5 Skills Travel Nurses Need for Working with Elderly Patients

Travel nursing is an exciting and fulfilling field for people who love variety and adventure. Every assignment is a new challenge and a new opportunity to help both the resident nurses and the patients.

Many travel nurses end up working with elderly patients. Older adults are much more likely to have complex health needs and chronic conditions or severe health events and end up in the hospital more frequently as a result. Depending on the hospital, the majority of the patients are likely to be seniors.

Every travel nurse should have the skills needed to work with the elderly. With the US population of senior citizens growing, nurses (and especially travel nurses) have to understand the special needs of elderly patients in order to be successful in the field. Here are 5 essential skills travel nurses need to work with older patients.

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

Communicating with patients is a foundational skill that all nurses need. In some cases, the quality of the communication between nurse and patient (or the patient’s family) can make all the difference in the patient’s outcome.

Nurses need to have many different communication skills in their toolbox, especially when it comes to working with elderly patients. Some patients are unable to express themselves verbally, whether due to a stroke, cognitive decline, or another medical condition.

When verbal communication is not possible or is not proving to be effective for a patient, nurses need to know how to interpret non-verbal communication (body language) to assess their patients and understand their needs. In other cases, written communication can be a helpful tool.

Travel nurses should constantly strive to become better communicators. As one of the most essential skills for nurses, communication can and should always be improved.

Mobility Management

Many elderly patients struggle with their mobility. They might use assistive devices like a wheelchair, walker, or cane to get around. Helping a mobility-impaired senior patient with tasks like going to the restroom or transferring from a wheelchair to a bed can be surprisingly difficult.

Travel nurses should learn the best techniques for helping people with poor mobility. Without solid skills in this area, there is a substantial fall risk during transfers and other care tasks. Nurses need to be sure that they can support their patients as needed and keep everyone safe in the process.

Preventative Care

As people age, the need for preventative care gets higher and higher. Travel nurses should have the necessary knowledge to teach patients and family members about how to prevent relevant health problems and reduce fall risks. Older people are more likely to develop health problems or injure themselves, and preventative care is extremely important.

In order to develop an understanding of effective preventative care for seniors, travel nurses must understand the aging process itself and how the body changes over time. It’s important to have this baseline knowledge in order to give patients helpful information that should help keep them out of the hospital as much as possible.

Adaptability

For a travel nurse, adaptability is hands-down one of the most important skills to develop. A travel nurse is coming into a new environment every few months and is expected to learn and integrate as quickly as possible. Being able to adapt and learn the rhythms of a new work environment is extremely valuable for travel nurses.

When working with senior patients, adaptability is especially important. Some patients have cognitive limitations, while others have physical issues that require a different type of care. Being able to quickly assess a patient’s situation and then quickly adapt means that a travel nurse can provide better care overall.

Patience & Compassion!

Most travel nurses are used to working quickly so they can finish a task and move on to the next. When working with senior citizens, however, sometimes a little more patience and compassion are necessary. Many older patients can’t move quickly and need a lot of time simply to walk to the bathroom.

Lots of elderly patients are extremely frustrated by the health problems they face. A once-active senior might be embarrassed or annoyed that they can no longer run — or even walk — a mile. Someone experiencing cognitive decline might be frustrated or fearful if they are still able to understand what’s happening. A travel nurse needs to be compassionate and see these people for the individuals they are.

Helping People Live Full, Independent Lives

Working with elderly patients as a nurse can be challenging. But even as a short-term travel nurse, you can make a difference in people’s lives. Developing these skills will help you assist and educate your patients so they can heal and continue to live full, independent lives.