From transplant teams to top-tier hospitals, Peggy McGirr-Crowley has seen medicine from every angle.
But it wasn’t until she returned to a quiet town in Delaware that her career and sense of purpose finally felt complete.
“I used to follow my mom around when I was little,” Peggy said. “She was a district nurse and an Army nurse. I helped her and watched her serve people in our community. I knew then that I wanted to be her.”
That early spark led Peggy through decades of growth, from a diploma nurse to a doctor of nursing practice. She built her career in some of the most elite hospital systems in the country, including transplant units and open-heart teams at major university medical centers. But something was missing.
“I had all the big-city experiences,” she said. “And I’m proud of that. But it didn’t feel personal. It didn’t feel connected.”
Finding Purpose in a Small-Town Hospital
While working as an RN, Peggy picked up a short agency assignment in a quiet Delaware town with a 200-bed hospital. She didn’t think much of it then, but the sense of community stuck with her.
“When I came back this year, I walked into the hospital and it felt like a reunion,” she said. “People remembered me. Not as a name on a chart either, but as Peggy.”
Now working as a locum tenens nurse practitioner, she’s rediscovering the kind of medicine that drew her in as a child. At this facility, staff and patients know each other by name. Connection takes precedence over red tape.
“The culture here is different,” she said. “There’s a level of pride and caring you don’t find in larger health systems. Everyone looks out for each other.”
Choosing Freedom Over Corporate Medicine
After a short break from clinical work, Peggy and her husband returned to the Philadelphia area. She received multiple job offers from large health systems, but none felt right.
“I didn’t want to go back to corporate medicine,” she said. “Just because I have a doctorate doesn’t mean I want to be a department head. I just want to take care of people.”
Working with Interim Physicians landed her in Delaware, and after only a week on assignment, she knew she wanted to extend.
“I told my husband, ‘I’m staying.’ He said, ‘You just got there.’ But I knew.”
Locum Life on Her Terms
Peggy now works seven-night stretches and uses her time off to rest, recharge, and explore. Whether it’s walking in local parks or heading to DC for a weekend getaway, her downtime is hers alone.
“There’s nothing better than when I’m off, I’m off,” she said. “It is my time and my life, and it’s driven by what I’m doing.”
The autonomy and respect she’s found in Interim’s client facility have reenergized her purpose as a provider and person.
“I have a lot of letters after my name,” she said, “but my heart hasn’t changed. I’m just a person who loves taking care of people.”
