Traveler of the Year – Betty E!

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| posted by Axis Staffing

Name: Betty E.

City/State: Durham, NC

Specialty: Electrophysiology Lab

Year: 2019

If you haven’t followed our Travel Nurse of the Month posts, you may have missed when Betty was featured as our Travel Nurse of the Month for January 2018. Since then, she has really put the “Travel” in Travel Nurse. From Missouri, to Georgia, to North Carolina, she’s been all over the map! She’s also bounced around to Mississippi, Colorado, Illinois and Wisconsin for some fun in between and during contracts. Along the way, she’s made life long friends, strengthened existing relationships, and acquired a collection of memorable stories and experiences. Yet, she still finds the time to take calls from her Axis family, and we really appreciate that!

Let’s see what our adventure-loving, cat-fostering, Rock Star Travel Nurse has to say about her experiences!

  1. What are some of your most memorable moments as a travel nurse thus far?

So many!!! Arriving in Kansas City for my first assignment. It was a rich mix of anxiety and excitement.

Returning to KC after a long weekend, I had some car trouble. I found myself stranded in the middle of nowhere, 100 degrees, and hit a sun-baked armadillo only to have a flat tire. On top of everything else, no jack. Did I mention it was Mother’s Day? As bad as it was, I made it to work Monday morning.

Doing an ablation that required a percutaneous transhepatic stick due to a congenital abnormality of the patient’s IVC.

Gaining the respect of a tough physician for a job well done.

Standing on top of a mountain in Colorado.

  1. What has influenced you to continue traveling?

I love that each assignment I go to has a special set of challenges to face, and obstacles to overcome. I learn so much about myself, others, and my profession, each place I go. My mantra for life has been bloom where you are planted and be the light. Travel nursing has given me the opportunity to put those words to work.

It has made me a better nurse, wife, mom, and person.

  1. If you could offer one piece of advice to a first time Travel Nurse, what would it be?

Not every sweet person is your friend, not every salty person is your enemy.

  1. What has been the most surprising aspect of travel nursing that you least expected?

How hard it is to say goodbye at the end of each assignment.

  1. Where are some of the top cities on your Travel Nurse Bucket List?

Denver, Seattle, Austin. Green Bay/Madison, WI during football season. Somewhere in New England in the fall. Alaska and Key West!

Looking for your next travel assignment? Search our gigs here.

  1. Of the places you’ve traveled, which location has been your favorite and why?

There are favorite things about each place I go.

Kansas City was a fun town to “toodle around” in. This so NOT a girlie girl, picked up a little happy for herself from Tiffany’s on the Plaza. No matter what you are interested in, there is something to do. I loved it!

Emory University Hospital! I developed some lifelong friendships there. I learned so much from my coworkers, the attending Electrophysiologists, and the EP Fellows.

It was in Atlanta I developed a taste for Indian food. My favorite hangout was Sweet Melissa’s on Decatur Square.

Now I am at Duke in North Carolina. Beautiful campus, great hospital. I am looking forward to going Whitewater rafting for the first time while I am here. There are also several hiking trails that are calling my name!

  1. What are some of the challenges you face as a Travel Nurse and how do you overcome them?

The biggest challenge with each assignment is the first 2 weeks. Everything is new and seems a bit more complicated than it needs to be. You don’t know anyone, or where anything is. Everything from going to the grocery store, to finding your department, even your locker seems to require GPS. It can be a lonely and stressful time.

My advice for this is to do everything you can to get yourself grounded. Once your housing is secured, start looking for things that are important to you. For me it is a “home church”, a great coffee shop, the grocery store, and at least one local Walmart and/or Target. Thank GOD for social media and cell phones! Frequent text messages, video chat, etc. keeps me connected to home, my family and friends. Then just count down those 2 weeks! I promise you after 2 weeks, things just start to fall into place and get better!

  1. Knowing what you know now about Travel Nursing, what would you tell your past self?

I would tell myself “you are going to have so much fun in a few years”.

  1. How do you think Travel Nursing has impacted your personal relationships, if at all?

When you are traveling, life goes on at home. You are trying to figure out how to maintain without your family and friends, and they are trying to figure out how to maintain without you.

To maintain personal relationships while traveling takes time and effort. It requires you to be intentional. Let people know that you love them, you enjoy the time spent together, you don’t take them for granted, and you miss them.

Check out our previous Travel Nurse of the Month winners!

Also understand you are going to miss some things. You are not there for the “day by day” things. They may not want to bother you with some details, so decisions get made without you. Things happen that you won’t find out about until later. LIFE HAPPENS! The things you used to take care of are being done without you.

When you come back home, you may really wonder where you fit in. When you come back home, everyone goes through a period of adjustment. Just be cognizant that the adjustment is not just yours, but also for your loved ones too.

  1. Finally, what do you like best about working at Axis?

The People!! I have a whole team behind me! Lynna is the world’s most awesome recruiter. She has cared enough to find out what is important to me, and what my motivation is.

Lauren who keeps me compliant, and makes sure I don’t lose my mind during onboarding. She is so patient!! And Sara who covers for Lynna during her time off, and makes sure I am doing good!

When I leave my house to go on assignment, these folks have my back! 24/7!

Congratulations, Betty! We’re so thankful that you chose to be an Axis Rock Star, and we can’t wait to hear about more adventures in the future!

Want to be like Betty? Then don’t be shy, fill out the info below and join our team!

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