Below is a journal entry from a U.S. Nursing nurse, detailing some of her experiences while working for U.S. Nursing.

Monday, a.m.

I live in a compact state and have 8-10 other licenses. Why so many? Working for U.S. Nursing (USN), you never know where your next assignment may be and having an updated file is essential. Usually I check the web site daily to see if there are any current job actions, however, this morning I got a call from my recruiter before I could check the site. She told me that a facility may go on strike and I should be prepared to go to the assignment in one week. My file is updated and the license that I need for this particular state is current. I always try to keep my file current because nurses with up-to-date files have priority over nurses that don’t have a complete file with USN. My recruiter gave me all of the specifics on the strike when she called me. As the strike date draws closer, I will receive a call from housing and finally, the travel department, to finalize my travel arrangements.

The following Tuesday, a.m.

I have received my final housing and travel arrangements and now I just need to call the Red Light/Green Light telephone number daily to confirm if the strike goes or settles. Calling this number is essential whenever I go on assignment with USN, and I always call this number before I leave for the airport, on the way to the airport and before I step on the plane to leave for the assignment. Once I was actually about to get onboard the plane and called, only to find out that the assignment I was going on had settled and was a Red Light! When this happened I called my recruiter to confirm that the assignment was, in fact, canceled and upon confirmation, went home. It can be inconvenient but it’s also the name of the game when you’re doing this sort of work. In that particular situation, it worked out for me since my recruiter called me the next day and sent me out on another, different strike assignment. I was on the floor by noon the next day at the other assignment even after being cancelled on the initial job action. It definitely doesn’t work out that well every time but with this sort of work you just never know.

Although some people drive to certain assignments, I’ve always flown. I’ve been doing this for almost four years and U.S. Nursing has always taken care of every travel and housing detail. When I get to my destination there’s always a shuttle waiting to take me to the hotel. I remember the first time I went on assignment with USN. I was scared and didn’t know what to expect but found out that for the most part, the administration, staff and patients are appreciative and friendly. I’ve never felt any hostility at a job action and there is always security present. The first days of work are always a little challenging, working in a new setting. However, if you thrive on new challenges, like I do, you’ll hit the floor running and find your comfort zone quickly.

I just received the call from my recruiter and this job action is a go – I’m headed to my next assignment.

Wednesday, a.m.

I arrived at the hotel via the USN-provided shuttle and I checked into my room. When available, I like to have my own room on assignment and I don’t mind paying the 50% housing difference to have my privacy. We had our orientation today and our first day on the job is tomorrow morning starting at 5 a.m. We’ll be driven to the site by bus to begin work. Hopefully this facility will have some on-site resource people since it’s always easier to become fully functional after a couple of days when we have contacts on-site to ask for help. But whether they have on-site resource contacts or not, after working 12-hour shifts for a couple of days, I always feel comfortable on a new assignment.

Thursday, a.m., On Assignment

I made my first rounds on the floor and have already run into some of the same USN nurses that I’ve worked with before. There are some new faces as well. It’s comforting to know that there is a group of us in the same boat and whenever I’ve been on assignment I feel that USN nurses, for the most part, work as a team and meld together well.

The USN nurse manager has assigned me to days, which I prefer. They try to give you the shift that you prefer but you need to be somewhat flexible. I’ll do nights if I have to but I also put in a request to switch if a day position comes available.

I never know how long an assignment will last. My shortest assignment lasted four days and my longest lasted five months. On the long assignments I have taken breaks to go home to my family. On those occasions, I lost my spot but went back on a waiting list to wait for another position to open up and was able to return. When I have days off while on assignment, I usually rent a car and go shopping. Once I requested a weekend off and my husband and son visited me at my assignment. We got a room for my son at the USNC rate (which was a great rate) and we had a fun weekend of skiing, shopping and spending time together.

I’ve made some great friends working USN assignments. Some of my best friends are nurses that I may only see once a year but we manage to stay in touch between assignments with email and phone calls. These relationships are essential because having friends on assignment prevent me from feeling secluded. Another relationship that I can’t say enough about is my relationship with my recruiter. I keep in touch with her on and off assignment to let her know how everything is going. I highly recommend staying in close contact with your recruiter.

Working for USN has changed my life in many ways. I was able to buy a new home, pay cash for my car and I haven’t had to take out any loans for my daughter’s education, avoiding debt. Before I went to work for USN, my husband and I were struggling. My husband has a great job but while I was working as a staff nurse, we just couldn’t make ends meet. Although the job action assignments I work can be very busy and sometimes chaotic, working for USN has allowed me to get out of debt and increase the quality of my lifestyle.

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