Nursing Uncharted EP. 111: Travel Nurse Besties Take on the Peds ER
In Part 2 of our special Nurses Month series on Nursing Uncharted, we welcome back pediatric ER travel nurses Jess and Sam. They dive deeper into their experiences traveling the country, sharing their experiences adapting to new ER environments, building rapid trust with anxious parents, and developing the emotional resilience required in pediatric care. You'll feel inspired by their camaraderie and equipped with the confidence to take your own emergency nursing skills to new facilities nationwide.
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Key Topics Discussed
- Adapting to New ERs: Proven strategies for quickly acclimatizing to different pediatric emergency departments and triage protocols.
- Emotional Resilience: Managing the unique emotional demands of caring for critically ill children and communicating effectively with their families.
- Travel Nurse Lifestyle: Balancing the high-stress demands of emergency nursing with the exciting adventures of life on the road.
Chapters:
- 00:00 - Introduction & welcoming back Jess and Sam
- 03:15 - The reality of day one in a new pediatric ER
- 12:30 - Building rapid rapport with pediatric patients and parents
- 22:45 - Managing the emotional toll and prioritizing self-care
- 34:20 - Balancing travel adventures with high-stress shifts
- 41:10 - Final advice for aspiring pediatric travel nurses
Resources Mentioned:
Meet Our Guests
Our guests, Jess and Sam, are two highly skilled pediatric ER travel nurses who have combined their passion for emergency medicine with a love for travel. With years of experience navigating high-pressure situations across various pediatric hospitals, they bring a wealth of knowledge, compassion, and advocacy to the nursing community. Their insights provide an authentic look at what it takes to thrive in pediatric emergency travel nursing.
Transcript
00:00:00:03 - 00:00:24:12
Speaker 1
Hey guys. Welcome back to another episode of Nursing Uncharted. As promised, I am back with this dynamic duo and we are going to dive deep into their story. This is kind of special because I came up with the idea at the beginning of the year to do a mini series talking about nursing firsts, so this fits right into that theme, and we're going to talk to these two to figure out how they got here and how they got here together.
00:00:24:14 - 00:00:31:18
Speaker 1
So if you didn't tune in to the first episode for Nurses Month, let's reintroduce yourselves to the listeners.
00:00:31:20 - 00:00:39:12
Speaker 2
My name is Sam. I've been a pediatric E.R. nurse now for three years, and we met in nursing school, and we are best friends.
00:00:39:17 - 00:01:01:09
Speaker 3
I'm just I am the other half of our duo. Like Sam said, we met first day of nursing school. Luckily, just because our last names are on. And so they put us together in a group. Oh, we had to practice. It was like the. Not the first day. It was like a few weeks in, and we had to practice doing physical assessments.
00:01:01:11 - 00:01:17:11
Speaker 3
We would have to go up with a partner. And I think we were both in that group, didn't know anyone. And I saw her, like sitting there, like practicing to herself. And she was so nervous. And I was like, it's okay. Like you're just anxious. And she was like, I don't have anxiety.
00:01:17:13 - 00:01:23:23
Speaker 4
What's that? I was like, oh, okay. And the relationship started from there. Yes.
00:01:24:02 - 00:01:24:12
Speaker 2
Awesome.
00:01:24:14 - 00:01:38:12
Speaker 1
Yes. So I know that we have we have talked, but I want I want everyone to kind of understand how you how you started. So you guys met in nursing school, but your nursing program was was a little special, right? You guys had more of an accelerated program. Is that correct?
00:01:38:12 - 00:01:56:04
Speaker 2
Yeah. It was, I think, typical in nursing programs or like two years. Ours was a year and a half. So we went through the summer and I think between each semester or quarter there was like two weeks in between. And then there was an emphasis in integrative health. So more like mental health meditation and non-pharmacological ways to like care for patients.
00:01:56:04 - 00:01:57:06
Speaker 4
I like this.
00:01:57:08 - 00:02:10:11
Speaker 3
Like a super modern approach, like, of course, medicine and the medications are important. But it was like before you go and give a patient a pain medication, let's try breathing or let's try a distraction exercise like just thing. And they taught.
00:02:10:11 - 00:02:11:08
Speaker 1
That during this year.
00:02:11:12 - 00:02:12:10
Speaker 3
Oh yeah. There's a.
00:02:12:10 - 00:02:14:11
Speaker 1
Special like class like an emphasis on.
00:02:14:11 - 00:02:27:14
Speaker 3
It right. Yeah. So one of our classes was on like integrative health. And I think it was the first BSN program that was BSN, I h it was like hyphenated. I was part of it. But they're making more of those programs now.
00:02:27:16 - 00:02:29:13
Speaker 1
And it was like the first school to do that.
00:02:29:13 - 00:02:30:19
Speaker 3
Yeah, I'm pretty sure.
00:02:30:19 - 00:02:33:08
Speaker 1
Another first in my in this mini series. This is.
00:02:33:08 - 00:02:35:12
Speaker 4
Great. I, I didn't know this. Yeah. Exciting.
00:02:35:12 - 00:02:46:03
Speaker 3
I think ours was like kind of like a trial one that they were going to start doing. But yeah, it's more of like a modern cause I feel like now it's such a big deal with mental health and stuff that they're incorporating it in like a hospital setting.
00:02:46:03 - 00:02:58:22
Speaker 1
Well, even, you know, and as we hopefully the listeners have listened to like our, the first episode with you guys, but you talked about something you brought up was the almost distraction techniques for the pediatric population, because that's what you're doing. So it kind of goes along with that.
00:02:58:22 - 00:03:01:07
Speaker 4
But you did learn something. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah.
00:03:01:08 - 00:03:17:18
Speaker 1
Also using that for adults as well. And I think that that is something that you learn as a nurse on the job. But having that taught in school is is a really interesting aspect. And I like that because a lot of pain management is non ideological formula.
00:03:17:18 - 00:03:18:05
Speaker 4
Yeah. I'm gonna.
00:03:18:06 - 00:03:19:22
Speaker 1
Let you guys say that word because.
00:03:20:00 - 00:03:20:04
Speaker 4
I.
00:03:20:04 - 00:03:35:16
Speaker 1
Sometimes stumble. Yeah. But I really I really like that. That's a really interesting thing. I'll have to look into that and see if there's even classes that you can take with being a nurse for as long as I've been able to, to learn more about that. So that's very interesting. Did you guys have degrees before going to nursing school or.
00:03:35:16 - 00:03:36:15
Speaker 1
This was the first.
00:03:36:15 - 00:03:37:06
Speaker 4
It was.
00:03:37:06 - 00:03:53:08
Speaker 2
Oh, we just did a four year bachelor. So we had okay, all right. We did our undergrad at U of A. And then there's two nursing program. So there's like the normal like two year one. Or there's the integrative health accelerated one which was an off site campus okay. And so campus was in Tucson and this was in Gilbert.
00:03:53:08 - 00:04:07:06
Speaker 2
So it's like an hour and a half away. So she moved from Tucson to Gilbert. And my family lived like 40 minutes away. So I just moved back home. Oh wow. And then so I'd spend the night at her just like all the time, because I didn't want to drive an hour to class.
00:04:07:06 - 00:04:08:00
Speaker 4
Yeah, I.
00:04:08:00 - 00:04:25:15
Speaker 3
Had moved, so I was out of state. My parents were like, go pay for your college, but like, they want me to experience it. So I go out of state. I'm like, okay, naturally chose the next state over. Had it not to be too far. Yeah, but I went to Arizona and then at Tucson, I made all my friends at the campus, and when I got into the nursing program, they're like, okay, well, you have to move an hour and a half away.
00:04:25:15 - 00:04:28:13
Speaker 3
And it was like a really small I think our cohort was like 50 people.
00:04:28:14 - 00:04:29:09
Speaker 4
50, 60.
00:04:29:09 - 00:04:39:12
Speaker 3
Yeah, yeah. Wow. So I didn't really know anybody there at all. And she was with her family there. So we became friends. And then I was like, oh, wait, I can go get a home cooked.
00:04:39:12 - 00:04:40:14
Speaker 4
Do it all. Yeah.
00:04:40:18 - 00:04:42:04
Speaker 1
So it just it just started.
00:04:42:04 - 00:04:43:03
Speaker 4
It started the non.
00:04:43:03 - 00:04:44:05
Speaker 1
Dating relationship.
00:04:44:05 - 00:04:44:11
Speaker 4
Yeah.
00:04:44:11 - 00:04:44:18
Speaker 2
Yes.
00:04:44:19 - 00:05:05:05
Speaker 3
Exactly. So we had nursing school. We became super close over that year and a half. And then when we graduated I thought the entire time I was going to move back home to California. Yeah. She had convinced me she like to stay for one year in Arizona, where we're going to Children's Hospital together. Starting in pediatrics isn't always the easiest.
00:05:05:05 - 00:05:21:09
Speaker 3
Especially the kids are like just getting the job because a lot of nurses do. You love kids? Obviously. And we had a connection. So we were like, okay, we'll stay here. Good plan. And I was like, hey, one year Arizona. Like, it'll be fine. We'll learn like it's if I go to California, probably to do adults. Alright, let's stay here.
00:05:21:09 - 00:05:25:12
Speaker 3
Two kids. And then two and a half years later, I was still in Arizona living with her.
00:05:25:12 - 00:05:26:11
Speaker 4
Yeah.
00:05:26:13 - 00:05:33:05
Speaker 3
And then at the two and a half year mark, she was going to go to travel nursing. And I then was going to move back home to California.
00:05:33:05 - 00:05:35:13
Speaker 4
Yeah, but I didn't have any there now.
00:05:35:13 - 00:05:44:22
Speaker 3
And then when she started actually looking at like her contracts and was talking about like how she was moving and all the stuff, I was like, all right, I'm coming.
00:05:44:22 - 00:05:45:17
Speaker 4
You're coming along.
00:05:45:18 - 00:05:46:08
Speaker 3
There's no way.
00:05:46:09 - 00:05:50:13
Speaker 2
Like, oh, she's actually doing this. I'm like, yeah, I'm going to do it with or without you. So either coming in or not.
00:05:50:14 - 00:05:52:08
Speaker 4
Yeah, yeah. Well I love.
00:05:52:08 - 00:06:01:14
Speaker 1
That. And I think that what's really special is that like going back to the beginning meeting on that first day. And you know, it's kind of like you're in kindergarten again, right? Like your.
00:06:01:16 - 00:06:01:21
Speaker 2
Name.
00:06:02:00 - 00:06:02:16
Speaker 4
Tags.
00:06:02:21 - 00:06:26:14
Speaker 1
Yeah. And I think about just my first days at school, I went to college alone. I didn't know anyone. And just meeting people in general, but meeting someone in your career path. And then it blossomed into you guys sitting here now recording this podcast in Texas. You know, I think it's really special. And you're still and you're so here and that's that's hard.
00:06:26:14 - 00:06:41:17
Speaker 1
I think that, you know, nursing in general, women in general, we change so much like making friends as adults is hard. So the fact that you guys are on this journey together and still are here, what that program was two years now. Like what? This is five years of a friendship.
00:06:41:17 - 00:06:45:12
Speaker 4
Five years. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We keep my mom, my best man. No. Yeah.
00:06:45:12 - 00:06:47:18
Speaker 3
Because we keep. We have a friend of three.
00:06:47:20 - 00:06:50:15
Speaker 4
Of course. Yeah. Naturally. Naturally.
00:06:50:15 - 00:06:52:04
Speaker 3
And yeah, it is five years.
00:06:52:04 - 00:07:03:03
Speaker 1
Five years. I mean that's it's really special. And to still be doing all of this together. And if I'm remembering correctly, someone was interested in going a different route. Correct. Was that you?
00:07:03:03 - 00:07:20:17
Speaker 2
Both of us. Okay. We knew we both wanted to do pediatrics. I originally wanted to do Nikki when she wanted to do Highmark. And I'm like, okay, this girl's cool. Like she wants to do pediatrics. We're in the same boat, you know? And then once we got closer, we're like, all right, I don't know if there was not any openings at the hospital.
00:07:20:17 - 00:07:31:04
Speaker 2
We wanted to for humongous Nick you. And we're like, well, let's just like I said, get our foot in the door. E.R. you get such different wide a so yeah, we get we still get him. Anchors still.
00:07:31:04 - 00:07:31:22
Speaker 4
Getting you.
00:07:31:23 - 00:07:48:03
Speaker 3
That's right. I think like the recruiter we had for that job was like, if you want a specialty that you guys are both interested in, if you do emergency, you got both those kids work. Oh, we could see both the type of specialties we think we want to do. Yeah, but work together.
00:07:48:05 - 00:07:51:19
Speaker 1
So when you say recruiter, what did that look like through school or was.
00:07:51:19 - 00:08:03:10
Speaker 3
So that was the hospital. So I think you applied and then it was for the entire hospital. And then there was a recruiter that would set you up with the manager for each floor because there was like there was a big hospital, was like a revenue.
00:08:03:12 - 00:08:05:17
Speaker 1
And that recruiter knew you guys wanted to work together.
00:08:05:17 - 00:08:08:18
Speaker 3
Yeah. I think when the resumes are copy and paste so you can kind of get the.
00:08:08:18 - 00:08:10:15
Speaker 2
Same degree, same.
00:08:10:17 - 00:08:13:06
Speaker 4
Flavors, it's like scented, like I would. Yeah.
00:08:13:06 - 00:08:30:18
Speaker 3
Even like now for our travel jobs. Yeah. Like one of us for the contract we're doing right now. The manager in my interview was like, I think I did mine at the end of it. She was okay. So Samantha's looks like the exact same. I was like, well, nursing school together. We've done every single certification class together.
00:08:30:23 - 00:08:34:20
Speaker 2
Our gels, all that expires at the same time. Like it's so easy. Call my.
00:08:34:20 - 00:08:35:08
Speaker 4
Guess.
00:08:35:08 - 00:08:43:19
Speaker 3
And the manager told me. Okay, well, she's good like she's hired. Yeah, because. And then I think you guys, like, we're playing phone tag and.
00:08:43:19 - 00:08:45:23
Speaker 2
Yeah, I never she was like, okay, well talk to her.
00:08:45:23 - 00:08:47:09
Speaker 4
No shows. You guys are the same person.
00:08:47:09 - 00:08:50:17
Speaker 1
That's amazing. You know, to have a friendship that much that you can.
00:08:50:18 - 00:08:51:20
Speaker 3
Do her job interviews.
00:08:51:21 - 00:08:52:22
Speaker 4
Well, yeah. And the fact.
00:08:52:22 - 00:09:09:19
Speaker 1
That you can speak for your for your friends too. I mean, that's a that's a huge, huge point to highlight. You know, it's you're like you are who you are. So obviously we are who we associate ourselves with. So that manager had enough confidence in your interview to be like, okay, if they're doing this together, then I'm in it together.
00:09:09:19 - 00:09:19:03
Speaker 4
With you, which is really special. I, I love it, it's so easy. Yeah, she loves it because I do a speaking for her. Yeah. She's just like I'm not a big the first day.
00:09:19:03 - 00:09:21:12
Speaker 3
Hi I'm Sam and then.
00:09:21:15 - 00:09:31:01
Speaker 1
Well and I said this in the other episode I up until right before filming I was calling you each the wrong name. So before we get into more of, like, traveling together, I want.
00:09:31:01 - 00:09:34:10
Speaker 4
If it's okay to share that story. With what? Your little brother.
00:09:34:16 - 00:09:35:07
Speaker 3
Yes.
00:09:35:11 - 00:09:37:08
Speaker 4
So there's this close.
00:09:37:10 - 00:09:55:19
Speaker 3
Yeah. It's my youngest brother now. He's about to turn seven. But when we became friends, he was not. He was not even two yet. Yeah. Years that he was little. And up until like this last Christmas it was. It wasn't Sam. And just like. Oh, like mom is like sister coming home. No, it was our J. Sam coming.
00:09:55:21 - 00:10:14:08
Speaker 3
And she was like, you realize there are two different people. Like, I'd go home and he just. Yeah. He'd be like, I go home for Christmas, where she's with her family and he's like, where's J, Sam? I'm like, well, I'm J and Sam is my friend. And I think he thought you were well, yeah. And he thought she was like his sister.
00:10:14:08 - 00:10:16:10
Speaker 2
So we're always together. So it's like.
00:10:16:12 - 00:10:16:22
Speaker 4
The.
00:10:17:00 - 00:10:21:16
Speaker 2
Same two persons. Yeah. Because he was one person one day or two and a half before 11.
00:10:21:16 - 00:10:22:09
Speaker 4
He doesn't know.
00:10:22:09 - 00:10:24:08
Speaker 1
He doesn't know. Yeah. I didn't know that you're two.
00:10:24:10 - 00:10:33:01
Speaker 3
And she honestly spoils him more too. Yeah. So he's like J Sam. So when we do like at home our Wi-Fi passwords and stuff, everything is Json.
00:10:33:03 - 00:10:34:17
Speaker 1
But so if it don't take her wife then.
00:10:34:18 - 00:10:37:22
Speaker 4
Yeah, but yeah, but I do you do you have siblings or.
00:10:37:23 - 00:10:47:21
Speaker 2
I have a sister, but she's older. She's a freshman in college, so. But like, it's cool to have that relationship. She's just as close with my sister as a normal sister would be.
00:10:47:21 - 00:10:49:12
Speaker 1
Like, that's really like I'm sitting here, like.
00:10:49:13 - 00:10:49:20
Speaker 4
Full.
00:10:49:20 - 00:10:51:12
Speaker 1
Disclosure. I'm like, dude, I'm jealous.
00:10:51:13 - 00:10:55:09
Speaker 4
Why didn't I have, like, something like this in in nursing school, you woke up from a.
00:10:55:09 - 00:11:08:05
Speaker 3
Nap about two days ago, and you came in my room and I was like, no, she did. No, she'll go for a nap. And she came in my room and I was like, I'm on the phone. And she was like. Like I was like, go. Like I'm talking to someone. And she was like, who? And I was like, your sister, but like, you.
00:11:08:07 - 00:11:10:19
Speaker 4
Like, I'm just side with myself. But she wanted to tell.
00:11:10:19 - 00:11:12:18
Speaker 3
Me things that she does want her sister to.
00:11:12:18 - 00:11:14:18
Speaker 4
Know. Oh my gosh. So it's like, it's.
00:11:14:18 - 00:11:29:07
Speaker 2
Great to have that kind of relationship. And I think from nursing school too, I mean, you either to become best friends with the people you're in nursing school with or you just go two separate ways. Yeah. And I think it was like the trauma bond thing. I mean, I was so anxious and afraid and alone, like, I didn't know anyone.
00:11:29:07 - 00:11:30:14
Speaker 2
She had two roommates.
00:11:30:14 - 00:11:31:20
Speaker 1
That you didn't have anxiety?
00:11:32:01 - 00:11:32:22
Speaker 2
No, I didn't know.
00:11:33:04 - 00:11:37:04
Speaker 4
So she she. Yeah. I'm just kidding. I just she showed me the.
00:11:37:04 - 00:11:38:06
Speaker 2
Way, the yellow brick.
00:11:38:06 - 00:11:43:00
Speaker 4
Road. I was like, let me teach you a thing or two. Yeah. Oh, I love I love that.
00:11:43:00 - 00:12:04:19
Speaker 1
And you know, now getting into the traveling decision. So I think that's really amazing that you had a recruiter at the hospital that you worked at staff. That is something that I didn't even know existed. How I just backstory on me, how I landed in my position. I had a scholarship outside of or to to work in a small community hospital right outside of college, and it was adults.
00:12:04:19 - 00:12:26:03
Speaker 1
So I got some really tough foundational work done. It was, for profit hospital, which I don't think those exist really anymore. Exist. But it was and I got to experience what that look like. And I'm from Pennsylvania, so we didn't have state state ratios. We I had eight patients at 22 years old. It was crazy.
00:12:26:03 - 00:12:43:01
Speaker 1
Like to think about, you know, I was organized. It was a good foundation to have. And it was a small community hospital. So there's a lot of community involvement in that. And I was doing blood pressure screenings at a women's health fair, and I took a blood pressure. I made the newspaper two, by the way, the little small.
00:12:43:01 - 00:12:45:22
Speaker 4
Town I have, you know, front page newspaper.
00:12:45:22 - 00:13:06:15
Speaker 1
For my blood pressure screenings. And I took the blood pressure of this one woman and she offered me a job. She was the manager of the NICU at a neighboring hospital. Well, and just that interaction I had with her was like, you seem like someone that I want and to work in my unit. So that's how I ended up in the NICU.
00:13:06:15 - 00:13:24:16
Speaker 1
I had no idea what Nikki was in school. I hadn't zero experience my rotation. I hope my professor listens to these episodes that I talk about this. She was awful. She told me that I shouldn't be a nurse, that like it was, it was the worst. So my pedes association with nursing was negative thing.
00:13:24:17 - 00:13:25:16
Speaker 2
Not for me. Well, you.
00:13:25:16 - 00:13:31:00
Speaker 3
Really only get like 1 or 2 days per specialty unit. Like you get like a handful in medicine. We have.
00:13:31:04 - 00:13:34:17
Speaker 2
Two clinicals and I'm like, this is all I get, this specialty.
00:13:34:17 - 00:13:35:18
Speaker 4
And specialty and you're.
00:13:35:18 - 00:13:38:04
Speaker 3
Out. What I want to base my entire career off of.
00:13:38:04 - 00:13:55:17
Speaker 1
Yeah. Of. Right. And so like, I mean, and in my head I'm like, I would never do pediatrics. This was the worst experience I had. I don't know if I actually ever shared that exact story, but, you know, it was it was awful. Like for someone like someone that is influential in your nursing career to say, do you even want to be a nurse?
00:13:55:19 - 00:14:03:17
Speaker 1
You know? And then I look at who I am now and I'm like, yes, it was the right decision. And then to end up in the pediatric world is is even more special.
00:14:03:17 - 00:14:05:22
Speaker 2
So double whammy. Yeah.
00:14:05:22 - 00:14:25:17
Speaker 1
It really it it it really is. So you know, how did you say that was like a squirrel a big tangent. But you know, how did you get to the decision to start traveling? I know and I and I'm so sorry I don't remember who. There was one of you that was a little reluctant that the other kind of helped steer in that.
00:14:25:17 - 00:14:26:19
Speaker 1
Yeah, in that direction.
00:14:26:19 - 00:14:42:20
Speaker 2
It was me. I've always like, I knew going into nursing school that I wanted to do travel nursing even before I knew my specialty. I'm a very independent person, so I just like. And I like to travel, so why not get paid for it, you know? Right. And other times she had a boyfriend that was also.
00:14:42:22 - 00:14:43:19
Speaker 3
My daughter over here.
00:14:43:21 - 00:14:45:20
Speaker 4
But that was also, you know, this story that was.
00:14:45:20 - 00:15:02:15
Speaker 2
Also tying her back to Arizona. So it's like when we I told her I would wait two years because that's most places required two years experience, which I agree because you need to know what you're doing. You get like two days of orientation and then you're on your own. So you're not like, you got to protect your license and also protect the patient.
00:15:02:15 - 00:15:09:06
Speaker 2
Right. I and then we resigned our lease to stay, I think, till you were going.
00:15:09:06 - 00:15:24:10
Speaker 3
To wait, like, a year and a half. And then at the year and a half mark, I was like, give me, like, six months to figure out if I'm to stay here or if I want to go. I was like, I was like, okay, like in my little lover girl land. That was like, I don't want to leave my boyfriend.
00:15:24:14 - 00:15:39:12
Speaker 3
And just like how the timing of how things worked out, I was like, well, I ended up being single and I was like, well, if you're moving across the country, I'm moving across the country to I guess that's like, sorry, parents, I'm actually not moving to California. We're going to the East Coast. Yeah.
00:15:39:14 - 00:15:41:12
Speaker 1
Oh that's right, because your first assignment.
00:15:41:12 - 00:15:42:15
Speaker 3
Yeah, I was there.
00:15:42:15 - 00:15:47:21
Speaker 1
So so you the reluctance, she wasn't like, oh, I don't know if I want to travel. There were some other life.
00:15:48:01 - 00:15:48:12
Speaker 4
Yeah.
00:15:48:13 - 00:15:50:14
Speaker 1
Things happening that I just that.
00:15:50:16 - 00:16:04:12
Speaker 3
Yeah. And I mean I said I have more anxiety. Yeah. So the thought of moving like I went to Arizona cause it was a closest state. So then the fact I was like, hey, I'll travel with you. And then she made me go as far as possible. I was like, are you? We couldn't have, like.
00:16:04:12 - 00:16:09:00
Speaker 4
Dipped in our toes, like, you shouldn't have gone like a couple cities away.
00:16:09:02 - 00:16:18:12
Speaker 3
She's like from the East Coast. So she had some sort of background with it. Yeah. But for me, we went over there and I was like, wow, this is culture. It is like, yeah, yeah.
00:16:18:14 - 00:16:25:18
Speaker 1
I can attest to that. I'm from the East Coast as well. And my first travel assignment was in California and I was like, whoa, this is it was like so different. I mean.
00:16:25:18 - 00:16:28:02
Speaker 3
If we're going to do it, might as well just.
00:16:28:04 - 00:16:29:05
Speaker 2
Dive headfirst.
00:16:29:06 - 00:16:30:04
Speaker 3
Deep. And do you.
00:16:30:04 - 00:16:31:15
Speaker 1
Think that that helped your anxiety?
00:16:31:15 - 00:16:49:00
Speaker 3
Personal question. Yeah. Yeah. I think if you would have asked me, it's so crazy a year ago if I would have done the traveling and I'd be like, I could not handle that. Like I would freak out, like having to move across. And now I'm like, I cannot imagine if I had just stayed there and was so comfortable.
00:16:49:02 - 00:16:52:02
Speaker 3
Yeah. And I mean, I have her to thank for.
00:16:52:02 - 00:16:53:21
Speaker 4
That, I guess I but again.
00:16:53:21 - 00:17:03:18
Speaker 1
That goes back to this whole travel duo and this is something that from when I started hosting this podcast, is we've been wanting to touch on this, but you can never really find.
00:17:03:20 - 00:17:04:03
Speaker 4
The.
00:17:04:06 - 00:17:28:10
Speaker 1
The match for that because you maybe meet someone on a travel assignment and decide to do the next 1 or 2 assignments. But you guys have really been this dynamic duo from the beginning, and I'm really happy that I met you guys randomly, you know, through this process of, you know, celebrating Nurses Month together with you guys. And now here, you know, it's it's really special to have that and to get you out of your comfort zone.
00:17:28:12 - 00:17:38:20
Speaker 1
You know, for someone to go into it knowing this is something I want to do to then influence someone that's going through a huge life change. And honestly, they are. Relationships can really.
00:17:38:20 - 00:17:39:04
Speaker 4
Every.
00:17:39:04 - 00:17:51:20
Speaker 1
Way, yeah, impact you to go one way or another. And you didn't let that burden you like you. You leaned into your friendship and you guys now are traveling. Traveling the country. Yeah, maybe the world.
00:17:52:01 - 00:17:58:01
Speaker 3
Yeah. Well we've looked into that. Yeah. I'm like, what other point are we going to be able to be single?
00:17:58:01 - 00:17:58:19
Speaker 2
No kids.
00:17:58:19 - 00:18:01:10
Speaker 4
Yeah, exactly. Nothing. That's when it starts to become just the whole.
00:18:01:14 - 00:18:05:06
Speaker 1
38 single. No kids and hey, still be doing it. But no, but.
00:18:05:06 - 00:18:08:06
Speaker 4
That's that's why you and that's why you do it.
00:18:08:08 - 00:18:20:21
Speaker 3
Yeah, yeah. We each got a dog. Dogs are best friends, just like we are. You each have a dog? Yes. Or did you get the dog together? No. I mean, when I first I got a wiener dog.
00:18:20:23 - 00:18:23:06
Speaker 4
So growing up, they're the best.
00:18:23:08 - 00:18:39:20
Speaker 3
So by default, she's just like auntie. So it was like our dog. They're both our dogs. Like, if one of us is working, the other one takes. Obviously I'm not going to feed my dog and leave hers, you know? Right. So yeah, we have the two dogs. They also help a lot with giving us something stable and removing every state.
00:18:40:02 - 00:18:41:21
Speaker 3
The poor dogs are like grounding.
00:18:41:21 - 00:18:48:01
Speaker 4
Yeah. What kind of dog do you have? Goldendoodle. Okay, I saw what I thought I was like, wait, I remember you said you got a golden. No, no, she's.
00:18:48:02 - 00:18:50:11
Speaker 3
Got to have some sort of like, golden retriever.
00:18:50:13 - 00:18:51:14
Speaker 1
Like your personalities.
00:18:51:14 - 00:18:56:01
Speaker 4
Yeah. I'm not sure. The dogs you have, it's. That's really good. That's awesome. It does.
00:18:56:02 - 00:19:11:01
Speaker 3
Yeah, yeah. So every travel job now, even like from the beginning of when we apply it, we're very straight out. We're like, hey, we're not going to like, waste our time if there's or waste your time if there's only one spot open, like at this point, like people are like, what are you guys going to do? And one of you.
00:19:11:03 - 00:19:13:02
Speaker 4
Like, yeah, gets it's like, why should.
00:19:13:02 - 00:19:15:12
Speaker 1
I let's talk about that. Because that is a valid question.
00:19:15:12 - 00:19:28:01
Speaker 3
Because we're like, if there's not two spots, like we're not going to continue the interview process because it's just like we're not willing to do that because it's the whole point of this is it's so fun doing it, but it's so fun that we're doing it together. Yeah.
00:19:28:03 - 00:19:45:13
Speaker 1
Well, and I, you know, going getting into the nitty gritty of what traveling is. So you know, you guys I know this because we talked before. You guys have the same recruiter you're with Ammon. And your recruiter obviously knows that you want to travel together. Does she look he or she. Sorry I'm assuming it's a.
00:19:45:15 - 00:19:46:12
Speaker 2
Girl a girl girl.
00:19:46:12 - 00:19:49:05
Speaker 1
Okay, so does she. Look at you shout out.
00:19:49:05 - 00:19:50:20
Speaker 4
Right, this is awesome.
00:19:50:22 - 00:19:57:10
Speaker 1
Does she look at those jobs and and look at like there's more than one position.
00:19:57:12 - 00:20:10:00
Speaker 2
So I think even if it says one opening and we tell we're interested in that, she'll reach out to them and be like, hey, I have a pair. I know there's only one opening, but would you be willing? And it's either like, yes or no, right? So she'll try and hey.
00:20:10:02 - 00:20:25:21
Speaker 3
I'm now there's two of you like and she kind of knows like the areas we're interested in not ready to sort of be like one was posted. I already asked that they will have a second one anytime soon even. Yeah. Think we don't have the exact same start date because our contracted work is 13 weeks most of the time.
00:20:25:23 - 00:20:31:03
Speaker 3
So even if we have like a 1 or 2 week off start, like we would both just go, okay.
00:20:31:05 - 00:20:45:14
Speaker 1
That I mean, that's a that's a really good point to, to have as well. It may not be the exact same start date. You don't have to exactly mirror each other but to have the opportunity for okay, well this this contract's coming to an end, but it may be 2 or 3 weeks down the road. You still open to that?
00:20:45:20 - 00:21:06:16
Speaker 1
So that I mean, that's good to know. And this is, I'm, I'm a really firm believer in being open and honest with your recruiter, you know, and having that good relationship. It really makes a difference when finding a job because traveling has changed a lot. Travel in nursing, the competition for positions is huge. We were talking about this like some hospitals.
00:21:06:16 - 00:21:11:06
Speaker 1
We won't name them. But you know, it's kind of like you have to know someone to know someone to get in.
00:21:11:08 - 00:21:28:04
Speaker 3
And then on top of that, you are to be were in such six specific specialties to where it's not just, oh, I want to do a bigger pediatric role or just emergency in general, like it's like a pediatric emergency. And we don't do mixed acuity because adults are a little bit scary for us.
00:21:28:06 - 00:21:29:02
Speaker 4
So it's you guys have.
00:21:29:02 - 00:21:32:00
Speaker 1
Been great, I'm sure. But I just feel like if you can do kids, you can do adults.
00:21:32:00 - 00:21:33:20
Speaker 4
But but that's how we feel. You know.
00:21:33:20 - 00:21:35:20
Speaker 2
I feel like it's like a whole other world.
00:21:36:00 - 00:21:39:11
Speaker 3
Yeah. Lots of people are like, how do you guys do? Kids? I'm like, how do you do a dog?
00:21:39:13 - 00:21:40:19
Speaker 4
Yeah, I guess that's why.
00:21:40:19 - 00:21:48:21
Speaker 1
We're all meant to have our own specialty and our, you know, our own path to to pave our own yellow brick road. As someone said earlier.
00:21:48:23 - 00:22:07:10
Speaker 3
Yeah. So they're on top of the job being. So is it niche? So, yeah. Then you have a lot of the times the jobs that are posted only have the one position. And on top of that, people are like, is it tough? Like, yeah, honestly, like it's the best thing ever doing it together. But it does make it harder.
00:22:07:12 - 00:22:18:05
Speaker 3
Like because if they only have the one spot or like the seven openings. Yeah, jobs like two of them could have multiple roles. So it's just like something even more.
00:22:18:05 - 00:22:18:14
Speaker 4
Yeah.
00:22:18:14 - 00:22:33:14
Speaker 1
But one that just goes back to like the reasons why you want to do it together and why that traveling together is so important to you. And that's not going to be the same for everyone. You know, for me, I've been a solo traveler from the beginning, and it'll be like it's almost seven years thinking about a six and a half.
00:22:33:14 - 00:22:54:14
Speaker 1
So, you know, doing that. I never had to see that aspect of it. But it's like a it's a compromise and in a couple of ways, but also it it may force you to go somewhere that you may never have thought you wanted to go. So, you know, it kind of it can be something that pushes both of you out of your comfort zone, but then you have each other to, to be there.
00:22:54:18 - 00:22:55:06
Speaker 1
00:22:55:08 - 00:23:14:01
Speaker 3
Our first contract, she definitely had to convince me about going to the East Coast. Yeah. And then I think the one right, right now here in Dallas, I was kind of the chic one. So, Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Where I was like, we should go to Dallas. And I think there was another place somewhere that you were leaning towards at the time.
00:23:14:03 - 00:23:24:14
Speaker 3
So there is that compromise of like this time around. I'm like, okay, well, if there's two spots, like it's kind of her turn to pick because I convinced her on this one. So we kind of go.
00:23:24:14 - 00:23:25:04
Speaker 2
Back and forth.
00:23:25:04 - 00:23:26:07
Speaker 4
Between backing.
00:23:26:09 - 00:23:47:05
Speaker 1
And and that's good. And I think I think it's it's nice and especially, you know, with how health care can be and depending on the area that you go, I mean, East Coast personalities and West Coast personalities very, very different. So you know, it can be it can be nice to have each other to lean on when it's it's hard to you're infiltrating an already established group of people.
00:23:47:05 - 00:24:07:02
Speaker 1
Right? Yeah. And it can be intimidating. And I think something I want to go back to that we mentioned was the two years experience. And when I got into traveling, I had at the time eight years I was a been a nurse for eight years, and I couldn't get a job as a first time traveler, even with my experience.
00:24:07:02 - 00:24:30:07
Speaker 1
And, you know, a lot of changes. Again, I hate bringing this up, but Covid changed a lot of things. And it did forced, not forced, but it allowed, nurses to enter into the travel industry sooner than the two year mark. But I know Amnh does have some pretty strict guidelines. With the contracts with the facilities that they, they partner with to have that two years and why that's important.
00:24:30:07 - 00:24:57:05
Speaker 1
So, you know, like you said, even as a two year nurse, you're still and I considered myself this a baby a baby nurse. Right. Like you're still learning, especially in the E.R.. Like you're I'm sure there are things that walk through that door that you're like, whoa, never saw this before. Yeah. As a nurse, you're always learning. So two years may sound like a lot to someone in nursing school because I was there and I knew what that two years actually seemed like it would feel like.
00:24:57:11 - 00:25:20:21
Speaker 1
But when you get to that two year mark, by the time you're off orientation, what you have a year under your belt, you know, with like the the experience that you have. So you know that that is something that I truly think is important to have that experience before going into it, because I don't know which one of you said it, but you have to go in there with two, two days of orientation.
00:25:20:21 - 00:25:30:18
Speaker 1
And that's not orientation of patients, that's orientation of charging charting system, which could be a charting system that you've never seen before. And here's all the door codes.
00:25:30:20 - 00:25:34:02
Speaker 3
Yeah. You know yeah. You're just expected. Yeah.
00:25:34:04 - 00:25:35:04
Speaker 1
To hit the ground running.
00:25:35:04 - 00:25:36:06
Speaker 4
What to do. Yeah.
00:25:36:08 - 00:25:48:15
Speaker 1
And I think that it's important to have that experience. The organization skills alone, especially in the E.R.. You're managing how I mean how many patients do you manage at a time? I'm sure it fluctuates.
00:25:48:19 - 00:25:50:00
Speaker 2
No more than four.
00:25:50:02 - 00:26:11:20
Speaker 1
Yeah, but, I mean, even then, it's a lot because you're having, you know, probably different doctors seeing those those patients and different tests and things happen at a faster pace in the E.R., obviously. So I think I think it is something to highlight that it may be frustrating to the nurses that are like, I want to do traveling and I want to do it now, getting into it now, having the two years.
00:26:11:22 - 00:26:13:06
Speaker 1
Are you thankful that you waited?
00:26:13:09 - 00:26:14:04
Speaker 4
Yes.
00:26:14:06 - 00:26:27:20
Speaker 2
Yeah, definitely thankful that I waited. The I think the because I waited two and a half years. Those extra six extra months like. Yeah I felt really secure and like I learned a lot at my staff job, right? That now I'm like, okay, if I can do that here, I can do that anywhere.
00:26:27:20 - 00:26:50:07
Speaker 1
Yeah. And I think too, if that's something that you want to do and you're at, you know, your home hospital, a little piece of advice maybe I can give is, you know, if that's something that you truly see yourself doing, be eager, be hungry to learn. Seek out those opportunities to learn. Seek out those opportunities to get trained in a procedure that is not just the common procedure that every nurse does.
00:26:50:11 - 00:27:09:00
Speaker 1
You know, some facilities nurses really don't even start their own IVs or do their blood draws. So, you know, get those skills down and be checked off. So when you enter a facility, you have that and you can gain, you know, also sorry, I'm like on a tangent right now, but you can gain those experiences on travel assignments.
00:27:09:00 - 00:27:24:20
Speaker 1
So if you're sitting here and I'm saying this stuff and you're like, oh darn, I should have done that, you can still gain those experiences from the travel assignments you're on and add that to your resume. You know, build that resume every chance that you can get. If, you know, especially if traveling is is what you want to do.
00:27:24:22 - 00:27:47:18
Speaker 3
Yeah, we were super lucky at our staff, hospital especially, where it was filled with resources. We had like our own repertory therapist on the floor. The pharmacist was there all the time. Yeah. And when we went to our first travel contract, we there wasn't really there was kind of rest or therapists, but like, we started all of our on breathing treatments, stuff like, oh, where else.
00:27:47:18 - 00:28:01:21
Speaker 2
Like we didn't learn that before. So like you said, it's like they taught us that there and also like we did, I think I did especially too, if something new came in through the door. I'd asked so many questions because I'm like, what if this happens on my travel assignment? Like I want to be? Yeah, like, I.
00:28:01:21 - 00:28:04:07
Speaker 3
Know those last six months, we were.
00:28:04:09 - 00:28:05:05
Speaker 2
Just asking questions.
00:28:05:05 - 00:28:17:15
Speaker 3
Yeah. It was like, well, what if we didn't have pharmacy to call right now? And like, we had to figure out what I used meds on our. Yeah. Because you don't know how well staff these other hospitals across the US are going to be. You can't just.
00:28:17:15 - 00:28:18:23
Speaker 4
Assume they're all.
00:28:19:01 - 00:28:20:17
Speaker 3
Top 20 and have.
00:28:20:19 - 00:28:30:18
Speaker 1
A lot of times like fun fact, a lot of these hospitals that need the travel nurses. Yeah. They're not the hospitals that there's these higher. There's a yeah there's a reason.
00:28:30:18 - 00:28:32:15
Speaker 4
There's a reason they're paying you. Yeah.
00:28:32:15 - 00:28:54:08
Speaker 1
And there's a reason they have these holes. So you have to have those skills or the like the ability and and hunger. I use that word a lot. I'm hungry. I say that about myself. I'm hungry to learn, even even at my age, with my experience, you have to be willing to learn and willing to say when you don't know how to do something to, you know, because at the end of the day, you are on your own at these facilities.
00:28:54:12 - 00:29:16:12
Speaker 1
That hospital you are not an employee of. You know, Ammon has your back, but they have they have your back to an extent, because you have to be responsible for your own skillset and all of your certifications and everything you need, like, you know, ammon's here to support you and, you know, help to facilitate those things and answer the questions when you need to find new certifications or whatever.
00:29:16:12 - 00:29:27:02
Speaker 1
But you are basically independent. You're, you know, you're autonomous and you're in your own nursing profession, which you know, is fun because in a way, it's kind of like your own little own little business.
00:29:27:03 - 00:29:28:06
Speaker 4
You know.
00:29:28:08 - 00:29:45:17
Speaker 3
Another thing that we like about us traveling together and the benefits of doing it as like a partnership. Well, if one of us has a patient that we feel iffy about, you don't know the new hospital, you know your resources all the time, who you can call. Like, I don't want to assume this person's been a nurse for a long time.
00:29:45:17 - 00:29:54:23
Speaker 3
They could be a new grad starting later. Like right now. But when we work together, we know we can call the other person and be like, hey, I feel that about we heard about this patient like, yeah, what do you think? Right?
00:29:55:01 - 00:29:56:05
Speaker 1
The idea is just.
00:29:56:05 - 00:30:03:06
Speaker 3
Her nursing judgment. Just because I've seen her since the beginning, obviously. So it's nice that we have each other as like a resource at work. Also. Yeah.
00:30:03:08 - 00:30:20:17
Speaker 1
It reminded me of something. I did an episode in the studio with actually a good friend of mine, and she she had an issue at work and she didn't really have like, she, you get to know the people, but there wasn't someone that she could, she could go to, like you do at a staff job. You know, you have your you have your buddy to you know, refer back to.
00:30:20:18 - 00:30:35:16
Speaker 1
And I made the point that, you know, people are like, well, I didn't know who to ask. You can always find someone. So just to highlight, even though you have each other, even if you both are stumped, there's always going to be someone there that you can go to and trust. Because we're nurses at the end of the day and we care.
00:30:35:18 - 00:31:00:23
Speaker 1
We care about what happens to our patients, especially in the pediatric world. You know, we're not just going to allow someone to fumble and, you know, and fail. You know, we don't because a failure of a nurse is failing a patient. So none of us none of us are going to do that. So, you know, it is it is something that I always try to remind new nurses, travel nurses, whomever I come across, that there's always someone that's going to be there.
00:31:01:01 - 00:31:24:06
Speaker 1
And even if that person doesn't know, they know the pathway because they are employed at that hospital to advocate for the patient and go up the line in the appropriate way of what they need to do. So I, I love your story so much. I've loved talking to you guys, but let's kind of let's kind of wrap this up with like, what is the best the best part of traveling together?
00:31:24:08 - 00:31:25:11
Speaker 4
I think it's always, yeah.
00:31:25:14 - 00:31:45:10
Speaker 2
Creating new memories. I mean, I've always loved to travel. We always we travel as much as we can now we're getting paid for it. And I think there's also like they don't talk about like, the loneliness. I mean, you've been a traveler by yourself, like it's lonely. Yeah. Somewhere you never been. You're the new guy. So you're, like, chipping away at glass that you don't belong in.
00:31:45:10 - 00:32:02:07
Speaker 2
Yeah. They're like, we're already friends. Like, who are you? You're getting paid more than me. And yeah, you know, like what? What are you doing here? This is my home. Yeah. So I think it's very different. Like the last contact we had. I feel like it was like that. Very clicky. Like, not a lot of people wanted to let us in and then hear the contract that we have here.
00:32:02:07 - 00:32:07:02
Speaker 2
We're like best friends with the Chargers. Like, they invite us out to dinner, drinks. Like, I love.
00:32:07:02 - 00:32:09:16
Speaker 4
That if I sound for myself.
00:32:09:18 - 00:32:11:05
Speaker 3
Now. Yeah.
00:32:11:07 - 00:32:15:20
Speaker 4
If what it's. I said that's the South for you. Yeah. Stocks itself. Yeah.
00:32:15:21 - 00:32:17:23
Speaker 2
Virgin or wherever we were.
00:32:18:01 - 00:32:19:04
Speaker 4
Last was.
00:32:19:04 - 00:32:32:01
Speaker 2
No southern hospitality. Yeah. And I think like having a like friend with you makes it so much easier. Like yeah first day on orientation. Like I'm at least talking to her or instead of just, like sitting there quiet, like.
00:32:32:01 - 00:32:33:15
Speaker 4
Okay, hey. Yeah. You know.
00:32:33:15 - 00:32:43:06
Speaker 1
Because there's a lot of questions when you enter a new facility and you're lost and it's okay to feel lost. And but having that person there, I think that's really important. That's great. Yeah. It's really good.
00:32:43:12 - 00:32:49:15
Speaker 3
We'll always like the first day we share a notes app of that facility and then like put.
00:32:49:17 - 00:32:51:00
Speaker 4
In the codes and stuff.
00:32:51:02 - 00:33:01:20
Speaker 3
Yeah. So it's like if we have a bunch of questions we can like go off of each other. So we're not just like annoying all of our new coworkers. The first day trying to figure out, like, I'm like, hey, what's the you know.
00:33:01:22 - 00:33:08:06
Speaker 4
What's the tube station number? Yeah. I was like, I know there's little things you take for granted. I mean, I love that the note sharing is.
00:33:08:06 - 00:33:22:18
Speaker 1
A great tip for anyone out there listening. You know, that's traveling as a pair. Even. You know, you meet a buddy on orientation, which happens. That's a really, really great tip to to share. I really I really like that. So we'll have to highlight that somehow.
00:33:22:19 - 00:33:25:09
Speaker 4
Yeah. Because I think that's good. Yeah.
00:33:25:11 - 00:33:32:20
Speaker 1
If you could give one piece of advice to someone that is thinking about traveling, what would you what would you tell them?
00:33:32:22 - 00:33:34:22
Speaker 4
Just do it. So are you.
00:33:34:22 - 00:33:57:04
Speaker 3
Thinking about it? You have like the edge to do it. Coming from me, who was literally like, I would never. Yeah. And then her, she went to nursing school to do travel nursing. And I was like, there's no way. Now I'm like, I don't know how I'm ever going to just settle down in one place forever. I'm like, I'm like, wait, we have to like, get married to a family one.
00:33:57:04 - 00:33:59:19
Speaker 4
Day or not. Just like, I can't do this.
00:33:59:21 - 00:34:01:14
Speaker 2
I would love to. You never know. Yeah.
00:34:01:14 - 00:34:18:07
Speaker 1
Listen, like life takes you in unexpected places and you never know where it's going to go. But I'm the same way. Like, I packed up all my stuff and drove solo from Pennsylvania to San Diego. It was the scariest thing I ever did. When I do not regret a thing, I do not. It has changed me. As a nurse, I have grown as a nurse.
00:34:18:12 - 00:34:38:16
Speaker 1
You too will continue to grow. I'm sure you have grown from nursing school and your first job. And you know, I'm. I'm just so happy I met you and you guys are here to share. Share your story with everyone. So thank you so much. Thanks for listening, everyone. I hope you enjoyed their story as much as I did, and remember all of those little tips that we talked about, especially the notes app.
00:34:38:16 - 00:34:47:23
Speaker 1
That's a really good one that we should all keep in the back of our pocket.
00:34:48:01 - 00:35:01:02
Speaker 1
Thank you for tuning in to Nursing Uncharted. You can learn more about this episode and our show on our website at AMN. Health care.com. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend and subscribe to our show on your favorite podcast platform.
00:35:01:04 - 00:35:03:00
Speaker 4
You can also find show updates.
00:35:03:00 - 00:35:10:11
Speaker 1
And nursing opportunities on our Instagram at AMA nurse. Special thanks to Aman Healthcare for making this show possible.
