Anna-Marie W’s life as an ER Nurse in Brooklyn
In this bustling borough of New York City, amidst the and rarely-quiet streets and busy locals, Anna-Marie thrives as a travel nurse in one of the city's busy Level 1 trauma centers. Her journey is not just about providing exceptional care to patients; hers is a tale of personal and professional growth, camaraderie within her staff team, and embracing the vibrant energy of the city that never sleeps. We had a chance to speak with her about how her pursuit as traveler ultimately led her to the city and why she loves it so much.
We had a chance to chat with her and hear about her experience getting started as a traveler, what she is doing now, and how her experiences have shaped her career.
How long have you been with Spire? What has your experience been like?
I’m on my 3rd extension! I love being ahead of the game and knowing that I’m staying on at my current facility. In my experience, I’ve seen extensions come down to the wire, so I’m grateful to have such a proactive recruiter. I had been a travel nurse for 2-3 years prior to coming here, so I wasn’t expecting such a seamless process with Spire. It seriously took a couple of hours to finish all of my onboarding with my recruiter - it was very much a “copy/paste” situation. I hadn’t experienced that in my career before.
One of the other aspects of working with my recruiter, that I LOVE, is that I hear back almost immediately whenever I have a question — there is never a time where I’m left waiting or wondering.
Tell us about your current assignment and what you love about the area
So, I started my career as an ER Nurse. I’ve always been a thrill-seeker and always wanted to venture out. So, here I am — in Brooklyn, New York… and I love it. It’s a Level-1 Trauma Center, so its super busy. It’s NYC, you know? I’m working nights, so things tend to be a little different in terms of patient need, pace, and so on. I was warned before coming to New York City as it is certainly not for the faint of heart. Since I had started my career in a few smaller facilities, I knew I wanted to have a busier hospital experience.
Plus, we have everything here that we need to provide excellent patient care. I’m used to being absolutely everything for my patients, but I’m thankful to have amazing techs, PCAs, EKG, transport, phlebotomists, and so on. Everyone here is same team all the time.
My team is amazing. The fact that I’m a full-time travel nurse never comes up — we’re all a team and we’re focused on caring for the patient first. Honestly, the reason I keep extending my contract is because of my team. They are very much the reason I can provide great care. I’ve never once felt like I was alone just because I’m a traveler — quite the opposite, in fact. After 2-3 shifts, I was treated like family and it has been that way ever since.
Another thing that most nurses don’t always think of up front is how much you may get to express yourself. I like to have colorful hair. We ER Nurses typically like to express ourselves the most and I like that I have that freedom here. I never have to wear boring scrubs and I always feel comfortable — which is important when it comes to how I provide care to my patients. I like to be recognized by my patients!
I love my team and everyone I’ve met. The good outweighs the bad and I’ve had such a great experience here.
What advice would you give to other travelers in this city/facility?
There are days where it’s difficult. It isn’t uncommon for me to have up to 15+ patients at a time, but at least I know what to expect. There are good days and bad days still, but I still want to help people. Every day.
Knowing that, you have to live your life. If you aren’t, you’re doing it wrong. You have to set the goal of enjoying the experience and immersing yourself in the city. My days off are all about self care — NYC gives me a lot of that.
Speaking of the city, I can’t say enough about how amazing NYC is. I spend my downtime exploring the city — observatories, boba tea, Manhattan, pizza, bagels, you name it!
A word of advice for anyone wanting to take an assignment in NYC: Talk to your landlord! They’ll give you the BEST advice on where to go for pizza, how to find a laundromat, and how to get from A to B. Seriously, they’ve been lifesavers!
A few of Anna’s favorite spots you need to check out:
Nom Tea for boba: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nom-tea-brooklyn
Joe’s Pizza: Any location!
The Woo Woo is a great speakeasy - takes me back to the 80s: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-woo-woo-new-york-2
Summit One Building - Love how interactive it is: https://www.yelp.com/biz/summit-one-vanderbilt-new-york
The Edge - Such a great view and the glass floor you can walk on is incredible: https://www.yelp.com/biz/edge-new-york-4