Testimonials//September 09, 2021

I’ve only been travel nursing for two months and already it’s broadened my skill set.

Travel Nurse Testimonials: Welcome to “Travel Nurse Interviews,” a series where we introduce you to some of the travel nurses that work for Next Move Inc.

Here our travel nurses will give you a little first-hand insight into why they made the switch from staff to travel nursing, what it’s been like since Covid-19 hit and what tips they have for nurses considering traveling for the first time.

Travel Nurse Testimonial: Hannah, a Cardiac Tele RN, with over 2.5 years of experience.

Let’s get going!

TRAVEL NURSE TESTIMONIALs

What was your inspiration to become a nurse?

I grew up with healthcare workers in my family. My mom was a nurse and I always envied her and her love for her patients and the compassion that comes with that.

Travel Nurse Testimonials

Why travel nursing?

I got into travel nursing pretty quickly because I love to travel! The minute I felt I was ready to travel, (good and confident with my skill set) an opportunity opened up and I took it.

I’m actually good friends with one of your recruiters, Danielle Adkisson, who I met when we she was still working as an RN. I knew that she had been a travel nurse for like 12 years. I also have a couple other girlfriends that travel. Just hearing about everyone’s great experience kinda made me want to take the next step.

I also love meeting new people and having travel experiences. I know a lot of people say they get into travel nursing for the money – and that’s a nice perk – but really for me – you’re doing hard work as a traveler, and sometimes you kinda get the crap end of the stick because you’re needed so badly that you’re sort of there to pick up the pieces. For me it really isn’t about the money – it’s about the fun that comes with traveling – meeting new people, seeing different parts of the country and working in different areas of nursing you never worked before.

I’ve only been travel nursing for 2 months and I feel like broadened so many of my skills and learned so many new things.

What has your experience with Next Move been like?

It’s been a really good experience actually. I can’t brag enough about Danielle, my recruiter. She is such an advocate. I think that’s what’s so important with coming into travel nursing for the first time, is having someone to advocate for you. We don’t know all the ropes and we don’t know exactly what questions to ask or what to make sure we have in our contracts and having someone in your corner, like Danielle, who has travel nursing experience, to advocate for you, is just priceless.

Travel Nurse Testimonials

Danielle’s team is also so supportive. Every time I’ve gone to the Next Move office everyone is so welcoming and they always ask about the job and how things are going. Asking me for the pros and cons of my assignment and overall – the support just feels unreal.

I will definitely take my next contract with Next Move just because of how supportive everybody is and the fact that so many of your staff have RN experience. Like when they’ve been in your shoes and know what you’re going through – they can really empathize with you. I really feel heard when I have concerns, even if there’s nothing they can do in that moment, I feel like I’m really understood.

Travel nursing with Next Move has been one of the best things I’ve ever done. Like I am so overly thankful. No matter how hard the job can be some days, no matter what we’re all going through (I mean even worldwide, what we’re all going through together) I am overly thankful that I went with Next Move. I’m so thankful that everyone is so supportive, so friendly and so kind because that makes a world of difference when you’re new to things. There’s nothing better than having what feels like an older sister (my recruiter Danielle) to just have your back, support you and guide you at time when you’re unsure, because you’re new to travel nursing.

Funny Story: I was working on the floor a couple days ago and there was this nurse that was asking about my recruiter and she starts talking to me about her recruiter – long story short she was talking so highly about this person I was like “What’s your recruiter’s name?” and she said “Danielle Adkisson” and I was like “Oh my god! That’s my recruiter too!”

Some things a brand-new travel nurse might not know to ask for?

What I’ve learned is that if there is something you don’t feel comfortable doing, you can put that in your contract and ask that you not have to do that thing. So my big thing is I come from a progressive care floor, where we couldn’t take on more than 5 patients. So when I had my contract written – I had them put in there that I didn’t feel comfortable taking on more than 5 patients at one time. When I first started travel nursing – I didn’t know you could sort of set the tone for what you expect at the healthcare facility you’ll be working at.

How has nursing changed over the last year as a result of COVID?

I would say everything has changed. Patient care is completely different now. We are so understaffed and overpopulated with patients that you can’t really provide the level of care you used to. And it’s really unfortunate, because one of the reasons I became a nurse was because I’m a very compassionate person and love caring for others through some of the hardest times of their lives. I feel like Covid has swept that sort of care right off the floor. We don’t get to provide that level of care anymore because we’re so short staffed and you’re on a time limit with every patient because you’re trying to care for so many. And honestly – that’s been really hard for me.

I thankfully have a very supportive family and friend group that’s been such a great support this past year. A lot of my friends are nursers also – so we’ve been able to come together and share our experiences and support one another through all the hard times.

What do you see changing in the coming year for travel nurses?

That’s a tough question. What I can say is that I’ve seen a lot of nurses leave their staff jobs to go travel, and some just leave the industry all together because of how hard it has been. I do see in the near future, more people turning to travel nursing. If you’re going to be doing this hard work – you might as well make some good money and be able to provide for your family. I know a lot of hospitals, including the one I worked at actually cut our benefits and our PTO at a time when many of us were working 60+ hours a week. It was one of the reasons I left. I just felt so unfair.

As for Covid I don’t see it going anywhere until we can figure out a way to better treat these patients, cure them or get them vaccinated.