Nurses Week is a special time of the year for Travel Nurses, Inc. It’s a time when we honor the dedicated service of our field and staff nurses, an occasion made all the more special given our foundation by nurses, for nurses.
Denise Burnett Stewart, BSN, RNIn 1988, Denise Burnett Stewart, BSN, RN co-founded the agency to help with staffing shortages happening in the operating rooms in Memphis. First, we want to applaud her for boldness and for starting her own business the same year Congress passed the Women Business Ownership Act of 1988. Denise wasted no time in starting Travel Nurses, Inc.
For 35 years, Denise led Travel Nurses, Inc. Her vision and tenacity propelled the agency forward. Today, we staff all nursing specialties and staff in 49 states. If it weren’t for Denise’s leadership, none of this would be here today.
Cristina Duncan, BSN, RN is our Chief Operations Officer and our Chief Nursing Officer, but did you know she actually started as a traveler? Not only does Cristina lead our agency from an operational point of view, but she also has a heart of gold. Her unique perspective as a former traveler positions her perfectly to be an empathetic, listening ear to our travelers and to help be a guide for them.
Not only does Cristina support our travelers when they need her most, but she is also there for our corporate staff- specifically our recruiters. Cristina takes the time to educate all of our incoming recruiters so that they understand how nursing works and how things flow in the hospital system. She wants our recruitment team to feel empowered to understand what nurses and allied health professionals experience so that they can help solve problems. She makes sure the recruitment team has what they need to be successful.
Shane Garner, BSN, RNAs our Director of Nursing, Shane Garner, BSN, RN directly supports our recruitment team and our travelers. Shane is always willing to help and makes it a point to call and introduce himself to all of our travelers.
Shane is loved by everyone on our team for his ability to balance his witty sense of humor with his empathy during difficult conversations. As a former emergency department nurse, Shane springs into action when one of our travelers needs him. It does not matter if it’s 2pm or 2am, if one of our travelers is having an issue at work, he will pick up the phone to support them and talk them through the situation.
Jamie Carson, LPN is our saving grace. She is our on-call coordinator, so even when your recruiter isn’t available on nights, weekends and holidays, we have another nurse available who can help triage your problems!
Any nurse will tell you that taking call is no fun, but Jamie has been taking call for our agency for years, and many of our travelers and facilities have her on speed dial. Jamie has been with Travel Nurses, Inc. for 13 years, and we don’t know what we would do without her.
At Travel Nurses, Inc., we are proud to be nurse-owned and operated, with nurses like Denise, Cristina, Shane, and Jamie at the heart of our success. Thank you to all our corporate staff nurses for your hard work and dedication, not just during Nurses Week but every day. Your contributions make a difference in the lives of patients and healthcare professionals across the country.
