Irene Alexander credits "Mother Fate" with how she first heard about O'Grady Peyton International. She was living in Antigua at the time and a coworker asked her for a ride to a meeting. Irene hadn't seen the newspaper ad about a recruiter coming to the island from the United States.

Alexander not only gave her friend a ride to the meeting, she stayed herself, listened to the recruiter's message and signed up. Later, she passed the required NCLEX-RN licensing exam.

“If she hadn't asked me for a ride, it would have missed me,” Alexander said during a recent interview.

Alexander started work as an O'Grady Peyton nurse on the surgical floor at Gov. Juan Luis in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands in December 2003. Three months later she was promoted to head the surgical unit, supervising a staff of 20. Recently, she had the charge of preparing her unit for inspection by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and her unit did very well.

"I enjoy what I have, and I'm blooming where I'm planted,” she said.

Alexander’s two daughters are thriving in U.S. schools in St. Croix. Toriesa, 15, a senior in high school, was recently listed in "Who's Who among American High School Students" and also won an academic National Award for her high grade point average. She and her sister, Faith, 9, are both honor students since going to the Virgin Islands. “It's all due to the O'Grady Peyton move,” according to their mother.

Irene is modest and doesn't like discussing her own accomplishments. Instead, she thanks the hospital staff at Juan Luis for their support and confidence in her, and describes O'Grady Peyton International as “an agency that produces quality nurses.”

She mentions how Glenda Johnson, another O'Grady Peyton nurse, was recently promoted as head nurse in the operating room at Juan Luis and recommends O'Grady Peyton to other nurses.

"They follow through with you, and you're not left alone. They're with you if you have a problem and are very supportive. They work with you and they've made several trips down here to make sure we're OK. I'd recommend to anyone being part of the O'Grady Peyton team.”