This country girl has been to more places than I ever imagined, which isn't a lot to many. But to me it meant so much to go for an "atypical" life, and what I mean by that is just what my hometown society (and probably my Dad --God love him) led me to believe how a girls life should go upon high school graduation. Not knocking my hometown at all. I am so glad I grew up there and admire the ones that did the "typical" thing and are happy for it. Looking back now I think I just always felt there was a big part of me that was somewhat unsettled during my time in Smalltown USA. Like I believed there was something different in store for me and I was determined to figure out whatever it was.
So on that note, I ended up being a traveling nurse for several years.Looking back it felt like one big vacation in a sense, but I can tell you I paid my dues because I worked my butt off in those hospitals. I lived in LA, Santa Rosa (California), Oakland, New Orleans, New York, New Orleans again, Phoenix, LA again and San Francisco and tried to take full advantage of each city. I loved and hated things about each.. But mostly I loved....
SO...what is a traveling nurse?-some have asked. Well this is how it worked for me...There are a lot of companies out there that try to recruit nurses to come work for them because hospitals pay them big bucks and these recruiters get a chunk of change off their nurses. You pick a company that suits you as they all offer slightly different things, get a recruiter and pick a city. The recruiter tells what jobs are available, and you pick the ones that sound like what you might want to work. Recruiter puts in your profile with the particular unit in the hospital and you wait for a phone call from them to interview you.This part sucked for me because I work nights and for weeks surrounding my interview times I would have to leave my phone on and properly wake myself up enough to make sense for an interview during normal people's day time. I have had interviews that lasted like 60 seconds (you have good experience, please come we are desperate!) up to one that lasted an hour (why did you become a nurse? etc-life story please).While you are interviewing you let them know the dates you need/want/demand off in the assignment and you get to ask your own questions. And believe me, after the first couple of times I got screwed over, I developed many questions to ask them! Then you hang up the phone and tell your recruiter whether or not you'd consider the assignment and wait to see if they pick you.. If it is a "go", you get a contract to sign and it is off to the next city. Usually you can only arrive 48 hours before the start date. You show up at the place your company is putting you up, get the key from the office or lock box and go right into a furnished house or apartment or condo or luxury high rise or whatever. I got to live in places I would probably never be able to afford myself, ,or OK I would NOT have been able to afford along with groceries too. Since nursing is in demand there are so many needs to fill and finding assignments is pretty easy-especially in the bigger cities. And these companies have some sort of agreements with these places to live, so they put you up in crazy great places, or at least my company always did. (except for the time they put me up in Fremont, Cali, but I got that changed quickly) So it was pretty cool. Any nurses out there curious to know more comment me and I will tell you what I learned and hope it helps ya.
