I grew up in a very small town in rural Massachusetts, and by very small, I mean an absence of traffic lights and real traffic for that matter. A place most might refer to as a ‘one-horse town’, which was fine when I was young. It meant I basically had free rein to run around all over the neighboring woods and enjoy the comforts of knowing everyone in my town on a first name basis.
Fast forward twenty-something years, where I found myself graduating from the University of Boston with a B.S. in nursing and starting off my new and exciting life in nursing. And of course, where was my first assignment? Right back home! Who would’ve thought that after living in the big city of Boston I’d end up right back to my roots, but there I was, tending to my neighbor’s great grandmother who was in the final stages of dementia and needed round the clock care. The way I looked at it was that I should relish this time at home, after all, who knows when I might be able to spend this amount of time with my family. I got to cheer on my teenage brother as he made the winning layup to claim our local High School’s State Title that year and also photograph my younger sister with her boyfriend as they headed to prom together.
Soon after, I received my new assignment taking me all the way across the country to Butte, Montana working at a substance abuse clinic. Talk about being worlds away, or was it? When I got settled in my new home, I began to get my bearings, researching the local mining culture and joining in the same type of activities that I had back in Massachusetts. I immediately found a Dojo so I could continue with my Kendo practice and haunted all the numerous historical and mineral museums. I even made the pilgrimage to visit the Lady of the Rockies. Butte was great, cold in the winter, but don’t forget I grew up with bitter nor’easters so unlike some of my nursing brethren from fairer states. The weather didn’t bother me… or so I thought.
Yes, my next assignment took me out of the mountains and into the high desert heat of Scottsdale, Arizona where I continued on with geriatrics, withering under the suffocating infernos of the southwest. I know, they call it a dry heat, or so I’ve been told a million times, but after the 14th day of temperatures over the 110° mark, I begged my agency to place me anywhere that’s at least fifty degrees cooler. So you can imagine my relief when I applied for the Barrows, Alaska assignment and soon left behind the heavy traffic and heavier heat for a blissful eight months in one of the most remote corners of the United States.
Of course, there were much different issues to contend with (having to leave my car running 24/7 and dodging moose on my way to work), but I learned to be content with much less, to adapt to the local lifestyle, bear stew and stink heads (yes, people there really do eat fermented fish heads), but the experience I gained was invaluable and no matter where I hung my nursing cap at the end of the day, life was never dull, it was filled with new and exciting challenges.
Though I’ve returned to my New England roots to raise my own family, I hope that someday my own children will find the courage to venture out into this great world, knowing they always have a home with me, too.
About the Author
Kathryn Norcutt has been an active member of the health care community for over 20 years. During her time as a nurse, she has helped people from all walks of life and ages. Now, Kathryn leads a much less hectic life and devotes most of her free time to writing for RNnetwork, a site specializing in traveling nursing jobs.
Below is a checklist for the ultimate travel nursing resume. Again, agencies are going to want you to fill out their applications because they need to get you into their applicant tracking systems…
Hi. I have recently decided that I want to try travel nursing for a bit. I have tons of questions after spending a fair amount of time reading about it online.
In the past I have had travel nurses work weekends only or even blocking shifts together where they worked 3 days on the floor in a row.
From now until November 7, it’s Medical Surgical Nurses Week. This is a great time to take a friend in med surge jobs out to lunch, or simply let them know how vital med surge nursing careers are in the world of public health..
Registering your car in a new state every time you take an assignment can be quite expensive. However, do you really need to register your car every time?
So you’re ready to start travel nursing. You’ve got the education and experience, your resume is newly polished and you’ve prepared for those tricky interview questions. Have you forgotten anything?
Whether it was a complaint from a patient or coworker, the hospital thought you were a bad fit or perhaps you just got sick – canceled contracts do happen. It’s normal to think your travel nurse career is over, but fear not, even veteran travelers have a contract canceled occasionally.
When you are planning to go on a trip, especially one that will be rather long and have multiple destinations, it can be stressful keeping track of everything. Flights, hotel check-ins time zones, currency converters…there is so much to keep track of.
For those of you that are on the road as a traveling health professional, your options for exercise equipment may be limited. However, you don’t have to just change the activity to increase a change in your body.
The best time to experience this area is the middle of September to end of October. You can look up fall foliage reports from the state foresters to get the inside scoop on where to see the best hues. Practice your swing on some of New England’s most scenic golf courses, or on one of many tennis courts. Take a guided horseback ride, fish in local lakes and streams and pick up some of the maple products that make the state famous.
When the fall colors blanket the Midwest, there are many opportunities and activities to enjoy the changing scenery. And where better to see the abundance of trees than in the founding Arbor Day state. Pick up fresh fruits and vegetables from farmers’ markets, drive through the wildlife state parks, and enjoy a family outing at a pumpkin patch with bonfires, corn mazes and hayrack rides.
The colorful foliage displays in the mountains of South Carolina normally peak later in the fall season because of their warm fall weather. In addition to the traditional beauty of fall leaf foliage, the autumn displays feature other picturesque sights as well. Along the coast, the marsh grasses change dramatically from the summer shades of soft greens to shimmering fall hues of gold and amber. Touring the scenic highways and recreation areas is the best way to get your fill of the scenery. Besides the foliage, enjoy visiting South Carolina’s beautiful mountain waterfalls, including Whitewater Falls with a total drop of 900 feet and six of the state’s magnificent State Parks.
