Choosing to become a travel nurse is so much more than a career choice - it is an adventure you will never forget. If you are passionate about nursing and exploring new places, Canada is a fantastic place to embark on a travel nursing career.
While the concept of travel nursing might sound exciting and romantic (and of course, it is) - being a travel nurse also requires a lot of training and expertise. It is no secret that nursing is hard work, and travel nursing is no different. The big advantage is you will have an opportunity to start an entirely new lifestyle with very little impact on your wallet.
If you are already working in the nursing field in an established role, the decision to change your status quo will take planning, patience, and a lot of courage. If the thought of big changes makes you nervous, it is completely natural and expected. Take some solace in the fact that you are in a high-demand profession, and that you will likely find work wherever you go, even if and when you decide to go back home.
This post is all about travel nursing: how to get started in a travel nursing career, what trainings and certifications you will need to consider, what the best agencies are, and where the most exciting destinations are for nurses.
Let’s start by delving into what travel nursing actually is and the important role they play in healthcare in Canada and around the world.
For those who have a sense of adventure and love experiencing new places, becoming a travel nurse is an ideal career. Break out of your routine and start a new career path in another province or abroad.
What is Travel Nursing?
A travel nurse is a registered nurse (RN) that works at different healthcare facilities on a temporary basis. Travel nurses complete short term assignments that range from a few weeks to months. Staffing agencies typically connect a travel nurse with an assignment based on the nurse’s qualifications and interests.
In many cases, travel nurses fill staff shortages in a variety of healthcare settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and clinics. The assignments can be anywhere in the world, or across Canada.
What Does a Travel Nurse Do?
Like any other nurse, the role of a travel nurse is to provide high quality care and support to patients alongside healthcare teams. Unlike a regular nurse, a travel nurse steps in when there are staffing shortages or an increased demand for healthcare services.
Being a travel nurse is ideal for those who can quickly and easily adapt to new work environments and new teams. Travel nurse responsibilities may include:
- Providing direct patient care
- Administer medications and monitor patient vital signs
- Collaborate with physicians, therapists, and other healthcare providers to coordinate patient care
- Helping patients and families understand different conditions and treatments
- Documenting patient information, assessments, and treatments accurately and comprehensively
- Adhering to the policies, procedures, and protocols of the healthcare facility
- Why Should I Become a Travel Nurse?
There are so many good reasons to choose a path as a travel nurse, but it is important to remember it is a decision you cannot take lightly. Here are some of the top reasons to become a travel nurse.
You are Ready for a Change of Pace
Many nurses graduate from school and find permanent placement in a hospital or clinic. While working a full time, permanent job in the same place gives you a sense of stability, it can start to feel repetitive and draining, especially if you are in a busy hospital setting.
While you won’t be escaping any hard work as a travel nurse, you will get to experience your career from a different point of view. Being in a new location will shake up your world, which can be challenging but gratifying personally.
Experience New Places without Sacrificing Income
This is possibly the top reason to be a travel nurse - to see new places without sacrificing your income. Have you dreamed of going to California, but never had the budget? Perhaps you’ve heard great things about moving to Alberta, but aren’t ready to commit?
Travel nursing is the best way to experience a new place without fully committing or losing valuable income you need to support yourself.
Earn a Competitive Salary
Many travel nursing places will bring you to places that are remote, and have difficulty attracting full time staff. As such, the compensation can be high, and you will also be provided with accommodation.
You’ll be able to make a significant amount of money through a travel nurse placement, which is great if you are pursuing financial goals.
Add New Professional Experiences to Your Resume
Another great reason to become a travel nurse is that you will have an opportunity to add new professional experiences to your resume in a fun and exciting way. It can be easy to stay in the same place as a nurse, and lose forward momentum. The challenge of becoming a travel nurse may motivate you to upgrade your qualifications and get experience in a new work environment.
By working in a new context, you’ll gain skills and experiences that will be instrumental in your future career endeavours. You’ll see how different organizations manage their workflows, and bring your new learning to whatever path you decide on next.
Embark on a New Adventure
Finally, the thrill of embarking on a new adventure is a great reason to take up travel nursing. You can take different assignments in new places, which is excellent if you have a sense of adventure and enjoy the challenge that comes with uprooting yourself.
While travelling, you may meet fellow colleagues, friends, and mentors that can change your life forever.
Curious about learning about what lies beyond nursing in your local area? You may want to consider contacting a travel nurse agency so you can practice your craft abroad or in another province.
What are some Downsides to Being a Travel Nurse?
As with any big decision, there are some downsides that you may want to consider. First of all, you will need to factor in time to make your transition to a travel nursing role, especially if you are already working full time. You will likely need to give your employer advanced notice.
If you own a home or are renting a place, you will likely need to put your belongings in storage, consider renting out your place, or end a lease. Getting these things done can take awhile, so be sure to plan ahead!
Finally, you will be leaving your current home, and may not have the same support system in place in a new community. While it can be exciting to make new friends and colleagues, departing from your friends, family, and current work situation can be tough on your mental health.
However, with a plan and an optimistic focus on the future, you can make a smooth transition to a travel nurse lifestyle!
What are the Requirements and Qualifications Needed to Become a Travel Nurse?
To become a travel nurse, you will need to meet the qualifications required of a different region or country, and ideally have a specific skillset and work experiences acquired throughout your career.
The agency you choose to work with should be able to advise you or provide learning on the specifics of obtaining a license or certification to practice in a different country or province. However, many travel nurses and agencies report that the process of re-certification is straightforward and easy.
There are some basic elements that most nursing jobs require. Here are a few:
Registered Nurse License
The base qualification of a travel nurse is having an RN license in your current place of residence. In other words, you will have completed a nursing program at a recognized college or university, and have passed the NCLEX-RN exam.
Work Experience
Depending on the location, some agencies will recruit recent graduates from nursing programs. Keep in mind, however, that many top employers will want candidates that have some experience in the field. So if you have already put in a few years of work in a full time job, you will have an advantage.
Specialist Certifications
Many travel nurse job postings want nurses that are trained in specialty areas, such as neonatal critical care, critical care, or post-anaesthetic care. While you will certainly find less specialized positions out there, having a specialty will give you access to some of the best travel nurse jobs out there.
Strong Working Skills
Employers want travel nurses that can thrive in new environments, so you will want to have strong adaptability and flexibility skills in place. You may find some work environments more busy and challenging than the ones you have experience in, so these skills are important.
Having strong communication and interpersonal skills are is also important. As a travel nurse, you will be collaborating with different stakeholders, teams, and families, and you will be joining from an outsider position with the community. Being able to navigate intercultural barriers when communicating is key.
Should I Work with a Travel Nurse Agency?
Travel nurse agencies are are easy way for Canadian nurses and internationally trained nurses to find a travel nurse placement. They understand the stress you might be experiencing trying to find the right work placement, and can walk you through the steps lof updating your qualifications to work in a different province or region.
Let’s take a look at some travel nursing agencies that can help you to kickstart your Tavel nursing career.
Travel Nurse Canada
Travel Nurse Canada is a British Columbia based agency with an easy-to-navigate website. According to the site, Travel Nurse Canada can coordinate your transportation and accommodation, which is perfect if you would like to save money while earning. With 20 years of experience, you can probably trust this company to help you kickstart your travel nursing career.
Northern Medical Connections
Northern Medical Connections is a Halifax based travel nurse agency that focuses on placing nurses in locations across Canada. Northern Medical promises to help nurses fall in love with their work again by using their profession to travel all over Canada. Various client testimonies on the site attest to the excellent work the agency has done to place nurses in exciting locations.
Aya Healthcare
Aya Healthcare is a unique agency in that it specializes in helping Canadian nurses find travel nursing work in the USA. Working in the US intrigues many Canadian nurses, especially as you will have the opportunity to make a great income while also enjoying a warmer climate and American culture.
Choosing an Agency
Remember that these are just a few of the many nursing agencies you can choose to work with in Canada. Connect with as many as you can to ensure you will be working with an agency that can meet your needs. You may even want to connect with nurses that have had experience with those agencies, as they will give you the best insights about their reliability and work.
Where can you find the highest paying travel nurse jobs? Learn all about how you can leverage your education, qualifications, and experiences to get the best paying travel nurse job.
What are some of the Highest Paying Travel Nurse Jobs?
Now that you have a sense of the different agencies out there, it is good to consider what positions pay the best salaries. While you can certainly find work with your RN designation, it is nurses with a specialization that can typically command the highest rates of pay.
Travel Registered Nurse
Registered nurses that work in remote communities and urban centres can expect to be compensated well for their services. As a registered nurse, you can work in a variety of contexts outside of your home province and make a fantastic salary.
Travel Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Nurse
Nurses that have the qualifications, training, and experience to work in NICUs can expect to have a higher than average salary because of the specialized nature of the work. As a NICU nurse, you work with babies born prematurely or who are ill.
Travel Post Anaesthesia Care Unit Nurse (PACU)
PACU nurses are highly trained and specialized professionals that work with patients who are recovering from surgery and anaesthesia treatment. As a PACU nurse, you are carefully monitoring the vital signs of patients as they become conscious. They are also instrumental in recommending post-operation care and pain relief treatment.
The Most Exciting Places to Work as a Travel Nurse
Now it’s time to explore the fun part of travel nursing - where the most exciting destinations are. As a travel nurse, you can probably work nearly anywhere, though there are some things you will want to consider.
First of all, you will want to consider the language demands of the job. Places where English is spoken widely will certainly be appealing, as you will not have to overcome any language barriers.
Second is the kind of culture and community you want to be in. You will want to be somewhere you feel welcomed and safe. If you are away for a long period of time, you want to avoid feeling homesick and isolated - which is why the community you choose to work in is so important.
Finally, you will want to know which places give you the most opportunities for travel on weekends and once the job is done. Are there places where you can do an easy road trip? Are there cities and towns that you might enjoy spending a day or two in while you complete your assignment?
Here are a few destinations that are popular for travel nurses and also meet the three criteria!
California
If you are looking to work in a place with seemingly endless travel and nursing opportunities, California may your next move. In California, you will have easy access to places like Joshua Tree National Park, Yosemite National Park, Big Sur, Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and hundreds of miles of gorgeous coastline.
Arizona
Arizona is a favourite location for NorthAmericans to seek private health care, as there are many residents are “snow birds” that escape the Canadian winter in search of sunnier and drier climates.
Travel nurses that choose Arizona can enjoy a wellness oriented desert lifestyle while earning a competitive salary. There’s the spectacular red rocks of Sedona, the vast deserts around Phoenix, or the strange and beautiful landscapes around bustling Tucson. You can even visit the Grand Canyon or the breathtaking highways north of the state.
Northern Canada
There is a high demand for nurses in remote communities in Northern Canada, where the government is working hard to attract health professionals. While the thought of working somewhere remote may sound scary, it can be incredibly rewarding both financially and personally to work in close-knit communities distant from the densely populated southern cities.
While living and working in Northern Canada, you will have access to some of the most dramatic landscapes in the world. You will experience winter from a whole new perspective and better understand the uniqueness of different communities, particularly Indigenous communities, across Canada.
Australia
Australia is a popular place for Canadian travel nurses. Canadian nursing qualifications are recognized by the country’s nursing and midwifery board, which is excellent for anyone that wants a smooth and easy transition.
As with many countries, there is a high demand for nurses, which makes finding work relatively easy. For the traveling nurse, there is great weather, loads of beaches, and plenty to explore.
If you work in the field of nursing, you might find it useful to know that you are in one of the best positions to travel to many top destinations without sacrificing income or career experience.
The Importance of Upskilling and Seeking Guidance
Upgrading your learning and specializations are essential to having as much choice as possible as a travel nurse, so consider undertaking some additional learning before you hit the travel nurse job market.
If you choose to take courses to supplement your career as a nurse or travel nurse, you may find that the learning is challenging - especially if you are already working full time. Nursing classes are known to be tough, largely because you are taking learning from a range of disciplines, including math, science, and medicine.
This is where hiring a tutor comes in. A nursing tutor can work with you in whatever ways you need: understanding course readings, exams preparation, or organizing your paperwork so you are prepared to look for work abroad.
Tutors can work with you for as often as you’d like, and can share their own experiences to help you better understand the nursing field.
To find the best nursing tutor, check out Superprof Canada. Superprof has listings for dozens of nursing tutors across Canada that do the work of supporting nurses with their learning. Use the search tool to find a tutor in your area or that can work virtually, and contact only those you are interested in.
Find a nursing tutor on Superprof today!
Summing it All Up
Choosing to become a travel nurse is an exciting and rewarding endeavour. You will get an exciting new start, and explore with the comfort of knowing you can always return home.
There are so many great reasons to become a travel nurse. You can work in exciting destinations and build your professional experience all at the same time.
Remember that it is important to consider your own financial goals, career needs, and level of comfort. The last thing you want is to end up in a location where you feel lonely, isolated, or homesick.
Explore an exciting career in travel nursing - you never know where you’ll end up!
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