With an ER nurse for a dad and a nurse practitioner for a mom, nursing has been part of Jess Johnson’s life from the start. But that doesn’t mean she was always sure she wanted to be one.
“When I was debating whether or not to go into nursing, my parents always reminded me that there are a million different pathways you can take,” says Jess. “I like knowing I have a degree that can be used in different settings and with different patient populations.”
Though there were many nursing paths she could’ve taken, Jess was most passionate about labor and delivery (L&D), which she has worked in since 2018.
“I don’t think I’ll ever leave L&D,” she remarks. “Helping women achieve their goals of childbirth is definitely the most rewarding [part of my career]. I find myself frequently reminding my patients that they’re fully in control of the process, and it’s my job to make sure they have all of the information they need to make the decisions that are best for them.”
Despite finding her niche early on in her career, it wasn’t until 2021 that Jess gave travel nursing a try. Like many nurses, Jess came to travel nursing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I thought the high-paying contracts would be good to put some money away for the future,” she explains.
Of course, that’s just one factor behind why Jess began—and continues—to work as a travel nurse.
“Now that rates have normalized, I continue to travel nurse because it’s a great way to learn new stuff every day. You learn so much as a travel nurse, but it also keeps you humble!”
After gaining some experience in her new career, Jess found it to be such a perfect fit that, in 2022, she and her then-fiancé (now wife) Ashley—also a travel nurse—decided to purchase a 40-foot fifth-wheel trailer and fully embrace a nomadic lifestyle.
“I think it’s amazing that no matter where we go…we get to sleep in our own bed,” says Jess. This arrangement also ensures that the couple’s dogs are comfortable and nearby no matter where they go.
While the couple maintains permanent residence in the Detroit area, travel has taken them across the country these past few years, and Jess says seeing new locations is an adventure every time.
“Getting to pack up and experience a new location with my partner and our dogs is so much fun. When we left Denver early this year [in 2024], we spent about a month meandering over to California and then exploring some of the state. We were able to spend however much time we wanted exploring Santa Fe, Nevada, Arizona, Monterey, Napa, and San Francisco.”
Although work is what brings the couple to these locations, they make the most of their days off, whether it’s trying the best restaurants in the area, finding a hiking trail to explore, or scouting the best campsite for their trailer. Overall, the experience has been rewarding, but not without challenges.
“Campers also require a lot of maintenance, so if you’re not very handy, you learn to be,” Jess says.
Similarly, Jess finds that learning new skills on the road is part of her professional life as well.
“Professionally, [travel nursing] helped me get comfortable with discomfort. I joke that being a travel nurse [means] feeling like a new nurse every day because every hospital does things differently,” she explains. “It’s uncomfortable to have to ask for help with something I was confident with at a previous hospital, but sometimes, it’s necessary in order to make sure a task is carried out according to the needs of that unit.”
For Jess, these challenges are something to embrace. “Nursing is what you make of it,” she says. To be successful at it, she believes nurses need to keep an open mind and be teachable.
Follow Jess and Ashley’s travel nursing journey on Instagram: @is_it_a_pull_through.
Ready for your own travel nursing journey? TRS Healthcare can help you find the right assignment for your lifestyle and goals. Find a job or apply with us today!
