Healthcare Traveler - March 2009 - (Page 40)

On Assignment A DE TA I LED GLI M P SE OF LI F E ON T H E ROA D P E TA L U M A , C A L I F O R N I A Photo: Getty Images/Photodisc/Kim Steele Family time Gail Foster-Kingsley, RN, had just one criterion for her current assignment: A chance to visit her son, Cecil, in California. So when an opportunity arose in Petaluma, she jumped at the chance. Anne Baye Ericksen E ven after devoting 30 years to a staff position, Gail was not quite ready to fully retire from nursing. But she was definitely willing to try something new. “I like to say I requested a change of venue. That is why I decided to become a travel nurse 2 years ago,” says the operating room (OR) nurse, who chooses contracts through Boca Raton, Florida-based Intelistaf Travel. “I like deciding when I want to work, and accepting assignments in different types of facilities that will challenge me and help keep my skills current.” She adds, “Also, I like the freedom to be able to leave my home in upstate New York during the winter months in exchange for someplace warm.” accommodations so she can stay with Cecil. “He has been living out here for a few years, and I have only had the chance to visit him once before,” she states. “Being here for longer than a week’s vacation has been really nice because we get along so well.” Another bonus for the mother and son is that Gail arrived right before the winter holidays, and they were able to celebrate them together. “The timing was perfect. I was only scheduled to a few shifts at first, so I had time off during the holidays.” Meanwhile, Gail’s husband, Willie, holds down the homefront. “We thought he might come out to visit, but he owns a snow-plowing business and has been extremely busy this winter,” she says. “Instead, I plan on going back for some quick trips during my assignment.” Despite the distance from Willie, Gail insists she’s still thrilled with her decision to take the West Coast contract during this time of the year. “If I were home,” she asserts, “not only would I be in the snow, which I can do without, but I would also be home alone because he is so busy working.” “I’m enjoying my time here, visiting with my family and earning a living at the same time.” —Gail Foster-Kingsley, RN Days on duty Gail also keeps busy. She works three 12-hour shifts with call each week at the small community hospital. “There are three ORs here, and one of them is designated for Cesarean sections. So far, I have mostly assisted on orthopedics, plastics, and some general surgery cases.” The smaller facility was a bit of a shift for the clinician. Her staff position was at a hospital that specialized in cancer research, and her previous contract was at a Level II trauma center. “I received a 2-week orientation for that assignment. Everyone in the OR was appointed to specific roles. Here, the orientation lasted 3 days: 1 day in the classroom and 2 days in the hospital,” she says. “But that was okay because the procedures being done here are not as intense as those conducted in the trauma center.” www.healthcaretraveler.com Travelogue On Assignment… Cityscape… Name It… Contest Rules… Tales from the Road… 40 Healthcare Traveler March 2009 40 42 45 53 56 Family logistics Currently on her second assignment—a contract at Petaluma Valley Hospital in Petaluma, California—Gail is just a short commute from her son’s home in neighboring American Canyon. In fact, the facility is so conveniently located that she opted to accept a housing stipend instead of the company-provided http://www.healthcaretraveler.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Traveler - March 2009

Healthcare Traveler - March 2009 Editor’s Desk Contents Paws for Thought Field Notes Company Corner In a Flash Rural ORs Balancing Act Clinical Highlights Drug Update On Assignment Cityscape Name It Tax Facts Big Deals Advertisers’ Index Going the Distance Contest Rules Allied Corner Classifieds Tales from the Road

Healthcare Traveler - March 2009

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