Nurses and health professionals across the country are using Medely to take control of their schedules and create a more flexible, sustainable work-life balance. One of these nurses is Lauren Lennox, OR/Circulating RN. Through Medely, she’s been able to pick up shifts as a per diem nurse and book travel assignments that work for her schedule, giving her the freedom and flexibility to live life on her terms.
We sat down with her to talk about her experience as a nurse, how she found Medely, and what motivates her to continue being a per diem nurse.
Lauren’s nursing journey
From a very young age, Lauren knew that she was interested in medicine. “Basically my whole entire life, I wanted to be in the medical field,” Lauren shares. “My mom and I would always watch those medical mystery shows or the Discovery Channel where they would show surgeries, so I always thought I wanted to be a doctor.”
After deciding she didn’t want to pursue the intensive training it took to be a doctor, she explored other paths, which eventually led to her becoming an OR nurse. “I decided to volunteer at a hospital. Then I saw what the nurses were doing in the hospital, and I was like, ‘Oh, that would be a good job.’ I already had a bachelor’s degree, and I just went back and got my RN,” Lauren shares. “The rest is history.”
How she became a per diem nurse with Medely
Lauren found out about picking up per diem shifts with Medely through nurses who were booking Medely shifts at the surgery center where she was working. “I was working at surgery centers in Los Angeles. The last one that I was working at used Medely to hire nurses when we needed them, so I would talk to a lot of Medely nurses,” Lauren shares.
After she left her job at the surgery center to pursue a new travel assignment, her long commute caused her to develop back problems, forcing her to take a break from travel assignments. After she was left without a job, she knew that it was going to take some time to heal her injury and find a new travel assignment, so she had to pick up something quick while she was in between assignments. Lauren knew it was the perfect time to pick up per diem shifts with Medely.
“Medely is nice because you’re not locked into one thing. You’re not locked into a contract. It’s literally just one shift. You see all the shifts in the area. You pick it up. You don’t have to worry about any commitment to anything besides just showing up for the shift.”
Why Lauren chose to be a per diem nurse with Medely
Along with the desire to make ends meet while in between jobs, Lauren was also looking for control over her schedule and the opportunity to make more money on her terms. After talking to Medely nurses, she realized nurses who were picking up shifts with Medely were getting paid premium rates. As she looked for per diem shifts with Medely, she was impressed with the variety of opportunities, the premium pay, and how simple it was to book a shift.
“A lot of travel companies keep everything so secretive. Medely actually just posts it and is like, ‘This is the money, this is the place, this is the shift. Yes or no.’ I just hit yes, and then I got it. It was so easy,” Lauren says. “With Medely I am already so set up in the app with my profile. I have a track record and recommendations. Everything’s on there.”
Thanks to all the shifts available on Medely and the fact that she can find shifts on her terms, Lauren feels like she has the freedom to work how and when she wants. “I just love being able to do whatever with my schedule. I could work full time with Medely,” Lauren shares. “It’s so flexible and easy for me.”
Medely can help you accomplish your goals as a per diem nurse
Through Medely, Lauren has been able to accomplish a lot of her goals, both personally and professionally. By picking up travel assignments and per diem shifts with Medely, Lauren was able to buy her own condo. “It was doing the travel assignment with Medely that helped me save up enough money to buy this place.”
While she’s picking up per diem shifts, she’s been able to meet other nurses and health professionals across the city. “Another good thing about Medely is it’s good for networking. I’ve made a lot of connections with so many people,” Lauren shares. “I’ll literally be running into the same people at different places, like different anesthesiologists, doctors, nurses, and other Medely nurses.” Thanks to Medely, she feels like she has a good healthcare community that she’s able to interact with frequently while picking up shifts.
Pick up shifts on your schedule with Medely
Ready to earn more on your schedule? Sign up for Medely and find per diem shifts and travel assignments that work for your schedule at hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, skilled nursing facilities, urgent cares, and assisted living facilities near you.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.