Travel Nurse across America

Specialty
Telemetry

Total years as a nurse
5.5

Total years as a traveler
2 years (but split times)

Do you travel with a significant other? Children? Other family? Pets?
I travel with my boyfriend Eric and my shih tzu Jasmine. She is 13 now.

What made you decide to pursue a career as a traveling nurse?
I have traveled two separate times. The first time I had been thinking about traveling for about a year. I grew up in Indiana and knew I didn't want to live there my whole life as I'm a beach girl. I actually ended up losing my job, and I decided to start traveling since God had opened that door.

How did your family react to the news of your plans to travel? How did you handle this?
They knew I had been contemplating this, so it wasn't a surprise. But we are all very close, and I had never lived away from home so we knew there would be days when we all struggled. I handled it by being excited about the new adventure. My mom drove down to Naples FL with me and stayed a week or two, and before she went back my sister and her husband came down. They helped me get settled.

What was your biggest fear when you first started traveling or considered traveling? Looking back, were those fears justified?
My biggest fear was missing my family. It was justified. I still miss them, but like I said I can't take Indiana-especially the winters.

What were you most excited about?
I was most excited about the beach!! My first assignment was in January, so leaving the cold for the beach was paradise!

Which company do you currently travel with? Why did you decide to go with them?
Currently I am with Parralon. I went with them because they had the assignment I wanted. I also use Travel Nurse Across America and Trinity. I chose those two because they are smaller companies and I had seen them rated very high on www.travelnursingcentral.com

What do you love most about travel nursing?
One thing?? So hard to choose. I guess I would say seeing the country and going places I have never been. Really getting a feel for the area since you're there longer than just visiting. But I also love not being part of the hospital politics and gossiping, two things about nursing I can't stand.

What do you find to be the hardest part about traveling?
The hardest part is still being away from my family.

If traveling with a significant other, what does he/she do to fill time while you work?
Eric is now working a side job. But when he wasn't working he would ride his motorcycle, watch tv, research bike stuff on the computer. He would also cook, clean, and drive me to work.