Angela is Ready to "Travel in Style"!

Congratulations to Angela, the winner of our May "Travel in Style" Sweepstakes! We had a chance to chat with Angela to learn more about her journey as a nurse and why she loved being a traveler!

Tell us about yourself!

I’ve been a nurse a little over 19 years.  The first 7 years were in Cardiac, Surgical ICU and I’ve been in the OR since 2007.  I have traveled in both the ICU and the OR for a combined total of about 3 years.  I am currently in Santa Barbara, CA in a permanent position.  

What originally drew you to nursing?

My aunt was an LPN, my mom worked nights in a hospital when I was young and I've always had a intuitive sense about health.  

Why did you decide to start traveling?

I wanted to see other parts of the country and experience what nursing was like elsewhere.  I met a lot of great people and learned some great lessons!

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What do you love about travel nursing as a career?

The freedom!  If I want to take time off, I can. I also liked not being part of the institution and thus not getting mired down in the drama that can sometimes happen.  

What do you like most about Nomad?  

Nomad seems to be a company that takes care of their employees.  I love that a recruiter isn’t required and thus you end up making more.  

Would you recommend Nomad to other travel nurses? If so, why?

Absolutely!  And I have. Because I think this should be the way travel nursing is.  Unless you are brand new to travel nursing, you already know what you want and need in an assignment and lets face it, at the end of the day, although we have a myriad of altruistic reasons for doing what we do, we travel for the money.  

What are you most excited about from your Giveaway haul?  

Oh my gosh! It's all exciting! Everything is getting used daily. The gravity blanket is amazing! I love the headphones, the Naturebox snacks are yummy.  I'm cooking a Blue Apron meal as I type this.  The iPhone is sweet! I haven't gone anywhere to use the Away suitcase but I'm excited to do so.  I honestly can't believe I won!

And finally, what are some pieces of advice you have for those looking to travel for the first time?

1. Be flexible and adaptable.  You gotta be able to roll with the punches.
2. Know your worth...  negotiate your salary.
3. Always take the stipend, if possible. You will find housing more to your liking and probably save some money.
4. Be friendly and willing to learn a new way of doing things.
5. Speak up if you don’t like something.
6. Enjoy it!  Explore the area.. it’s one of the reasons we travel.

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