Jumping in with Both Feet
- Emma Ladage
- May 4, 2020
- 3 min read
Since nursing school, I knew that I wanted to travel at some point, ultimately landing overseas with medical missions. It was a long-term goal, but something I am still very passionate about. Following graduation, I found a perfect job working the graveyard shift on a cardiac transplant unit and was swallowed whole into the world of cardiology. Two years in, after precepting five new grads to the unit, I was ready to try my hand at something new! The wanderlust was nudging me while three of my former co-workers were living their best lives as travel nurses. A few, three-month contracts in the states sounded like the perfect way to build up my resume, bank account, and confidence to finally reach my goal of travelling abroad.
Mid-December, I popped online to research different agencies. It was information overload. Ultimately I submitted an application with Aya Healthcare, a well-known company that was highly recommended by one of my travelling friends. In my opinion, a positive review from someone I knew personally was better than all the reviews online. By the end of the day, I had been connected with a recruiter and set up a follow-up call in January. For those still looking into travel nursing overwhelmed by options, I have included a few links at the end of this post summarizing the top-ranked agencies from 2019-2020.
Since I wanted to be close to the Smoky Mountains, my recruiter did an amazing job locating a variety of hospitals from Atlanta to Kentucky. My dream location was Asheville, NC, a little, eclectic town butting right up to the mountains. However, the first hospital to reach out was in Charlotte, NC, a perfect middle ground between mountains and the ocean. The on-boarding process was extensive, so new travelers, be prepared! Lots of submitting paperwork, getting NIH certified, a physical/mask fit test, and several booster shots later, everything was finally approved. Not to mention I still had to pack up my apartment, find a new place to live, and I was still working full-time!
A PSA about finding housing in a new city with which you are unfamiliar. Do NOT use craigslist! In my desperation to find something affordable for three months, fully furnished, and dog-friendly, I turned to this site and barely got scammed but caught it before I lost any money. If the person advertising a place is unwilling to let you take a tour and/or wants you to put down a deposit via an app, something is up! I should have been tipped off initially when the contract didn't have a company logo, but I was too side-tracked to notice.
Take a tour of ANY place you might be interested in before you sign a contract or put down a cent. My second mistake was booking an Extended Stay America and paying an initial fee before actually going inside the building. I was horrified by the maintenance, smell of marijuana and cigarettes, and overall noise! My parents and I immediately found a different extended hotel, but I was not given a full refund. Do not pay a dime until you see your living quarters!
Overall, the process was not easy, but an excellent learning experience! Take the time to evaluate why you want to travel, and if it's worth all the effort it takes to reach your destination. I promise I will talk more about Teddy in the upcoming posts, but I thought it would be important to set up a foundation for our story! The best advice I could give for anyone wanting to take this big step with a dog in tow, is to get them into some sort of routine as soon as possible! Teddy is very anxious in general, so getting him familiar with his surroundings, the hotel staff, and our new life was the most important step I could have taken.
All three of these sites are extremely helpful in narrowing down agencies, as well as, information on available jobs, resources, housing, COVID-19, and so forth.
Stay well, stay curious!
Emma Grace and Teddy
Comments