Healthcare Traveler - October 2008 - (Page 16) Field Notes P E R SP E C T I V E S F RO M E X P E R I E N C E D M O B I L E P RO F E S SI O N A L S The Magazine for Healthcare Travel Professionals Living my dreams www.HealthcareTraveler.com Editorial Advisory Board Members are mobile providers nominated by their respective travel company representatives. As schedules permit, they submit story ideas and/or manuscripts and agree to be interviewed. By discussing issues with our staff, they assist Healthcare Traveler in creating a base of knowledge, experience, and insight for defining and developing editorial content. E ver since I was a little girl, I always knew I wanted to be a nurse. And ever since I’ve been a nurse, I’ve known I wanted to travel. After practicing in a permanent position for a dozen years, I needed a change. My wonderful husband of 25 years, Tommy, supported the idea, and when JACKIE CHEEK, RN, working PACU in our son, Tyron, went out on his Arkansas before hitting the road. own, I realized it was time. Three years and 11 assignments later, I can say it was a great decision for me. As a traveler with MedFirst Staffing of Greenville, South Carolina, I could never go back to being on staff—I’m having too much fun. Nursing Members Mary Jo Alessio, RN Supplemental Health Care Teresa (Terri) Allen, RN Onward Healthcare Lora Anderson, RN Banner Health Travelers Virginia Bialk, RN Bridge Staffing Paul Bier, RN Innovative Placements Dayne Bowers, RNC, RN Network Pam Campbell, RN Trustaff Rose Cousineau, RN Medical Express Nigel Day, RN MedCall NorthWest, Inc. Dorothy Del Valle, ADN, RN First Assist Katrina Essenburg, RN Clinical One Christopher Freedman, RN NursesRx Tim Groves, RN American Mobile Healthcare Terry Hall, RN Trinity Healthcare Staffting Group Jennifer Hamrick, RN, CNOR NovaPro Staffing Glenda Hardy, RN PPR Healthcare Staffing Lila Johnson, RN Cross Country TravCorps Karen LaBlanc, RN Aureus Medical Group Christopher LaCounte, RN, CEN, NREMT-P, LP National Healthcare Staffing On the road again I travel solo in a travel trailer, but whenever I accept a new opportunity, Tommy or Tyron and Emily (my daughter-in-law) picks up my RV and moves me to my next temporary home. In my contracts, I make a point to work 6 days in a row so I can enjoy 8 days off. Usually, I take advantage of this long break and go home to our farm in Arkansas, so it doesn’t seem like we’re apart very much. How do I choose my assignment locations? The first year, I stayed fairly close to home and only took contracts in Missouri. After I got used to the mobile lifestyle and adjusting to new practice environments every 13 weeks, I branched out to South Carolina, Iowa, Tennessee, Louisiana, Texas, and Virginia. These days, I’ll take any assignment that sounds interesting as long as it’s in a state I haven’t visited. I’ve mostly traveled to the Southeast and Midwest, but I’m planning to retire in 5 years and want to see as many of the other states as I can in that time. My next assignment will take me a bit farther west—to Kansas. Lifelong learning While my specialty is cardiac stepdown, I believe it’s important to keep learning new things. I make a point to accept assignments in lots of different areas, from med-surg units to emergency departments, in a variety of institutions. So far, I’ve practiced in large university teaching hospitals and in tiny rural facilities. Just because you move from place to place doesn’t mean that basic nursing practice changes. However, you do have to get used to each individual hospital’s protocols and procedures. Adjusting to new charting policies and computer systems may be challenging at first, but I’ve found that if you’re flexible and willing to ask questions, it doesn’t take long to fit into each new environment. Vicki Lawson, RN Attentive Health Care Yvonne Lawson-Thomas, RN InteliStaf Travel Jean Magnuson, RN Soliant Health Charlotte Mansfield, RN, FNE, SANE Advantage RN Monti (“Micki”) Marsh, RN HRN Services Inc. Joni Parcell, RN Favorite Healthcare Staffing Bill Pletch, RN Professional Nursing Service Rosemary Primeaux, RN Preferred Healthcare Staffing, Inc. Bonnie Richlin, RN Matrix Healthcare Services, Inc. Susan Sabatula, RN The Right Solutions Mandeep Smith, BSN, RN Procare USA Jenny Thompson, RN American Traveler Staffing Professionals Aleksey Yukhvid, RN White Glove Placement, Inc. Allied Health Members Emily R. Brawner, OT American Traveler Staffing Professionals Keith Carregal, PT Sunbelt Staffing Marsha Dexter InteliStaf Travel Josephine Feldman, RT TeamStaff Rx David Garrard, BHS, RRT, RCP, CCEMT-P, PNCCP Cirrus Medical Staffing What’s around the next bend? Perhaps one of the most inviting aspects of traveling is this unknown element— whether it’s the practice setting, housing complex, or community itself. Even after 3 years, I love being surprised by a new location. Of course, meeting new people and making lifelong friends is a big part of the experience. The locals never fail to amaze me, offering great advice and lots of interesting 16 Healthcare Traveler October 2008 Debora Janzen, RT (R)(T) ATC Travelers Erika Lee, PT Supplemental Health Care Richard Mahnke, PT Soliant Health Dawn Morse, PT Trinity Healthcare Staffing Group Apollone Reid, MPH, PT Destination Healthcare Staffing Joel Sauer, CNMT Favorite Healthcare Staffing Paule Thomas, OT PPR Healthcare Staffing Kurt VanZandt, ASCP, BS On Assignment Patti Witkiewicz, RPT Cross Country TravCorps Jodi Wolfgram, RDMS, RT Aureus Medical Group www.healthcaretraveler.com http://www.HealthcareTraveler.com http://www.healthcaretraveler.com
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