The freedom to holiday overseas while contracting across Australia with the option to still work casual back home—you can’t get that with your usual nursing job. It’s only possible through travel nursing!

Nursing through an agency unlocks a whole range of opportunities for nurses and midwives, even if you’re in New Zealand! If you’re secure in a casual role back home, you’re in the best position to get the most out of travel nursing in Australia.

RN Brittany is doing just that! Turns out balancing contract work, holidays, and time back home is quite easy with the support of Affinity at your back. We spoke to her for July’s Nurse Spotlight to see how she’s been using travel nursing to her advantage.

RN Brittany

6 years nursing experience

5min read

1. How long have you been nursing for?

I am currently working my sixth year as a Registered Nurse, having experience in both Rural General Practice and Emergency.

2. How was your time at Orbost Regional Health and Doomadgee Hospital?

I look fondly back on my times at both Orbost Regional Health and Doomadgee Hospital. Both facilities are excelling in the services that they offer and provide to their rural and remote communities, respectively.

I am currently preparing for my fourth contract at Orbost Regional Health. I keep returning to this facility, as this placement has a lot to offer inside the workplace. This contract is partially unique, as it adopts a complete virtual medical model; all emergency consultations, acute reviews and ward rounds take place via Telehealth. This model has allowed me to exercise more autonomy and initiative in my practice; utilising objective skills, as well as initiating diagnostics and transfer protocols pre-emptively within my scope of practice.

The staff here really welcome you and make you feel included in day-to-day operations and patient care. It was lovely to receive correspondence via Affinity that Orbost Regional Health had invited me back for a subsequent contract earlier this year, even after having been away for 10 months.

Doomadgee Hospital positively challenged me and allowed me to experience and learn more about some of the First Nations population in Australia. It was a valuable placement to learn more about cultural differences and customs, as well as understand the communities that we work towards creating equitable results within.

Both permanent and agency staff working here have such drive and passion for improving the health outcomes for this population. It is evident within the facility and small community, as patients become familiar, and are welcomed on a first name basis even before they are registered during the triage process.

3. What did you get up to in Victoria?

I adore Victoria because it reminds me in many ways of home in New Zealand. Temperatures vary with the change in seasons, and the further east you head, the more green and largely unaltered the foliage and environment becomes.

During my time and contracts in Orbost I have utilised a car at different times to travel around East Gippsland. I have seen the Coastal Wilderness of Mallacoota and Cape Conran, as well as some of the High Country in Snowy River National Park. Some of the most memorable moments include hearing the wild koala population bellowing in the eucalyptus trees one night in Gelantipy, and swimming in the tepid waters at Marlo Coastal Reserve.

Otherwise, you could usually find me trail biking the local areas or scoping out the best barista coffee in town.

4. What do you enjoy most about the travel nurse lifestyle?

I enjoy the flexibility the lifestyle allows me to live; balancing my ongoing desire to travel with working fixed-term contracts that allow me to see so many varied Australian landscapes and highlights. I also have flexibility to return home to New Zealand periodically to see family and friends and return to work casually for my NZ employer.

Of recent, I have been spending time between contracts travelling around Eastern Asia, namely Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. This lifestyle has alleviated a majority of my historic stress levels and allowed me to see and spend time in places that I previously could only have wished to visit whilst I am still relatively young.

Additionally, I love the personal development that the travel nurse lifestyle has helped me obtain. You never understand just how capable you are until you are challenged in new and exciting ways; different resources, a new environment, or a slightly different perspective about something you thought you may have already been familiar with. The beauty of travel itself is its transformative power.

5. You’ve done 8 placements with us so far – what has been the highlight of working with Affinity?

It goes without saying that my 8 placements wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and effort by the Affinity team.

Each member of the team all go above and beyond to ensure that I am well prepared and have the support necessary to thrive in these facilities; from my amazing consultant Brittany (I’m biased in saying that I got paired with the best named consultant!), the travel team ensuring timely transport and safe arrival, and credentialling for ensuring that I meet the requirements asked of by each facility.

This is further supported by the education team (shout out to Kate who has been a pleasure to do my ALS renewals with for two consecutive years), and the Payroll team. In naming all of these teams I hope to exemplify that Affinity really tries to facilitate seamless, friendly and thorough support for its nurses, and I truly enjoy corresponding with each member and team on my travels.

6. You’ve taken some awesome photos – do you have a favourite shot from your travels? What’s the story behind it?

Thank you! I always try and capture the beauty that I see in each contract location and what the environment offers. From all of my domestic travels on contract I am still rather fond of my pictures from my time at Lightning Ridge. I have this little interest in eccentric towns and having heard of Lightning Ridge through the Discovery Channel and Outback Opal Hunters, I wanted to experience the town and its Outback offerings.

This particular photo was during sunset following a visit to the Grawin Opal Fields. It is truly a different world out there; red dirt, mine shafts, abstract and eclectic artworks. This area truly needs to be seen in person!

7. What advice would you tell other Nurses who want to do travel nursing?

I would advise to embrace the opportunity to try travel nursing if you are curious about it. Nurses and nursing skills have become a worldwide workforce shortage, so it has never been so accessible to travel and try something new and different. Keep an open mind, as every location, facility and environment can both teach and show you something new and exciting!

I reflect still on my first experience travel nursing and working in a Multi-Purpose Service in Western NSW in 2023, and I never would’ve guessed at that time that I would still be enjoying the opportunity and experiences so thoroughly now.

Ready to experience the beauty of travel nursing? Register with Affinity today and discover what you can get up to around Australia. Coming from New Zealand? We’d love to hear from you, too!