Abby Allison was working as a NICU nurse in Arkansas when she learned about travel nursing jobs for the first time. Through her own generosity, Abby found a brand-new career she didn’t know existed.
“We had travelers come to our hospital. One of them needed a place to stay, so I rented her a room,” Abby recalls. “After talking with her and hearing about all her travel nursing experiences, I decided to take the plunge.”
Broadening your skills as a nurse
Though Abby has only been working as a travel nurse for 18 months, she feels taking different assignments has helped her grow as a nurse.
“I have the freedom to move around every 13 weeks and learn new things. I never feel stuck,” Abby says. “I get to learn so many different ways of doing things without getting stuck in my ways. I think many nurses who staff one unit too long believe their jobs can only be done one way.”
Making dreams a reality through travel nursing jobs
For Abby, the biggest benefit of working as a travel nurse is the chance to pursue her passion: CrossFit. She now has the time — and is in the right place — for this high-intensity fitness program.
“Travel nursing has allowed me to qualify for the CrossFit West Regional two years in a row,” Abby expresses. “I can work out at gyms with amazing coaches I would never had gotten the chance to train with before.”
Choosing the right travel nursing company
While her favorite travel assignments have been in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Boise, Idaho, Abby is excited for warmer weather ahead at her next travel assignment in California. She says she’s happy a former roommate convinced her to switch to RNnetwork six months ago.
“Everyone at RNnetwork is extremely responsive, and communication is amazing. If I have a question, I always have it answered within minutes. I don’t wait days for responses,” Abby says. “My recruiter goes above and beyond to ensure I have everything I need.”
Enjoying your assignments as a travel nurse
Abby says the biggest challenge of being a travel nurse is floating to different units and not knowing your way around. She recommends new travelers ask for what they want up front, especially with their schedules.
“I spent my first contract working every other night shift, and it was terrible. I wish I would have known that it’s OK to ask for your nights in a row,” Abby says. “I was so nervous to ask for anything because I just wanted a job.”
She also reminds nurses who are just beginning to travel to be patient with the hospitals and their recruiters.
“Apply for a new state license now, because it will take longer than you expect,” Abby says. “It’s OK if you are a month out and don’t have an assignment yet. Trust your recruiter. They want to find you a job just as badly as you want one.”
Ready to work with RNnetwork? Check out our open NICU travel nursing jobs.