Fastaff nurses are rewarded and recognized for the experience, skills, and dedication they bring to each travel nursing assignment. This nurse is someone who exemplifies the Fastaff values.

Read below to learn more about June’s Nurse of the Month, Anissa Daugherty:

Specialty: OR Tech

Number of years working with Fastaff:

I have traveled with Fastaff from the very beginning of the company. I was introduced to the founder Dan Mordecai in 1997 by my mother-in-law. She is a RN who has traveled with Fastaff for all these years as well.      

Why do you love working with Fastaff? 

Fastaff has been a fundamental part of my life. My recruiter has been with me from the beginning and she is the best in the industry – and being a recruiter is not an easy job. How could I not be honored to be a part of such a wonderful team! 

Tell me about a time where you felt more valuable/respected because of the experience and knowledge you gained from your Fastaff assignment.

1999-2000 was one of the best times of my life. I traveled to Washington, D.C. in September 1999 to work at a level one trauma center and teaching facility. I was responsible for changes made in instrumentation and sterile set ups for cases no one had ever performed before. I was recognized by the directors and education dept. as being a “pioneer in cryo surgical procedures”. The pictures I had taken with my new elf panoramic camera became the standard in the book of procedures.

I was young and a sponge for all the knowledge I could absorb while working with surgeons that are world-famous for the procedures they do. Being a part of those teams and scrubbing the groundbreaking and now textbook procedures taught me how to communicate and be a valuable asset to any procedure.

I worked 60 hours a week and I played just as hard. I met Snoop Dawg at the NBA All-Star weekend inside the VIP area at the largest club in D.C. I have memories from this entire year that launched me into a fabulous gypsy lifestyle and enabled me to live many working lives. I learn and grow with every step in my path of this life.

How have you accomplished some of your personal and professional goals by traveling with Fastaff?

Life is full of its own challenges. Near the end of a long assignment, my father passed away and I was unable to complete the assignment. My recruiter has always been there with options and advice to help me continue working with Fastaff. This past year my partner for life got very sick and was hospitalized. It was a very scary time. Not only were we unsure how he was going to get through it, but we were also unsure how my assignment and my status with the agency was going to be affected. My recruiter advocated for me through all legalities and I was able to spend the time I needed with him to get him better. One day about six months later, my recruiter calls me and asked if I thought my parter was well enough and if I was ready to go back to work. Apparently, the hospital I was working at asked specifically if I was available to come back to work! Whaaaat! That doesn’t happen to travel techs unless you truly are one of the best at what you do. I like to call myself a successful traveler.

In this industry there are many negative stigmas and preconceived notions about why we travel. For me, variety is the spice of life. I have traveled all over this country and have been places and done things people only get to do on vacations. Traveling is a way of life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!