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RNnetwork works with the best travelers in the country (and probably the world). Each month we recognize one of them with the RNnetwork Traveler of the Month award.
Here’s a little bit about each of our 2019 winners.
December: Sara
Sara has been a nurse for four years and has been traveling with RNnetwork since May 2019 after being referred by a co-worker. She is specialized in interventional radiology, but also has experience as a cardiac PCU nurse. So far, Sara thinks travel nursing is still too good to be true! She’s excited to learn about new places and serve new people.
Sara’s hobbies include watching movies, going for walks, and sharing jokes. When asked what her favorite nursing moment has been, she responded, “When my patients laugh at my jokes.”
“I am there to help them get through the hard things they have to face,” shares Sara. “We face it together.”
Sara’s Travel Pledge
I’m here to help. Thank you for having me!
November: Rachel
Rachel has been serving others as a neonatal ICU (NICU) nurse for two years. After being referred to her RNnetwork recruiter, Sarah, Rachel made the choice to enjoy life as a travel nurse and hasn’t looked back since. Rachel has been on three assignments with RNnetwork and has already made wonderful memories.
Rachel loves the new experiences that come with each assignment. Her adventures have allowed her to enjoy new food, tourist attractions, and living like a local.
“I’ve always had a list of places I wanted to visit,” shares Rachel. “Now traveling for work has made that more attainable.”
As a NICU nurse, Rachel enjoys soaking in special experiences such as helping a parent hold their baby for the first time. “In the NICU, it could be days or weeks before this happens,” Rachel explains. “But when it does, it is the purest happiness I’ve ever seen.”
Rachel’s Travel Pledge
My travel pledge is to always keep an open mind, whether at work or in a new community.
October: Christopher
Christopher, known as Chris to most people, has been a sterile processing technician for eight years. He started his career as a surgical technician at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas. Due to understaffing, he was asked to help in sterile processing and instantly fell in love with the department.
Chris felt like he had a lot to learn from other cultures and decided to pursue his dream of seeing the world in June 2018. While seeking out travel agencies for healthcare professionals, a friend referred him to RNnetwork. Chris quickly formed a strong relationship with his recruiter and has been traveling with RNnetwork ever since.
Chris’ specialty is open heart, CV, and orthopedic, which, according to him, is “the good stuff.” His career has been guided by a single moment of kindness.
“My most impactful moment in my career was after a heart surgeon who had a nine-hour surgery came down to sterile processing thanking each tech one by one telling us that we are very underappreciated, and he wanted us to know personally that he appreciated everything we did,” Chris shares.
Chris learned from this experience and seeks out the positivity around him. He hopes to learn what makes each hospital successful and take the good into his next role.
When he’s not spreading positivity throughout hospitals, Chris enjoys soaking in time with his family. He’s been married to his beautiful wife for nine years, and together they have three sweet girls.
Christopher’s Travel Pledge
I pledge to always put the patients first; no matter what the circumstances are, to always give the best healthcare that is needed. I will continue my improvements on bettering my department and others, and to never let a personal issue affect my ability to perform my job at task. Healthcare is the way we help save lives, which is my number one concern.
September: Connie
Connie has been a certified surgical technologist for five years and is celebrating her three-year anniversary traveling with RNnetwork. Working with RNnetwork has provided her with more earning potential while doing what she loves, which is important as a single parent of five children. During her well-deserved time off, Connie loves to exercise and read. She also enjoys getting to know new people that she meets through her travels.
Traveling with RNnetwork allows Connie to pursue new opportunities while staying close to home. Her recruiter, Samantha, has always made sure that she’s comfortable with the assignment and distance.
When asked about a moment that impacted her the most, Connie replied that each surgery has made an impact. “Big or small, I know I am making a difference in someone’s life. I love what I do!”
August: Scott
Scott has been a PCU/stepdown, telemetry and MedSurg nurse for five years. He pursued travel nursing as a way to make and save money while fulfilling his passion for traveling across the country. He has been with RNnetwork for the past two years and credits his recruiter, Lisley, to his travel nursing success.
“I lucked out on my first travel company because I met this beautiful, sweet and caring recruiter Lisley Rossi!!!” Scott shares. “We genuinely love each other, and that’s why I am still with RNnetwork.”
One of Scott’s most memorable moments in his nursing career was a recent patient he had the honor of taking care of and comforting before the patient passed away.
“I was caring for a patient in my current hospital,” says Scott. “He was such a kind person and had a wonderful family. The family sent an email to the hospital thanking me for my service, when it was my honor to be his nurse. On his third visit back to the hospital, he was placed on comfort measures and he wanted me to be one of the nurses to take care of him and his family. One night as I was working, although he wasn’t alert, I made sure he was comfortable and not in pain. I grabbed a wet washcloth and put it on his sweaty brow. It was an honor to be one of the nurses taking care of him in his last moments and at the same time comforting his distraught family. When I returned the next night, he had passed away. Death and dying can be very difficult for patients and families and yes, for me too. I am glad that I was there to comfort them.”
When Scott isn’t going above and beyond for his patients, he enjoys the outdoors, photography, playing softball, and painting. He even hosts paint nights for the nurses at the facilities he works at while on assignment as a way to help relieve their stress.
Read more about Scott in this spotlight.
Scott’s Travel Nurse Pledge
I pledge to not only do my job professionally but also to make sure that I include my heart and soul while taking care of my patients. I promise that all my patients will be greeted with a smile, which always makes their day. I believe that smiling and laughter should be part of the nursing curriculum because it can make a big difference. Please watch the movie “Patch Adams,” you will understand, it’s based on a true story.
July: Jessica
A nurse for three years now, Jessica’s specialty is neonatal ICU and she’s loving every minute of it.
“I always joke that nursing chose me, rather than me choosing it,” she shares. “Working in the neonatal ICU is not for the faint of heart. There are good days and there are bad days. However, the best part of my job is when new parents finally get to take their sweet little one home after a long NICU stay. It is fulfilling to know that I played an important role in their care.”
New to the RNnetwork family, Jessica has worked with recruiter Ora Devito since May of this year.
“My best friend’s mother, Florence, has been a seasoned travel nurse for many years,” Jessica says. “She recommended RNnetwork and my recruiter, Ora, to me. After my first conversation with Ora and her assistant Stephanie, I knew I was with the right team and in good hands at RNnetwork.”
Currently, Jessica is on her very first assignment as a NICU nurse, and she just accepted her second contract in Arizona. Her recruiter, Ora, describes her as a go-getter.
“She flew out to California two weeks ago to get her finger printing for her California license,” Ora says. “She is a great addition to the RNnetwork family.”
Jessica always thought about travel nursing, but “never had the guts to step out of [her] comfort zone.” That is until a life-changing moment opened her eyes to new opportunities.
“My perspective changed last October,” she recalls. “As a native of the Florida Panhandle, my hometown, Blountstown, was directly affected by a category 5 hurricane named Michael and my family has been displaced ever since. Since I am currently in the DNP-Family Nurse Practitioner program at Florida State, traveling allows me the flexibility of balancing school and work while seeing the world and helping with the renovation of our home.”
Outside of nursing Jessica loves traveling, hiking, music, reading, spending time with her Basset Hound named Daisy, and cheering on the Florida State Seminoles, the Atlanta Braves, and the Miami Dolphins!
Jessica’s Travel Nurse Pledge
Live the life of a healer, while exploring settings beyond my norm.
June: Meredith
Meredith has been a hospice nurse for five years and a travel nurse with RNnetwork for two years. Meredith is always looking for a new adventure. She looks forward to upcoming assignments so she can embrace new local cultures, sports, and cuisines. From hiking and snowshoeing to kayaking and apple picking, she’s down to try anything.
“I’ve always wanted to travel my whole life, but I never had the opportunity growing up,” she shares. “This job allows me to see the country, while still doing the job I love. Being from Georgia, before I started traveling, I had only seen snow three times my whole life (and I’m 38!). Thanks to travel nursing, I’ve discovered I love cold weather and snow. I can’t get enough! I love getting to learn about new areas and cultures and I’ve had the experiences of a lifetime this last year and half.”
Meredith says she chose to travel with RNnetwork because of the personal connection she made with her recruiter, Jamie Zaroff.
“Jamie is always supportive, helpful, and available. It makes it easier knowing I have someone on my side. She is passionate about her job and it shows. She is not just my recruiter, I also consider her a friend. I can’t imagine being with any other agency. Plus, RNnetwork as a whole seems to genuinely care for their nurses and their own employees. I like knowing I’m working for a company who cares and gives back to their community and people.”
Travel nursing has been an amazing life decision for Meredith, and she recently had a once-in-a-lifetime experience caring for an elderly patient in Washington state.
“I was blessed to care for a tribal elder for a very brief time. At the end of my visit, I asked him if there was anything else I could do for him. He asked that I kiss his cheek. Afterwards, he took my hand and said, ‘I will fight for you forever. You are my people now.’ This touched me so much and is the single most precious moment of my nursing career thus far. Because of this moment, I was invited to the tribe’s winter Chinook Dance later, which was a very special honor and something I will never forget for the rest of my life,” shares Meredith.
While travel nursing can take you far and wide, the experiences are always deeply personal.
Meredith’s Travel Nurse Pledge
Always be open and ready for new adventures. Always have the desire and willingness to learn new practices, new techniques/treatments, new places, new people, new cultures. To provide the best possible care and compassion to my patients and their families. To be flexible and always readily available to help my team anyway I can. And, despite the challenges of life and work that may arise, to always take the time and be present in each place I’m blessed to travel and soak in the sights, sounds and cultures in this diverse and beautiful country we are blessed to call home. To me, travel nursing is the experience of a lifetime and I don’t plan on taking it for granted.
May: Shawn
Shawn has been a nurse for nearly 20 years and a travel nurse with RNnetwork for three. She’s worked in most specialties, including telemetry, nephrology, cardiac PCU, rehab, and pediatrics. But one of the most impactful moments she’s had as a nurse is when she worked in labor and delivery.
“I had an antepartum patient that I took care of for five and a half months on bedrest who was told because of premature rupture of membranes her baby had less than five percent chance of survival,” Shawn shares. “When she went into labor and her baby came out screaming, her mother looked at us with tears in her eyes and said thank you so much for everything that you have done. We had simply sat with this young mother, holding her hand, crying with her, listening to her baby’s heartbeat, listening to her fears and just being there with here through those many long nights. I knew at that point I had picked the right career to go into.”
When Shawn isn’t being a nurse, she enjoys reading and traveling to historical places with her husband, Lee. She loves that travel nursing gives her and her husband the opportunity to travel around the country.
“I travel because it is the best way to see the country — eating where the locals eat and riding the subway trains — and I get to meet some truly fabulous people,” she says. “My husband and I travel together and love the time we get to spend together.”
One of the reasons she loves working with RNnetwork is her recruiter, Jamie.
“My recruiter is absolutely wonderful,” shares Shawn. “She has come through for me when I did not think she could. She has been my cheerleader, my best supporter. She knows my family, their birthdays. She has laughed and cried with me.”
Shawn’s Travel Nurse Pledge
Always remember that I take care of people — not numbers or check boxes or scores, just human beings who deserve all of my respect.
April: Amy
Amy has been a labor and delivery nurse for 23 years and a travel nurse with RNnetwork for a year. One of the reasons she chose to become a traveler was to give her daughter the opportunity to experience new places and cultures.
“I wanted to instill in my daughter a sense of adventure and for her to see the beauty of other places outside our backyard,” Amy shares.
For Amy, finding success as a travel nurse starts with finding the right staffing agency and a recruiter that listens and understands what you’re looking for in an assignment, like her recruiter Abe.
“After many conversations with over twenty recruiters, I was finally introduced to Abe,” she says. “When I’d look into contracts, I felt the recruiters weren’t listening to me. Abe was different from the beginning. He didn’t try to fit me into the jobs right in front of him. Instead, he went searching for the ones that met the criteria I’d set.”
When Amy isn’t working as a nurse, she’s busy being a USA Today bestselling author.
“Traveling has given me opportunities to explore other cultures and meet people who enhance my writing process,” Amy says. “I currently have two works in progress that should be published this year.”
Amy’s Travel Nurse Pledge
The moment that has impacted my nursing career the most is seeing my family being treated poorly during sickness or change. My nursing pledge is to treat my patients as I’d want my family to be treated. Every birth is special, and it’s my job to be sure their memories are the best.
March: Dana
Dana has been a cardiology nurse for 29 years and has been traveling with RNnetwork for three years. She loves working for RNnetwork because she gets to work with her awesome recruiter, Kelly. Outside of nursing, Dana enjoys cooking different foods, gardening, and last but not least, being a mom. Dana also likes vacationing to warm, sunny places and shopping along the way.
“Many patients have impacted my career, so many have touched my heart, and that’s what keeps me wanting to help others. I love helping people,” she says.
Dana decided to travel as a way explore new places as well as to make new friends and family at each new place she goes.
Dana’s Travel Nurse Pledge
Care and treat the sick and promote the healthiness of my patients, all while enjoying different destinations and having the flexibility to enjoy my life.
February: Brenda
Brenda’s a veteran ER nurse and has been traveling with RNnetwork for nine years. Outside of the ER, Brenda enjoys hiking her family’s farm and spending time with her husband and their dog, Max. Recently, Brenda and her husband have been building their dream home — a log cabin.
“I am thankful for my travel assignments allowing flexibility and the time off needed to work with my husband building our dream home,” she says.
Brenda has traveled from coast-to-coast exploring everything from the San Diego Zoo and the Snake River in Idaho to the Colorado River and the Southernmost Point in the Florida Keys. Brenda says she loves working with RNnetwork because of her recruiter, Matt, and the unique benefits we offer our travelers. But what she loves most about being a travel nurse is the chance to share her knowledge with new ER nurses.
“It is hard to pick a moment that has impacted my nursing career, but even after all these years, I still enjoy being the bedside nurse and being a resource to many up-and-coming emergency nurses and promoting our profession.”
Brenda’s Travel Nurse Pledge
I am a travel nurse and am proud to promote emergency nursing. I will take care of every patient and their family to the best of my ability. I will be a resource to both my patients and co-workers. I will continue to investigate what the road less traveled has to offer.
January: Ebrima
Ebrima has been a medical surgical/telemetry nurse for five years now and has been traveling with RNnetwork for more than three years. He enjoys the change of scenery that each new assignment brings as well as the chance to learn from all the people he meets along his journey. In his spare time, Ebrima enjoys running, watching his favorite TV shows, and visiting historical sites.
Ebrima says he chooses to travel with RNnetwork for the unique benefits, extensive selection of jobs, and his special relationship with his recruiter, Alyssa.
“She is always there for me,” he says. “She listens to my personal problems and gives great advice when she needs to.”
As a nurse, Ebrima’s most impactful moment was caring for a young woman who was suffering from severe brain cancer. This woman also had a young child. Since this experience, Ebrima has chosen to take life day by day, love his friends and family, and be kind to everyone who crosses his path.
Ebrima’s Travel Nurse Pledge
I am a travel nurse. I love to meet and care for all people. Traveling excites me. It makes me feel at ease. I will continue to explore this mighty country and cover thousands of miles with love and smiles. I will continue to grow, learn from others and share the little I know with those who I am fortunate to meet. The memories I am making are priceless. I am not making new friends, I am multiplying my family. And our bonds get stronger as days go by. I love caring for patients and their families, I gain from their life stories, and this makes me better, each day. I am lucky to be a travel nurse.
