Work is Personal

By Rich Smith, 08-30-2017

Work is personal.

I've had that quote up on my wall for some time now. (If you follow Atlas on Instagram, you'd have seen it last week.) Couldn't tell you where it came from, or who said it originally. But the first time I heard that phrase, it struck a chord. There is a genuine happiness that comes with loving what you do. Nursing is unique because it's possibly one of the most personal professions in the world. True healing doesn't happen if it doesn't have that personal touch. And being a travel nurse adds a whole other dimension. I love hearing the stories our nurses tell. There is so much good out there, it's time to share it with everyone else. Unfortunately, we don't really have a place where sharing and collaboration is possible. So we had an idea! Let's make it more personal!

Each week we are going to share a short video about what happened at Atlas the week before, and we want you to do the same. Record a short 1-2 minute video wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Tell your story, be real. It doesn't have to be perfect. However, it should have a beginning, middle and end. Begin with your name, your specialty, where you are from and where you are on contract. The middle is the content. I've listed some topics below, but don't limit yourself. Anything you think might be fun for others to know would work too. Then the end is simply wrapping up your topic. This shouldn't' be hard hitting NBC Nightly News stuff. It should be light but informative. It could be helpful to your fellow traveling nurses. Most importantly, it should be fun. Don't take yourself too seriously. This is just a way to share a bit of yourself, which in the end could help a fellow nurse in ways you've never dreamed.

Here are some starter questions:

1. How did you start traveling? 2. Where was your first contract and where are you now? 3. Where would you like to go next? 4. How is your housing? 5. How was your experience at the hospital? 6. What adventures did you have on contract? 7. Is there anything you haven't done that you want to do?

While all of these are ideas to help you get started, what we really want is to see where you are and what you are doing on contract. Explore, branch out, try something new. We'll feature one of these videos every Tuesday on our Facebook page. They don't have to be polished, or look like a feature film. In fact, the more raw they are the better. That's real life.