The Atlas Life #50 - The Best Of

Rich Smith: Look at that. You're wearing the shirt, you got the coffee mug.

JD Trent: I am #AtlasLife.

Lisa Haddix: That I've just never had that relationship with my recruiter, that I feel like they have my best interest in heart.

Rich Smith: Right.

Lisa Haddix: I feel with Maggie that, that is absolutely the case. We've just gotten so close. Anytime we're catching up or talking, it's just... We can't shut up on either end, we just ended up taking forever. So, I love it.

Madi Graham: People were talking about Atlas. And, there were five different people who were like, Jake Brower's the best! He's the best recruiter ever! And so I messaged him, and I think I was just like, hey Jake, I'm a NICU nurse. Do you have any jobs? And he was like, I've got all kinds of jobs!

Jake Brower: And, we did!

Madi Graham: Yep.

Claire Strain: I interviewed Heather for an hour. We just clicked so well over the phone. And, I just felt like we got along really well and had a really good bond. It was like an instant click. I just knew that I wanted her to be my recruiter.

Michelle J.: It isn't just a recruiter and a nurse relationship. I mean, I felt like I was part of the Atlas family as soon as I met you.

Jen Fuller: Yeah.

April Moeller: I basically started traveling just because I get bored really easily. And, this allows me to move around without it looking really crappy on a resume. And I love travel, so it helps me explore as much as I can.

Amy Keilor: My kids are grown, so I don't have any real responsibilities at home. So, that's what really got me into travel nursing. I wanted to be able to work and kind of see the country at the same time, kind of vacation while you're working.

Travis Taylor: I love the traveling and change in locations. And just the benefits that comes with being a travel nurse. If you're truly an extroverted person or, like she is an extroverted, introverted person. It's the benefits of traveling, and seeing things and doing things.

Sylvia Hebert: I traveled way back when. It was lots of fun, and I stopped because I had a young child. Then I decided to try it again because I found myself working or babysitting. So traveling let her grow up, and let me see the world.

Angela Henry: Like, the fact that I get paid to go somewhere I've never been before. And get out there and see everything about that area, is so cool.

Melissa O.: The best part is definitely the people you meet. I've met awesome people from all over. I definitely met some people I can tell you will be lifelong friends.

Courtney S.: I have done some awesome trips with other travelers. I went to South America and did Bolivia with a friend. I went to Southeast Asia with another Atlas traveler. Those friendships, I really hope will last me a lifetime because I've met some incredible people that I truly, truly love.

Keith McCarty: Well the best part is not having to put up with all the hospital politics. Every nurse knows there are politics, no matter where you go. So you get to avoid all that mess.

Rich Smith: What's the toughest part?

Emily Tatu: Right now, taxes.

Dennis Tatu: Yeah, it's tax season.

Mike Moser: Probably space would be the most difficult thing to adjust to. I know that was personally for me, my biggest adjustment.

Kayla White: You don't get to have the comradery that builds. Obviously it takes awhile to build that with your staff unit. And so, you're only in for 13 weeks and you're out the next. But with being that said, the positives of traveler nursing is you're only there for the 13 weeks. You kind of get in, you do what you need to do. You can experience what you need to experience, and then you can move on from there. And it just... there's vast opportunities.

Whitney Colvin: Not everybody's going to like you and that's a hard thing to really wrap your head around, as nice as you can be to people. Even patients, it's the same thing just in my job, just in general. Not all your patients are going to like you. But you just kind of have to do the best you can and just go with it, and don't let it affect you too much.

Taya Meehan: Worst part, sometimes it's lonely. It's hard to be so far sometimes. Sometimes it hits you. You're like, oh my word I am so far, I'm two time zones away from home. But you can always go back and there's... we've got face time and phone calls, and texting, and everybody's so close yet so far.

Brad McDonald: I mean, usually the best things in life are pretty scary.

Liam Fleishmann: I think my next goal is going to be trying to find a mountain town of some sort. I heard Bishop, California probably fits the bill. Maybe somewhere in Colorado.

Justin B.: I've been trying hard to get to Eastern Tennessee, in the Smoky Mountains or Hawaii. Because I lived in Hawaii for six years. I'd really love to go back, especially for work.

Jessica S.: We have a lot of people in Seattle, and we love the Seattle area. And there's so much hiking and outdoors things.

Rich Smith: Yes.

Jessica S.: And we have all of our camping gear with us, and that'll be a perfect time in that area to camp.

Stephanie P.: Never really know what's next. But I don't plan to stop traveling until I meet Prince Charming, and have to settle down.

Rich Smith: Right.

Stephanie P.: So til then, just wherever there's good money, and good things to do, and I hear good things about the hospital. Hopefully Arizona, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for warm winters.

Patty Hingst: Everyone's got to do Alaska.

Bob Hingst: Have to. Have to.

Patty Hingst: Yeah, that's best.