Recruiter Spotlight: Melanie Douglas Major, NursesRx
By Melissa Hagstrom, contributor
Five years ago, Melanie Douglas Major left her job as a massage therapist and started as a Recruitment Specialist with NursesRx, an AMN Healthcare company. What she intended as a short stint in order to gain sales experience in the healthcare industry ended up being a newfound, long-lasting career.
After being promoted through several positions, Melanie is now a seasoned Recruitment Manager with the travel nursing staffing company, placing thousands of nurses in assignments across the country.
Melanie Douglas Major, a recruiter with NursesRx, says her passion for her job is fueled by the enjoyment she experiences from helping nurses experience the freedom, flexibility and tremendous opportunity that the travel nursing lifestyle provides.
“I feel like I am really helping people,” she said. “I am able to provide fabulous nurses to facilities, and in some little part of that I feel like I am helping the patients that they are helping.”
Melanie’s passion for her job is also fueled by the enjoyment she experiences from helping nurses experience the freedom, flexibility and tremendous opportunity that the travel nursing lifestyle provides.
“I’m also changing my travelers’ lives. I have had so many travelers who have been on assignment and done things that they would have never been able to do if they were just out there on a vacation. When you are in one spot for three months you get to explore. I feel like I am introducing them to things they probably never would have expected or anticipated.”
Seeing nurses travel to interesting places, expand their résumés, and even find love are some of the everyday highlights Melanie experiences during her workday. “I can’t tell you how many love matches I have made!”
It’s Melanie’s ability to really relate to her travelers that has made her stand out as one of the agency’s top recruiters. She urges all potential travel nurses to look for a recruiter they can trust and works to get to know them and learn about their specific needs and goals.
“I always try to put myself in the nurses’ shoes and think to myself, ‘Ok, what would put me at ease and make me feel comfortable with this transition?’”
“I work a lot off of referrals, and I think that it is important to find a nurse who loves their recruiter,” she said. “Asking friends, social media contacts and co-workers is a great way to search for a good recruiter.”
Based out of the NursesRx corporate headquarters in San Diego, California, which also happens to be a hot travel nursing destination, Melanie has also had the opportunity to meet several travelers in person.
“I’ve had nurses come to the office to say hi or I’ve gone to lunch with them, which is really fun,” she said. “When I got married a few of my travelers sent me cards and I thought that was the sweetest thing because it was so unexpected.”
“The most memorable part of my experience as a recruiter has been the relationships that I have made with all of these individuals. I had a traveler who just retired after traveling with me for three years. It was bittersweet, but I was so happy for her—that she was able to gain so much from this journey that she felt it was finally her time to settle down.”
When she’s not recruiting, Melanie spends time with her husband (they just celebrated their first wedding anniversary) and puppy.
Send Melanie an e-mail or give her a call at (866) 443-9807 to find out about the current travel nursing opportunities she has available.
You can also connect with Melanie online on TravelNursing’s Facebook page. Log on today to see exclusive job opportunities and ask all your nursing career questions.