Nursing Uncharted Ep. 116: How Travel Nursing Changes You: Confidence, Community, and Finding Your Way

Travel nursing does more than change your zip code. It changes how you carry yourself into a new unit, how you build relationships from scratch, and how you define what matters most in your life and career. In this episode of Nursing Uncharted, Audrey T., manager of recruitment at AMN Healthcare, sits down with two travel nurses, Ilana and Paige, who are living that transformation in real time. 

Best friends from Phoenix who met as PACU coworkers, Ilana and Paige are now on assignment together in San Diego. But their paths there looked different: Ilana has been traveling for a year and a half, while Paige is just six weeks into her first contract. Together, they open up about what actually shifts when you take the leap into travel nursing, the confidence, the friendships, the priorities, and share the advice they wish someone had given them on day one. 

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Key Takeaways

• Confidence comes from trusting your existing skills. You already know how to care for patients. The unfamiliar policies and procedures at a new facility are details you will figure out, not evidence that you are unprepared. 
• Asking questions is a sign of strength, not weakness. Ilana's go-to phrase when starting a new assignment, "How do you do this here?", shows experience while demonstrating respect for each facility's way of doing things. 
• Community does not happen by accident. Plugging into something outside of work, whether it is surfing, church, or a volunteer group, gives you a low-pressure way to build a life in a new city. 
• Relationships become your anchor. Distance often makes friendships and family connections more intentional, not less meaningful. 
• Flexibility is a mindset you can practice. Learning to sit with the unknown, not knowing your next contract or location, becomes easier when you stay grounded in who you are. 

Chapters 

• 00:00—Introduction: Why This Conversation Matters 
• 00:42—Meet Ilana and Paige: From PACU Coworkers to Travel Partners 
• 03:57—What Excited Them Most About Travel Nursing 
• 04:57—Family Reactions to the Big Move 
• 08:05—Overcoming Early Challenges on a New Unit 
• 10:23—Building Community in a Temporary Home 
• 11:08—How Travel Nursing Shapes Personal Identity 
• 14:26—Shifting Priorities: Relationships, Rest, and Purpose 
• 17:06—Making Friends as a Travel Nurse 
• 22:37—Clinical Confidence and On-the-Job Growth 

Guest Spotlight

Ilana and Paige met at their first PACU job, one arriving from the ICU, the other from the ER, and became fast friends despite their departmental rivalry. Both are lifelong Arizona residents and four-year nurses who decided that experiencing new places did not require giving up the community they love back home. 

Ilana has been traveling for a year and a half and describes herself as a proud PACU travel nurse who has learned to embrace flexibility, both in her career and in life. Paige, an ER nurse with PACU experience, is only six weeks into her first assignment but already speaks with the clarity of someone who has done the work to stay centered through big change.

Now on assignment together in San Diego, they bring a rare, honest perspective on what it actually feels like to build a new life one contract at a time, and why leaning on each other has made the transition easier for both of them. 

Transcript

00:00:00.160 — 00:00:40.400 · Speaker 1
Hey guys. Welcome back to another episode of Nursing Uncharted. It's Ann and today's episode is all about something that doesn't always get talked about, but every nurse who travels experiences it in one way or another. It's how this lifestyle actually changes you. Not just where you work, but how you think, how you show up, and what really starts to matter over time.

So for this conversation, I'm bringing in Audrey once again. I wanted to bring in someone who gets a front row seat to that transformation every day. Someone who works closely with the nurses as they take that leap into travel nursing and grow through it in real time. So once again, I'm letting her take it over from here.

Enjoy.

00:00:42.120 — 00:02:00.200 · Speaker 2
Thanks, Anne, and hi everyone. My name is Audrey Tate, manager of recruitment at AMN healthcare, and I spend most of my day talking to nurses about their next move, their goals, and honestly, everything in between. One thing I hear all the time, especially from nurses early in their travel careers, is. I didn't expect this to change me as much as it did.

So that's what we're getting into today. Not contracts, not logistics, not anything overly complicated, just the real stuff. How travel nursing actually changes you. Your confidence, your routine, your friendships, your perspective, all of it. And I'm really excited about this one because I'm joined by two nurses who I've had the chance to work closely with, who are both early in their travel journeys, but already with some very real weight.

I've changed moments. They're currently on assignment together in San Diego. They're good friends and I've had a front row seat watching that growth happen, which honestly is one of the best parts of what I get to do. So today we're going to unpack what surprised them, what pushed them, what's changed the most, and what they'd tell themselves if they could go back to day one.

And with that, I have the pleasure of introducing my two guests today, Ilana and Paige. Hi, guys. Hello. Awesome. So we're gonna dive right in. Tell me a little bit about you, your background, where you came from.

00:02:00.240 — 00:02:19.840 · Speaker 3
Okay. My name is Ilana. I am a travel nurse in PACU. I've been a nurse for four years. I've been traveling for a year and a half, and I'm from Phoenix, Arizona, and my name is Paige. I've been a nurse for four years, mostly E.R., but also PACU. I've been traveling for a month and a half, and I'm also from Phoenix, Arizona.

00:02:19.920 — 00:02:23.200 · Speaker 2
Okay, so very new. How did you two meet originally?

00:02:23.600 — 00:02:45.720 · Speaker 3
We met at our first PACU job. She had come from E.D. and I came from ICU. We both had nurses for probably about a year and a half or so. And, um, even though we were bound to be mortal enemies because of E.D. versus ICU, we became the best of friends. And the rest is history. Yeah, I love it.

00:02:45.720 — 00:02:52.240 · Speaker 2
Was working together and traveling together something you guys had talked about then, or was this something that developed later?

00:02:52.520 — 00:03:34.330 · Speaker 3
It really wasn't. We actually got really close. And then she was like, So I'm travel nursing. so she abandoned me. It's fine. Um, so it wasn't really something we ever talked about doing together? Um, I would call her and we would talk while she was on her first assignment in Ventura, which was really fun, just to hear how all of it was going and how much she was loving it.

And then she took a contract down here in San Diego. And my life circumstances just kind of changed. And it was a time where I was really flexible and there was an opportunity on the unit that she's currently at, and I was like, it just sounds really great. So I tried it out and here we are. And I had been and.

00:03:34.330 — 00:03:35.450 · Speaker 4
It's been amazing.

00:03:35.450 — 00:03:39.570 · Speaker 3
I'd been sprinkling in the travel nurse propaganda for upwards of a year. Yeah.

00:03:39.610 — 00:03:41.170 · Speaker 4
So you've been I've been working.

00:03:41.170 — 00:03:41.330 · Speaker 3
On.

00:03:41.330 — 00:03:45.410 · Speaker 4
Me for a while. Yeah. Good, good.

00:03:45.450 — 00:03:57.630 · Speaker 2
So talking about thinking back to you, preparing for travel nursing, this is something you thought about a little bit more. Um, what was something that you were most excited about in pursuing this journey and this lifestyle.

00:03:57.670 — 00:04:25.870 · Speaker 3
I think I was most excited to get out of my comfort zone and just see new places I had. And pages the same. We have been the place where we grew up for upwards of our entire life. We've basically only explored while vacationing. We didn't move away for school, we didn't move away for our first new grad jobs. So I was just really excited to get out there and see what it's like to just live in a city that isn't the only place that I've known.

00:04:26.270 — 00:04:27.070 · Speaker 2
Amazing.

00:04:27.110 — 00:04:46.150 · Speaker 3
Yeah, I love that travel nursing gives you the opportunity to see a lot of places, but you don't have to necessarily commit to a place like settle down, build routes, and you get a chance to see a lot at once so that when you are ready to settle down, you have this wide array of experiences. And a lot of people don't have that opportunity.

That's really.

00:04:46.150 — 00:04:57.730 · Speaker 2
Special point. Yeah, yeah. Having you guys live in this one place your whole lives. How did your families feel about you kind of jumping ship and going somewhere new. Was that a difficult conversation?

00:04:57.770 — 00:05:49.370 · Speaker 3
I wouldn't say it was a difficult conversation, but it was a difficult transition for sure, for, I think for us as much as for our family, families, because we are just people who love to be around our families. But I think that when your family supports you and they want you to be able to experience life and experience everything you can.

Um, even though it's difficult, they are going to be like your biggest cheerleader is throughout the process. Yeah, I wouldn't say it was difficult. I wasn't really worried about how they were going to react. They were excited for me. I think they were sad for them. But like, they're your family, they love you and they want to cheer you on.

Like she was saying. So. And for both of us, we weren't leaving Arizona because we were like, oh, I have to get out of here. We both love Arizona. Like, we're very proud that we're from Arizona. So it wasn't that we don't love where we are, but there's just more world out there to see.

00:05:49.730 — 00:05:50.010 · Speaker 2
You know.

00:05:50.330 — 00:06:02.310 · Speaker 3
If you're having this feeling or this voice inside your head that is like, I'm happy here, but what else is out there? You should listen to it and, you know, check it out.

00:06:02.710 — 00:06:17.310 · Speaker 2
Absolutely. That that bravery aspect is a huge part of it. Just making the leap. It's a very personal decision. It's something that only you can make. But having the support of your family, having the support of your friends really empowers you to do that, right?

00:06:17.310 — 00:06:17.990 · Speaker 3
Yeah, yeah.

00:06:18.030 — 00:06:23.550 · Speaker 2
Love it. Have you guys had a chance to go back home and visit? Since you've been out here, have they been able to see you here?

00:06:23.790 — 00:07:32.960 · Speaker 3
Yes, I went home. My sister got married a couple of weeks ago, so it was great to. It's like almost, you know, weddings are kind of a family reunion. So I got to see everybody, even extended family that I don't normally see. So it was nice to just be in a place where you're known, because when you're a travel nurse, you're kind of a stranger to everybody for a little while.

And I haven't been here long enough to, like, really establish myself necessarily. So it was good to be in a place where everybody knows me and knows my personality when I'm like. And just to feel that level of comfort, you know? Yes, absolutely. Yeah. Well, back when I used to visit Home Page and I would have our quarterly brunch.

Yeah. And catch up. Um, but, yeah, I've had plenty of opportunity to go home. I feel like when you're travel nursing, you kind of create a routine for breaks between contracts and when you should visit home, and hopefully getting to see your family during the holidays if that's something you want to do.

So I've had lots of time to go back and, you know, be with my family and get quality time. It's super important for staying grounded when you're again a stranger. So yeah.

00:07:33.000 — 00:08:05.060 · Speaker 2
Good, good. I'm glad you had the opportunity to reconnect and that they are so supportive of you guys branching out and trying something a little bit different. Let's go back and touch on that confidence aspect that you were talking about earlier. So, Paige, I know you've only been on assignment for like a month and a half now.

This is very new. But looking back on these six weeks? Is there a specific situation or scenario that presented a challenge to you that you had to overcome to feel either more comfortable or integrated on the unit? Anything that you can think of?

00:08:05.380 — 00:08:46.940 · Speaker 3
Um, I can't think of one specific thing. I think all of it to me felt like a challenge just because I've never done this before. It's brand new. So I think beforehand I was really in my head about like, what's their policy going to be about this and that and all those kinds of things and getting there, just realizing, like, I'm a good nurse and I have the skills to do this.

All of that stuff is extra stuff that I will figure out, but I know how to take care of a patient. I know how to recover a patient. I know what to do if something goes down that we weren't anticipating. So I have all the skills. It's just knowing my resources and what staff I have and like their procedure for things.

00:08:46.980 — 00:08:55.800 · Speaker 2
Right, right. And you are. You've been on contract a little bit longer, so maybe more opportunity for some challenges to come up. What could you think back on and speak to?

00:08:56.000 — 00:08:57.160 · Speaker 5
I would say.

00:08:57.520 — 00:10:00.620 · Speaker 3
In my experience through the two facilities I've traveled to so far, the most challenging circumstance is almost always an emergency where something emergent is happening with the patient, but you don't really know all the things that you need to do or all the phone numbers. You know who should be called.

So just having people there who are supportive is super helpful. And then, you know, challenges outside of work can just be, you know, struggling with loneliness, struggling with feeling, sometimes isolated or wondering even. I feel like a big challenge is just the impermanence of travel nursing.

If you're type A, then you've got to learn to be type B a little bit and be like, I don't know where I'm headed. I don't know what's next. I don't know if I'm staying for another month or if I'm staying until the end of the year. All of it's up in the air, so it can be a challenge to switch your mentality and get used to kind of living life where things are kind of ambiguous and in question all the time.

00:10:00.660 — 00:10:23.460 · Speaker 2
Definitely. We talked about that a little bit earlier in terms of assimilating yourself with the community and making sure that you're really established when it comes to overcoming those challenges and obstacles and preventing yourself from falling into a pattern of isolation. What has been most impactful for you in turning San Diego into your temporary home?

00:10:23.940 — 00:10:53.750 · Speaker 3
I feel like finding a part of the community that you can plug yourself into. So for Paige, a lot of times it's church. And for me it's either because I like to surf. So surfing or even community groups where you have things in common with people and you can go do that hobby. It's like low pressure, but you're still able to be a part of things.

So just finding a place where you fit and really just plugging in there, I think really helps with the transition.

00:10:53.790 — 00:11:08.190 · Speaker 2
I love that, I think that's such a key piece of it too. Let's talk a little bit about your personal identity, both inside and outside of work. How has travel nursing impacted who you are outside of the hospital?

00:11:08.670 — 00:11:48.490 · Speaker 3
I don't know, I mean, I've only been a travel nurse for like a month and a half, so I probably haven't fully been able to, like, step back and reflect on that. I would say for anyone who's been traveling for any amount of time on an individual level, I think you need to be very centered in who you are as a person prior to all of this massive life change happening, because for me, it felt like a massive life change.

I uprooted my whole life to be here. Yeah. So you need to be really centered in who you are and what you stand for and who you are as a person. And I think if you let that guide you, regardless of your life circumstances, you'll always end up in a good spot.

00:11:48.930 — 00:11:52.570 · Speaker 2
Definitely. Agreed. Anything to add there?

00:11:53.090 — 00:12:09.850 · Speaker 3
Having confidence in yourself. Having the purpose that drives you. Kind of already present in your life. Helps with the transition so you don't feel lost, but also having flexibility to allow yourself to grow and change, I think is helpful to.

00:12:10.090 — 00:13:02.270 · Speaker 2
Flexibility is definitely something that travel nursing demands for sure. And so that's an important mentality piece for people that are looking to get into this or wanting to make this leap is have that at the forefront of your mind. Because there's so many moving pieces, there's so many moving parts.

It does require adaptability. But speaking from the recruiter side of it, that's something that we strive and always want to assist with and try to make it as seamless and smooth as possible. There is a lot of change. There's a lot of things going on, but we're here to help kind of guide you through it and make sure that you feel really, really prepared.

What about long term? Again, Paige, I know it's been a very brief amount of time, so maybe we'll start with Ilana. But how has travel, nursing or nursing in general impacted what you want for yourself long term, professionally or personally?

00:13:02.510 — 00:13:03.550 · Speaker 5
Yeah, I would say.

00:13:03.550 — 00:13:45.190 · Speaker 3
Professionally, it's definitely opened my eyes to the point that there are so many different opportunities out there, and there's so many different ways to move forward in your career as a nurse. You don't have to be a staff nurse forever. You don't have to be a travel nurse forever. You don't even have to be a nurse forever.

You can do so many different things with the experience that you have. And I think at this point in time, I'm just open to whatever opportunities come my way. Um, and for now, I'm very happy as a travel pack nurse, and I think I'm going to continue to explore. And on the personal note, um, until I find my forever home, wherever that may be.

00:13:45.510 — 00:13:47.730 · Speaker 2
Love it. Anything to add there, Paige?

00:13:47.970 — 00:14:09.370 · Speaker 3
I think for me, I've embraced the travel nurse mentality of I don't know what's next. Um, for right now I'm just enjoying being a travel nurse and I find myself very content with the travel nurse lifestyle right now. For right now, I don't have any plans on changing that necessarily, so I'm just open to whatever life leads me to.

00:14:09.650 — 00:14:26.330 · Speaker 2
Great. Well, we're going to partner on that together, okay? We're going to find the right move for you. Have you guys noticed any changes in your priorities, the things that matter to you, the things that you find most important since starting this travel journey, or even just since moving to a new place?

00:14:27.290 — 00:15:13.590 · Speaker 3
Relationships for sure. I think relationships with your family, with your significant other, if you're traveling with them. Some people have travel buddies, their travel buddies. A lot of things can change in life and your relationships are what ground you during that change. So I certainly think that that is something that has changed when it comes to my perspective, is just really seeing that as priority number one, and also rest when you're moving and groovin on your on your days off between contracts, you're packing, you're moving, you're applying for jobs.

So rest is definitely something that's higher on my list than it used to be, is really leaning into time. So when I can get it. Yeah. Good.

00:15:13.630 — 00:15:19.830 · Speaker 2
You deserve that break in that reset. So take that time whenever you get the opportunities. What about you, Paige?

00:15:19.870 — 00:15:44.560 · Speaker 3
I think it's made me reflect on my life in Phoenix and, like, what made my life in Arizona like, special and what I love so much about it and how I can implement that here. For me, volunteering is like a really big passion of mine. I was a part of this awesome group called Tempe Young Lives, which is a ministry for teen moms and their babies.

I was a volunteer leader for like three years in Phoenix.

00:15:44.600 — 00:15:45.320 · Speaker 2
Amazing.

00:15:45.360 — 00:16:07.960 · Speaker 3
Yeah. So that, I would say more than anything else, has been really hard to let go of. So I'm hopeful to look for something similar to that here, or just like a way I can help out in some way outside of a nursing way. Yeah, I think would be really cool. But it's sweet too, because I look back and I'm like, that was such a special time.

You know, that's so beautiful.

00:16:07.960 — 00:16:25.640 · Speaker 2
Involving yourself in the community. I mean, you guys, your baseline is caring about people. That's why you're a nurse. That's why you're great nurses. And so seeing that investment go beyond just your patients. I'm going to just speaks to who you guys are as people and why I am so privileged and grateful to be able to work with you.

00:16:25.800 — 00:16:35.760 · Speaker 3
So we're grateful to we're lucky to. Yeah. And, yes, Paige is an amazing woman. I'm very happy and proud to be her friend. So is Lana. You guys are so sweet.

00:16:35.800 — 00:17:06.660 · Speaker 2
I definitely want to expand on the relationship aspect, because I would say this is probably the number one fear that I hear from travelers in my initial call from them is the thought of leaving home, being away from what they know and who they know. Are they going to be by themselves on contract? Are there going to be other travelers there that know what they're experiencing and what they're going through?

So would you guys say that? Has it gotten easier or harder to make friends while traveling?

00:17:06.900 — 00:18:40.640 · Speaker 3
I think it depends on the facility. I think that, well, my first contract, the hospital, was it must have been around 50% staffed by travelers. Wow. So making friends was easy because a lot of people are there temporarily and they're down to plug in and make like fast relationships basically. Now at the facility I'm currently at for around five months, I was the only travel nurse on my unit, so it took a little bit longer for me to kind of plug in to the Community there and into relationships with my coworkers.

I do think all of it depends on effort, and I think Paige can attest to this. I think when you are working to create a social life for yourself in this new place, a lot of it is dependent on you and how much effort you're willing to put forth. But I will also share that it can be difficult because you still have your job, your responsibilities.

You might, you know, have someone at home that you're trying to still have a relationship with and then also making new friends. It can be difficult and draining, especially if you're not extroverted. So, you know, you just got to give yourself grace, give yourself time, and, you know, take pride and joy in the little things, like getting to know someone briefly or having a conversation with a stranger and, you know, maybe might not see them again, but you're still connecting.

And that, I think, is helpful.

00:18:41.020 — 00:19:43.990 · Speaker 3
I love that. I love that. Yeah, I would say as far as friendships, I think regardless of if you're a travel nurse or not, making friendships as an adult is hard. Um, I mean, as a just someone who wasn't traveling, I find it difficult. So at travel nursing on top of that, and it is hard. There is definitely a struggle there. But those like core friends that you have, just because you love to go travel, that doesn't change your your friendship.

You may not physically be in the same place anymore, but like that love and bond that you have with that person is still there. Yeah. So I would just say focusing on investing in the people that you already have in your life, while also making the effort to meet new people. Like Ilana was saying, like, I get grocery store pick up and I usually do it on the same day every week, and it's the same guy, sweet guy, that brings me my groceries.

And he goes, how are you? It's like he's my favorite interaction of the whole week. And I interact with him for two minutes. Once a week. Just like a slide. Little stuff. Like.

00:19:46.670 — 00:19:48.230 · Speaker 6
This little stuff like that.

00:19:48.390 — 00:19:53.150 · Speaker 3
Yeah. You don't deliver my groceries to me, so that's true. That's true. You got me there.

00:19:53.910 — 00:19:55.910 · Speaker 6
I love that so much.

00:19:55.950 — 00:20:04.590 · Speaker 2
How do you guys foster those relationships with the people that aren't nearby? Is. Is this phone calls, or is this trying to arrange visits? What does that look like?

00:20:04.670 — 00:20:50.850 · Speaker 3
Well, honestly, our relationship strengthened so much by me leaving, I think. I think that we had been friends at work, but once it came to time that I was getting ready to leave, that's when we kind of started to hang out more. So I think sometimes with distant Become you, you find intention in your relationships more that maybe you wouldn't have had before.

So I think with that intention, you know, you're sometimes FaceTiming and then when you're going home, you are planning lunches or events or whatever, and that's really how you strengthen your relationships back home is just with a lot of intention and sending some reminders sometimes to text or call when things get busy.

00:20:50.930 — 00:21:05.330 · Speaker 2
Definitely. Is there anything that I am or me, as your recruiter, has done or could do to help develop those friendships while you're on assignment? Any way that you would feel supported and establish a community early on?

00:21:05.850 — 00:21:57.270 · Speaker 3
Well, honestly, being in San Diego has been great because I've been able to meet my recruiter in person. I feel like just when recruiters check in with you and ask you how you're doing, and they ask that question in a genuine way so that you feel like they do care about the answer. And you can answer honestly.

I think can make people, especially people who are traveling alone. They don't have a travel buddy who is waiting at their destination for them, or they don't have a spouse or, you know, a pet home waiting for them. Sometimes they relate. Their relationship with their recruiter might be just kind of a single line for them.

So I think just checking in, asking how they're doing and not just about the assignment, about how are you doing in your new location, how are you settling in, I think is just very heartwarming when you get that text that someone is looking out for you.

00:21:57.550 — 00:22:37.090 · Speaker 2
That's such a big piece. From the recruiters perspective. I love to talk about anything but business. So tell me how your life is going. Tell me what you've been up to. Share the fun activities that is. Oh, it just fills my soul and makes me feel so good and so proud of what we're doing. So we're definitely gonna continue to share those.

And, um, it's super important on my side that you guys feel that you have someone you can reach out to no matter what is going on. Um, and so having that rapport and having that relationship, I think has made our partnership very successful. And I'm really excited to see where that continues to go. Long term.

00:22:37.130 — 00:22:38.330 · Speaker 6
Good to me too.

00:22:38.570 — 00:23:02.770 · Speaker 2
Okay, so we're going to dive into some more logistical stuff because you guys are just a wealth of knowledge and you are experts in your field. And so I want to talk about some of the things that travel helped really click into place for you. So what is something. And this could be clinically based that you're now really good at.

That is maybe new that you learned while traveling.

00:23:03.250 — 00:23:05.090 · Speaker 3
Packing packing my bags.

00:23:05.090 — 00:23:07.210 · Speaker 6
I used to be the.

00:23:07.530 — 00:23:08.690 · Speaker 5
Two suitcase.

00:23:08.690 — 00:23:17.210 · Speaker 3
For one week type of person. Now I am the personal item one week type of person. I'm very proud of that. That is what travel nursing has done for me.

00:23:17.650 — 00:23:18.730 · Speaker 2
I bow down to you.

00:23:18.730 — 00:23:23.610 · Speaker 6
I can't do it. It's yeah, I don't I never did it. I haven't mastered it yet.

00:23:23.610 — 00:23:27.650 · Speaker 3
I kept like wanting to bring all this stuff. And she's like, Paige, you don't need that.

00:23:27.690 — 00:23:28.090 · Speaker 6
You don't.

00:23:28.090 — 00:23:28.530 · Speaker 3
Need your.

00:23:28.530 — 00:23:30.010 · Speaker 6
Costco sized box.

00:23:30.010 — 00:23:31.130 · Speaker 3
Of cotton rounds.

00:23:31.370 — 00:23:33.970 · Speaker 6
I had to counter. You don't need those cotton rounds.

00:23:34.010 — 00:23:36.060 · Speaker 3
They're a dollar. You can get them anywhere.

00:23:37.620 — 00:23:39.100 · Speaker 6
For me, I would say.

00:23:39.220 — 00:23:47.540 · Speaker 3
As an emergency nurse, you have to be flexible. I was nervous. Because I've been working. I have patchy experience, but predominantly I work E.R.

00:23:48.260 — 00:24:23.380 · Speaker 3
I hadn't been back in a PACU assignment for over a year, so I was nervous about my PACU skills and how that was going to translate. So not only being back in PACU again, but also being in another state on a different unit, different standards, all those kinds of things. So I would just say the flexibility and kind of just being a yes person, like if somebody asks you to do something, being like, yep, I can do that, or just taking the initiative to help somebody else without being asked.

I think really shows like that. You're confident as a nurse, even when you're not feeling it. Just fake it til you make it, you know.

00:24:23.860 — 00:24:26.820 · Speaker 2
Definitely being teamwork oriented is a huge part of it.

00:24:26.820 — 00:25:03.800 · Speaker 3
And I feel like on that note, something that helps to kind of portray that you're confident but willing to learn. One of my favorite questions when I'm training at a new facility is, how do you do this here? Because I know how to insert a fully catheter or I know how to do avoiding trial. But every place has its nuances, especially in PACU, where sometimes the recovery can be just nuanced.

So asking, you know, how do you like to do things here? It shows I am experienced, but I want to know what you guys want so that I can be of service here. I think really helps to get acclimated and show confidence.

00:25:04.120 — 00:25:05.840 · Speaker 6
That's huge. That's huge.

00:25:06.000 — 00:25:26.960 · Speaker 2
Now that you guys have completed at least one orientation to kind of start a travel assignment, thinking forward to future contracts, whether it be travel, permanent positions, per diem, what's going to be your go to strategy when you walk onto a new unit to get yourself situated, obtain the information you need.

What's that going to look like?

00:25:27.360 — 00:25:28.000 · Speaker 6
I think just.

00:25:28.000 — 00:25:28.280 · Speaker 3
Being.

00:25:28.280 — 00:25:29.200 · Speaker 6
Proactive.

00:25:29.640 — 00:25:58.300 · Speaker 3
Being proactive in your approach to people goes a long way When you're new and people don't know you, and how willing they're going to be to help you. Being friendly, asking questions, trying to clarify early and often. I feel like shows that you're intentional, that you want to be there, that you're there to help the unit.

Just having the attitude. Like Ilana said of being like, I'm here to help. That's the whole reason you hired me. So let me be of service to you guys and help.

00:25:58.300 — 00:26:00.020 · Speaker 6
You out and say it.

00:26:00.020 — 00:26:16.780 · Speaker 3
Too. Like they love to hear it. I'm here to help because I think sometimes we get so caught up in everything about a contract, and it's easy to forget I'm here in this location to do this job, and just making sure that the people around you know it. I'm here to help. You know.

00:26:17.140 — 00:26:18.100 · Speaker 6
So huge.

00:26:18.100 — 00:26:35.080 · Speaker 2
You guys have shared again, so many wonderful tidbits of advice for people who are maybe thinking about pursuing this journey. Are there any last words of wisdom that you want to share for the new grads, travelers that are out there right now that are looking for their next contract. Getting prepared.

00:26:35.840 — 00:27:37.570 · Speaker 3
There's so much advice. Yeah, I'm trying to think of one piece of advice. I think it would just be. I mean, we're both more preppers. Like to have our ducks in a row. Being open and being flexible in your career and then also just in life in general. That's like one of the best things happen, you know. So just being willing to allow to that release of control can really open some really cool doors.

Yeah, I agree. And I would say, don't forget to take care of yourself because you have to be a lot of things for a lot of people. And there's always that feeling of, do they like me? Do they want to extend me? You know, we're not protected in the same way that some staff nurses are, especially depending on the state you're working in.

You don't know if you're going to be here tomorrow, so leaning in to the unknown is helpful.

00:27:37.610 — 00:28:00.370 · Speaker 3
But also. You know, give yourself grace, give yourself breaks, and always ask yourself, you know, what do I want to instead of everybody like me? Does everyone keep me? You know? Do I want to stay here? What's next for me? Am I happy where I'm at? Should I go to a different facility? Things like that. That's advice that I would give to people who are traveling or looking for the next contract.

00:28:00.410 — 00:28:37.990 · Speaker 2
I love it, there's so much self-reflection in that process, and it really is a decision that only you can make. Your your recruiter, your partner, your friends. They can supply information. They can answer questions. They can you know, you can run through the pros and cons of if this is the move for you.

But ultimately you have to be willing to to take that step. And the hope is that it's this life changing, monumental journey that kickstarts the rest of whatever your life looks like. Thank you guys so much for joining us today. It has been absolutely wonderful to get to meet you in person and talk to you a little bit more.

So I really appreciate you coming on.

00:28:37.990 — 00:28:42.790 · Speaker 3
Thank you so much for having us and for everything that you do to make this happen for us.

00:28:43.150 — 00:28:49.990 · Speaker 7
Thank you guys, and thank you so much for tuning in to this very special episode of Nursing Uncharted. We'll see you next time.

00:28:55.870 — 00:29:18.630 · Speaker 8
Thank you for tuning in to Nursing Uncharted. You can learn more about this episode and our show on our website at AMN healthcare. If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend and subscribe to our show on your favorite podcast platform. You can also find show updates and nursing opportunities on our Instagram at AMN nurse.

Special thanks to AMN healthcare for making this show possible.