PHOTO: Author Kim Sloan, travel ICU nurse and award-winning writer, brings healing and wonder to readers through her real-life memoir and children’s adventure books.
Memoirist and Nurse Inspires Through Pandemic Stories and Adventures With a Biker Gnome
Kim Sloan, a travel ICU nurse and award-winning author, reflects on her pandemic experiences and cross-country travels, inspiring readers through her memoir and whimsical children’s book series Billy Bob’s Adventures.
Kim Sloan’s journey is one of compassion, adventure, and healing. A seasoned travel ICU nurse with over 17 years of experience, Sloan has taken her profound life experiences and turned them into stories that resonate with readers of all ages. Her dual career as a frontline healthcare worker and award-winning author offers a unique and heartfelt perspective on life, resilience, and the human spirit.
Her acclaimed memoir, Memoirs From The Frontlines: Four States, Two Years, One Pandemic, captures the harrowing reality of working in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Documenting her experiences across four states, the book offers an unfiltered look into the emotional toll and professional challenges faced by healthcare workers. Recognized with the 2024 Bookfest Silver Award and the Goody Business Book Award, Sloan’s memoir is not just a chronicle of events, but a testament to endurance and hope. Through each chapter, readers gain insight into the mental health struggles and trauma endured by those on the frontlines, many of whom are still coping with the aftermath.
Kim Sloan’s storytelling is heartfelt, courageous, and deeply inspiring, blending real-world resilience with imaginative journeys that captivate readers of all ages.
Sloan began writing her memoir during her assignments, initially sharing thoughts through Facebook updates with her family back in Ohio. Revisiting those posts became a deeply emotional and therapeutic process. Reading them aloud with her husband, who also served on the frontlines, helped the couple process their shared pain. One of the most powerful stories in the book is about Laconyea, a COVID patient who spent 72 days in the hospital before finally walking out into her son’s arms. That single moment of triumph brought hope in a time when it was desperately needed.
Outside the ICU, Sloan brings a lighter, more imaginative touch to her writing through her children’s book series Billy Bob’s Adventures. Inspired by her and her husband’s travels on a motorcycle across all 50 U.S. states, the series follows Billy Bob, their biker gnome, as he explores the country. These books encourage families to discover the rich history, geography, and culture of the United States. With eleven titles and an alphabet and numbers edition tailored for toddlers, Sloan’s storytelling nurtures curiosity and adventure in young readers. She has also begun expanding into holiday-themed stories, with Halloween and Thanksgiving books already capturing children’s imaginations.
Balancing a nomadic lifestyle with a home base in Ohio, Sloan and her husband have managed to maintain stability with the help of their adult children, who live in their home while they’re on the road. Her advice to other nurses considering travel work is thoughtful and pragmatic: avoid large initial investments like RVs until they’re sure the lifestyle suits them, and be prepared for long stretches away from loved ones.
Sloan’s travel nursing assignments have taken her across the country, allowing her to immerse herself in diverse cultures and communities. These experiences have not only broadened her understanding but also deepened her empathy for patients and families. From Georgia to Washington state, each assignment brought new challenges and learning opportunities. While some hospitals were reluctant to accept outside input in the early stages of the pandemic, others welcomed her expertise—highlighting how local responses and attitudes evolved over time.
Ultimately, Sloan’s message is one of solidarity and healing. She hopes readers of her memoir understand the psychological impact the pandemic had on healthcare workers and that those who endured similar hardships find comfort in knowing they are not alone. Her stories, whether grounded in the ICU or imagined through the eyes of a traveling gnome, serve as reminders of the strength found in compassion, the importance of exploration, and the power of storytelling.
Source: Reader’s House Interview with Kim Sloan
