Motivated Travel Nurse Lives Her Life Long Dream

Ashlee always knew she wanted to be a nurse, but she didn't always know she wanted to travel. Now she's so glad she did!

This week, we hear from Ashlee R., a med-surg RN on assignment in Camden, South Carolina. She is originally from Florida and is traveling with her Golden Retriever, Brody.

From a young age, Ashlee knew she wanted to be a nurse. While other kids were watching cartoons and dreaming about being pop stars and pro athletes, Ashlee was watching the health network and insisting that she would be a nurse. In high school, she took part in a school program in which she shadowed healthcare professionals at the local hospital. In nursing school, she had a clinical on a med-surg trauma unit; by the time she graduated, she had a job offer. Ashlee says, “Even though I was a new nurse, I had seen it all. I had lost patients, and I had taken care of patients who had lost others in horrific accidents. It all made me realize how short life was - which then began to trigger my interest in travel nursing.”

Ashlee hadn’t always wanted to be a travel nurse, but one day she was sitting at home wondering how she could keep on nursing and somehow also transform her life. “I had heard about traveling as a nurse before,” she says, “and once I started researching it, I became more and more curious and interested. I found that American Traveler had the best reviews online for travel nurses, so I called and filled out the online profile. I received immediate calls back, and I moved forward from there.”

Ashlee’s favorite part of being a travel nurse is seeing new places. “The world has so much to offer and so much beauty in it, yet we don’t all have the opportunity to venture out. I’ve been fortunate to see many beautiful places, including three national forests and four state parks -- with waterfalls!” So far, Ashlee’s travel nurse career has allowed her to visit Raleigh, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. “Each and every one of them have amazing trails and views - not to mention I have stayed in great shape!”

Most recently, Ashlee ended up in Camden, SC. Her initial contacts with the hospital there were so positive, she had no qualms about accepting a travel assignment with them! She hopes to find a travel nurse job in Hawaii soon, as her best friend is currently living there.

Ashlee has always sought out pet-friendly housing that is able to accommodate pup Brody. In fact, she’s currently living in an apartment with a dog park in the housing complex.

When asked what she would never leave home without, Ashlee said her Camelback water backpack, her ceramic egg cooker (which she uses to make omelets, cakes, and muffins in the microwave), her Polaroid camera, and, of course, Brody, her Golden Retriever. She also carries a nurse bag packed with her essentials: her stethoscope, a protein bar, a bottle of water, lots of pens, and lotion to combat the excessive hand-washing.

Ashlee loves travel nursing for the adventure it’s brought to her daily life, but she also sees it as a means of accomplishing her goals. She shared, “I ultimately want to become a nurse practitioner one day. Having the opportunity to travel as an RN has helped me to broaden my knowledge on a variety of patient cases. I have gained experience in multiple areas of the hospital which I can take with me anywhere.” She is also determined to “make an imprint on as many patients as I possibly can and meet amazing people along the way” - which she is certainly doing!

We're big fans of Ashlee’s advice to RNs considering a travel nurse career! She says, “If you are looking to take on travel nursing, do it! It’s an amazing, life-changing experience. When you get to a new assignment, venture out and make as many friends as possible. Be social and kind to people, and they’ll help you. Get involved in your local community and visit the best places around you while you’re there.”