Travel Nurse Melissa Lands a Dream Job With Unexpected Family Ties

Aya travel nurse, Melissa Perleoni, was finishing up a travel nursing assignment and searching for her next adventure on MyAya when she spotted her dream pediatric oncology job at a world-renowned cancer research hospital in New York City. It’s a place she’d dreamt of working at since she was only 14 years old — so she immediately texted her recruiter and was submitted for the position.  

Once she landed the assignment, Melissa learned her family had a special connection to the facility. “I found out my grandmother was treated at the hospital when she had cancer,” she says. “She had to have her arm amputated, and the compassionate care the doctors gave her is something my family still cherishes today.” Melissa doesn’t have many memories of her grandmother, so working at the facility made her feel connected to her in an incredible way.

MyAya and Recruiters — A Winning Combination

When it comes to finding the perfect job, Melissa says she loves the ability to filter in MyAya by exact location and view pay packages before deciding if she’s interested. “It allows you to think outside the box,” she explains. “You can see what the pay is and be savvy about your income. I’ve been able to save $20,000 — I’m currently working on my master’s and it feels incredible to have the financial stability to plan for the future.”

But it’s not just technology that Melissa credits for her travel nursing success. “My recruiter, Dan, always has my back,” Melissa says. “When I talk to him about future goals, they become his goals. My success is his success and we collaborate on ways to keep me in New York while helping as many people as possible.”

Melissa’s favorite part of being a travel nurse is knowing that she’s helping at hospitals when they need it most. She says she’s addicted to it. And while she hopes to return to the dream hospital in the future, now that her assignment (and extension) are complete, she looks forward to assisting on the frontlines of history as a vaccinator at an NYC COVID-19 vaccine site.

Ready to search for your dream job? Apply today and a recruiter will be in touch to discuss how to get you where you want to go.