With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we couldn’t think of a better time to spotlight one of our amazing travel nurses — Crystal B, BSN, RN. Many healthcare professionals put the option of traveling out of their heads if they have children. However, a recent survey done by Cross Country TravCorps revealed that there are surprising amount of moms, 21 percent of those surveyed to be exact, that are actually taking travel assignments and bringing their children with them. In fact, Crystal proves that with the right amount of determination, you can make it happen and it’s actually not as difficult as you might think.

As a former Marine, you might say a strong will and an inherent sense of adventure is what made traveling happen for Crystal. She, on the other hand, says it was pure necessity. Back in 2011, Crystal was facing a finalized divorced, a house too large for her and her two younger sons and a severe yearning to get out of the small town she was in and back to a big city. She explains, “I simply had to get out of the situation I was in.” So plans were put into action.



Fortunately for us, Crystal found Cross Country TravCorps and her recruiter, Brooke B, who could get her started. Crystal says she started by developing a system. Once she’s found a city to go to and interviews for the position, she researchers the schools in the area. She then determines what school her sons will be attending and calls them to see if she can get a head start on the paperwork. Sounds pretty logical and simple so far, right?

Now comes the tricky part. Crystal, an Emergency Room nurse, works the 7am to 7pm shift. That meant having to find a way to get the kids to school in the morning and finding after school care that’s available late enough — WOW! Things just got difficult. Still, Crystal ensures us that with the right amount of research it can happen. She did confess that for the first assignment she traveled with her mom who was her built in babysitter, but she said that didn’t work out as well as planned. “It got weird real quick,” she explains.



Once Crystal had a taste of travel, she explains it was contagious. She and her sons just wanted to keep trying someplace new. Her sons play an active role in the “where to next” plan, both making their own suggestions… New York and Nashville have both come up! “Traveling has helped my sons become more adaptable and well-rounded, they are meeting lots of people and are experiencing different environments. I considered myself fortunate to be able to offer that to my children so early on in life,” she says. Crystal also explains that she doesn’t stick to the typical three or six month assignment length. She usually finds an assignment that can keep her for the entire school year so the kids don’t have to switch mid-year. In all her travels, she’s only had one time that she just couldn’t stick it through and had to ask her recruiter for something new.



Now, five years later, Crystal is currently in St. Louis where her sons are experiencing true city living with housing in a real high-rise. Crystal says her system is getting a little easier now too because her sons are older and are capable of getting to the school bus and home from the school bus by themselves — child care has been replaced with an active cell phone plan instead. Call when you get to school, call when you get home from school — it’s a must follow rule her sons don’t even think of not following.   

Crystal’s sons spend the summer with their Dad and during this time, she tends to choose a coastal assignment to unwind a little. When asked if she would ever stop traveling, Crystal being a mom above all else, replied, “I might have to give in to my boys request to settle down eventually and let them connect through community sports and activities.” Of course, then comes the big question “where” to call home officially? Crystal is leaning towards Philly… she really loved the city vibe that’s a little less intense than New York. Her sons like Pennsylvania too!  

In closing, Cross Country TravCorps would like to wish Crystal and all the hard working moms in Healthcare a very HAPPY Mother’s Day!

Now, if you would like to take the plunge into a new travel adventure like Crystal, you can start your “where to” process by looking at the thousands of available nursing or allied assignment opportunities in some of the most exciting cities across the country.

Meet Crystal B. – Mom, Nurse, Traveler!