Hancock County Man Crosses Country as LPN and Online Content Creator ‘Hilbilly Travel Nurse’

Justin Shaw, aka “Hillbilly Travel Nurse”

As a nurse, first responder and family man as well as online content creator, Justin Shaw is a busy guy.

Better known in Facebook and YouTube circles as “Hillbilly Travel Nurse,” Shaw is ready to hit the road from his Newell home to travel back to Maryland, wrapping up his current nursing gig, before heading off west again to Billings, Montana. He said he enjoyed his stint there in mid-February, so he is looking forward to the return trip.

Shaw has more than three decades in the nursing field, 15 of them with the Orchards of Foxcrest in Chester. At one time, he served as their personal care coordinator.

He became a travel nurse three years ago and does acknowledge the money is good; however, mostly it was his love of travel that convinced him to hit the road.

“Facilities don’t pay nurses enough,” he said, adding that travel nurses, who fill in at locations when there are openings, tend to be better compensated.

Shaw currently works under Rock Medical Group out of Nebraska and Grapetree of Iowa as well as some independent contract assignments. Most of his contracts are with long-term skilled nursing facilities.

“The challenge is getting to know your patients and the (geographic) area,” Shaw said.

His first contract trip was in Iowa, where the flat terrain amazed this West Virginia guy. It also was a bit of culture shock being without his family, which includes wife Lisa, whom he has been married to for two decades, and his daughters Michaela, 18, and Alexa, 17.

Shaw also has done stints in Wisconsin and South Dakota, chronicling his travels on his Facebook page since creating it a few months ago with still photographs and stories. Just recently he added a YouTube channel to the mix, where he can upload videos from his locations.

“I started Hillbilly Travel Nurse, so I could showcase the beautiful areas I’m traveling or staying as well as share tips regarding travel or nursing,” Shaw explained. Although he has had the Facebook presence since February, the video content on YouTube is a much more recent endeavor. “I have got to visit Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park and even Devil’s Tower (in Wyoming).”

Shaw is a multi-state licensed LPN, meaning he can work in 36 different states where his West Virginia credentials are recognized. He likes that he can tell one of his two employment agencies where he would like his next assignment to be geographically as well as for how long and for how much.

Many times this is gauged around his family. For example, his youngest daughter is in marching band at Oak Glen High School, and Shaw doesn’t want to miss her performances during football games in her senior year. Therefore, he outlined parameters to his agency that allows him to return home for those games within the contract.

Shaw is trying to grow his Hillbilly Travel Nurse presence and has found some success through his engagement approach. Followers were the ones who told him earlier this summer, they would like him to return to Wyoming in an onsite poll and he agreed to follow their recommendation.

Shaw plans on continuing to build on that engagement especially since he has plenty of time on the Road. “It can get boring, so I started Hillbilly Travel Nurse to find something productive to do when away from home. I hope during this Montana contract, I can find some time to explore the area more for the page.”