I’ve spent the past two and a half weeks traveling across the country in my CareRevan, stopping in towns and cities, meeting with clinical professionals to get a better understanding of what CareRev can do to better serve their needs. My journey so far has been an illuminating one. I started this company because I knew there were nurses like me who wanted more independence and flexibility in their personal and professional lives. Over the past few weeks, as I’ve listened to countless stories from the nurses, certified nursing assistants, and technicians who use CareRev, I’ve been reminded of the unique human experiences that drive that desire for flexibility.
My latest pit stop was in Chicago, where I had lunch with four professionals who shared compelling stories, and then walked to Punch Bowl Social, where over 100 clinical professionals and I spent the evening bowling, eating tacos, and discussing the local healthcare industry. The professionals I met there, like those I met in Milwaukee and Seattle and Los Angeles, got into healthcare because they have an undying passion for helping and healing. In many cases, a nurse made such a big difference in their life that it inspired them to get into healthcare, and that inspired their professional journey. They are passionate about helping others, but at the same time have full lives and need work schedules that keep up with the speed of their lives.
“My whole team in the ICU wants to join CareRev,” nurse Brandon told me.
Brandon, who uses CareRev to pick up extra shifts in addition to his full-time work, was just one of the many clinical professionals I had the pleasure of meeting last week. In the middle of our conversation, Brandon told me a number of his colleagues have decided to leave nursing in pursuit of careers outside of healthcare – a phenomenon the industry has been anticipating for some time. Brandon told me CareRev has helped ease some of these nurses back into the industry by allowing them to pick up shifts that work for their schedules.
That’s exactly the kind of freedom we believe healthcare professionals deserve. It’s why MiCa, a mental health tech and social worker, has been using CareRev full-time. MiCa told me she typically works six days a week. “But when I need a break, I cut back,” she noted.
That level of flexibility allows her to take the time she needs away from work and spend it with her 15-year-old son, a burgeoning guitarist. When her son has a live performance, MiCa is able to make sure she’s right there in the audience, cheering him on.
These are the stories that energize and inspire me. Hearing these experiences of success and freedom as well as the struggles that led so many clinical professionals to this point remind me of my own. I was routinely overwhelmed during my time as a trauma ICU nurse in California. Every hospital in every town felt the same; I was overworked, dissatisfied, and fatigued. Still, I searched for some connection to the passion I had for helping, for healing. I didn’t find it until I started working for myself. I was able to do what I loved, on my own terms.
I see my story in Crystaloren, an ICU nurse and full-time student. I see my story in Tulinagwe, an assisted living CNA who, after seeing how happy and comfortable her grandmother’s nurses made her before she passed, decided to become a caregiver. I see my own story in all of the clinical professionals who have found freedom in their careers and the ability to be present in their own lives.
We’re building something powerful at CareRev. Every professional I meet has reminded me of that. I can’t wait to meet more as my road trip continues.
