Congrats to May 2018’s Traveler of the Month and Rising Star!

Traveler of the Month

Traveler Marsha T
Congrats to May Traveler of the Month, Marsha, (pictured) and Rising Star, Marisa.

Many thanks and congrats to the May 2018 Traveler of the Month, Marsha T., and also our Rising Star winner, Marisa F.!

Traveler of the Month Marsha is a Special Procedure Tech for Cath/EP/EV/IR — certified as a RT(R) — currently working in Maine. She’s been traveling for nearly a year and works with Career Consultant Stephanie Weeden.

In addition to her current Maine assignment, Marsha also did an assignment in Chicago, Illinois, with several extensions.

“My favorite assignment has been Chicago, due to the amazing staff and physicians.  I learned a lot there,” she says. “But location-wise Maine would be the best. It is beautiful here. I had the most uplifting and freeing hike in the woods of Maine alone and it was invigorating!”

Travel Nurse Marsha
Some of the gorgeous scenery Marsha’s seen on her Travel Nurse journey.

Marsha travels solo, but makes a point to have visits from her 19-year-old son so the two of them can explore new areas together.

“We are very close and he loves the experience,” says Marsha.

Marsha is very satisfied in her profession and says that drives her to do her best work.

“I love what I do. I work a lot and take a lot of call,” she says. “I believe anything worth doing is worth doing correctly and with all your heart. Outside of work I am just a family person that would rather be with family than anyone else.”

Travel Nurse Marsha
More gorgeous scenery!

Marsha loves to learn and see new places, which makes her a perfect fit for Travel Nursing.

“The best thing about traveling is that I get to see new places while making good money,” she says. “It is also awesome that I get to learn new things and learn how to do the same things in a new way.”

Marsha shared some great tips for new and aspiring Travel Nurses.

“My recommendation for a new Traveler is to always be willing to lend a hand, even when it isn’t ‘your room or your case,’” says Marsha. “Second recommendation is to stay off your phone and stay busy stocking, cleaning, or visiting with your coworkers — you can learn a lot about the area you are in and how to be better at what you do. My third recommendation is something I am just learning and that is to explore. I didn’t venture out much my first location because I was alone, but in Maine, I have been exploring and it is amazing. Just because you are alone, don’t let it hold you back. It’s an amazing, beautiful world out there and you have the great privilege of being able to explore it while getting paid. Have fun and grow as a person and a healthcare professional. Explore and enjoy being a Traveler!”

Thanks for your insightful advice and awesome work ethic, Marsha! We appreciate you.

Rising Star Marisa is an Oncology RN, BSN, currently on assignment in Massachusetts, who’s been in nursing for six years and traveling for two years. She works with Career Consultant Tom Huber.

Travel Nurse Marisa F
Congrats to May Rising Star, Marisa! She’s been collecting animals along her way, including this handsome guy, Otis, whom she describes as a “65-pound brown and tan mutt — part husky, part trash compactor, part Houdini, part your guess is as good as mine.”

Marisa is a natural fit for Travel Nursing, as she’s been moving around the country for the past 15 years even prior to becoming a Travel Nurse.

“I’ve almost seen all 50 states, and I’m working on getting to the last two — North Dakota and Hawaii,” says Marisa.

With all the places she’s traveled, Marisa’s favorite assignment so far has been in Fort Collins, Colorado.

“It’s a pretty town with beautiful mountains and through my patients I got to meet a lot of interesting people,” says Marisa. “People who still do cattle ranching on spreads thousands of acres big, farriers, former rodeo cowboys, retirees from the coasts who came chasing the western life dream, scientists, students, engineers, professors, smoke jumpers, sheriffs, folks who were ‘diverted’ to our hospital from six hours away in South Dakota and Wyoming — imagine driving six hours through open country with no cell service to see your doctor, members of Native American tribes and descendants of people who originally came to that part of the country in covered wagons. Their stories made for a very interesting experience. That and the fact that one day on my drive into work I had to stop and call the police station because there were a bunch of cows loose in the road. (All cattle were safely rounded up later.) I loved my commute, pretty mountain vistas, you could watch thunderstorms sweep across the landscape from miles away, all the pretty horses in the fields, and the staff was great to work with there.”

Marisa says her favorite part about traveling is “the people you meet, the places you go, and what you learn from both,” but she also travels with a great crew of her own — which she describes quite humorously.

“I travel with my 65-pound brown and tan mutt, Otis — part husky, part trash compactor, part Houdini, part your guess is as good as mine — whom I found in Colorado, and with my orange cat whom we simply call ‘Orange Cat,’ whom I found in Mississippi (part foot warmer, part paperweight),” says Marisa. “I found my significant other in Louisiana and he wanders the nation with me as well. His duties include dog and cat wrangling and being the voice of reason so that we don’t pick up a stray animal in each state.”

Marisa offered this great advice for fellow or future Travelers: “Travel light. Roll with the punches. Be flexible. Realize how much you’re appreciated by coming in and helping out and the huge impact you can make on the patients and staff. Remember to get out and enjoy each area while you can, it’s unique and you may never be there again. Eat healthy, exercise, and enjoy. Master the art of saying hello and goodbye, and don’t be surprised when leaving is bittersweet for both you and the people you meet.”

Thanks for the great advice and for being such a wonderful Traveler, Marisa!

Congratulations again to the Medical Solutions May 2018 Traveler of the Month and Rising Star! Marsha and Marisa, we are so thankful for your solid commitment to excellent patient care and your amazing sense of adventure!

Could you be the next Medical Solutions Traveler of the Month or Rising Star? Travelers who receive a perfect hospital evaluation are eligible to win these monthly awards — with Rising Star going to newer Medical Solutions Travelers. Click here to learn more and to see if you could be the next winner of a $100 Visa or Amazon gift card as recognition for a job well done!