Everyone, please say “Heyyyyy Kyle!”
Kyle is a Southern California native who calls the South Bay home. He’s currently on assignment in the Pediatrics Operating Room department at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and seems to be enjoying his time since he’s extended multiple times!
Coming from a Filipino background and having been raised in a Filipino household, pursuing a nursing career came as second nature. He jokingly mentioned that it was almost expected of him as a Filipino to pursue nursing, there was no other option. Kyle loves working at CHLA and enjoys what he does, but it comes with a heavy toll.
Having to work in the PEDS OR department, Kyle is responsible for caring for sick children and their emotionally taxed families. “Sometimes those challenges don’t just come around once but for consecutive days,” Kyle said, “You have to learn to watch and take care of yourself and your mental health.”
Being a nurse is no easy task, it can be a demanding job that requires you to stay on your feet for 10+ hours, you have to deal with difficult patients, families, and doctors, and you perform tasks that many can’t even do. Taking time to breathe, relax, have some self-care, and reconnect with yourself is important.
Kyle overcomes the challenges he faces by checking in with himself. Debriefing with his coworkers, going out to dinner, or even having a drink can help reduce the level of stress a nurse can face. “You’re not alone feeling the emotional weight that the job brings,” Kyle said. One of the many ways Kyle likes to unwind after a shift or during his day off is exercising, being a socialite, and going out to eat (even though he is trying not to).
Kyle loves KPG Healthcare and it’s predominately due to the recruiters. Kyle’s recruiter was – yet again – Tiko! However, another reason why Kyle loves working with KPG Healthcare was that the prior two companies he worked with for travel nursing weren’t up to par. KPG Healthcare is a small-medium sized company and Kyle had direct access to his recruiter for whatever, whenever.
Kyle has been a travel nurse for some time now and his all-time favorite assignment was in San Francisco. Although the cost-of-living was so high he felt it wasn’t worth it for him in the long run. Additionally, being a dog dad and raising a Pug and a French Bulldog requires a lot of time and it can limit his ability to travel as freely. Dog vs travel, that’s a tough choice.
If given the opportunity, Kyle would love to have an assignment in Bali. He has a desire to see what the healthcare system is like abroad, specifically Bali since the United States “apparently” has the best healthcare in the world.
Kyle, from everyone here at KPG Healthcare, we want to thank you for your continued support, love, and for being part of the KPG Family. Continue striving for success and we can’t see where your career takes you!
Advice for new nurses:
• Traveling can be scary – you are not alone but it is rewarding when you can have that freedom to fly. You also make the best of friends when traveling. You also learn about resources quickly and how to utilize them.
• It can be expensive living in California, but the nurse ratio is well-balanced.
• Los Angeles is dense with people, so it can get very crowded.