At Cariant Health Partners we work with a lot of amazing travel nurses. This month we interviewed travel nurse Cindi H., who is just completing her very first travel assignment.
How/when did you catch the travel bug?
I had heard of travel nursing about 10 years ago and thought it would be a great way to see various parts of the country and get paid at the same time. After all, you really can’t see any area completely when you go on vacation for only a week or two. If you go to a city for 13 weeks you have the time to explore most of the things the area has to offer. And now my life is at the place where it fits. My kids are grown and my husband is all for it! As a matter of fact, if I enjoy it after the first year, he will join me and take jobs through temp agencies wherever I go so that we can be together.
How did you decide where to travel first?
I decided to stay a little close to home so that I could go back and visit with my grandkids when I started having withdrawals. I am not used to being apart from them very long so that has been the hardest part for me. This way my husband could visit me more easily as well since this is the longest time we have been apart from each other. And the facility where I am working has been excellent. You hear so much of travelers not being accepted but that was not my experience here. The other nurses were very accepting of outside help. I have loved my time here.
What fun things are you trying or places exploring to make the most of your assignment?
It is beautiful here in Idaho. The mountains are close by and the river flows through the valley. Hiking in the mountains and floating down the river is great. There are also the concerts and rodeos — there has been one or the other or both here every week that I have been here. Sometimes it is difficult to choose what to do! This is my last weekend here, and the girls that I work with have invited me to go to a “craft night” where we are apparently going to make a wooden craft of some kind.
However, I have to say that my favorite thing that I have done is taking Krav Maga self-defense classes. The instructor is very patient and thorough in what he does. If anyone has a chance to do this they really should try it — I can’t imagine anyone not liking it!
What advice do you have for other first-time travel nurses?
After working for the same employer for 17 years the part I have the most trouble with is coming up on the end of an assignment and that brief period of time of not knowing what the next assignment will be. I think patience and flexibility are a must as a newbie travel nurse.
Interested in a travel nurse contract? Contact Cariant to talk about available positions.