For four incredible years, travel nursing, you’ve been my constant companion, a source of immense joy and unparalleled opportunities. Together, we’ve explored new cities, met fascinating people, conquered financial goals, and painted memories across the United States. But like all cherished chapters, ours is drawing to a close. It’s time for me to contemplate Stopping Travel Nursing And Saying Goodbye To Recruiter calls.
This isn’t a reflection of any shortcomings on your part. You were there when I needed a fresh start, pulling me from the depths of heartbreak in Kansas City and gently placing me in the comforting embrace of my family home during my initial travel nurse assignment in Omaha. You were my stepping stone to healing and rediscovery.
You then graciously granted me time to nurture my soul, a period of respite that led me to North Macedonia. Volunteering at the Children’s Hospital of Skopje with Project Hope ignited a passion for solo travel within me. During the week, I poured my energy into empowering local nurses with knowledge of UVC lines, PICC lines, infection prevention, and proper hand hygiene, delivering lectures on vital topics like thermoregulation and VAP prevention. Weekends were my canvas for solo adventures, painting memories in Barcelona, Munich, Vienna, Ljubljana, and Zagreb. Though tears were shed amidst the challenges of solo exploration and the hospital’s poignant realities, this transformative experience wouldn’t have been possible without the platform you provided, travel nursing.
Refreshed and with renewed purpose after two months away from the bedside, I eagerly embraced your offer of an assignment in Santa Barbara, California. It felt like my true initiation into the world of travel nursing, venturing away from the familiar comforts of home and loved ones.
Santa Barbara was an awakening. It unveiled the disparities between NICUs and the unique dating landscape of the West Coast, with its share of awkward and disheartening encounters. Rent prices soared, reaching a painful $3,200 monthly. I also had the displeasure of dealing with a particularly challenging recruiter relationship. Yet, amidst these trials, I forged superficial friendships, cherished visits from my closest companions, and fell deeply in love with Santa Barbara’s captivating beauty and surrounding landscapes. Location-wise, it remains my most treasured travel nursing assignment to this day.
When Santa Barbara’s cost of living became unsustainable, you guided me to Phoenix, Arizona, where I unfortunately became entangled in a scam, losing $4,600 to a deceptive individual. Despite this rocky start, Arizona’s unique charm and breathtaking scenery quickly captivated me. I formed genuine connections that endure to this day and reveled in exploring the Arizona desert. To anyone considering a single state to visit in the U.S., I wholeheartedly recommend Arizona.
Riding the Arizona wave, you next presented me with an eight-week assignment in Austin, Texas, another chapter brimming with unforgettable moments. Despite an unusual living situation with a peculiar roommate, Austin was phenomenal. This assignment marked my first nursing strike and the decision to embark on an extended solo journey around the world. The weeks flew by, leaving me wishing for a longer stay.
Austin taught me a valuable lesson: sometimes, our perceived desires diverge from our true needs. When a contract unexpectedly fell through, you surprised me with an assignment in Seattle. Unbeknownst to me then, Seattle would become a pivotal chapter, extending beyond a year and encompassing four contracts. Seattle evolved into the gold standard – the pinnacle of cities and travel nurse assignments. I immersed myself in its vibrant culture, explored its hidden gems, and became a self-proclaimed Seattle aficionado. It was also in Seattle where I faced the less glamorous side of life, totaling my car for the third time. However, it was also where I invested in my blog and saved diligently for my global adventures.
After Seattle, recognizing my growing burnout, you empowered me to utilize my $17,000 savings for an epic 17-week solo journey across 17 countries in Europe and Southeast Asia. Reflecting on that experience still fills me with overwhelming gratitude. It was a dream realized, made possible by the financial freedom and flexibility travel nursing afforded me.
With depleted funds, you supported me as I ventured to the unfamiliar East Coast, landing in Boston. This assignment was a bittersweet symphony. Boston, a city I had long dreamt of exploring, proved to be a disappointment. The weather was unexpectedly harsh, and an unfortunate roommate situation added to the challenges. His disturbing views and constant petty financial disputes solidified my decision to forgo roommates and narcissistic personalities indefinitely.
Perhaps a misstep on your part, travel nursing, was placing me in a hospital with an unusually cliquey and unwelcoming nursing staff. They were quick to assert their perceived superiority as staff nurses, making my traveler status a point of contention. Their negativity and outright exclusion were disheartening. However, this experience reinforced my self-assurance and highlighted my expertise in NICU care, despite their attempts to undermine my confidence.
Just as I contemplated concluding our journey, Seattle Children’s Hospital called, drawing me back to my beloved city. This return to Seattle for a year reignited my passion for bedside nursing, thanks to exceptional colleagues and supportive management. Working with a critically ill patient population under outstanding leadership was an invaluable learning experience. My time at Seattle Children’s remains a career highlight and my best travel nurse experience.
However, during this year in Seattle, the world shifted. 2019 transitioned into 2020, and management’s generous eight-week break between contracts allowed me to address burnout with a six-week solo European exploration. Returning to Seattle, I was met with the unprecedented COVID-19 lockdown. While hospital duties continued, the world outside paused. Travel nursing, through no fault of your own, brought my first contract cancellation. I was released two weeks early, relocating to Nebraska to weather the pandemic storm.
My planned summer 2020 trip to Portugal was replaced with local road trips. It was during this period that I acknowledged a shift in my feelings for you. Yet, a complete separation felt premature. Like a fading relationship, I hoped for a rekindling. Instead of confronting burnout, I imposed stricter criteria for assignments, seeking only high-paying contracts in select cities.
Turning down numerous offers, I waited for what I thought was my dream assignment in San Francisco, California. Travel nursing, you certainly know how to tease. Knowing my long-held desire to work in San Francisco, you presented an irresistible opportunity. Ironically, it was San Francisco that solidified my decision to bring our chapter to an end.
Arriving in San Francisco, fresh from another breakup, the distance offered a welcome respite. The hospital environment, however, presented new challenges. Despite some wonderful colleagues, a pervasive culture of negativity and unprofessionalism was evident. Strict policing of minor time discrepancies and an instance of being reprimanded in front of a patient highlighted a dysfunctional environment. Verbal abuse from a senior nurse became a recurring issue, making my six months there particularly trying.
While San Francisco offered proximity to my best friend and wine country excursions, these positives couldn’t outweigh the hospital’s toxic atmosphere and the growing weariness of constant relocation. In San Francisco, I began considering staff positions, a move that felt like a betrayal. Anxiety became a nightly companion as I questioned my decision. Numerous applications and rejections followed. Just as I was about to concede, a dream staff job materialized at the perfect moment.
Travel nursing, you have instilled in me resilience, confidence, and joy, shaping some of the most exhilarating years of my life. Our relationship has been my longest to date, a period of profound self-discovery. I’ve learned that financial gain doesn’t equate to happiness, that the East Coast isn’t my destined home, and that my true passion lies in travel itself – a passion you consistently supported. Most importantly, I’ve learned the depth and significance of the relationship with oneself.
And so, dear travel nursing, I bid you farewell. You hold a cherished place in my memories. But it is time for our paths to diverge. It’s time for you to guide another young, aspiring nurse, to ignite their wanderlust, and unveil the magic of travel nursing. It’s time for me to step aside, allowing another to experience the world as I have. It’s time to say goodbye and stop waiting for recruiter calls.
With heartfelt gratitude,
Kylee
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Founded by Kylee, a NICU nurse with extensive experience, Passports and Preemies is a leading travel and lifestyle resource for nurses seeking adventure beyond their professional lives. This platform provides resources for both staff and travel nurses, aiding in maximizing time off, global exploration, and burnout prevention.
Passports and Preemies offers insights into travel nursing, encompassing career initiation, assignment acquisition, and thriving on the road, alongside travel advice, destination guides, and discussions on balancing nursing with personal travel goals. The platform also features Beyond the Bedside nurse group trips and the Passports and Preemies Talks podcast.
