Last month, we discussed driving to your travel assignment. While this might not be a big deal if you are traveling a state
or two away, a cross-country trip does require a bit more preparation.
Auto prep
David Morrison, RN
|
Unless you're sporting a new ride, chances are you could do at least a few things to make your vehicle a bit safer. It might
be as simple as an oil change or as costly as a brake job or transmission rebuild. Regardless, all of these services are much
easier to manage before you are 1,000 miles from home, on the side of the road somewhere.
If it has been awhile since you have had any service done to your car, ask around to find a reputable shop, and take your
vehicle in for a general tune-up. Many times, the shop will prepare a checklist of all the things that need servicing. A mechanic
you trust should also be able to tell you what things need serviced now and what things can wait. Tell the shop your plans
for an extended road trip and see what's recommend. If the list seems too extensive, you can always try elsewhere. I also recommend looking for a "mom-and-pop" shop, rather than an automotive repair chain. Find a place with ASE-certified
technicians that offers some sort of warranty on the work. These shops can be just as good as a chain, if not better. Plus,
they are often more willing to save you a few bucks and give you great customer service to bring you or your friends back.
A small shop found on my local Craigslist (under the services section) recently saved me about $1,000 on a transmission rebuild.
Mapping the route
It seems that maps have become somewhat outdated in these days of having a GPS in our cars and even on our phones. But have
you ever had a GPS device that gave you an erroneous location? Have the batteries ever died? Have you ever had a day where
nothing was going your way? Just to be on the safe side, you will need at least a few basic map skills when traveling cross-country.
The best starting place to become familiar with maps is Google ( http://maps.google.com/). It will let you explore the route you will take and visualize your direction of travel. Knowing general directions (such
as which way is east and which is west) is something every person traveling by car should know; this information can be very
valuable on the road. For example, if you are on a trip from Ohio to Florida and suddenly find yourself on U.S. Route 21 headed
north, you might need to check your navigation.
You don't need to ignore GPS altogether, but why not use it as an adjunct to learning good map skills? When traveling great
distances by auto, it's always a good idea to have redundant items and backups. Many sites like Google, Yahoo, and AAA will
allow you to map your route online and then print that map to use on your drive. Using these maps in conjunction with a GPS
unit will not only ensure your correct navigation, but will also give you the skills to find your way when modern technology
is not available.
Extra time
One final consideration with any extended trip should be the amount of time you figure it will take to get there. Generally
speaking, allow at least one whole extra day as a buffer. I have had two unforeseen breakdowns (in a car still new enough
to be under warranty, no less) en route to assignments. The extra time I allowed, however, enabled me to still make it to
my destination with plenty of time to get settled.
Also, be realistic with your driving. If you are in the car for eight hours, at an average of 70 mph, that is 560 miles a
day (which for many, is a full day of driving). On one trip home, I drove straight through from Amarillo, Texas, to Columbus,
Ohio (1,182 miles), and it's not an experience I would ever recommend.
With a little forethought, an extended trip to a travel assignment should not pose a challenge. As with any drive to a travel
assignment, it is not the mileage, but knowing how to prepare and what to do should problems arise.
Next month, we'll conclude with an article on how to make those long assignment trips more tolerable.
ModernMedicine NETWORK
TOOLS
As David Morrison, RN, noted last month, spring and summer are ideal seasons to drive to a faraway travel assignment. Start
planning your drive at http://healthcaretraveler.com/spring—before the summer solstice on June 21.
COMMUNITY
Murphy's Law was in effect when Ashley Servi, RN, drove back to Wisconsin after completing her first travel assignment in
San Diego. Read her firsthand account at http://healthcaretraveler.com/servi.
Take the company provided housing or take a housing stipend? Jeff Long describes how to find your next housing on 
