About
Buddy Travel Nurse & Mentor
Hey,
I'm Kat Ann
Featured in . . .
Buddy Nurse
Speaker
Educator
Business Owner
& -Winnipeger
Ex
It is my to support overwhelmed nurses through educational resources, a vibrant community, one-on-one help, and meet ups across Canada. I'm there every step of the way as your buddy nurse.
My for Canadian nurses who want to travel nurse to the United States is having all the resources to get through the process (a guidebook, articles, troubleshooting chats, a supportive community, webinars, newsletters, mentorship program, and more). My vision is to make the process seem less intimidating and daunting and more exciting and adventureous.
mission
vision
I started travel nursing in 2022, but it was a rocky process to get going. I made a bunch of mistakes and had to 'wing' it the entire time because there weren't any resources out there.
Shortly after starting my first contract in the U.S. where I was making buckets of money, I put together a 176-page Canuck to Yankee Guide outlining the entire process I went through to make it easier for nurses who were looking to start the process for themselves too.
As a side note, I also reached DEFCON ONE when I ran out of ketchup chips after just a couple months and started developing a Boston accent *cries*
Since then, I have created TONS of resources over the last couple of years while working as an OR nurse (travel, staff & private) from my cozy, little apartment in Ottawa, Ontario. This educational business keeps me so busy with never-ending projects and ideas, I can never find the time to take my next travel contract to somewhere cool!
And this brings us to now. My current project is: Revamp the website.
Then, I will be introducing a monthly newsletter and I plan to launch a series of webinars including...
- A monthly overview of the process for beginners,
- A monthly webinar focused on relocation,
- A monthly 'Happy Hour' for current travel nurses on assignment who might be feeling a bit isolated, and
- Miscellaneous webinars on important subjects or with essential third-party figures (e.g. an accountant coming to speak to us about deductions).
I also plan to revamp the Canuck to Yankee Guide to improve readability. Then, I will convert it into a series of modules... Which will be the makings of an upcoming Mentorship Program!
In the meantime, I have a long list of ideas for the group, but always love getting feedback or ideas from others! Feel free to reach out.
I can't believe it has been less than 3 years since this all started! Here's hoping it has made all the difference to many, many nurses and will continue to do so for years to come!
tHE jOURNEY
Kateri (Kat Ann) Muys
Nice to meet you, I'm Kateri
Born in Winnipeg, currently in Ottawa
Parents, youngest of eight kids, roughly 20+ nieces & nephews
I'm massive homebody, so-so cook, and have a black thumb with plants
A little about me
Location
fAMILY
NOT-SO-HIDDEN FACTS...
Certs & Specialty
OR RN, business/HR
Pets
Two cats (Siamese & tuxedo)
Currently Watching:
Reading list?
all-time Favourite Singer/Band:
Where I'd rather be...
What do I do in my spare time:
I'm a big fan of anime so I am currently re-watching Gundam Seed Destiny. I just finished re-watching Brooklyn 99. Next up is a Chinese drama and ongoing is the (2024) Matlock (with Kathy Bates). It's a really good legal drama.
Currently, I have a TBR list of over 300 mangas (mostly romance and fantasy). But, for typical books, I have a bunch on religion, history & romance.
Taemin (for fav singer) & Sabaton (fav band)
Biggest Pet Peeve?
This is a toughie. As an OR nurse, I think most of us can be very anal about many things . . . Bad drivers, open cupboards/drawers, poor grammar, people who recline on airplanes, unnecessary meetings, etc.
Aside from working at a hospital job, I also have a private surgery job. When I'm not at either of those jobs, I'm working on the travel nursing group. Outside of work, I am trying to learn Korean, am planning several trips for this year, and am always trying to organize trip pictures for ages afterwards. Like many people, it's always a struggle to eat healthier, exercise regularly, and focus on self-care. I also love retro games; and overall, I'm a pretty massive nerd. For the last four years, I have also been working on writing a fantasy book series.
I have several trips planned this year. It is looking like South Korea for about a month, the U.K. and Ireland, Winnipeg x 2 trips to see family, and I'm taking my niece on a Quebec trip.
Biggest vice?
I'm sure there are quite a few... I'm pretty chatty for one. I'd love to be an early riser, but am more of a feral, nocturnal raccoon. And health-wise, I gotta say it's my love of Coca-Cola (I just can't quit the stuff - I wish it would quit me), and the super duper, awful, exceedingly rare, guilty shame cigarette.
My Favourite Things
Coca Cola
Kpop
Reading
Can't go a day without...
What's always playing in my headphones...
Whenever I get spare time, you'll find me...
- Carly H. RN (Psych/Mental Health)
"I got my first offer thanks to this community! Thank you all and Kat, I don't know where we would all be without you, thank you so much!"
- Aaron & Jess S. RN (L&D)
"I literally can't thank you enough! Your guide has probably given me fifty odd things I could answer her questions with and has made our plans so much easier, I can't imagine how much time you've devoted to writing the Canuck to Yankee guide and to keep your group growing strong! If no one else has acknowledged it, I sure do, it's truly been a blessing and
I'm thoroughly grateful and impressed by your hard work!"
- Sheena C. RN (M/S Tele)
"Thank you so much for all the hard work you've put into building this amazing resource to help us Canadians navigate the complexity of travel nursing! It's so immensely appreciated!"
- Shai R. LPN
"My husband and I travelled around Europe for six weeks visiting a total of eleven countries. We also went on our first cruise. And of course, going back and forth to Canada and Mexico... travel nursing definitely made all of it possible."
- Rianne C. LPN
"Thanks so much, Kat, for always helping us whenever we are clueless or we don't know where to start. We appreciate your time and effort!"
