On to the Next One

Peace out travel nurse assignment #2! Northern California- you are magnificent. Filling you in on the details of my nursing contract & our exciting adventures in The Bay Area!

The Assignment

Agency: Atlas Medstaff
Recruiter: Sydney Lamberty (Contact info: slamberty@atlasmedstaff.com)
Location: Highland Hospital- Oakland, CA
Floor: Progressive Care Unit, 28 beds
Duration: 13 weeks
Shift: NOC

After my wonderful first travel nursing experience in Southern California, my goal was to land my next assignment in San Francisco. Unfortunately, the pay packages being offered at that time were just not up to par, but luckily I received an attractive offer across the bay in Oakland that I just couldn’t pass up- I even turned down a position at Stanford! First impression: I was apprehensive. My parents said, “you’re going where? I don’t think it’s safe.” My gut said: Have faith. Give it a shot. You can do anything for 13 weeks. I gave my recruiter the green light, signed the contract, & here I am after it all- so glad that I did.

What I Enjoyed:

• 3:1 patient/RN ratio

• Friendly staff, good team rapport, other fellow travelers

• Received 2 breaks during shift, break shift RN covered patients (30 & 45 minutes)

Differences New to Me:

• RN’s were responsible for all blood draws. This was a new skill for me, I was challenged & excited when I got a hard stick!

• At times, we had up to 6 CNAs being used as sitters to watch patients one-on-one meaning we had little CNA help. RNs were each others resources.

• Received stable intubated patients at times

Work Hard, Play Hard

In the Bay Area, there’s plenty of sights to see, beautiful wildlife to explore, tasty eats, & other thrilling activities to fill your free time!

San Francisco

• Golden Gate Bridge

• Fisherman’s Wharf

• Ghirardelli Square

•Lombard Street

• Painted Ladies

Alcatraz

From 1934 to 1963, this historical site known as “The Rock,” was home to America’s most dangerous felons. During our visit, we took an audio guided tour within the prison, imagining the thrilling events & mysteries that occurred within those very halls.