and expiration dates of each in a beautifully tabulated form. If you’re not one to keep a mobile, organized file folder, let your computer do the standardization for you.
● Don’t have a mobile computer? – No problem. Take the time you’re home in between contracts to enter in all of your new information accrued during your last contract. It doesn’t have to be a spreadsheet if you prefer a nicely organized word processing file. Simply place all of the information on an external hard drive, flash drive, or scan paper files with apps like CamScanner or TurboScan.
● Not technologically inclined? – As a “frequent flyer” of disparate traveler contracts, adding another piece of technology to the equation can be difficult for those who aren’t tech savvy. Instead, consider maintaining a 3-ring binder with appropriate dividers for each document category.
As a traveler, there are certain personal requirements you have to meet in order to make each contract easy to start on time. Maintaining accurate records is just one of them. Use a mobile device to track your employee files or simply use a well-organized 3-ring binder. Being a traveler doesn’t have to invoke complications with each new contract; all you have to do is track your files from every assignment. No employer wants the paperwork ran around, and you don’t want to be poked and prodded unnecessarily.