Changing Things Up With Travel Nursing

This nurse took on a travel assignment in order to see more of the United States

Welcome to Nurse Ascent, a twice-weekly newsletter created by nurses for nurses. This week one nurse shares her story from pipetting in a lab to travel nursing across the Pacific North West. We also talk about extended postpartum coverage in Wisconsin, a judge's ruling on RFK Jr. overstepping legal authority, as well as a recall for children's ibuprofen.

But first, reminder to take care of those who take care of others for a living!

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Nurse Spotlight: Audrey Mays, RN, BSN

What I do for work

I am a travel nurse and took my first assignment in 2024 when I decided I wanted to leave my city. I’d never lived outside of California before and wanted to see the rest of the country. My first assignments were in Oregon and now I’m in Washington on a cardio thoracic unit, but my specialty is telemetry, neurology and progressive care.

How I got here

I originally studied to be a researcher and was working in a lab on campus for a biotech company. At one point, I realized I didn’t want to pipette all day long. I did an internship at a hospital where I discovered the career path of nursing. During my school, I worked as a medical assistant, then as a nursing assignment on the same floor I was hired on for my new grad RN residency where I stayed 3.5 years before I took a travel contract. At first, I was scared to start my travel contracts at new hospitals, but I’ve learned a lot at every hospital I go to and I’m really loving being a traveler.

Headlines in Healthcare

Wisconsin governor extends postpartum coverage

Parents in Wisconsin will now have additional access to postpartum Medicaid coverage after Governor Tony Evers signed a bill lengthening the program from 60 days to one full year. Per Wisconsin Public Radio, Evers began working on these budgets included in the bill when he came to office in 2019. Wisconsin was one of just two states that hadn’t extended postpartum medicaid coverage, which will now begin on July 1.

Judge rules RFK Jr. overstepped legal authority

A federal judge in Oregon ruled that Health Secretary RFK Jr. overstepped his legal authority when he declared in December that gender affirming medical care for minors does not meet recognized standards. The New York Times reports 21 states sued DHS arguing RFK Jr. bypassed required rule-making procedures and the judge agreed the decision could not be made unilaterally, blocking it from taking affect.

90,000 bottles of liquid ibuprofen recalled

Nearly 90,000 bottles of a children’s pain reliever have been recalled due to reports of black specs and other contaminants, according to federal regulators. This week, the FDA put out an online notice for Taro Pharmaceuticals’ Children’s Ibuprofen Oral Suspension, available in berry flavor and meant for children 2-11 years of age.

More on Audrey

A day in my life

I work night shift and find I don’t sleep all that much the last day off before a stretch of 3 night shifts. In the morning, I try to exercise, take my dog, Bongo, outside, and plan some food for the next 3 days before I get a nap in before my shift. I’m excited that I live so close to the hospital I’m working at now because I can take public transport to work which I’ve never had the opportunity to use so easily before.

What I do for fun

On my days off, I spend my time mostly hanging out with my dog and roommate. The past couple years I’ve been getting into salsa dancing and bachata. I also recently joined a Pilates studio to try out. During the winter season I like to go skiing. I also love to read and play board games.

Share your story & be entered to win

As part of our effort to spotlight nurses, we’d love to feature you in an upcoming issue of Nurse Ascent! Share your story by filling out our quick interview form, and you’ll be entered into a raffle to win a $50 gift card.

An image of author Katie Scoggins is pictured.

Meet the author:
Katie Scoggins
(RN, BSN & Health Writer)

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