November 2005: Marilynn McNaughton, RN

I attended college in St. Louis, Mo. and am proud to have been a nurse for 30 yrs. I started traveling in 1990, and had done about three contracts when I met a man in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. We subsequently married and I stopped traveling. When we parted in 2000, I started traveling again. This past year, I met my man, Rick, in Albuquerque, New Mexico and will be married again but this time I won’t stop traveling because he’s going to travel with me! He’s a retired high school teacher/coach/bodybuilder who will love hitting the road with me and oh, by the way, he said he would be my personal trainer.

Before I met Rick I had started ballroom dancing and wanted to do it competitively but was hesitant to try. Rick himself was a competitive bodybuilder, achieving Mr. America status 20 yrs ago so had many encouraging words about competing. He said that I would change the way I thought about it, the way I would train for it and the way I would focus on it and I couldn’t know until I tried. I trusted his words and signed up for my first competition in October and won 1st place in my division! Without his influence, I doubt I would have done it.

So my story about Rick leads me to the reason I travel. I love meeting people, seeing new places and experiencing different hospitals but mostly it’s the people. I have two examples of the way people have impacted me.

My heartfelt story is about the wonderful staff at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque where I worked this past year. I had just started my contract at Presbyterian when I received the news that my daughter – in – law had died. The staff rallied around me, supported me and let me cry on their shoulders. And for the last eight months, have been propping me up and encouraging me; helping me get through some days that were filled with grief. From the management to the housekeepers, I was touched with understanding and love. They had a send-off for me on my last day there and I wept openly in gratitude and love for embracing me during a tough period. They thanked me???? for helping them for awhile, but I assured them that it was the other way around.

You never know what GOD has around the corner for you but I’m going to keep traveling and find out!

I can’t say enough about the people at Travel Nurse Across America. They’ve made everything easy as I go from one assignment to the next; and have the most heart and love as any organization I’ve experienced. I especially want to give kudos to Derek, my Recruiter, for his professionalism, guidance and compassion. He’s a rare guy. I will spend a few more years traveling and doing it with Travel Nurse!