Becoming a Travel Nurse: Opportunities for Canadian Nurses

By: Jonathan Barrett, RN, BScN

The need for registered nurses is at an all-time high for both short-term and long-term staff. Nursing is a profession that requires a multitude of skills, education and compassion worldwide. Why not provide this as you go see various parts of North America while providing hospitals with a strong, competent and uniquely Canadian nursing experience? Working as a nurse offers a large variety of transferable skills and education that is in high demand in both Canada and the United States, which is why I am writing this article on behalf of IntelliStaff Medical! My name is Jonathan Barrett, I am a registered nurse from Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada. Canadian nurses are often sought after worldwide for our education, capabilities, and kindness. Taking this and turning it into a career opportunity as a travel nurse can be a great experience in many ways. This includes things such as, being able to immerse yourself in another culture, enriching your education/skill set as you learn new ways of doing various tasks, meeting new people and seeing new places. In this article I will discuss why becoming a travel nurse may be right for you and how IntelliStaff Medical may be able to help you get into that line of work.

Travel nursing can be a very lucrative way to travel North America as a registered nurse from Canada. The opportunities to work and see this part of the world are near endless if you are willing to work with your future partners at IntelliStaff Medical. They offer contracts across both Canada and the US in various lengths that they will help tailor to meet what you feel works best for you. Want to see the mountains in Idaho? Or the redwoods of northern California? What about being able to go to the sunny, warm beaches of South Carolina or Florida while it’s freezing cold back home in Canada? You can do all these things and so much more while working as a travel nurse in the United States. As a travel nurse you may be able to provide innovative outside perspectives from your previous experience and help your new coworkers (who love meeting Canadians in my experience).

Working as a nurse can be a very taxing profession physically and mentally but being able to work as a travel nurse can be a very rewarding way of working as a nurse. IntelliStaff Medical recognizes this and will do their very best to help get you the compensation you deserve for your hard work and dedication. Staff nurses at hospitals that you will work at while travelling often are very grateful to see you coming and joining their team whether it is for a few months or longer. When I moved to South Carolina and started working at the hospital I am working for now I immediately felt welcome and was appreciated because I was joining their team of fantastic nurses. They have taken me in and made me feel part of the team, appreciated my input on unit issues and have treated me very well. Being able to have such a good experience at work and then on my days off I can take a short drive to one of the gorgeous beaches here has made my time here very valuable to me as I am able to do a lot of fun things here year round including, going to the pool or beach, shopping, travel, camping, and so much more. One of the best aspects of travel nursing is that it is what you make of it, and it can be a good way to see a new place, meet new people and gain new experiences that will help make you into a better rounded nurse.

IntelliStaff Medical was able to help me find a fulfilling and enjoyable position at the hospital I currently work at so why not let them help you do the same?

 

Jonathan Barrett, RN