On the road to remote care: my journey as a travel nurse in Western Australia

First published: February 2025

Travel nurses experience the unique thrill of packing their bags and spontaneously setting off on a new adventure. When the destination is Western Australia—home to stunning coastlines, vast outback, and a diverse healthcare landscape—the experience becomes something truly unforgettable. At Sanctuary, our contract team specialise in the placement of experienced and skilled nurses in aged care homes and Aboriginal communities in Western Australia and further across the country. Whether you’re new to travel nursing or a seasoned professional, this journey offers valuable lessons and plenty of inspiration for your own healthcare adventures.

Renee, a registered nurse specialising in delivering aged care services across Western Australia, joined Sanctuary in 2024 and has sampled what the state has to offer. After graduating in the Philippines in 2017, she completed her conversion course and began working in aged care in 2019. Having gained experience working in places such as Manjimup, Geraldton and Derby, she shared her insights and advice for anyone considering travel nursing.

Q. What prompted you to take the path of travel nursing?

A. I’ve always liked exploring new places, and travel sits at the top of my agenda. Travel nursing is a great way add variety into your work pattern, as you meet people from all different walks of life, along with visiting areas of the country that you may not have visited otherwise. Each contract presents new challenges, which is something that appeals greatly to me.

Q. You mentioned facing new challenges is a driving factor for you to pursue travel nursing. What challenges would these be?

A. It’s always interesting when you work with new people. The areas that I have worked in with Sanctuary are a mixture of regional and remote towns, which inevitably is going to expose you to different cultures, traditions and lifestyles. With this comes a degree of adaptation. When you are assessing residents and interacting with others, you need to adjust your methods and communication styles to ensure the best outcome is reached. Given the contracts all vary in length, you need to find a way to insert yourself into a routine quickly and identify the positive impacts you can make with the time that you have.

Q. Having been in Western Australia for the past six years, what comments would you like to share about working and living there?

A. It’s just a beautiful place! One of the cities I’ve been to with Sanctuary is Geraldton, and I was living in gorgeous beachside accommodation. Waking up and seeing the beach from your window is a view I’ll never get tired of. It’s vibrant, welcoming and you can learn so much about the history from the people around you. I worked in the Kimberley region for a while within an Indigenous community. Having been based in Perth, adopting to life in a small remote town was a shock at first, but once I settled in, I loved it. Being surrounded by rich cultures allowed me to learn something new every day, both inside and out of the workplace. It’s given me an experience I’ll never forget.

Q. Nurses need to have acquired certain skills and knowledge to succeed in their role. What would you say is most important for a travel nurse to have?

A. Teamwork is essential. You are going into environments where you don’t know what the structure, management style and communication methods are like. Working with those around you ensures high quality resident care is always delivered and priorities are met in a timely manner. You need to put your residents/patients first above anything. This mentality will set you on the path to success.

Q. How have you found travel nursing to impact your life outside of work, and your work/life balance?

A. Sanctuary have been fantastic. Emma is my consultant, and she is always very thorough, providing me with all the information I need to make up my mind before accepting a contract. I try and do my own research beforehand; however, Emma can usually answer any questions I have. She offers me options and allows me to decide what works before for me. Through her approachable manner, we’ve developed a great relationship, and I feel comfortable asking her anything. As part of the onboarding process, I completed online learning courses, which were very helpful. It’s always good to make sure you refresh your knowledge periodically when you are part of the healthcare sector, no matter how long you’ve been working.

Q. What are your long-term nursing goals?

A. I’ve always been in aged care during my time as a registered nurse. In the future, I may branch out into other specialties but for now, I am enjoying travel nursing and the aged care sector. I have no plans to stay in one area! Western Australia is a beautiful part of the country, and I can’t wait to explore more of it.

Q. What advice do you have for those looking to embark on a career as a travel nurse?

A. Just do it! I can’t stress enough how wonderful this journey has been. There isn’t any long-term commitment, and you have so much flexibility. You get to work in a variety of communities and can travel on your own terms – it’s the dream! If you are hesitant, the best recommendation I can give is to do your research and keep in touch with your consultant regularly.

Inspired to find out more about what travel nursing could mean for you?

Our industry expert consultants are here to give you all the information that you need to enjoy everything that Western Australia has to offer. Speak to our team today.