For those of you returning, Welcome Back :)
For those of you that are new, Welcome to my Blog!!
In 2016, I left the comfort of my 7-year staff job to become a travel nurse.
I was excited and nervous and felt all the feels one would feel when taking a deep head-first dive into this new realm of nursing.
When I left… I never looked back… and still to this day, it is one of the most satisfying feelings I have ever felt. Especially, when my co-workers said, “You’ll be back”... little did they know the power this new part of my life would give me
As a travel nurse, what I immediately fell in love with was the ability to spend my days off exploring new sights and scenery with my found new friends. I no longer worried about the politics at work, and for once, I finally made the amazing pay I felt I deserved.
In 2017, I met my now husband in Florida while working a local contract in Tampa.
In December 2018, we drove cross-country to California where we stayed for an entire year.
In September 2019, just before leaving California, I decided it was time to start planning for the future. I knew I needed to find a career that I was just as passionate about, like travel nursing. A career where I could make travel nurse pay, no longer work 12-hour shifts, and have off on weekends/holidays. I wanted a fun and stable environment that didn't feel like work. A place where I can wake up in the morning and look forward to going. A career where I can look and feel beautiful, and help others feel the same way, all while making many friends, and making great money in the process.
You guessed it! In September 2019, I started my online program to become a Family Nurse Practitioner to pursue a career in Aesthetics.
In December 2019, we signed a year lease at an adorable apartment in Waikiki so that I could have my “last hoorah” before settling down back home in Florida while my classes were still online. Then you know what happened next…. COVID….
I was overwhelmed with so many emotions because who knew what COVID was and being so far away from our families made it even worse. After I had FINALLY made it to Hawaii, and due to an initially low census in the ER, my contract came to an abrupt end within a few months of our arrival. I was kindly offered a staff position instead, which I kindly turned down.
We decided to head back to Florida to be close to family since I was no longer going to be on contract and we were unsure what to expect from COVID. I worked a local contract in Interventional Radiology and continued my schooling online. We bought our 1st house, got married, and began to live the “settled down life”, then before I knew it, the COVID crisis calls/texts/emails came pouring in. I told my student advisor I needed a semester off of school and little did I know what was to come and how many semesters I’d end up taking off.
As I have said in my previous posts, in the history of travel nursing, the pay was the highest it’s ever been! I was able to make it back to Hawaii but this time with FEMA. They booked my flights, hotels, rental cars, and 6X the normal pay I made pre-covid. So I was able to get back to Hawaii, time, and time, and time again.
It was during those crisis contracts that I realized that my decision to become a Nurse Practitioner was absolutely the right choice. The mental, emotional, and physical stress I endured during those contracts was more than anyone should ever experience in a lifetime, and I knew I never wanted to live through that ever again.
COVID changed my life forever. It gave me strength in all aspects of my life and changed my perspective on my future as a nurse
COVID made nurses bond in ways we never thought imaginable. My life has changed forever because of the teams I worked with and what we experienced together. It also made me reflect on my career as a travel nurse, which I knew was coming to an end. The thought of leaving the ER, which is all I had known for the past 17+ years of my life, was not scary at all; I knew the hospital life was no longer for me and that all of my experiences from 2006 to now was the part of my life that I needed to mold the nurse I have become today.
You must always believe in yourself and your ability to achieve greatness. You must tell yourself every day, “No matter what obstacles I face, I will be successful”!
In October 2022, I completed my last ER contract at Queens in Oahu alongside Stacey, one of my best friends who inspired me to become a travel nurse, and Montana, whom I met while on a FEMA crisis contract at Hilo Medical Center. I ended that part of my life exactly how I wanted to; with my best friends by my side, surrounded by the Aloha spirit, and nothing but appreciation for my hard work and accomplishments.
I came back to Florida readier than ever to complete my courses and clinical to finish strong. I completed my Family Nurse Practitioner program in March 2023.
Now that I am a Nurse Practitioner…
I have been very passionate about wanting to enter into the Aesthetic Dermatology space for quite some time. I have friends who have become Aesthetic Nurse Practitioners and I have seen them thrive in both their professional and personal lives. Many say that like travel nursing, it has become an industry that is saturated. People who know me well, also know that nothing will stop this determined woman until I get exactly what I want. This is a trait I hope to use to inspire and motivate the rest of you.
"If you need a little push in your life, here I am, and this is it" -Travel Nurse Missa
I have applied for numerous Aesthetic Dermatology jobs I am not qualified for, but I will continue to apply until I get the call. I know what my standards and expectations are for pay, mentorship, a peaceful learning/working environment, and other possible opportunities. Working a Mon-Fri 8-5 is definitely a change of pace from the hospital life but completely doable when surrounded by people that inspire, motivate, and appreciate you as much as you do them. From experience, what I do know is that I can only be as successful as the foundation I am given and by the people who teach me their mastery as if their own success depended on it. This is why I believe mentorship to be so significant, it is the gateway to our future and our ability to increase knowledge and confidence from a professional in the field, we can discover new strengths, gain a clearer sense of direction, and the ability to create clearer career goals and overall have the support necessary to be successful.
Being a novice once again and in a completely new space in the medical field is a challenge I gladly accept and I am excited to see what the future brings. I am determined to pursue my dream as a successful Aesthetic Nurse Practitioner. I will become a master of my trade. I will be limitless in my pursuit of finding the right place to plant my feet. I have me to thank for my hard work and determination and I want to thank you for joining me on this new journey.
“For those of us willing to fight the good fight to continue to push forward no matter how many steps we are set back; just remember our success is inevitable” - Travel Nurse Missa
Bình luận