Q&A with COO, Sara Spanjer: RN to Executive Leadership

Sara Spanjer, the Chief Operating Officer of GetMed Staffing, has had a fascinating career trajectory. After years as a Registered Nurse (RN), she transitioned to healthcare staffing, quickly rising to an executive position at GetMed Staffing. Sara's unique background as a healthcare provider has given her valuable insights into the needs of clients and candidates. It has helped her develop a leadership style focused on improving patient care through exceptional staffing solutions. In this blog post, we'll delve into Sara's career journey and how her experience as an RN has influenced her role as an executive in healthcare staffing. 

When did you start nursing, how long were you a nurse, and what made you interested in the field?  

I became an RN in 2006 and am still registered today. I went into nursing because I've always been a "helper"; I love connecting with people and supporting them when they are in need. I was also fascinated by the medical field and tended to thrive under stress.   

Can you tell us any memorable moments you had as an RN?  

There are many memorable moments; funny, scary, sad, etc.   

My most cherished memories were when I cared for patients through dying. It is a real honor to be there with a person as they leave this world and to support and grieve with their family. It's humbling, and I appreciate the perspective I gained from those experiences.  

Please tell us a bit about your time after you left nursing and your career journey into healthcare staffing as a recruiter.  

Honestly, I burned out very quickly from bedside nursing. I knew someone working in the staffing industry who recommended I look into it, and it happened that the company he worked for was about to launch their travel nursing division, so I took a leap and went to be a recruiter. It was a challenging transition at first. Several times I questioned my decision during the first couple of months, but not soon after, things started to feel more natural, and I started finding success. Since beginning in the industry, I have assisted in building multiple teams in the clinical, compliance, and operations segments of medical staffing.  

Can you provide any lessons you learned from working as an RN, and has that affected how you approach your role in healthcare staffing?  

Working as an RN has given me a unique perspective on life. Spending every day with people in the depths of their most vulnerable, life-changing moments is an extraordinary experience. It does help you to "not sweat the small stuff" and always to be grateful for your life and those you love. I know how hard RNs and other healthcare professionals work, so I love encouraging our staff to understand the challenges and remember that finding the best providers to work with our company and support them entirely is crucial. Ultimately it could be their loved one being cared for by the travelers we staff, and we genuinely want to do the best we can to help patients and the other healthcare workers in the facilities we partner with. We want to do our best to value, appreciate, and support our travelers doing the work each day because it takes work. 

Can you describe your leadership, collaboration style, and responsibilities as a COO for GetMed?   

My leadership and collaboration style are just that, collaborative. I want to understand the big picture and how our decisions as a leadership team will affect our people, inside and out. I enjoy delegating authority and challenging leaders to get outside their comfort zones. The best success is when a leadership team (and the organization overall) has a high level of trust, accountability, communication, and transparency, so I focus on these areas when working with my teams. As far as my responsibilities as COO, my goal is to ensure we provide an excellent customer experience while achieving operational excellence and mitigating risk. This means quickly scaling the company by implementing tools and technologies, finding efficiencies for all departments, minimizing risk, addressing regulatory requirements, implementing and communicating policies, and supporting teams within the company's Operations, HR, Compliance, and Clinical areas. These things can only be achieved by surrounding yourself with talented experts in these areas, and I feel so fortunate to be a part of the incredibly dynamic team we have here at GetMed.   

What drew you to GetMed as an agency, and what have you learned most in your time here?  

What drew me to GetMed most was the people and the vision. The people here are authentic, compassionate, and driven. They align with their values and goals, one of the most important criteria for considering what company I hoped to land with.  

I love the challenge, excitement, and opportunity that comes with growing a younger company, and this felt like the perfect fit and the right group of people to do that with. I have learned so much since joining this team, so it's hard to choose just one thing, but knowing who GetMed is at an organization's core has been the most valuable thing. I've gotten a much closer view of what it takes to build a business from the ground up from the team that started it all here. This company truly cares and always keeps an open mind, and I am grateful for that every day I come to work. 

What are some of the most significant evolutions you've seen in the industry, and is there anything you want more people to know about?  

 In my ten years in the industry, the most significant evolution has been the increased use of automated platforms and technologies. The great news is that these technologies can improve the experience of agencies, travelers, and facilities in many ways. Despite the technological evolution, the human relationship between recruiters and traveling professionals continues to be valued and necessary for many. There will continue to be "disruptors," but if we continue to provide an excellent experience and listen to what our travelers and clients want and need, we will always be able to adapt. 

Join the GetMed Team 

By partnering with a company and recruiter, you can trust with your career is essential. Healthcare professionals are more in demand than ever. With increasing open positions, travelers can earn more money, have more flexibility, and travel the country while working in the healthcare industry. 

Our team is dedicated to each of their travelers and is passionate about helping them achieve success— whatever that looks like for them. Contact us today if you'd like to learn more or join the Travel GetMed team!