Through Medely, nurses and health professionals can access shifts and assignments that help them reach their career goals, whether that’s finding a more flexible schedule, earning more cash, or even gaining experience in new cases. 

Tonya Richardson, registered nurse, has used Medely for almost two years. Through her journey at Medely, she’s been able to create a career that gives her the freedom and flexibility she needs. We sat down with her to discuss what inspired her to become a nurse, what she loves about using Medely, and how she’s built a more fulfilling career. 

Q: Why did you get into healthcare? 

A: “Oh, I would say the age-old answer – because I love helping people. But it’s a little bit of that mixed with every day is different, and I learn something new just about every single day. It’s one of the most diverse careers that I could think of, and I felt like it would be something that was ever-changing and I could continue to grow in it.”

Q: What is the most rewarding part of being a healthcare professional? 

A: “For me, I think one of the most rewarding things is that most of our patients come to us at their most vulnerable points. If you can get the trust of that patient or the trust of the person that you’re working with, I feel like that’s very rewarding because sometimes trust isn’t easily earned, especially when you’re really sick. You’re afraid. You don’t know what’s going to be the next step. So, I think being entrusted is really, really rewarding because I consider trust very important.”

Q: How did you discover Medely, and what motivated you to sign up? 

A: “I heard about Medely a few years ago, and I was a bit reluctant because I was working so much in my primary job. Then one day I was like, ‘Let me just check this out.’ So I went on the website. It was easy enough to sign up. Everything was basically go at your own pace. All of the information was so easily downloadable, and each shift is just so easy to pick up. So, I feel like just the ease of now having the app, the ease of having the site, and it was super user-friendly. It was good for me.”

Q: Why do you use Medely?

A: “I think it’s more so the flexibility, honestly. I’ve been doing Medely consistently for the last year and a half or two years. I do mostly recovery room and pre-op. A lot of the surgery centers I go to I’ve become so acquainted with the people who work there that they just reach out on the app and request me directly. It has a lot to do with the flexibility and just the ease of scheduling, honestly.”

Q: What surprised you about Medely when you first started? 

A: “That I got paid so fast. I was like, ‘What? Already?’ So that was really good. I appreciated that. You can sign up with a lot of agencies and stuff online that promise daily pay, ease of app, and ease of using the site, but sometimes it’s just not what it’s all cracked up to be. So, to me, thus far, I haven’t had any issues that I can think of with working with Medely.”

Q: Do you find Medely easy to use?

A: “Yes. I was so excited when they finally got the app. It’s an app I use pretty frequently. It’s very easy to use. If you can use Instagram or any other platform, you definitely can use Medely. It’s super easy.”

Q: What’s your favorite part about using Medely?

A: “I could wake up at 3:00 in the morning, and there could be a shift waiting there. Literally, I do it maybe twice a week. Sometimes I just get on my phone if I wake up, like, ‘Oh, let me just check to  see what’s available.’ And usually, there’s some type of availability that fits my schedule, and I’m able to get that day of work.”

Q: Has picking up shifts on Medely helped you achieve any goals – personally or professionally? 

A: “Maybe professionally? I have a history of working in recovery room medicine, but it’s been mostly orthopedics, urology, and certain things. But with Medely, I’ve picked up at different surgery centers where I’ve been able to work with some podiatry and some eye cases. So, I have learned some things. There’s something different I learn every day. And it’s according to the surgery center. The surgery center I worked at today was all podiatry. So there are some things that you pick up on and some stuff you learn about in different specialties. I think it’s pretty cool.”

Explore a more flexible schedule with Medely

Your healthcare career is yours to create, so take the jump and start finding per diem shifts, local assignments, or travel assignments with Medely. It takes just a few minutes to start your free profile so that you can be on your way to achieving your goals faster and building a life that you love. 

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.