By: Kim Johnson
It’s amazing how the relationship you have with your recruiter can make or break your travel nursing experience.
When I started as a travel nurse in 2013, I was with another agency. I had a great recruiter who had my back, but when that recruiter left the company, I was placed with a new one who wasn’t as personable and was extremely inaccessible. After meeting an Ethos nurse on an assignment, I made the switch to Ethos in 2018, and I’ve never looked back.
As the mother of two girls – ages 16 and 15 – time with family is sacred, and it’s not something I’m willing to sacrifice. Though the health care industry is typically credited with long hours and tough schedules, I’ve found my travel nursing experience to be one of the best decisions for my family.
Travel nursing provides a great deal of flexibility and a number of benefits to single parents and families.
Perk #1: Job stability and a steady income
When providing for your family, a steady job and a steady source of income are paramount. My Ethos recruiters work hard to keep me gainfully employed, lining me up with a new contract as each current contract comes to an end. I always feel like I’m getting top dollar and never have to negotiate my contracts, and any certifications required for the job are reimbursed, which isn’t always the case with other staffing agencies.
While I serve as a travel nurse, I’ve requested to keep all of my contracts in the Kansas City metro, allowing me to travel while planting solid roots for my family.
Perk #2: Variety is the spice of life
Being able to bounce around to multiple hospitals grants me the unique opportunity to learn from the best health care professionals across the region without changing my permanent address. I often get to serve as a neutral third party, imparting industry knowledge based on my experiences elsewhere to improve processes and better serve the community.
Not to mention, moving around every so often also frees me of dreaded hospital politics and cliques—and all of those lengthy staff meetings that full-time nurses are required to attend.
Perk #3: Reclaiming your time
The flexibility of travel nursing is unparalleled in the health care community. In a regular hospital, you may often be denied time off, especially as the new nurse in town, but that’s not the case as an Ethos travel nurse.
When you start each new contract, you get to put in for requested days off, which are guaranteed. To this day, I’ve not missed a single major event I’ve wanted to attend.
Perk 4: Broaden your horizons
You only live once, and travel nursing is an incredible way to scratch your travel itch on a budget. It’s also a great way to broaden the horizons of your little ones, allowing them to experience different ways of living across the country.
I know a number of single nurses who have chosen travel nursing to fulfill their desire for adventure. I know a number of nurses who’ve homeschooled kids on the road. I know travel nurses with college-aged kids who take advantage of new locations, bringing their kids to town for a mini family vacations wherever their contract happens to be.
A true work family
These days, hospitals are higher stress environments than ever before, and it’s made me truly value my time off. Not long ago, Ethos President & CEO Jeff Stoner paid to send me and my daughters to Worlds of Fun for the day, complete with fast passes for all of the thrilling amusement park rides. That day is a special memory I’ll cherish for the rest of my life, and it never would’ve been possible without the flexibility of my work schedule and the kindness of my employer.
Ethos is family-friendly in every sense of the phrase—and not just because it’s run by a talented husband-and-wife duo. They treat each of their nurses like family, and by extension, our families. It’s possible to have it all: a fulfilling travel nursing career, a sense of adventure and a happy family, and it starts with Ethos.
Kim Johnson is a travel nurse with Ethos Medical Staffing. Ready to embark on the experience of a lifetime? Learn more about our travel nurse contracts to grow your skills and deliver exceptional care across the country.
