Maria and Kevin Lauer agree they’ve never had a bad assignment in their ten years of travel nursing as married travel nurses.

Together they’ve accrued more than 40 years of nursing experience and have been traveling with the Medical Solutions  for the past two years, currently assigned to the El Centro Regional Medical Center in El Centro, Calif. “Travel nursing gives us the freedom to make our own schedules and work in hospitals and locations that appeal to us in our joined effort to foster good patient care and to provide opportunities to become the best nurses we can be,” said Kevin Lauer, RN, BSN, a retired Naval Officer and experienced OR nurse. To meet these goals we say a prayer each day that we will make a positive difference in our patients’ lives.”

“We love nursing and give our all because we want our patients to have a successful recovery,” Maria, an RN and ICU nurse concurred. “Traveling across our country is an asset because we get the chance to monitor the pulse of American healthcare and experience our country’s beauty and diverse culture. Travel supports learning about the unique ways patient care is approached in different places.”

The Joseph M. Still Burn Center: A Career Highlight

The hallmark of the Lauer’s married travel nurses career occurred when they were assigned for more than a year to Doctors Hospital in Augusta, GA., home of the 70-bed Joseph M. Still Burn Center, the largest burn center in the United States. Among the 3,000 patients treated there each year were a five day old infant and a 101 year old adult, Maria recounted. “Most adult burns occur due to accidents and injuries caused by flame, steam, noxious chemicals and gases,” she said. “Burn patients endure great physical and emotional pain and discomfort and often require multi-level nursing care to treat existing health conditions, like cardiac related problems, diabetes and those who require bedside hemodialysis due to electrolyte imbalances and renal failure. Travel nursing has given me opportunities to work in a variety of speciality ICUs and those experiences have broadened my nursing expertise.”

Burns that require Skin Grafts

Skin grafts are required for deep second and third degree burns that call for surgical procedures to harvest skin about the size of a letter envelope, Kevin explained. Skin is usually harvested from patients’ thighs. When burns are severe and there’s no available skin to harvest from donors, cadaver skin is harvested and preserved within freezers until needed. During skin grafts patients’ skin is scraped to induce blood flow and the skin graft is stapled into the skinless area of the body. This procedure is repeated every three days for about three weeks. “When skin is required but not available from patients, donors or cadavers, skin cells are harvested and sent to a special laboratory where skin is grown from cells and then grafted into a patient’s skinless area to continue the growth cycle,” Kevin said.

Travel Nursing Insights

While assigned to Doctors Hospital Kevin recalled being scheduled to work in the Main OR for General Surgeries. However, plans changed when he was asked to float to the Burn OR due to his advanced skills   gained while working in different types of ORs where he assisted surgeons with a variety of surgical procedures. “At first I found the Burn OR to be a difficult and sad place that took time to get used to. I also witnessed some awesome recoveries. It’s a wonderful feeling when you see patients who’ve sustained burns in 90 percent of their bodies walk out of the hospital. I enjoy OR nursing because I have an active role in the surgical process and can see what I’m doing makes a positive difference.”

“A love of nursing increases our capacity for human compassion and transcends human frailty,” Maria commented.

Home and Family

The Lauer’s call Pensacola. Fla. their home where they enjoy spending time with family and friends, and attending winter sky shows presented by the Blue Angels. As their family includes eight adult children and numerous grandchildren, some who live in other states, they enjoy having time off to visit them. Being married travel nurses has given them the ultimate way to share their love of people, travel and nursing.

UPDATE: I got an email earlier this week asking me if travel nurses ever used RVs on assignments. “Do they still get housing reimbursement?” The answers are YES and YES. Here is a real-life travel nurse story from a couple of years ago. Thought you may find it interesting.

Living in an RV is easier when traveling, advised Stephanie May, MSN, RN. “When you’re packed and ready you just move your RV to the next park and you’re home.” Safety issues are important to this lifestyle and are met through prior research before heading to the next park “where you’re the only one with a key to your home,” she remarked.  “Cleanliness is important to me and with having my own place I never have to worry.”

En route to new hospital assignments, May’s husband, Billy tows their RV and sets it up in parks within a 10-20 minute commute to work.   As she travels in all seasons, May drives her car until winter when she uses the couple’s SUV for transportation. “It snowed pretty deep during assignments in WV and KY,” she pointed out.  In the near future, Billy plans to join her, and accompanied by their Yorkie mix, a dog named Buster; they plan to travel across the United States.  

Waterfalls, Small Towns and the Grand Ole Opry

Waterfalls

May enjoys nature walks and has visited several natural parks.  “Among my favorite sight- seeing views are waterfalls, like Valley Falls and Blackwater Falls in West Virginia and Muddy Creek Falls in Maryland,” she said. “To me, waterfalls are one of the ways God shows His power and artistry.”

Located in Valley Falls State Park, Valley Falls has two, 10- foot high drops that flow into the Tygart River. Blackwater Falls, set in Blackwater State Park, is the he highest above ground falls in VA with a drop of about 62- feet, according to the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.  

Muddy Creek Falls is located in Maryland’s Swallow Falls State Park and is a 53- foot waterfall, the tallest, single drop waterfall in Maryland, as reported by Deep Creek Hospitality.com

Small towns

“Walking through small towns is like getting a glimpse of America,” May recalled.  “I enjoy going to craft fairs because they’re a current w ay to see regional handiwork made by folks who live in many places in our country.  It’s pleasant being able to step back in time to view snapshots of American history.”

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The Grand Ole Opry

This past July the Mays attended the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. “It was a neat radio show concert experience and I recommend taking the backstage tour,” May said.  Home of American Music, the Opry is Nashville’s number-one attraction.     

A Travel Nursing Perspective  

Employed by Fusion Medical Staffing, LLC  May has completed six assignments within the past two years.  Currently she’s on contract at the 247-bed Tennova Clarksville Hospital in Clarksville, TN.  A critical care nurse, she works nights in the Intensive care (ICU). “As a travel nurse I’ve have had the privilege to care for numerous patients,” she said.  “One was a young girl who was suffering from Guillian-Barre Syndrome with upper and lower extremity paralysis.  I admired her strength and determination to get well, even though she was facing a long road to recovery; I enjoy the challenge of taking care of critically ill patients and this girl holds a special place in my heart.”

Advice from a Pro

Travel nurses need to know how to do their jobs and feel confident while completing tasks assigned to them, as most hospitals provide only one day of orientation for travel nurses, May pointed out. “I worked for Carillion Clinic in Southwest Virginia for 12-years before I decided to embark on a travel nursing career.  Although hospitals have differences in policies and procedures, the nursing role is the same wherever you’re assigned.”

May advised keeping updated about travel nursing by tapping into on-line nursing resources that provide open forums where you can ask questions and get a variety of answers and suggestions. “Find out more about phone apps too,” she said. “I use a Tiny Scan Pro that turns my phone into a scanner that makes submitting time cards by email easy.”  

“Travel nurses are professional tourists who get to go where they want to go and get paid while doing it,” May concluded.

If you would like to talk to Conrad persoanlly and ask questions about travel nursing, feel free to email him at conrad@travelnursingUSA.com.

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Even A Travel Nursing Job Can Hit a Bump

A travel nurse for ten years from 2002 to 2012, Mary Jo Alessio’s career was cut short by the “Super Storm Sandy. “I was working at NYU Medical
Center in Manhattan when Hurricane Sandy hit on October 29th, 2012.  By the end of that week all travel nurse contracts were cancelled,” Mary said.

During 2002 when Alessio first considered travel nursing  jobs were hard to find in Buffalo NY, Alessio’s home town.  “A friend told me about a woman she met at the dog park who said travel nursing agencies were hiring RNs and I applied for a job.  As a travel nurse you have to work in the nursing speciality that is most current for you and the travel nursing agencies generally require that you have at least a year or two experience in a nursing speciality,” she advised. When she decided to travel Alessio was working as a psychiatric nurse.

“While working as a travel nurse in New  York, North Carolina and Oakland, California I’ve learned more about taking care of people of all ages, being flexible, getting along with others and be willing to compromise by doing things my employer’s way rather than my way.”

Although she worked briefly for World Wide Travel and Onward Healthcare, Alessio pointed out most of
her assignments were with Supplemental Health Care.  “My first recruiter was Katherine Patchell and my assignment was at Greensboro, North Carolina where I still maintain many  friendships that have spanned the years,” she continued.

During her travel career Alessio has had a variety of assignments. They include  a wound care clinic, a drug rehab
center, an acute drug detox clinic, acute and long term psychiatric units as well as medical units in hospitals. Travel nursing has helped me to adapt well to new situations, and as I’ve worked in different hospitals at different locations I’ve gained confidence in my nursing skills.”

As an example, one important skill for travel nurses is to become familiar with various computer documentation systems
that may vary in each hospital setting.  Alessio advised. “A hospital will generally orient you to the unit and the computer documentation system they utilize. It’s a good idea to keep a log of these systems because in many situations that information becomes part of the interview process.”

Each state also has different application requirements, so it’s advisable to access each state’s Board of Nursing website to discern if that state is a compact state,  one that has an agreement with Member states to recognize each member’s nursing license. You need to know what requirements are necessary to complete the process and also become aware of the financial considerations for each state. Travel nursing agencies will help you with this.

A Seasoned Traveler’s Advice on Travel Nursing

“During my 26- year nursing career I’ve worked in more than 40 hospitals and have gleaned not only more nursing experience but also good insights about being a successful travel nurse, “ Alessio told us.

Here Are Some Considerations

• Expand your horizons by filling out a lot of job applications.  “I signed up to work for different travel nurse agencies,” she said.
• Get as much information about travel nursing as you can.  The Internet is a good source because it offers a  large variety of message boards and social networks like Facebook to refer to when looking for support and advice from seasoned travelers.
• Be flexible and think outside the box and be willing to learn different ways to do the same things.
• “When I accepted my first travel position I had to be able to look at the same things from a different perspective,” she said.  “I had to be tolerant of other people’s differences and to learn how to do things their way.”
• Remember,   there’s many ways to accomplish the same goals, so present  yourself as a pleasant and cooperative person willing to learn new skills and other ways of meeting patient care goals.

From Travel Nursing to Full Time Employment

Although she had planned to continue her travel nursing career a family crisis changed her plans. Alessio sought and accepted a full-time position. “Travel nursing was a perfect niche for me and I miss it terribly. However, the skills I learned as a travel nurse have been a great benefit when transitioning to full-time employment.”  Alessio is employed by Headway of Western New York, a Medicaid waiver program affiliated  with People Incorporated.  “I’m the only nurse evaluator for six counties,” she explained. “I review people’s eligibility for nursing home transition, a Medicaid waiver program and a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) program. We provide comprehensive services to assist people to stay in their homes versus a nursing home. We also assist people who chose to leave a nursing home and provide them with comprehensive home care services.  As we’re overseen by the NYS Department of Health, so we’re kind of like an arm of the health department,” she said.

The flexibility gleaned from her days in travel nursing have given her skills to be a better nurse in her new environment.

If you would like to get more information on travel nursing  in general or specific travel nursing jobs in particular locations you can contact Conrad here.