Who is the nurse behind the nickname ‘Dora the Explorer’? Meet RN Britt, an emergency nurse who swapped casual shifts in New Zealand for fixed-term contracts across Australia, and hasn’t stopped moving since. Three years, sixteen placements, and one persistent travel itch later, Britt shares what agency nursing with Affinity has taught her about resilience, connection, and building a life that fits around her adventures, not the other way around.
RN Brittany is an ED nurse who has spent six years building her clinical skills in emergency departments across New Zealand and Australia. Known as Dora the Explorer – which we’ll get into shortly – she’s built a reputation as one of Affinity’s more adventurous nurses.
In our last interview together, Brittany discussed swapping casual work in New Zealand for her first fixed-term contracts in Australia, with plans to explore Eastern Asia in between placements. Since then, the journey has taken on a life of its own.
Sixteen contracts, several states, and one very memorable summit later, we caught up with Brittany again to see what life has looked like.
Who is Brittany
Adventurous, warm, and endlessly curious – Brittany is a Registered Nurse in the ED. She’s driven, easy-going, and is a breath of fresh air in the ward, according to her colleagues and everyone she comes into contact with.
Originally born and raised in New Zealand, she cut her teeth in a rural GP clinic before shifting her focus to emergency nursing. When the travel itch became too strong to ignore, she landed with Affinity for her first travel placement in Australia.
‘I signed up with Affinity since they specialise in helping New Zealand-based nurses get started in the Australian agency space, and I accepted the first contract that got offered to me,’ she says.
‘Friends have nicknamed me Dora, the Explorer, a nod to the large red resuscitation bag I’m usually seen carrying around the emergency department,’ Brittany says. ‘Combined with my love of being constantly on the go, and cramming my days off with explorations, it seemed pretty fitting.’
Outside of travel and agency contracts, her downtime looks a lot like her working life: full. Earlier this year she summited Mt Kinabalu in Borneo, and when she’s not on a trail, she’s usually got her head in a novel, with Hello Beautiful and Lessons in Chemistry among her recent favourites.
RN Brittany’s approach to patient care
Six years in, Brittany’s philosophy of care hasn’t changed much.
‘We often encounter patients in the Emergency Department who are experiencing one of the worst days of their lives,’ Brittany says. ‘A little bit of compassion can go a long way, and it’s usually the small acts of kindness that can truly be memorable a significant time later, after the initial event or diagnosis,’ she says.
‘Treat patients the way you would want to be treated, and keep lines of communication open, as these people are still someone’s family member or loved one.’
That instinct to educate goes back to her earliest days as a nurse, long before emergency medicine became her focus.
‘I started my nursing in a rural GP, and would often help my patients understand how to dress their own simple wounds at home, what to stock in their first aid kit after a newly sutured laceration, or how to use their new EpiPen following a severe allergen exposure,’ Brittany says.
‘There is always something to teach, and healthcare is currently ripe for further patient education, given how many resources are available to us today.’
Why Britt took the leap into agency nursing
As nurses, we all have our own tipping point or ‘lightbulb moment’ which pushes us to either dip our toe or jump head-first into travel nursing. RN Brittany’s answer might sound familiar.
‘I expressed my initial interest in agency work on a whim,’ she says. ‘I’d already heard of other colleagues having explored and worked in some great locations in Australia.’
By that point, Brittany had already built up her skills by working in the emergency department in her home town, but something was still missing.
‘I wanted to be a young 20-something travelling the world and seeing what was still out there.’
Looking back at the first contract
First-time agency nurses often ask the same question: what actually happens once you land somewhere new? Brittany’s first contract is an honest outlook on what regional and rural placements can look like.
“I accepted the first contract I was offered, and ended up in a tiny regional town in Western New South Wales, serving a population of around 3,000 people,’ Brittany says. ‘Definitely not what I was accustomed to, coming from a metropolitan hospital serving a tertiary population of 300,000.’
Brittany adapted quickly to her surroundings, and clinical adjustment came fast.
‘I had to relearn escalation pathways because I didn’t have all the resources I was used to having at hand, as well as redefining certain thresholds for escalation because of a lack of services, like imaging, formal pathology, and sometimes the absence of a physical doctor and only telehealth,’ she says.
For anyone wondering what life looks like after a few years of agency contracts, Brittany’s reflection is a useful one. Looking back, it is difficult to separate the milestones from the person she’s become along the way.
‘I think of it all as one developmental chapter. I’m not the same nurse, nor the same person, I was at the beginning of this journey,’ Brittany says.
Finding your community in agency nursing
One of the biggest unknowns for anyone considering agency work isn’t clinical at all, but rather what life actually looks like outside the facility.
‘I was surprised how close-knit you can become with other agency nurses,’ Brittany says. ‘For a significant period of time, an agency nurse sacrifices their own routines, friendship circles, and connections to travel to a place where they usually know no one … the urge for connection actually prompts you to introduce yourself to your new agency housemates, work colleagues, or a new group in town.’
‘Those new connections can turn into some of the most exciting friendships and adventures. I still keep in contact with many of the nurses I’ve met on my travels.’
Brittany’s stand-out contract experience
Brittany has seen nursing at every scale, from the small Multi-Purpose Health Service facilities in South Australia, to fast-paced emergency departments of metro hospitals. For nurses weighing up where to apply next, Brittany found that one particular contract stood out to her: Canberra.
‘It sometimes gets classified as the boring capital with too many roundabouts, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, because its infrastructure is fit for its population size,’ Brittany says. ‘The metropolitan work is fast-paced, and the clinical team are supportive and friendly.’
Outside the hospital, Canberra gave her plenty of reasons to make the most of her days off.
‘I spent a lot of my time out in the reserves, completing local walking trails, observing the abundance of wildlife, and chasing good food, shopping, and museum exhibits,’ she says.
What’s on the horizon for Brittany
Having spent the last few years living contract to contract, Brittany’s next few months ahead are about slowing down… just a little.
‘I’ve pursued a personal goal recently to finally set up a base in Australia after living out of my suitcase for two and a half years … I have been enjoying getting to know my new local walks and trails, exhibitions and having time to decorate my new bedroom with arty projects.’
For agency work, Brittany says her travel and agency adventures are starting to pivot to be shorter in length, to pursue other passions and interests in her life more regularly. However, the door to agency work is still very much open: ‘I still have the ability to set off on an agency contract and have just completed my adventure in Port Augusta – contract 16!’
As for what’s next on the Asia front, the adventures aren’t over yet. She says, ‘Despite pivoting towards shorter length contracts and more casual based work, I still have the urge to chase the travel bug, albeit more infrequently. I have a trip planned to the Philippines with some fellow agency nurses I met during my time contracted in the Riverland of South Australia. I’m looking forward to crystal blue reefs, some snorkelling, the odd celebratory cocktail, and seeing more of the local culture.’
Ready for a fresh start in nursing?
Agency nursing doesn’t mean you need to choose between a career and pursuing your passions. Whether you’re based in New Zealand considering crossing the ditch to Australia, or are an Australian nurse ready for your first regional, rural or remote contract, our team are here to help you build a career around the life you actually want.
Travel nursing with Affinity can offer:
- Supportive onboarding and credentialling processes
- More lifestyle flexibility through short-term contracts
- Opportunities to work in stunning locations across Australia
- Exposure to diverse facilities and clinical environments
- Consistent work with back-to-back contracts
Join us today to find out where your own agency nursing journey could take you this year.
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