Keeping Long Distance Relationships Alive as a Travel Nurse
By Laura Winzeler, Contributor
A travel nurse career can be a fun and fulfilling one, but the on-the-go lifestyle can challenge even the strongest romantic relationships. Because you're typically away on assignment for eight to 13 weeks, it's important to come up with fresh ways to breathe life into your primary partnership.
A study published in 2015 found nurses have a nearly 10% higher probability of divorce than physicians, with a 33% overall likelihood—the highest divorce rate among all health professionals surveyed. Try a few of the following relationship-nurturing ideas during your next travel nurse job to help ensure your connection not only survives during your absence but thrives.
1. Leave a Treasure Chest of Daily Affirmations
Here's a fun project to prepare before you leave town. Cut a small strip of paper for each day you'll be away and write something you love about your partner on it. You can also invoke the memory of a special time you shared. Put all the folded strips in a box, and tell your sweetie to read one every day. Your partner can also do the same for you, packing the tiny love notes into a lightweight bag that's easy for you to travel with.
2. Exchange Photos of Your Daily Experiences
You might not always enjoy the time or the time zone for daily video chats. But you can still stay connected visually by taking photos throughout your day and sending them to each other. It's an easy way to feel as if you're sharing life at home, and your partner gets to enjoy some of the sights of your new location.
3. Assemble Care Packages
Surprise your loved one with gifts that represent the region you're working in. You're sure to have as much fun assembling your care package as your sweetie does receiving it. Consider a sweatshirt bearing the logo of the city's sports team or a piece of handcrafted artwork. Other ideas include:
- California wine: If you land a travel nurse assignment in the desirable Golden State, you're nearly always within driving distance of a wine-growing region, even if you're not working in Napa or Sonoma Counties. Go wine tasting on your days off, and put together a case of your favorite finds.
- Oregon coffee: Specialty coffee roasts are an integral part of the Oregon culture, and the bean-worshipping isn't just limited to Portland.
- Texas barbecue sauces: A travel nurse assignment in the Lone Star State puts you in barbecue heaven. Assemble a large collection of your newly discovered savory rubs and secret sauces so there's plenty for you to enjoy together when you return home.
4. Send Handwritten Love Notes
Sure, email is faster and easier, but expressing your affection using paper, ink and the U.S. Postal System is a heartwarming gesture. Imagine how touched your significant other will be upon finding a romantic greeting card from you among the bills and junk mail. Spontaneously pop postcards in the mail to your partner that capture some of the local flavor you're sampling on your travel nurse assignment.
5. Bingewatch Your Favorite Web-Streaming series
You don't have to be cuddling in bed or snuggling on the sofa to share a captivating TV show. Use FaceTime or Netflix Party, a Chrome extension, to schedule a synchronous date-night movie viewing or a catch-up session when newly released episodes of your go-to show drop. Pair it with your customary takeout fare, and it's almost as good as being together.
6. Learn a Romance Language Together
Whether you long to tell your beloved, Je t'aime, Te quieroor Ti amo,studying a new language as a couple can heat up your love life and deepen your connection. Sign up for courses on Rosetta Stone, study separately as your schedules allow, and then when you speak on the phone, show off how much you've learned by practicing with each other.
7. Plan a Dream Vacation
Your language classes might inspire you to travel overseas, but even if you choose to stay stateside, planning a trip for two can revitalize your relationship. Spend time researching where you want to sleep, eat and sightsee during your vacation while you're apart, and then share your itineraries when you speak on the phone or by email. Having a romantic getaway to look forward to makes the time you spend apart a little bit more bearable.
Are you ready to take your nursing career on the road to finding exciting new adventures? American Mobile has travel nursing jobs in all 50 states. Check out the top travel nursing locations.