In my conversation with Jessica Baumgartner, I wanted nurses to see what could happen when they stop focusing only on what might go wrong and begin asking, “What if this works?”

Jessica’s career took her from dental assisting and business ownership to ICU travel nursing. Although she was earning good money, she still felt that something was missing. She wanted greater growth, more opportunities, and a chance to help even more patients.

Her search for that next opportunity ultimately led her to medical device sales.

Wanting More Than the Usual Nursing Path

Jessica always wanted to work in medicine. She first entered the dental field, worked her way up to office manager, and later put herself through nursing school.

After becoming an ICU travel nurse, she started asking the same question many driven nurses ask: What comes next?

The common options were management or nurse practitioner school. Jessica started the nurse practitioner path because she believed in education and wanted to keep moving forward.

But she began questioning whether it would give her the future she wanted.

The role would still have a limited salary structure, and she would spend more time and money in school before starting another position that might eventually leave her feeling stuck.

Jessica wanted a career she could build for the long term.

Seeing Medical Device Sales Differently

Jessica regularly worked with medical device representatives in the ICU. What stood out was that many of them seemed happy, fulfilled, and excited about their work.

They were helping patients, working with technology, and building careers with room for financial and professional growth.

That caught her attention because helping people was still important to her. She did not want to leave healthcare. She wanted to find a way to create a larger impact.

As an ICU nurse, she might care for a few patients during a shift. In medical device sales, she could educate a surgeon or clinical team that would use the technology to help hundreds or thousands of patients.

That one-to-many impact made the career feel meaningful.

She Was Already More Than “Just a Nurse”

One of Jessica’s biggest challenges during the interview process was remembering everything she had done before nursing.

She had worked in dentistry, presented treatment plans, managed an office, and built a successful hair and makeup business. She established the company, managed a team, gained referrals, and grew the business through her own effort.

But after nursing school, she began seeing herself only as “Nurse Jessica.”

She had placed her business and sales experience in the past.

To become a stronger candidate, she had to bring those experiences back into her story. She needed to recognize that she already understood communication, education, account relationships, leadership, and sales.

Her nursing experience was not a limitation. It was one part of a much larger background.

Why Clinical Specialist Roles Fit Nurses

Jessica entered the industry as a clinical specialist, a role she strongly recommends nurses consider.

Her work includes educating accounts on medical devices, providing in-services, helping teams become comfortable with new technology, and supporting better patient care.

The role is closely connected to what nurses already do.

Nurses educate patients, communicate with families, work with physicians, manage difficult conversations, and encourage people to follow treatment plans. They are already influencing decisions and explaining complex information in simple terms.

Medical device sales is not about pushing something people do not need. It is about understanding a clinical problem and helping determine whether a product can improve the procedure or patient outcome.

Jessica did not have to stop caring about patients to enter sales. She found another way to serve them.

Preparing for a Competitive Interview Process

Breaking into medical device sales was not as simple as submitting a nursing resume.

Jessica was competing against many applicants and had to learn how to clearly explain why she was the right person for the role.

She worked on her resume, practiced interviews, built relationships, and learned to speak confidently about her full background.

By the time she connected with the territory manager who eventually hired her, she was prepared. She understood her strengths, knew her story, and showed the drive needed to succeed.

The relationship she built helped shorten the formal interview process because the manager already understood what she could bring to the team.

Jessica did the work before the job was offered.

From Last Place to Leading the Quarter

Jessica joined a territory that had been in last place. After months of hard work, the team moved into the top position for the quarter and exceeded plan.

She believes the same resilience needed during the interview process helped her succeed after getting hired.

Medical device sales is still a grind. Accounts will not always say yes, and every day will not be easy.

But Jessica now sees a direct connection between her effort and her results.

She is motivated by both performance and patient impact. She can help grow the business while supporting technology that improves care.

She also gained benefits she did not have as a travel nurse, including a company vehicle, gas coverage, insurance, retirement benefits, travel, and professional development opportunities.

Final Thoughts

My conversation with Jessica showed me that nurses often have far more transferable experience than they realize. The biggest challenge may not be learning how to sell—it may be building the confidence to see yourself as more than your current title. Jessica’s advice is to ask yourself, “What if?” What if you could help more patients, build a career with greater growth, provide more for your family, and find work that feels fulfilling? Medical device sales will require preparation, resilience, and hard work, but Jessica’s journey proves that nurses can make the transition and become successful by owning their strengths, staying authentic, and believing they are capable of more.

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All the best,

Jacob McLaughlin

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