A Conversational with Arianna Clarke, FlexCare’s Clinical Director

Starting a new assignment can be exciting… and a little overwhelming.

New unit, new team, new everything.

So what happens when you need someone who actually gets it? 

We sat down with Arianna Clarke, our Clinical Director (and former travel nurse herself!), to talk about how FlexCare supports clinicians during their assignments—and why that support matters more than most people realize. 

Check out the full conversation below! 

Can you tell us a little bit about what you do here at FlexCare?  

Arianna: I am the Clinical Director at FlexCare. So, I help support clinicians. I help support our recruitment team, as far as clinical concerns go. I help triage concerns with facilities. Really, my role is support! 

Tell us a little bit about your background as a nurse and traveler!

Arianna: I've been a nurse for about 10 years. I've worked in multiple specialties: med surge, PCU, IMCU, labor and delivery. I've been a charge nurse. I've been a clinical coordinator. I have floated pretty much to every specialty possible. So, a little bit of everything.

I've also traveled for two and a half years, with my husband and my kids. We went on the road for about two and a half years in our camper and traveled to a lot of different states in the United States. It was one of my favorite experiences.  

What does clinical services actually do? 

Arianna: Well, we do a lot of things, but the number one thing that we do is support clinicians. It's my passion to help understand what clinicians are going through to ensure that they feel supported while they're on assignment, answer any questions while they're on assignment if they feel uncomfortable with a certain situation. I also help triage any license issues that they may be having. And just help them to feel better understood, as a clinical professional and as somebody who's been in their shoes.  

When during an assignment might a traveler connect with clinical services? 

Arianna: I mean, pretty much any time that they need to hear from me. A traveler might connect with clinical services if there are any concerns from the facility, or if they have concerns about the facility. I like to ensure that we hear our clinicians out. I am just so happy to help and be an ear to listen to any concerns that they might have. 

Why do you think it's so important for a travel healthcare company to have clinical leadership and support built in?  

Arianna: Our clinicians deal with really difficult things every single day, and they go into new environments, and they go into new everything. I think it's really important to have that person who speaks their language and can truly relate to the issues and concerns that they're having.  

How does your background as both a nurse and a traveler shape the way that you support clinicians today? 

Arianna: Feet on the ground, understanding. When clinicians call me or when I call a clinician, it comes from a place of truly wanting to know what's going on. Wanting to really hear them out, wanting to support them the best way that we possibly can, because I know how difficult it is. For me, given the fact that I have actually been at facilities as a traveler, I have a different understanding of what they're going through, not just from a clinical standpoint, but from like a personal standpoint. I mean, I've dealt with all kinds of challenges in the hospital setting. I think it's really important to be there and to support them.  

What are some of the most common challenges that travel clinicians experience, especially when they're starting a new assignment? 

Arianna: I would say, going into a new environment, they're having to learn new equipment, a new EMR system, a new team, a new workflow, new policies, new procedures. I mean, it's literally every challenge you face in a new career, but like every three months! 

What advice would you give a clinician who's starting a brand new assignment and feeling overwhelmed?  

Arianna: I can still remember my first travel contract. I literally traveled from Florida to Nevada and was absolutely terrified. Told my husband that I wanted to turn around and go back home. I was so scared. But my recruiter really made me feel supported and reminded me why I did this to begin with.

I think having a community, whether that's your recruiter, whether that's your family or friends, to support you and help you to understand that you are fully capable of doing this is really important. 

I think also going with the flow was my number one thing I learned as a traveler. There's a lot of ups and downs in traveling, and a lot of adjustments that have to be made.  

And then as far as like when you step onto the floor, the first thing I would always tell people was to build trust with the staff. Whether that meant when I wasn't super busy, asking anybody if they needed assistance, I just wanted to make sure that people knew that I was there to support and to provide the best patient care possible. 

When clinicians reach out to you, what can they expect from that conversation?  

Arianna: I want them to know that it's a judgment-free zone. So, anything that they want to say, I'm not judging them in any way, shape, or form. I want to truly understand and get to the root of whatever their concern is, and I want to make sure that they feel supported and valued in the conversation.  

My goal is to listen to what they have to say, to understand, and then for us to problem solve together.  

What is one thing that you want clinicians to know about working with FlexCare? 

Arianna: I want them to know that we are the best travel company to work for! :) I mean, we truly value every single clinician that works for us. And we put a lot of work and effort into making sure that they feel supported through any and all of our systems. And I just really want them to know that here they're not a number, even though that's so cliche, but it's really true.  

Do you have a story that you can tell us about one of your most impactful moments of being a clinician?  

Arianna: I mean, I have been a part of a lot of life, and I've been a part of a lot of death, and anything in between. But I would say my most impactful patient care moment was.. Typically, every day when I start my shift, I ask my patients what’s one thing that I could do for them that would make their day. And I had a patient who said he just wanted to dance. And I mean, he was a total care patient, unable to get up and stand or dance, but we were able to get him in a lift and play some music and dance around the room with him, and it made his day. I mean, even till this day, I still stay in contact with his family. It was a really special moment for me. 

At the end of the day, having someone in your corner who understands the clinical side can make all the difference. 

That’s exactly what our Clinical Services team is here for.