Are you interested in becoming a travel nurse? Do you want to know more about the benefits, disadvantages, and misconceptions about travel nursing? This post covers it all and provides in-depth insights from experienced travel nurses currently working in the industry.
What is travel nursing?
When a hospital, facility, or health centre is facing a staff shortage, they can call out a travel nurse to work in a temporary assignment under contract. Travel nurses are not employees hired by specific companies (such as AHS). Rather, they are self-employed and use nursing agencies to find contracts.
Once a travel nurse arrives at their location, they are given a quick orientation which typically involves locating the supply room and identifying the phone numbers they’ll need. Because travel nurses are expected to fill in for shortages, it’s recommended they have at minimum 3 years of experience before entering the industry, as they will not be given extensive guidance. However, some agencies are now hiring travel nurses with one to two years of experience due to the heightened demand.
They are often given a full patient load and expected to perform their duties with competence and confidence. Once a travel nurse becomes familiar with their location, the work is very similar to standard nursing. The most important responsibility of a travel nurse is ensuring their patients are getting the care they need.
How much do travel nurses make?
A travel nurse’s compensation will depend on their agency and contract terms. But on average, travel nurses make double (sometimes even triple) what standard nurses make.
According to Indeed, the average travel nurse salary in Alberta is $63.56 per hour.
Pros of becoming a travel nurse
The main benefits of becoming a travel nurse include:
- Higher pay
- More flexible schedule
- Opportunity to experience new cities and towns
- Ability to choose where they want to work
- Chance to experience how different hospitals operate and learn new skills
- Compensation for travel-related expenses, including mileage for travelling to the location, accommodations, and meal allowances
Travel nurses no longer have to take contracts for a minimum of 4-week intervals. With the rise of per diem nursing, travel nurses can pick up casual shifts in both major cities and small towns. This flexibility gives them the freedom to go home after a shift or after a few shifts, making it easier to balance their family and personal life.
Travel nurses can also specify specific days they want off on their contract. Alternatively, if they want a longer period off after their contract ends, they can find another assignment when they’re ready to return to work.
Because travel nurses are self-employed, they can claim business-related expenses to help reduce the amount of taxes they pay. This can include a portion of their phone bill, scrubs, nursing license, meals for workdays, and vehicle mileage for driving to and from work.
Cons of becoming a travel nurse
The main disadvantage of becoming a travel nurse is the absence of sick time, vacation time, and health and dental benefits. While travel nurses do earn more money, they also don’t have the same perks of working for a specific company, such as paid time off, comprehensive benefit packages, and pensions.
If a travel nurse signs a longer contract, it can be difficult to maintain friendships and relationships while they are away. It’s not uncommon for travel nurses to miss birthdays, important holidays, and family occasions. And while hospitals will pay for a travel nurse’s accommodations, they don’t have any control over where they are staying. The hospital will choose the location of their hotel, shared house, or apartment.
While working in new locations with new colleagues can sound exciting, it can also come with its disadvantages. Not all hospitals operate the same, and while some staff members can be pleasant and friendly, others can view you as an outsider. In these cases, it’s incredibly important to document everything you do. When dealing with difficult colleagues, it’s also recommended to keep your personal life protected and avoid sharing too much information about yourself. Another way toavoidbad-fit assignments is to extend your contract in locations you enjoy working at.
Misconceptions of becoming a travel nurse
While becoming a travel nurse is a fairly simple process after you complete a Pratical Nurse program, gain your credentials, and have some work experience (more on this below), being a travel nurse is not easy. It requires you to work in unfamiliar places with new people, stay away from home and be away from family/friends (for longer contracts), and look for new work when your contract ends.
While travel nursing has many benefits, it does require confidence, strong interpersonal skills, and experience.
How to become a travel nurse in Canada
Before you can become a travel nurse in Canada, you must first take a nursing program. Once you graduate from your program and gain your license, it’s recommended to get a few years of experience in nursing before starting your career as a travel nurse.
Also, to become a travel nurse, you cannot hold a current position with a specific employer, unless you are a casual nurse without any shift commitments. The contract with a hospital or facility is your priority, and you must be available to work within the scope of your contract.
Some credentials you’ll need include:
- An active license in the province you’re working in
- Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
- Additional credentials for certain specialties, including ACLS and CTAS for emergency nurses
When you’re ready to enter the travel nursing industry, you’ll need to apply to an agency. All agencies are different with various wages and perks. Choose one that fits your career goals.
After you apply to an agency, they will send you contracts where hospitals are asking for travel nurses. Once you pick a hospital or facility, they will contact you for a quick meet and greet where you can ask any questions. Afterwards, you’ll receive your start date and sign the contract.
Practical Nurse diploma at NorQuest College
If you’re interested in pursuing a nursing career, NorQuest College’s highly recognized two-year Practical Nurse diploma program is one of the largest in Canada and will prepare you to become a professional practical nurse. Combining a combination of coursework, labs, and workplace practicums, you’ll gain a hands-on education and graduate with confidence.
The program is available in person at our downtown Edmonton campus or online with in-person labs. You’ll graduate with 680 hours of work experience through four practicums. NorQuest also has a state-of-the-art simulation lab in the Olsen Centre to help you prepare for your nursing role in a safe, controlled, and low-pressure environment.
During the program, you’ll explore topics in maternity and pediatric nursing, acute care practice, community nursing, mental health nursing, and much more.
If you’re interested in the Practical Nurse program, we recommend you apply as soon as possible since the program fills quickly.
Other health programs at NorQuest College
NorQuest College also offers several health programs within the nursing field and beyond, including:
If you’re currently a nurse orhealthcare professional looking to pivot into an administrative or leadership role, NorQuest has a few programs to help you achieve your new career goals:
For internationally educated nurses or healthcare professionals, NorQuest has a fast-track program to help you restart your career in Alberta. The Practical Nurse Diploma for Internationally Educated Nurses program will prepare you for the Canadian healthcare system and provide real-world work experience. You can also challenge some of the courses if you have prior experience in the area through our PLAR program.
Chad’s bio
Chad graduated from NorQuest College’s Practical Nurse program in 2018. Once he graduated, Chad began working with every department a rural hospital had to offer. After some experience, hethen branched out and completed his OR and hemodialysis specialty.
Also, during his time at NorQuest College, Chad invented ANSONS Arm. Ansonsarm.com is the first portable, affordable, and multifunctional nursing manikin on the market. ANSONS Arm has 26 skills in 1 manikin. During nursing school, Chad found there was a gap between lab simulation and real life. Hethought if students had an inexpensive manikin to take home to practice they would have the confidence they need to do the skill perfectly the first time. Chad is still in the early stages of his business but has presented his product at the INACSL conference in 2023.
As a travel nurse he has worked for 1.5 years and has worked in:
- Meadow lake, SK
- Dawson Creek BC
Tiffany’s bio
Tiffany graduated from NorQuest College’s Practical Nurse program in 2018. Once she graduated, Tiffany began working in a long-term retirement home and gained a lot of skills and experience as a new nurse. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Tiffany saw firsthand the barriers people were having to accessing health care services, and thus her idea for her business, Nurse on Wheels, was born. Their mission is for everyone to acquire daily checkups and standard medical care from the comfort of their home, and they offer services such as checkups, immunizations, foot care, CPR classes, and more.
Now, two years later, her business is thriving and growing, and Tiffany has branched out in her career to also become a travel nurse, working all across Canada. “I want people to know about all the different options you can have and is now a registered LPN and founder and owner of her own business.
As a travel nurse, Tiffany has worked in these locations:
- British Columbia: Kamloops, Comox Beach, and Kelowna
- Alberta: Vegreville, Grande Prairie, Lamont, Red Deer, Hanna, Lacombe, Whitecourt, Ponoka, and Sylvan Lake