Journeying through care: insights from a travel nurse exploring Western Australia

First published: February 2025

In the ever-evolving world of healthcare, travel nursing offers a unique opportunity for nursing professionals to expand their horizons while making a significant impact on patient and resident care across different regions of the country. Our contract team oversees short and long-term assignments in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia, identifying individuals ready to make a positive impact within environments experiencing workforce shortages. Their expertise lie in sourcing candidates who bring skill, compassion, and adaptability to their roles.

Linda, a contract registered nurse who joined our travel team last year, moved from South Africa to the outskirts of Perth in 2012, with her husband and two children. After qualifying with a Bachelor of Nursing from Edith Cowan University, paired with six years of working as an assistant in nursing in aged care, she moved up into the role of a registered nurse in 2018. After spending a few years as a clinical nurse manager, she opted for a change of scenery and began travel nursing in February 2024. Experiencing first-hand life as a frontline worker in communities across Western Australia, Linda shares what travel nursing means for her career and personal development.

Q. What inspired you to become a travel nurse, and why did you feel last year was the right time to make the change?

A. I wanted to switch things up! I felt stagnant in my role and wanted to take advantage of the flexibility and the opportunity to experience something completely new. Keeping my mental health in check is very important to me, so making a conscious effort to inject change into my daily routine is a fantastic way for me to remain in a positive headspace. I must admit I haven’t travelled much around Australia, so this is a great way for me to see new areas of the country and interact with communities I wouldn’t otherwise have come across.

Q. Travel nursing requires you to be able to insert yourself into various team dynamics. How have you ensured you remain adaptable?

A. It can be a challenge as you need to prove yourself each time you accept a new assignment. Gaining trust with the permanent employees and other agency staff is paramount to being successful in this role, and I feel that it has worked out well for me each time. You get to enjoy diverse landscapes and an array of cultural backgrounds, which aids to my own personal learning and enjoyment of the work I do.

Q. Can you share examples of challenges you’ve handled as a travel nurse, and how has this shaped your approach to nursing?

A. When you train as a nurse, you are taught to adopt a blanket method when interacting with your patients and residents. I’ve realised that you need to adjust this for travel nursing as you are working with individuals from different cultural backgrounds. This is especially true when conducting resident assessments, as you need to tailor your questions to each person. It humbled me at first, but through consistent exposure of everchanging resident demographic,  it’s made me a better nurse. Working with a team that is familiar with their residents is a great tool and provides a fantastic learning curve, as you can pick up techniques that may have not been obvious to you beforehand.

Q. How do you prepare for assignments in unfamiliar locations?

A. When accepting a placement, I try and do as much research on the area as possible. Upon arrival, I take care to adapt to management styles and understand how the team is run. During buddy shifts, I make a point of getting to know the staff and the logistics of the organisation. It’s more likely that you will make a mistake if you don’t take the time to understand what’s expected of you in each plac.

Q. What strategies do you use to balance work and personal life while travelling?

My husband and children have been extremely supportive of my desire to work and travel. Before I took on my first assignment, I sat everyone down to discuss the nature of the role. They understood I needed time to explore career options, and that travel nursing gave me the avenue to do so. I’m lucky that my children are older now, so they are more self-sufficient, and my family always make the effort to visit me when I’m away.

Q. What has been your experience working with Sanctuary?

A. It’s been a wonderful year. My consultant Emma is amazing! She really takes time and care to make sure that you know the process before the assignment begins. She is always so informative and communicates effectively. Agency nursing is fantastic as you have the constant support through an ‘open-door’ policy, and it’s always nice to have a chat as well as resolving any queries or questions that you may have. She is always on your side, which gives me comfort knowing that she is advocating for me every step of the way. This year I’ve been lucky enough to experience the diversity of Western Australia, including the rich culture of Roebourne and the picturesque beaches of Albany. Having been asked to return to homes for another contract, it demonstrates to me Emma’s expertise pairing nurses with placements that suit their requirements and values.

Q. What are your long-term goals in the field of nursing? Do you see travel nursing as part of your future career path?

Be sure to know exactly why you want to become a nurse. Set yourself clear goals and utilise the best resource available to you – the people! If you aren’t sure, ask your peers. The nursing community is a special one, and everyone is always on hand to help you whenever you need.

Thinking about pursuing a career in travel nursing with Sanctuary Recruitment?

Enjoy living and working in areas of Western Australia that are full of rich history and spectacular natural landmarks, situated in thriving societies. Find out more by contacting our contract team today.