Placed with Purpose: When the Right Partnership Opens a New Path

Finding the right opportunity is more than matching someone’s experience to a job description. It requires understanding where they have been, what they value, and where they hope to take their career next.

At Tandym, that understanding begins with a conversation. Our recruiters take the time to listen, provide honest guidance, and build relationships that continue well beyond a candidate’s first day on the job.

Placed with Purpose shares the stories behind those relationships, directly from the professionals we have had the privilege of supporting.

For this installment, we spoke with Catherine Flanagan, an experienced nurse practitioner whose career has spanned emergency medicine, primary care, academia, and telehealth. When Catherine connected with Tandym recruiter Emma Da Cruz during a period of professional transition, she found more than her next clinical role. She found a trusted partner who recognized her strengths, advocated for her, and introduced her to an opportunity that expanded the direction of her career.

Here is her story.

Tell us about your nursing career and the path that led you to telehealth.

I have been in nursing since 2008. I spent about five years working as a registered nurse, primarily in the emergency room, before graduating as a family nurse practitioner at the end of 2013.

Since then, I have worked in a variety of roles. I have also been involved in academia while maintaining my clinical practice, including in-person walk-in care and primary care settings.

Over the past three or four years, I have transitioned more heavily into telehealth. Whether full-time, part-time, or on a PRN basis, telehealth has become the primary focus of my clinical practice. I still remain involved in academic work and explore other areas but maintaining that connection to patient care has always been important to me.

What was happening in your career when you first connected with Tandym?

The timing was honestly perfect. I was in a transitional period and ready to pivot into something new. One of my contracts was wrapping up, and I was not entirely sure what my next step would be.

I came across the opportunity online, and it immediately sounded like a great fit. In fact, it almost sounded too good to be true.

Emma connected with me right away and explained what the position would involve. I remember initially wondering, “Is this a scam?” Then I spoke with her on the phone, and she was incredibly professional while also being kind and personable. It quickly became an easy yes.

I am so grateful the opportunity landed in my lap and that I have been able to work with Tandym. The experience has become so much more than I initially expected.

Have you worked with recruiters or staffing firms previously?

Yes, I had worked with several recruiters before. In those situations, the recruiter was primarily a way to access the type of contract work I wanted. I was grateful for the opportunities, but the relationships themselves were not memorable. Honestly, I could not tell you most of those recruiters’ names today.

My experience with Tandym and Emma has been completely different because I have a genuine relationship with her. She is responsive, invested in my experience, and always willing to help. It feels like I have someone working with me, rather than someone simply serving as the middle person between me and a job.

It feels like a partnership, which is entirely different from my previous experiences with recruiters and staffing agencies.

What makes your relationship with Emma so effective?

Emma strikes the perfect balance between personability and efficiency. That combination is a gold mine to me.

We may get on the phone to discuss something related to work, but we will also find a moment to talk about life. We are both working moms, so we can relate to the experience of balancing busy careers with everything happening at home.

At the same time, every conversation remains focused and productive. We address what needs to be handled without making the process feel impersonal or drawn out. Emma makes everything feel easy.

I may not have another Tandym recruiter to compare her with, but I genuinely feel like I received the best recruiter for this particular contract.

Did you feel comfortable being open with Emma throughout the process?

Absolutely. There was transparency from the beginning about the process, the next steps, and what I could expect.

Compensation is always an important part of any opportunity, and Emma was transparent about that as well. I felt she was honest about the available parameters while still advocating to get me the best possible arrangement.

Everything felt real and straightforward. You could sense the honesty in the process, and that was a breath of fresh air.

How was your experience with onboarding?

The onboarding process was easy and seamless. Because the role did not require the traditional insurance credentialing process, we were able to avoid one of the most time-consuming parts of starting a new nurse practitioner position.

For me, it felt like the unicorn job. I could begin an exciting new role without updating endless documents or spending months navigating credentialing with insurance companies. It was a dream come true.

Beyond that, the steps were always clearly communicated. I knew what I needed to complete, what would happen next, and when I was expected to begin. Most importantly, I started on the date I was originally given.

That level of communication was especially impressive because the contract itself was new. There were naturally some unknowns surrounding what the day-to-day experience would look like, but Tandym remained as clear and consistent as possible while the program developed. I appreciated that tremendously.

Did Emma help your career move in a direction you had not anticipated?

Absolutely. I do not think I would have ended up in the same position without her guidance.

I initially joined the contract as a nurse practitioner in a clinical role. Because the program was new, Emma later approached me about taking on additional responsibilities involving chart reviews and serving as a clinical liaison.

That opened an entirely new area for me. It was something I had always wanted to explore as a nurse practitioner but had not yet had the opportunity to pursue in a significant way.

The position became more than a provider role. It gave me the opportunity to expand into clinical leadership and liaison work as well. Emma thought of me for that responsibility, presented the opportunity, and advocated for me. I will always be grateful for that.

Would you recommend Tandym and Emma to other nurse practitioners?

I already have.

I have referred some of the best nurse practitioners I know, particularly those with licenses in multiple states, to Emma. One of the top-performing nurse practitioners on our contract came from one of those referrals.

She actually reminds me of Emma. They are both magnetic people who get the job done while making you laugh and enjoy the experience along the way. She joined the program and has been loving the opportunity.

For me, referring someone is a sign of trust. I would not recommend professionals I respect if I did not believe in the agency or the recruiter supporting them.

I trust Emma, and I trust Tandym. I want to connect them with great people because I know those professionals will be supported, and I also want Tandym to benefit from having strong people representing the organization. It is a truly mutually beneficial relationship.

More Than the Next Opportunity

Catherine’s experience demonstrates the difference between filling a position and building a genuine professional partnership.

She came to Tandym as an accomplished nurse practitioner searching for her next clinical opportunity. By listening to her goals and recognizing the experience she could bring to a growing program, Emma helped Catherine discover an additional path into clinical liaison and leadership work.

We are grateful to Catherine for sharing her story and for trusting Tandym with the talented professionals she has referred. We are equally grateful to Emma for embodying what meaningful recruiting looks like: listening, communicating honestly, advocating for the professionals she supports, and recognizing opportunities for them to grow.

Looking for your next opportunity? Explore Tandym’s current openings and connect with our team to discover where the right partnership could take your career.