Helpful Health Tips for Travel Nurses During Winter
For travel nurses, winter is a busy season — the biting cold temperatures almost always equate to increased hospitalizations. This is not surprising, as dry and cold winter air can aid in the transmission and replication of certain viruses. Additionally, people tend to stay indoors when temperatures drop, and places without proper ventilation can be a breeding ground for common colds and other respiratory illnesses. The same is true for those in enclosed areas, such as airports, airplanes, and mass transit systems. As the number of patients increases, so does nurses’ workload. Thus, healthcare workers must bolster their immune systems to thwart winter-related illnesses and ensure the continuity of patient care services.
This article discusses helpful health tips to help travel nurses ensure that they’re in tip-top condition to remain healthy, make the most of seasonal hiring surges (and the higher pay rates that come with them), and most importantly, ensure that patients get the care, support, and comfort they need during the flu season.
Winter Travel Essentials: Must-Have Tips for Staying Healthy
When embarking on a winter travel assignment, nurses should prioritize items and habits that will keep them healthy and ready to work. Winter travel essentials aren’t just about packing the right clothes; they include maintaining a healthy routine to combat cold weather, such as staying hydrated and getting adequate sleep.
Staying Healthy During Wintertime: Top Tips for Travel Nurses
1. Stay hydrated
When the temperatures are low, it’s easy to feel less thirsty than when temperatures are high. When this happens, dehydration can occur. Watch out for signs of dehydration such as chapped lips and skin, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, difficulty concentrating, high heart rate partnered with low blood pressure, and muscle cramps.
When you’re on the floor, you might not be drinking the recommended amount of liquids you need to function well, so you have to make a conscious effort to stay hydrated. Keep a water bottle handy at all times. Drinking cold water during winter can be challenging, so opt for winter-friendly liquid options, such as warm or room-temperature water or hot herbal teas. You can also increase your fluid intake by eating broths, soups, and water-rich foods such as cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, watermelon, and oranges.
2. Boost your immune system
Enhancing your immune system is vital throughout the year, but it’s especially essential when flu season rolls around. By keeping your immune system strong, you have a higher chance of fighting off germs and repelling viruses and illnesses.
This winter season, you can incorporate immune-boosting foods into your daily diet, such as:
· Opting for green or black tea instead of coffee. It lowers inflammation and improves the body’s immune responses.
· Having yogurt for breakfast or a snack. Yogurt improves immune function via gut-mediated mechanisms. Add fruits such as papaya or kiwi slices, which are both rich in vitamin C and other essential vitamins and nutrients.
· Cooking dishes with garlic and ginger. Garlic is known for helping resist or destroy viruses and other microorganisms, while ginger has a lot of antioxidant properties and is rich in iron, magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, and zinc.
3. Keep moving
While it’s tempting to snuggle up to a warm blanket and drink a hot drink on your days off from work, it’s important to allot time for movement and exercise. Exercising helps enhance the immune system by flushing out bacteria from the lungs and airways, which can reduce the chances of contracting respiratory illnesses.
Exercising in cold weather has many benefits, including transforming white fat (in the belly and thigh areas) to brown fat, a kind of fat that helps burn calories through thermogenesis and regulate glucose levels. When you exercise outdoors and get sun exposure during winter, you also increase your vitamin D levels. Vitamin D is essential for proper immune and respiratory functions. Popular outdoor exercises during winter include walking, running, or even ice skating. You can also opt to do aerobic or strength-training exercises indoors.
Pack These Winter Travel Essentials to Stay Prepared
Whether you’re embarking on a cross-country travel nurse assignment or working closer to home, winter travel essentials play a key role in keeping you healthy and prepared. A well-prepared travel bag that includes items like warm clothing layers, hand sanitizers, moisturizing lotions, and vitamin supplements can help you manage colder climates and stay comfortable on the go. Prioritize keeping your health optimized by including immunity-boosting items in your winter travel checklist.
