Nursing | Peace Love Nursing

Travel Nurse Contract #2: Washington, D.C.

After six months, our time in Washington, D.C. has come to an end! I worked night shift in the float pool for two 13 week contracts. I floated to 12 different units, mostly Covid units, but also surgical, IMCU, cardiac, oncology, rehabilitation, and PCU. We are back home in Greenville, SC for the month before I start assignment number 3!

Burnout due to Covid-19

I think the hardest part of this assignment, has been the burn out that I have experienced as well as working with nurses who are also suffering from burn out. And honestly, I think we are moving into a phase where there is more than nursing burn out. I feel nurses are now suffering from depression, anxiety, and PTSD. I really feel for the staff nurses who were forced into Covid and are not being properly compensated for it. I know everyone is quick to say “leave and go travel,” but traveling isn’t always an option for people and it comes with it’s own downfalls as well. The Covid Unit nurses were stressed and it very much became an “every man for themselves” situation. When it came down to an emergency etc. they would help, but there just wasn’t the normal nursing teamwork I was use too. This made for some long and hard shifts when everything is new and you have 4-5 Covid positive patients to care for. The positive side I guess, is I really grew in my nursing skills and learned to use what resources I had to do as much as I could on my own.

Thoughts on Extending

I never intended to extend a contract honestly, at least not in the beginning. Bradley and I had planned to always leave after the 13 week contract in order to see and experience new places. However, by the time we got to D.C. and were settled, I was over half way through the contract. We still had places we wanted to see and explore (within reason due to Covid-19). I also was for the most part, enjoying my job and was settled into my position at the hospital. Another factor is RV living. It takes time and effort to move the RV to a new location, secure a new spot, etc. We decided instead of going through the stress of me finding a new assignment, moving, etc. we would just enjoy another 3 months in D.C.

Overall, I am very happy I chose to extend. We loved D.C. and definitely would consider going back! I did hit a point at work where I was really regretting extending tho. As I said before, nurses are burnt out. And that can come across as them not being as helpful or kind as they may usually be. This lead to me really becoming depressed and anxious at work. At first, I felt it was just this hospital. But logically, I know it’s everywhere. And a lot of it is Covid. The added PPE + high patient acuity + high ratio/short staffing is mentally, physically, and emotionally draining.

I also was quite isolated being a float traveler because I never got to know anyone I worked with. However, by the end of the contract, I started to talk to people more and would sit at the nurses station instead of a cubby, which made things a little less isolating. My mangager overall was also traveler friendly and gave me a fair schedule. I was actually offered a third extension, but declined because Bradley and I were ready for the next adventure (and to be home for a while.) One thing I would do differently however, is ask for more money on an extension. I felt like I was making good money so I didn’t ask, but I learned that the third extension the nurses received a considerable amount more.

Washington, D.C.

Lincoln Memorial

We loved D.C.! Even with limits due to Covid, we were able to see monuments, try out some new restaurants, and explore two different National Parks, and go to the Smithsonian National Zoo! If you have never been to D.C., I highly recommend going. There is so much to see and experience there. We hope to go back again when restrictions are lifted and we could see the museums, etc.

Shenandoah National Park

To learn more about my thoughts and experiences as a travel RN:

My First 2 weeks as a Travel RN

Travel Nurse Adventures: The Face Palm Moments

My First Travel Nurse Contract: My thoughts and experiences

Our First Year of Marriage- Life As Newlyweds

On October 12th Bradley and I celebrated our one year wedding anniversary! It is hard to believe it has been a year since the best day. Our wedding day was filled with family, friends, love, and laughter. I would give so much to go back and relive that day- honestly that whole season! The past year of marriage has been a memorable one. From quitting my staff job, Bradley going remote to work at home, adopting a puppy, converting to the tiny living life, and moving (temporarily) to DC. Not to mention a global pandemic complete with quarantine and me working as a nurse on the front line. Needless to say, the first year of our marriage has been anything but boring!

Today I’m sharing a brief look at the past year of our marriage in pictures. It has held some of the best and worst times of our lives- but I am so thankful I have had my best friend by my side through it all.

We started out our marriage in the best way possible- the most amazing tropical honeymoon cruise.

Followed by five days in the Sunshine State

Southpaw’s first corn maze

Halloween 2019 #ghostbusters

Thanksgiving 2019

We said “see you later” to Southpaw after a four month battle with cancer. One of the hardest parts of our first year of marriage, but we grew closer as we supported each other in our grief. We love you, little buddy.

Cabin trip to our favorite cabins (where we got engaged) for Bradley’s Birthday.

I went to visit my best friend and and came home with a puppy..

The pandemic began and we quarantined. Some of us were happier than others.

I quit my staff nurse job and Bradley went remote for his job.

We bought our camper- Culbertson’s Go Tiny!

We moved to DC to start my my first travel nurse assignment..

Celebrated my 30th birthday in DC

Declan’s First Camping Trip

Celebrated One Year of Marriage <3

Happy Anniversary to my amazing husband! Thank you for an amazing year of love, laughter, adventure, growth, and support. I can’t wait to see what the future holds, I love you. <3

Kylie Marie Photography

Kylie Marie Photography

Check out our amazing wedding photographer: Kylie Marie Photography

Hometown Newspaper Article + Weekend Happenings

Hello, friends! I hope you all are doing well. I woke up Friday morning to something really cool! I was featured in a newspaper article in my hometown newspaper. The article was written by John Hamilton, an amazing journalist, writer, and overall creative person! We actually went to high school together which made this all the more awesome. The article was about my journey as a travel nurse and it was really special and humbling to be recognized by the place I called home for 19 years. Saturday, a friend from high school sent a picture of me on the front page of the print paper! So I have a few copies coming for keepsakes. I’m so thankful to John for reaching out! Check out the article by clicking here.

Weekend Happenings

After a really tough couple of shifts my husband had a few surprises this weekend to help lift my spirts. Friday night he cooked a seafood boil outside complete with crab legs, shrimp, corn, and potatoes! It was delicious and it was so nice to sit outside in the 75 degree air and enjoy dinner with him. We ended the night sitting by the fire.

Saturday we got up and went to Chesapeake Beach, Maryland! It was absolutely beautiful! I have never been to a beach farther north than the SC beaches and it did not disappoint. It was 75 and sunny so not weather to sunbathe in but it was a perfect day. We enjoyed seafood by the water and the took a walk along the dock and the board walk. Being near the water or the mountains always has a way of helping to heal my soul.

Have a great week friends and make sure to practice some self care! <3

My First Travel Nurse Contract: My thoughts and experiences

Wow! I really can’t believe 13 weeks have passed and I am officially done with my first travel contract! 3 months ago my sister and I packed up my car and drove 7 hours to Washington D.C., during a pandemic, so I could start my first travel nurse contract! She headed back home after a week, and I lived the nomad life out of a hotel room (thanks Hilton for the free room!) for the first month while Bradley wrapped things up at home. I flew back to Greenville for a day, we closed on our camper, then a couple weeks later Bradley and the fur babies joined me in D.C.! It’s been a whirlwind of a 3 months but also one of the best adventures we have had yet!

What I learned in my first contract

I can say this contract has taught me a lot about my abilities as a nurse. I was SO nervous to travel. The idea of being in a new facility, with new people, and only two days of orientation was so scary! I really had doubts if I would be able to do it. Add in that I was also float pool and the anxiety increased even more! I floated at my staff job but it wasn’t often and wasn’t always my favorite experience. However. I’m thankful to say the transition to traveling was actually much easier and smoother than I thought. Once you have experience as a nurse, the actual medicine doesn’t change. Hospitals may have slightly different protocols or choice of treatments- but generally each diagnosis is still cared for the same. I also used the same charting system so that was a big help in the transition. The omnicell (machine we pull meds from) was easy to catch on too and I learned to have a notebook with all the codes and phone numbers I needed for a shift.

Covid Units

One of the main reasons I left my job so abruptly was after much prayer and consideration, I really felt pulled to go help my fellow nurses who were on the frontline of Covid. My staff job, I floated to Covid units, but I was lucky that my home unit was remaining a “clean” cardiac unit. However, with electives down and hours short, I just really felt pulled to go and start my travel career earlier than planned. I am float pool at this assignment, so I have worked on 11 different units during my 13 week contract. Many shifts have been spent on Covid units. I can really see the stress and burn out these nurses are facing, especially now that we are 5 months into this pandemic. I hope me being there provides them with a little relief. I’m very thankful this hospital provides us with adequate PPE and seems to truly care about the safety of the staff. Numbers are down, but I have worked Covid the past 9 plus shifts and I will continue to do so. Sending some love to all the workers, healthcare or not, on the frontline during this pandemic. I appreciate you all!

Missing my work family

I really, truly, miss my work family. My staff job was not perfect (what job is?) and there are plenty of aspects I don’t miss, but I worked with some really amazing nurses and NPs and I miss them terribly. Especially being float pool, I haven’t really formed any relationships with the nurses I work with since I’m on a different unit every shift. I have had some nurses I made conversation with and enjoyed working with, but definitely no true relationships have been formed. It was also always nice to have the nurse friends who you know have your back and if your drowning, they’ll come help you, which is something I haven’t really experienced as a travel nurse.

Scheduling

I will say, if you’re looking for the dream schedule, travel nursing (at least bedside) may not be for you. Granted, I am super lucky that my manager is very accommodating and kind to her travel nurses. I honestly haven’t work as many weekends or as poor of a schedule as I thought I would, but I know all jobs aren’t this way. I wouldn’t mind working all the weekends if Bradley was on a more flexible schedule. But for now, he is on the 9-5, so occasional weekend days off are really nice so we can have the whole day to adventure and be together. Being float pool, I don’t know anyone else in my department, so I haven’t been able to switch a day, which is something I did a lot at my staff job. I also can’t ask for time off other than when I sign my contract. I still love getting to see the country though this adventure and I very much am looking forward to time off this contract, but it is different than staff jobs. Not bad, just different.

Where to next?

Our next stop will be…..

Washington D.C.! Yes, I know, maybe a bit of a lackluster announcement. However, with me coming to D.C. a month before Bradley and then us working to get settled into our new life and camper, we still have a lot we want to do in the area (within reason of course, thanks Covid.) So, I signed an extension for another 13 weeks at the same hospital. After this assignment though we look forward to packing up and heading out on our next adventure!

I’m really excited to be on this adventure and proud of myself for being brave enough to make the change and give travel nursing a try! I am off for 7 days and then I start contract number 2 next week! I am thankful I will have a 10 day vacation the week of my birthday this contract. Have a great and safe weekend, friends! (And if you have any questions about travel nursing, camper living, nursing in general, or anything else, please reach out!) 🙂

Travel Nurse Adventures: The Face Palm Moments

I’m officially hitting the two month mark of my travel nurse contract and it feels I’m great! I’m finally starting to learn my way around the hospital and finding my groove for a typical shift. However, the past few months have definitely had some *face palm* moments. You know, the moments that when they happen all you can think is “is this real life!?” Sharing a couple of those here today to hopefully start your weekend off with a smile!

Lost in The Hospital

This has happened more than once. It’s a big hospital and I float to a different unit every time I work, so it’s easy to get lost. One of the most memorable, I went to a unit in the “C” zone of the hospital which is two buildings over (they are still all connected.) I have to walk back to the main part to clock out in the nursing supervisor office and get to my car. As I was walking I was sure I knew where I was going, until I realized I was surrounded by the Cath lab and OR suites. It was a Sunday too, so no one was around. I walked around for about 20 minutes with Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” playing in my head. Ha. Hello, Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone at all? I finally found my way out and then took the wrong exit, even while using GPS. *Face palm* Also, can I point out it took me 3 weeks to finally be able to find my way out of the parking garage on the first try. Post night shift navigating is hard.

Airport Troubles

This may be the most embarrassing moment I have had yet. I flew home (Greenville) recently for a doctors appointment and stayed with my sister for two nights. I flew straight from work Tuesday morning and was up for around 30 hours. I don’t think I had quite recovered from the no sleep and fun. I had a 2 hour layover in Charlotte, NC. I checked the status and gate for my flight (C concourse) when I got off the plane with the attendant,, then again on the departure board. Everything was set for 5pm so I decided to walk closer to my gate to get some food since it was on the other side of the airport. I ate and was heading to my gate around 4. I got all the way to my gate and looked at the Depature board and say E34 4:15 pm for flight to Greenville. The concourse I had just walked from!! My heart sank and I went sprinting across the airport with my little rolling suitcase. I had just put my sweat shirt on so by the time I made it to the gate I was burning up and a ball of stress. As I approached the gate I saw the sign said “Boarding Closed.” I went up to the attendant and asked if they changed the flight!? My boarding pass still said 5! She apologized and told me to go talk to the desk at the front and they could rebook me.

I knew the other flight didn’t leave until almost 9. I called my parents almost in tears. I was tired, frustrated I could have stayed with my sis longer, frustrated I wouldn’t see my husband for dinner, and didn’t want to stay in the airport another 4.5 hours. I even took a screen shot of my boarding pass to prove that it said 5pm. After talking to my parents for longer than I care to admit, that’s when I realized…. I was going to Washington D.C., NOT Greenville. *insert face palm moment.* I again didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. In my head, I just kept thinking I was going “home” to Bradley and the fur babies, which would typically be Greenville. But this time, it was Washington D.C. So I got to walk across the whole airport again and made my flight back to D.C.

There have been many other moments and I’m sure there are more to come! I hope this gave you a little smile on this Thursday with all the uncertainty and craziness of our current world. My friend Raven comes today so I am so excited for a fun weekend with her! Have a great weekend!

How Are You Doing? Mental, Emotional, Physical Health Check-In

One of my favorite healthy living/lifestyle bloggers Brittany from A Healthy Slice of Life shared a post Monday with a health check in. Reading her post and the comments got me to thinking how important it is to take time to step back and do an overall evaluation of our full bodied health. The past few months have been downright hard for all of us in one way or another. Like I have shared here before, in the past few months I quit my nursing job of 3 years, moved to D.C. during a pandemic, bought and moved into a camper with my husband and fur babies, and started a job with 2 days orientation. We are beginning the civil rights movement of our time with the #blacklivesmatter movement and the fight against systemic racism. Covid-19 is still spreading and effecting us across the U.S. I have worked and seen Covid first hand and know the pain and destruction it can cause. It has also kept me apart from loved ones and away from the things and places I love. I think it’s safe to say 2020 isn’t easy for anyone.

To be honest, I have been struggling with my mental health since the end of 2019. I’m not quite ready to share everything, but nurse burn out and the cancer battle and loss of my beloved dog Southpaw have really put me in a funk. I am finding happiness in my job and life again through travel nursing and a new adventure with my husband but I still am having hard days. I’m trying to learn to be an ally to my black friends and family and how to fight the societal racism I was born in to. I am try to be a good nurse and encourage people to do the right thing- wear a mask, social distance, practice hand hygiene- while being told I am just falling for the conspiracy. I missing my friends and family and things like summer concerts and trips to the beach while realizing there are much bigger issues going on in the world. Life is just hard. But we can’t learn and grow and be who we are meant to be without taking care of ourselves. And taking care of ourselves starts with checking in and learning to understand what we are feeling, why we are feeling it, and how to take care of ourselves through both the good and bad times of life.

Emotional

My emotional health has been doing better the past two months, but I still have had some hard days. Days when I miss my family and friends, doubt my decision to start travel nursing, and just feel an overwhelming heaviness over the state of the world. The racism and hate I see in the world is heartbreaking and infuriating. The pandemic is heartbreaking. The lack of belief of the science behind the pandemic is so frustrating.

Mental

I did not realize the mental and emotional strain my nursing job was taking on me. I loved the people I worked with and the patients I cared for, but I was stressed for days before and after my shift, I felt sick having to go to work, I wasn’t sleeping well or sleeping to much, the list goes on. My new job can be mentally draining because I’m always having to learn a new unit and new people, but I just feel so much happier and more mental clarity being in a job that doesn’t cause so much stress.

Physical

Oh dear. My physical health sure has taken a down slide during the craziness that has been the transition into travel nursing. I have ate waaaay to much comfort food and not enough veggies. I have not moved my body other than walks around town (probably to get food) and work. I had an ovarian cyst (not to TMI) right before I left for my DC and it was awful. I was on the couch for a solid week with some of the most excruciating pain I have experienced. Like, almost passing out from pain. I had been doing well with running 3-4 times a week but this brought that to a complete stop. Then, when I was feeling better, it was time to pack up our house to move in less than a week. Then cue multiple 48 hour trips home, going 30 plus hours without sleep at times (thanks, night shift), learning a new job, finding a place to live, the list goes on. Needless to say, any type of physical activity went to the wayside. The thing is, I feel SO MUCH better when I move. Even if it’s just walks with Declan (my dog.) So I have been making a more conscious effort this past week to start running or walking every day. I’m already feeling better and like I have more energy. Home workouts, yoga, and walks are all easy and socially distant ways to exercise but also not add stress to your body.

Self Care

I probably sound like a broken record but self care is just SO SO SO important. It will look different for everyone and will also look different depending on what your body and emotions need at this time. I wrote a post on self care while social distancing if you want some ideas on things to do during quarantine. For me lately, it’s sleeping when I’m tired, runs and walks with Declan, and nights by the campfire with my husband.

Gratitude

If you made it this far, thanks friend. This blog post turned out to be a lot longer than anticipated, but it feels to get these word down on “paper.” I want to emphasize I would say overall I am a happy person right now. I have so so much to be grateful for. I have a great marriage, great family and friends, and two fur babies I love. I am on an amazing and long awaited adventure as a traveling nurse living tiny. I love my job and work with nice people. Please don’t see this post as doom and gloom, but just know I can empathize with the hard days we are having this year. If you’re struggling, please reach out to me, a family member or friend, or mental health professional for help.

I hope you’ll take some time to check in with your full bodied health and try to find what you can do to help support yourself. Have a relaxing and safe weekend. <3

How are you feeling, friends? What self care do you have planned for this coming week?

Culbertson’s Go Tiny

The Dream To Travel

Traveling has been a dream for Bradley and I pretty much since we started dating over 7 years ago. We loved the idea of being able to see the country and have enough time to emerge ourselves in different cultures. We also knew if we did this, we wanted a home we could bring with us. A lot of travel nurses rent rooms, homes through Air BNB or Furnished Finders, or long term stays in hotels. These are great options but with a husband and 2 fur babies, we knew finding a place for all four of us could be tricky. We also like the idea of not having to pack up all our stuff and move every 3 months. So, we decided a home on wheels was right for us. If you haven’t read about our current adventure and big leap we took, check out my post about my My First 2 weeks as a Travel RN.

Tiny Home vs RV

We still really want to buy a tiny home and that is planned for the future. However, they are a lot bigger and a lot harder to move. An RV is built a little more to be easily mobile. We also paid about 1/3 of what we would have paid for a tiny home. Since we left for our travel adventure about a year earlier than we planned, we didn’t want to spend a ton on the place we would live right away. And you aren’t just making your tiny home/camper payment, you also have to pay for a space at the campground so you can park it. We do plan to make quite a few modifications to our camper over the next several months to give it more of a tiny home feel and will be sharing that transformation with you on the blog!

First Two Weeks

The first two weeks of living tiny have required a few slight adjustments but overall I am happy to say we are settling in to our new home quite nicely! We are still working to find a place for everything and get everything unpacked, but it is starting to feel like home. Living in the campground and being able to enjoy nights by the fire and cooking out (our camper even has an outdoor kitchen) has been so fun! Annabelle surprisingly adjusted very quickly and loves having all the windows. Declan is happy as long as he is with his people, and he too is loving having the windows to see all the happenings of the campground.

Declan loves having a nature trail in his back yard.

The Queen enjoying her daily sun bathing.

A few of the biggest changes from our home in Greenville have been:

TINY bathroom. We had a small bathroom at home, but we now have essentially a closet with a small walk in shower. I definitely miss my bathtub and the size of our water heater at home but it hasn’t been to bad!
Queen size bed. We had a king size bed before and Declan already took up half of that (he likes to sleep stretched out with his long legs.) So, you can imagine how that adjustment has been, ha!
The kitchen is considerably smaller, but surprisingly that has not been an issue so far! We have cooked several meals in our kitchen and grocery shopped for the week, and have managed to fit everything! Having a mini fridge and cabinet space in the outdoor kitchen definitely helps with storage.
The couch. Is. Also. Tiny. I love having a big comfy couch and a camper couch definitely isn’t comfy, big, or atheistically pleasing. It definitely is one of the first things we plan to change on our list! For now, we laid it flat and put pillows on the back which has made it a lot more comfortable.

Our first dinner we cooked in the kitchen inside the camper.

Overall tho, I am so happy to say we are adjusting really well and loving our new home! Thank you for all the love and support on this new adventure! We are so excited for this new chapter in our lives and look forward to sharing it on the blog. Look for an RV tour coming soon and some talk about our plans to make it more homey! 🙂

Happy CNA Week! 2020

Thank you to all the CNA, HHA, PCT, STNA, and PCAs out there!

Happy CNA (Certified Nursing Assistance) Week! Thank you for all you do for your fellow health care workers and patients. You all are AMAZING! I worked as a CNA before I became a nurse and I know that it is not an easy job. It is long hours on your feet turning, lifting, and pulling patients. You work hard, and I know often times that hard work goes unnoticed. I want you to know I see you and appreciate you and value the work you do as a healthcare professional!

Maslow Hierchary Of Needs

In nursing school, we learned about Maslow’s Hierchary of Needs. This is a theory of the five categories of human needs. The needs are listed in a pyramid, with the most important and basic needs at the bottom- physiological. This is air, food, clothing, shelter. This is the things that CNAs do! I never understood how people could look down at what the CNA does, because they are caring for the most important and basic human needs. I can run drips, doctors can perform procedures, we can do all the things medicine has to offer- but if the room isn’t clean, the patient isn’t clean, fed, cared for- the family and patient perception will be they didn’t receive good care. You help to ensure the patient feels safe and cared for. That is AMAZING.

CNA= Life Saver

CNAs save lives just like nurses, respiratory therapist, doctors, physical assistances, nurse practitioners, and all the other health care professionals. I have had many CNAs alert me to a life threatening change in a patient, a critical vital sign or blood sugar, find a patient unresponsive, etc. I have watch CNAs get snacks for low blood sugars, encourage patients to breath when they are short of breath, perform chest compressions, run and get critical supplies for codes. The list goes on, but please know, you save lives. And when it comes time for people to leave this world- you help them go with love and dignity. That is just as amazing.

Travel Nursing & PCTs

I recently worked some tough shifts. It can be hard not having anyone you know working on the unit with you. I had some tough patient assignments, admissions, sick patients who needed blood and a variety of medications and care, and I just felt like I was drowning at times. On these days, I had the most amazing PCTs. Working as a travel nurse has really reminded me how amazing techs can be and the large value they hold. One night, when I was behind, my PCT saw that I was struggling and jumped into help without asking. She would check in on my patients and report to me that they were okay. When my admission came, she set up the whole room, placed a Purewick, did vitals, and put the patient in a gown. When I came out of a room (I was giving 10pm medications still after midnight) and she came up to tell me all she had done, I could have cried. I appreciated it so much. It was the support and help I needed to make it through another 6 hours. I make sure to make a conscious effort to thank every PCT I work with personally by the end of the shift. Appreciation can go a long way.

THANK YOU!

Seriously, I cannot thank you enough for what you do for patients and staff. I hope you work with people who appreciate you, and if they don’t, know that I do. Your job is to care for the people in their most vulnerable times and in very vulnerable circumstances and you do so in a way that gives them dignity and respect.

My First 2 weeks as a Travel RN

I have officially finished my first two weeks as a travel nurse! I realize I am very much in the “honeymoon” phase of travel nursing but I am so happy to say I am loving it so far! It is just what my heart and career needed. I was SO nervous to be starting as a travel nurse and to be a part of float pool at that! However, all the units are set up similar and this hospital has very clear policy and procedures/orders so that is making the transition a lot easier. The staff has also be kind and welcoming on all the units I have been too.

Adventure To Virginia

The week before I left we realized my husband was going to need to stay in Greenville for at least a week before he could join me in Virginia because we needed him to tie up some loose ends (exciting announcement coming soon about that!) My sister called Friday night and offered to drive 500 miles to a place neither of us have been in a pandemic with me! I took her up on the offer to be my co-pilot and Sunday we made our way to Arlington, Virginia. She spent 5 days with me here and we were able to see some sites in Washington D.C., explore Arlington (what is open, it’s still on lock down here), and just have some fun quality sister time. I’m so thankful she was willing to come with me and I loved having her here!

World War II Memorial

National Monument

Lincoln Memorial

Social Distancing Happy Hour in Arlington

Orientation

Orientation started out a little rough and definitely had me feeling nervous. I was so confused finding where I needed to go and ended up awkwardly sitting in the wrong class room. When I finally found my class, everyone was in scrubs, and I was in a suit. They also were all very experienced travelers and I was obviously new. Definitely an awkward situation. It seemed no one realized I was new- from management to HR to the EPIC trainer even though I was clear on my submission and interview I had never traveled before. I just tried to listen and absorb everything the best I could and it went fine!

The first day was a 3 hour computer class that was taught remote because of Covid-19. It usually was a full day class, but they fast tracked it due to Covid. The instructor was on speaker phone and able to show us things through a computer screen projection. Thankfully, the hospital uses EPIC, which I was use to using with my previous job. There are some things that are different, but generally it is the same. It was difficult because any time someone had a question we had to try to explain over the phone what they problem was. However, every one in the class had EPIC experience so we could also help each other navigate.

The next day I went to the hospital and did housekeeping type things- skill check offs, N-95 fit test, etc. I then shadowed a nurse on the floor for a few hours before leaving. The beginning was stressful because the schedule for the day was never very clear and we all had lots of questions as we tried to navigate the hospital. However, after I met my direct float pool nurse manager things became much smoother and more clear. I received my schedule for the first 6 weeks which was nice and she also gave me a full tour of the hospital.

Floor Orientation

Friday and Saturday night I was on the floor with another float nurse. She was so kind and helpful and took a little extra time with me since it was my first travel assignment. Learning new door codes, ways to contact the MD, how to know which MD to contact, etc are an obvious learning curve. However, nursing care generally does not change. I also was slow at most things just from not being familiar with omnicell (we used Pyxis), a different set up of the charting system, new supply room set ups, etc. but overall I felt like it really wasn’t all that different from my experience at my old hospital.

First Week Solo & Covid-19

After two days of orientation on the floor, I walked in and was assigned to the Covid Unit. It definitely was a little intimidating but I am happy to say it went well! I knew choosing to leave to travel when I did I would be helping on Covid units and honestly it was one of my reasons for starting when I did. I am thankful to say the hospital I am at is doing an amazing job at providing staff with the PPE we need to stay safe and care for our patients.

Family Arrives Saturday!

I have one more shift and I will officially be done with my third week of my assignment, which feels crazy! My husband, fur babies, and parents will be here Saturday and I am so excited to see them! We are so thankful to my parents for helping us move and I am so excited to see them. Covid-19 ruined our plans to visit this springs unfortunately. I have been staying at the Hilton in Arlington which has been a great experience, but I am so happy to have my family joining me. The Hilton, American Nurse Association, and American Express all partnered to give Covid-19 nurses a free place to stay. It has been wonderful to have a clean, comfortable, safe place to stay so close to the hospital while I learn how to navigate Covid-19 & travel nursing as well as an area I have never been before. Thank you!!!

4 year blog anniversary!

It’s hard to believe I have had this space on my little corner of the internet for 4 years! As we know, I haven’t always been the best at sticking with the regular blog post but never the less I love this space and all of you who are kind enough to visit it! I hope this space has been, and will continue to be, a source of support, knowledge, empowerment, or even just a light hearted read/laugh for my fellow nurses & other health care staff out there, as well as those non healthcare people who are willing to follow along!

I’m sharing 5 of my favorite blog post from the past year (it was hard to choose!) to celebrate this 4 year blogiversary!

Burn Out & Journey to Recovery

This post I took leap of faith and talked about my current burn out at work and working to find my passion for nursing again. I still always had a love for my job and absolutely a love for my patients & fellow nurses, but hard days had lead to me feeling down and not excited to go to work. I am still on the journey but I am excited to announce a change soon that I am hoping will help me to continue to recover on my burn out journey!

2. When you don’t get the “dream job”

This is one of my favorite post because I think it’s something so important for us to discuss, especially in the nursing world. When you graduate nursing school, there are SO many options for where you can work. A lot of people also have an area they really fell in love with, and may have their heart set on working there. After my L&D practicum, I thought for sure that is where I would start my nursing journey. However, despite going above and beyond to make it happen, it just wasn’t meant to be for me at that time. I took a job on a cardiac unit and feel in love with both the nursing & the amazing nursing staff I worked with. I have learned so much in my three years on telemetry and I am so happy it is where I ended up. I wanted to share with other new nurses that you CAN find happiness in jobs other than your “dream job.”

3. Our Engagement Story

Photo Credit: The Talented Stephanie Culbertson

You know I had to include our Engagement Story when I saw I wrote this post in the past year. 🙂 Not nursing related, but by far one of my favorite post and memories of all time.

4. NCLEX 101: How to pass your NCLEX and earn your credentials

Nursing students and new graduate nurses will always be some of my favorite people & have such a special place in my heart. I really enjoyed looking back at my NCLEX study days to write this post and hope it helps out at least one nursing student as they prepare for the big test!

5. A look back at 2019

Photo Credit: Kylie Marie Photography

I had to include this post because it includes some of my favorite events from the past year including our wedding where our sweet Southpaw was the best dog of honor. It also was one of the saddest days, the day he crossed the rainbow bridge. A year full or ups and downs but still one of the best years yet.

Bonus: New in the life: Meet Declan!

I had to add a bonus post because it was the introduction of our newest family member, Declan! We love him and are so happy to have this energetic boy as a part of our family.

Thank you for being a part of this space and my journey!

I really want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my blog, like or share a social media post, and leave a comment. I can’t tell you how much all of those things mean to me! Some exciting changes are coming to the blog and my nursing journey so I hope you’ll stick around for another year of both nursey and non-nursing adventures!