We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rhaven McIver a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rhaven thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

Believe it or not, my first love (travel) is the reason I initially learned about the opportunities at my first job while I was traveling for my birthday in Peru! I was on a tour in a Huacachina which is a desert in Peru. I ended up meeting a nurse anesthetist who was from New York, what a coincidence! I told her that I was in CRNA school at the time and that I wanted to move back to New York and work at a place where I could get a ton of experience. She expressed to me how much she loved her job and told me if I was interested, she would share my resume with her bosses. She kept her word and after a short virtual interview, a month later I was flying out from California( where I went to school) to New York to do a site visit at the hospital to ensure it would be a good fit. I was offered the job the very next day and I’ve been there for 9 months! It has been great working there as a brand new CRNA and I am so happy my passions were able to collide so that I could have this opportunity.

Rhaven, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Rhaven but most people call me Rhay. I am a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) and an avid traveler/travel influencer. I truly believe that life is too short not to follow all of your dreams and passions and I definitely chase all of mine!

I’ll start with my career in healthcare. I obtained my bachelors in nursing in 2014 and while I was in school I met a CRNA and immediately knew that was what I wanted to become! As a registered nurse, I worked on a medical surgical unit and then a medical intensive care unit before going back to school to study anesthesia in 2019. I became a CRNA in 2021 and started my first job as a CRNA in March 2022. My journey was not easy but worth it! When I was in nursing school I lost my dad unexpectedly and considered quitting nursing school altogether. Thankfully I did not and I kept going! Applying to CRNA school was another struggle as it is super competitive to get into CRNA programs. I applied to 7 schools, interviewed at 5 schools and I was luckily accepted into 2 programs. I ultimately chose to attend a program in the Bay Area, California. The interview process was intense and all the programs I applied to were in different states so traveling every month or so for about 6 months to interview for my dream career was super stressful! I am so happy I did not give up though I would be lying if I said there weren’t numerous times during my 2.5 year program that I wanted to quit and go back to working as a nurse at the bedside. I share tips about getting into CRNA school on my social media platforms (Youtube, Instagram, Tiktok) because I know how tough the process may seem and many people have expressed to me how intimidating the rigorous program seems. Many people don’t even apply for that reason but I want everyone to know that if becoming a CRNA is their goal, it is very possible!

As far as traveling goes, I have had a love for traveling since I was a child. I was blessed to be able to travel around the country with my family every summer as well as to some of the caribbean islands. Once I graduated college and became a nurse, I finally had the means to travel around the world. MY first big international trip was to Dubai. The flight was 14 hours and once I realized I could handle long flights, I was hooked on travel literally! I went to Thailand, Dubai, Spain and Japan the year after. Currently I have been to over 40 countries and counting! As I continued to grow my love for travel, I also started to love the process of planning a trip. It got to the point where I would always plan all my itineraries for myself and for my friends and family! I have gotten so many requests over the years for trip planning that I finally decided to create my own travel company called ‘Away With Rhay’ where I host a few group trips per year in various countries including one annual ‘mommy and me trip’ where people bring their moms or kids on the trip. So far it has been very rewarding helping people who once thought they’d never leave the United States, navigate and explore the world! 2023 trips(Ibiza, Curacao, Egypt, and Dubai) are going to be posted on my website and social media platforms soon so, stay tuned!

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

If I could go back, I would definitely choose to become a CRNA! Anesthesia is such a rewarding field! I love making people feel comfortable before, during, and after surgery or childbirth! I also love the flexibility of the field. There is a high demand for CRNA’s are there’s tons of opportunities for different shifts. For instance, I work two 24 hour shifts per week which allows me time to travel more often. People can also choose to work 8, 10, 12, or 16 hour shifts during the day and/or night. The possibilities are endless and this career allows for a great work/life balance which is important to me.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Networking is super important in both the anesthesia field and the travel industry. Every single job I’ve ever had was due to networking and I build all of my ‘Away With Rhay’ clientele via networking/word of mouth. It is one thing for people to know your credentials but hearing other people speak highly about your work speaks volumes and goes a long way!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.wetravel.com/users/away-with-rhay
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/dorhaymi
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rhavendanielle22

Image Credits
twinsdntbeg