Traveler of the Month: Abby W!
Name: Abby W.
City, State: Tulsa, OK
Specialty: ICU
Month: May
1. How did you get into travel nursing?
I first heard about traveling nursing while I was in nursing school. I always thought it sounded amazing, and like an incredible way to see the country, but I didn’t know if I would ever have the courage to do it. I ended up moving back home and getting a job that I absolutely loved, so it seemed like traveling would be something I did when I was older.
Fast forward 5.5 years and I was still working night shift and feeling like I was in a rut in my personal life. I felt like I needed a change and travel nursing had always been in the back of mind. It was an incredibly hard decision to make because I loved my job, but I really felt like traveling was where God was leading me. I was single, had no children, with just a pup to consider.
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So, I researched travel nursing companies and found Axis. I instantly felt like they were the company for me. My main concern with traveling was how I would do it with my dog, Hudson. I put in my application and had an interview with Charity Crawford. I told her my concerns and she was so helpful. She even sent me Axis’ blog about traveling with your dog after our chat. I took a leap of faith, sold my house, and gave my notice at work all before I had secured my first assignment. Here I am 6 months later, and I have zero regrets!
2. What’s the best part about traveling?
There are so many great things about traveling that it’s difficult to pick the best part. I’d definitely have to say the adventure though. Traveling forces you to step out of your comfort zone. It’s difficult to feel like you’re in a rut in life when it’s so easy to change your location and experience new things. Traveling affords you with so many experiences to make lifelong memories.
3. You meet a first-time traveler in the Tulsa area, which restaurant is a must for them to try?
I’m usually super indecisive, so it’s hard for me to pick just one place. My favorite place to order out from is definitely Oklahoma Joe’s. Oh my is that some good BBQ! I haven’t actually been there to dine in though, so one of my favorite places to eat out is Andolini’s Pizzeria. They know what they’re doing making pizza from scratch! They have 7 locations around the Tulsa area with an eighth location serving street food, so you know they’re doing something right!
4. What’s the best part about the Tulsa area?
The best part of the Tulsa area is that there are so many different things to do, and you don’t have to go far to do them. You can’t mention things to do in Tulsa without mentioning The Gathering Place. It’s Tulsa’s riverfront park and has something for everyone. They have so many different things and you could write a blog on it alone, so you just have to check it out for yourself. There’s also hiking at Turkey Mountain, great bars and restaurants, and a couple casino resorts. It’s difficult to be bored in the Tulsa area.
5. Any advice for other travelers?
I think the most important advice I can give to other travelers is to have a good work/life balance. Don’t slack off at work because you’re a traveler and can move on from a location easily. Take the opportunity working at a different place to soak up all the knowledge you can to make yourself a better nurse. Doing a good job at one assignment can only help you when you’re picking your next assignment, and gaining experience at one job can help open up more opportunities.
Want to see more? Check out our past Travelers of the Month!
Work isn’t everything though. Make sure you’re taking time on your days off to explore the area that you’re traveling at. I don’t really feel like I’ve traveled to a different location if I haven’t experienced more than their hospital. Also, get out of your comfort zone. If you’re traveling by yourself, find ways to meet new people. I got on dating apps to explore Tulsa and meet new people. It worked out great for me. I got to see some cool areas of Tulsa, like the zoo and the Boxyard, and ended up meeting my boyfriend, and found a partner to continue traveling with!
6. What do you like best about working with Axis?
My favorite part about working at Axis is definitely that it’s a smaller company. I don’t feel like a number at this company. My recruiter, Charity has been amazing to work with. It’s easy to get in touch with her and her responses are always timely. She listens to my concerns and desires for an assignment, and does an amazing job at finding the best one for me. She’s been a great resource in learning about the traveling life. Charity has even done a great job of suggesting things that were different than I had in mind, so that I have had opportunities that I didn’t even think of. I’ve always been drawn to working for companies that make me feel like I’m part of something, and I’ve definitely found that through Axis!
Congrats Abby! We’re so glad you joined the Axis team! 🙂
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We're not your average corporate "big box" staffing company. We're not sleazy business people in bad suits pushing around resumes, lying or overselling positions. We're not a tiny, inexperienced company either, we have the same amount of nationwide travel nursing jobs as those giant, corporate staffing companies. We've been placing top talent in adventurous careers since 2004 and we can prove we're different from the rest.
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