Behind the Scenes with LeaderStat Travel RN, Janie

Have you wondered what it would be like to leave your full-time position and explore the world of travel nursing? You’ll want to keep reading to learn about Janie’s story.

Prior to becoming an interim nurse with LeaderStat, Janie worked as a nursing supervisor for seven years. She let us know that while this was a rewarding career, it began to consume her life and contribute to nurse burnout. She knew she needed to explore other opportunities. And that’s when she decided to opt for a career path that included flexibility, beautiful views, and opportunities for growth.

Janie obtained her LVN (Licensed Vocational Nurse) in Texas in 2004, and later went back to school to receive her RN (Registered Nurse) license. Janie holds a Texas compact license, which means she’s able to practice in any of the states are that currently part of the Nurses Licensure Compact (38 states). She has an array of professional experience, from long-term care and pediatrics to hospice and home health. We asked Janie how she decided on nursing as a career path:

“I was a single mother at the time. I wanted to secure a career that would allow me to independently support my children.”

Since switching from a full-time staffing position to travel nursing, Janie told us that she works when, where, and how much she wants. She feels empowered to take breaks from travel assignments for several weeks or months as a time.

“The freedom to work as much or as little as I desire is amazing.”

Janie has completed travel nursing assignments in eight states: Colorado, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Since she’s been traveling for more than two years, Janie let us know some things she can’t leave home without, which include a Keurig and all of her own nursing essentials, such as: blood pressure cuff, no-touch thermometer, pulse oximeter scissors, pens, and sticky notes.

With LeaderStat, Janie has worked as an interim nurse in long-term care (skilled nursing facility). She encouraged fellow nurses to make sure that they are confident in their specialty and in their nursing skills prior to traveling.

On her days off, Janie takes full advantage of the perks of travel nursing by visiting any tourist hot spots. “I drove an additional two hours on my last assignment to hike near a waterfall, and on another day to take a tour of Washington DC.”

On her assignment in Wyoming, she packed up her car and drove several hours to spend her weekend in Montana and at Yellowstone National Park.

“I make sure to take in as much of our beautiful country as I can while I’m out and about, even if it means driving a little extra.”
Janie told us that while the perks are wonderful, one of her biggest challenges while traveling is missing her grandbaby and her family back in Texas. However, she touched on an extremely important benefit of doing interim work – taking control of her finances.

“My biggest reward from travel nursing is the financial freedom. Traveling has done two major things for me – increased my income and reduced my stress. It works well for me because I’m not doing the same redundant, day-to-day routine.”

Janie told us that it’s important to work with a staffing agency that is able to communicate clearly. “LeaderStat staff communicated well with me while on assignment. They answered all my questions during onboarding and during my stay. All of my transitions were smooth, and I wouldn’t change a thing.”

We were able to connect with Janie from social media – particularly, on Facebook. She is part of our private Facebook group, where she connected with one of our specialists via private message about her latest assignment in Virginia. Within two weeks, she completed her onboarding, was submitted to a contract, received an offer, and was placed on assignment. Without social media, we may not have had the pleasure of working with excellent healthcare leaders like Janie. We asked her how social media has helped present her with nursing opportunities.

“Social media is a huge factor in the healthcare travel industry -- there are jobs posted across groups for every specialty. Social media allows staffing agencies and companies to post details to let candidates know what’s available. You can interact with recruiters in real life via comments or private message. The best bid is literally at your fingertips.”

If you’re still on the fence about the thought of a new career path, Janie wants to offer her advice:

“If you have the ability to travel and work, I’d say do it -- you get paid to go on vacation and live/work in environments you may have otherwise not been able to experience.”