Meet Ebony Thyme The Traveling Nurse: Two big topics right now during the coronavirus pandemic: travel (or the lack thereof!) and health…
A “traveling nurse” sounds exciting, exotic, and prestigious, so what does this career really entail? “A typical year in my shoes would consist of working four months; taking four months off to travel; working again for the last four months; and finally, being home for the holidays!” shares, Ebony Thyme, a travel nurse practitioner and solo travel influencer.
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How many people can say that they love their career because it matches their lifestyle? “It’s a beautiful feeling to have the best of both worlds,” says Thyme. You can check out the sneak peek into her course, The Traveling Chic, where she shares expert advice on how to plan for post-pandemic travel and become a confident solo traveler.
With this exciting introduction, Thyme gives inside scoop to her lifestyle of being a traveler 365 days of the year!
What made you decide to go into the field of nursing? And, what do you find most rewarding about the nursing profession?
“To be honest, I wanted to have a career in the medical field but I wasn’t exactly sure it would have been nursing,” says Thyme. “Nursing was something I just kind of jumped right into after getting accepted into a nursing program straight after high school.
I have been a nurse for about 7 years now and I love every bit of it! I love the fact that I can jump right into almost any specialty in nursing. If I want to take care of babies, I can do just that. If I have a special interest in patients with cardiac related illnesses, I can do that as well. If I want to work in different hospitals or different states, I can do that too!”
“The beauty of nursing is that you are always learning something new every day!” exclaims Thyme. “The human body is simply amazing. I find the flexibility of my career most rewarding. Being a travel nurse practitioner and a travel influencer, I have the best of both worlds.
The flexibility of my career has allowed me to travel in between the times that I am not working. Because of my travels as a nurse, I have developed the confidence to travel on my own internationally on my free time just to take a break from regular routine. It is truly a beautiful feeling.”
When did you have that “AHA” moment that you could be a traveling nurse practitioner influencer through social media?
“I was a travel influencer broadcasting my international travels first before introducing my profession,” says Thyme. “People were always curious as to what I do for work because I traveled so much. In fact, some thought I didn’t work at all!
When I realize that people were engaged in my international travel content, I decided to broadcast my life as a traveling nurse practitioner because, I mean, it’s still a part of a travel lifestyle as a whole and it fits right in with my social media audience!”
What are some exciting, funny, or scary moments you’ve had as a traveling nurse?
“Becoming a travel nurse comes with its ups and downs,” expresses Thyme. “First you land your assignment in a state, which is amazing but the hassle of looking for a place to stay and your means of transportation sometimes is not so amazing.
I remember receiving a three-month contract in California, and booking a place to stay for a week with thinking that I would have the chance to find another place while out there right?
WRONG! Though, I am usually not easily frightened, I became nervous because I couldn’t find a place to stay and I was running out of time because my work life took up most of my day. During the very last day of my stay something told me to reach out my Airbnb host. With relief, my host kindly offered me a full three month stay at her place!”
What has this experience taught you?
“As a nurse influencer, this experience has taught me more about self-care,” says Thyme. “It’s super important to stay on top of our physical and mental wellbeing. COVID-19 is scary and I’ve witness it affecting the very young, the very old, the very healthy, and unhealthy.
My biggest advice as a nurse practitioner is to stay on top of your health. Check in with your primary care physician for your physicals, go to your preventative health appointment, and stay up to date on your immunizations.”
“On a personal level, this experience has taught me the importance of gratitude, I am grateful to have a loving, caring family who is still rooting for me as I am working frontlines in one of the hardest hit places- New York City.
As a travel influencer, this experience has also taught me the importance of living out your dreams. It is clear that time waits for no one, while the world is on a pause, it is best that you take your goals and put into actions.”
What message would you give a young person looking to enter into nursing, and potentially pursue a traveling nurse profession?
“Nursing is definitely a rewarding, life-long career,” expresses Thyme. “If you are just entering in, please be prepared for the hard work and most importantly, please do not give up!” “You cannot expect it to be a piece of cake, you are basically learning how to keep a human healthy and how to save a life in situations you wish would never see yourself in.
As a traveling nurse, you have to be able to adapt to different environments, different people, and a different way of life periodically throughout the year.”
Since traveling is not an option right now, what have you been up to?
“Though I am not traveling as much as I use to, I am still working in different hospitals closer to home right now,” says Thyme. “I do not want to be too far away from my family at this time.
I have also been really utilizing my social media platform to educate my audience on COVID-19. I have been collaborating with other social media influencers in the health care field on IG LIVE through my Instagram to discuss the current happenings of the pandemic from our perspectives.
You can also follow my journey on my YouTube channel!”
