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Blog & News/March Travel Nurse of the Month
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 our March Nurse of the Month, Maurena Morgan:
Specialty:
Cardiac step down or PCU.
Number of years working with Fastaff:
I have been with this awesome company for two and a half years. I’m currently on my fourth assignment.
Why do you love working with Fastaff?
Initially I chose Fastaff as my travel company because the salary was so amazing, but I also have a super recruiter, Tony Bentley. He is just the bomb! He is always checking in to see how my assignment is going and if I need anything. He talks college football with me and I get on him when his Denver Broncos are not winning. Thank you Fastaff for allowing me to achieve a lot of financial goals for my family and to see this awesome country.
What do you love about nursing?
I have been an RN for 28 years and it has been an amazing journey. The patient lives I have touched and the smiles, as well as the tears, I have shared with family members makes me so thankful that I chose this career path.
What makes travel nursing rewarding for you?
The amazing salary. Why be away from home if it’s not going to be worth it financially. I've been with several companies, but no one compares; Fastaff has the best recruiters and the best payroll staff. I tell everyone about Fastaff. Financially, I am where I want to be.
What has been your most challenging Fastaff assignment (a difficult case, surgery, patient illness, etc.) and how did you feel that impacted your worth as a nurse afterwards?
While on assignment, a young man in his 30s became a quadriplegic from sliding into the home plate while playing softball. He was angry at the world and very abusive to the nursing staff. Week three of his hospitalization, I was his nurse and would have him for the next four nights. I began to make small talk about sports. He told me that he was and always will be a die-hard 49er fan. Bingo! Two things I know: nursing and football. I would tease him about how awful the 49ers were and he would tease me about my Miami Dolphins. He begin to ask, “Is Rena here tonight?" When I would peep my head in his room, he would say, "Hey Miami, I miss you when you’re not here” and gave me that little smirk. I smiled back and said to myself, “YAASS! I’m a nurse. What’s your super power?”
Describe the most miraculous or impressive thing you’ve witnessed or been a part of during your time as a nurse with Fastaff.
I spent six months on my last assignment at Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs. I worked the neuro PCU/Stroke Unit. One night as I was sitting at my desk doing my nurse documentation, the desktop computer literally began to slide across the desk. The floor began to shake underneath my feet. Hey! I’m not the singer Carol King so I don’t need the earth to move under my feet (teehee). So this little lady from Orlando, Florida experienced my first (and hopefully my last) earthquake!
How have you accomplished some of your personal and professional goals by traveling with Fastaff?
After 25 years as a travel nurse and one year as a Fastaff travel nurse, I was finally in a position to share my financial success with my grandson. As a high school graduation gift, I purchased a brand new Kia for him with the above-average income I earned as a Fastaff travel nurse. He's been getting straight A's since seventh grade and I wanted to do something special for him. If I didn't work with Fastaff, I would have never been able to get my grandson this car.