Nurse Credits Aya Recruiter for Prioritizing Her Success

Compassion and kindness go a long way — and these are virtues that per diem nurse, Sarah, has mastered long before kicking off her career with Aya.

Though no one in her family worked in healthcare, Sarah has had an insatiable curiosity for all things nursing since high school. As a Southern California native, she ended up getting a summer internship at a local hospital in Compton, Los Angeles, during her junior year. “Through that whole experience, I got to see first-hand the role of a nurse and how they cared for patients,” she says.

This solidified Sarah’s interest not only in nursing, but in intensive care. By the time it came to begin applying for colleges, she knew she had made the right choice. She explains, “I was only looking at places that offered direct admit nursing programs and eventually decided on Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.”

After earning her BSN in Nursing, Sarah got a job at Mayo Clinic in the cardiovascular ICU in Rochester, Minnesota. With plans to attend graduate school in the fall, Sarah decided to give travel nursing a try with the hopes of gaining a financial and professional leg-up before the semester started.

An Unbreakable Recruiter-Nurse Relationship

While Sarah knew to expect the unexpected during her shifts, she had never worked with a healthcare staffing agency before and was a bit apprehensive. “I’m very Type A and I wasn’t sure if I was ready to leave a stable job and move across the country for a contract role,” she shared.

Luckily, Sarah’s concerns were quickly put to rest after a friend had shared her contact information with one of Aya’s most beloved recruiters.

“Kat completely put me at ease because I initially thought the travel nursing thing was too good to be true,” she says. “Kat was so attentive, answered all my questions and walked me through the entire process—start to finish.”

In fact, over the past several months, Kat has become more than Sarah’s recruiter — she’s her sounding board, confidant and biggest supporter, checking in with her at least once a week to ensure everything is running smoothly. Whether they have questions related to payroll, PTO or shift scheduling, Kat always strives to be a trusted resource for her clinicians, no matter where they are.

“By getting to know me on a personal level, she was able to advocate for me as a nurse,” Sarah says. “If it wasn’t for Kat, I don’t think I would’ve ever committed to giving this opportunity a shot.”

Flexibility as a Per Diem Nurse

Sarah recently made the move back to California to be closer to her family and with Kat’s help, she was able to land a coveted per diem contract at a leading health system. “As opposed to having a rigid schedule, I’m able to step in and fill short-term needs without feeling like it’s impeding on my personal life,” she says.

After being accepted into a nurse anesthesia program, working per diem has also given Sarah the chance to begin financially preparing. “I had only worked as a registered nurse for a little under two years and did not have a lot of money saved up for graduate school. Now, I get to save up for school, while also enjoying my time off,” she notes.

Since per diem positions can vary in setting, location and length, nurses like Sarah are able to enjoy the flexibility of having work-life balance, while also expanding their existing skill set.

According to Sarah, “On one day, I can be in the abdominal organ transplant ICU and in the next, I can be in neurosurgery. No two shifts are ever alike, and each day brings a new challenge, which means I’m never bored.”

Ready to take your nursing career to the next level? Apply now and a recruiter will be in touch to discuss how to get you where you want to go.