July Nurse of the Month

Name:

Anthony N.

Specialty:

Surgical/Trauma Intensive Care

Years of Nursing Experience:

10+ years

How long have you worked with Fastaff?:

2 years, over the years

What first inspired you to pursue nursing, and what drew you to Fastaff?:

I became a nurse because I love people. I started and spent most of my career in New York City, where I had the privilege to be the nurse-for, and become close-to nearly every walk-of-life on this planet. In a given assignment, I can have foreign royalty in one bed, and an inmate under-guard next door. Nursing has taken me many places…I’m a career trauma ICU nurse, former state regulator, and former hospital leadership…On my current assignment, I’m helping a major trauma center train their new nurses. I feel like I am making a difference wherever I go, and that makes getting up and going to work a whole lot easier.

Since COVID-19, the travel nursing industry has changed immensely; the market has been flooded with endless amounts of new (and often alleged) staffing agencies, and facilities perceptions of travel nurses can often be negative.

Fastaff has been doing this for a long time; and having worked for different agencies, I can attest to the following…My first day instructions are always correct, my contract is never cancelled, the facilities are grateful when I arrive, and my recruiter Savoi and Carol are ON RETAINER and have my back each and every day I am on assignment.

Have Fastaff assignments helped you expand your clinical skill set? How?:

Fastaff has helped me grow immensely! On an assignment in California, I was promoted to the facility’s nursing administrator, and on my current assignment, I am now tasked with training the facility’s new nurses. It has exposed me to so many opportunities!

Travel nurses step into unfamiliar environments. How do you adapt while delivering exceptional care?:

I come from a music family and I think of travel nursing and a band in the same way. In both situations, you have to find your part in a song/situation, and give it all ya got!

Travel Nursing has taken me legitimately from coast-to-coast. My greatest advice on how to adapt while giving exceptional care is opening yourself up to the community around you. Get to know the staff, get a pulse on the area, plan adventures, try new things…I promise you, you’re gonna make lifetime friends along the way.

What’s one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced as a travel nurse, and how did you navigate it?:

THE INCESSANT CALLS/TEXTS/EMAILS from probably hundreds of agencies…I recommend activating your carriers spam blocker and adding your recruiter as an emergency contact so their texts/calls/emails always ring/alert/priority inbox.

What would you say to a nurse considering Fastaff but unsure about rapid response travel?:

There’s a lot of companies out there that will offer many promises with no delivery. Fastaff is the exception to the rule, they have your back from the moment you leave your house to the moment you get home.