Ray Brillantes is coming up on his first full year as a travel nurse. He specializes in Behavioral Health / Psychiatric Nursing and decided to begin taking travel assignments as a means to meet different individuals in behavioral nursing and to learn more about his specialty.
“Travel nursing has furthered my knowledge on the various aspects of Mental Health nursing,” he explains. “It has broadened my skill set as I have cared for so many different kinds of patients who are living with mental illness.”
Ray also appreciates the opportunities provided by travel nursing that allow him to meet different individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Traveling to new areas has allowed Ray to fully engage in different cultures and immerse himself in their ways of life. He makes it a point to travel to as many of the different sites that are indigenous to the area as possible. He feels that for the duration of his assignment, it is important for him to be part of the local culture and experience all that it has to offer.
Ray’s travel assignment in Florida was truly memorable for him. On his off days, he spent as much time as possible exploring the different beaches and traveling the shorelines. He admits that one of the greatest perks of traveling is acknowledging the beauty of nature and its people.
Considering himself to be a food enthusiast, Ray makes sure that he learns all about the local cuisines that are native to his travel location.
“One thing I always do is explore the different cuisines that are available in the area,” he states. “I have tried Cuban, Haitian, Jamaican, and other Caribbean cuisines. I have really expanded my palate as a foodie because of traveling.”
Ray has already been to California, but on his short list of travel destinations is finding opportunities where he can more thoroughly explore the West Coast. He is also looking forward to traveling to Southwestern states like Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. He has indulged in Caribbean cuisines, it is probably a good time to find out everything that Tex-Mex has to offer.
Ray acknowledges that some nurses and therapists are a little uncertain about delving into a career as a traveler, but for him, it is just a matter of believing in yourself and the skills you bring to the table.
His advice for anyone considering becoming a working tourist? “Just take the leap of faith!”
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