Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of travel nursing as opposed to having a permanent full time line at one facility?
Travel nursing is for anyone who wants a little more adventure and excitement in their life and career. There are perks to stability, but that can get stale and monotonous. Working as a travel nurse you are in control of where you work, and essentially when you work as well. Although you do commit to a schedule, everything is up front and you decide what works for you! You will be paid a premium rate compared to an FTE, and you will save on rent because accommodations are covered while on assignment, as well as your travel to and from your destination.
Am I going to have any support? I’m worried I won’t know what I’m doing.
Sympatico Med wants to be the leader in travel healthcare. It is a valid concern and we want you to feel assured that you will go into your assignment feeling confident, and ready to make a difference! We will do all the preparation work with you so nothing is left unknown and all you have to do is have fun at work, so you can plan adventures for when you’re not at work.
I have a family and a pet. Can you find me accommodation where I can bring them along?
We know that being away from home isn’t easy, especially if you have family you’re leaving behind. Just make sure to let us know when you accept a contract, by submitting a request for pets or family, and our Travel Specialist will advocate for your specific housing requests. Some contracts don’t initially allow pets and family, and at Sympatico Med we advocate for you.
I see other companies have incentives and bonuses. What does Sympatico Med offer?
We love it when our team members have a great experience, so why not spread the love? We offer incentives for referrals, bonuses for completing contracts, and some contracts come with bonuses before you even leave your house. Details are always right there on your employee portal. What you are “bidding” on, where, how long, how much, and what’s included is always right there for you to see before making a decision. We are here to make sure you’re excited to go on each and every assignment you take. We are happy to discuss options, and help you find your perfect fit, and get the most out of the perks.
I’m an experienced travel nurse. Why would I leave my agency to work with Sympatico?
We know that people are loyal to their agency when they have been treated well. Sympatico Med is loyal to their team. We have been in your shoes and have found the pros and cons of working with an agency and have strengthened those areas where others fall short. We want to make sure that you’re happy and feel taken care of. We are fair and offer equal opportunities. We know that when your team is treated well, feels appreciated, and is not just another number they want to be loyal.
I want to see what jobs are available right now. Where can I find this?
We want to make sure that every team member is offered an equal opportunity and that they are good to go when they see a contract they are interested in. You will have full access to our employee portal once you are hired to our team, and that’s where you will have access to our job board, incentives, and bonuses. We encourage you to have a chat with us if you would like to know what we can offer for you.
Am I covered for malpractice or liability if I’m not in a union?
Nurses are covered for a limited amount of malpractice and liability insurance with their nursing license. We recommend our nurses purchase a secondary private insurance for extra coverage, and we will reimburse the full amount to you once you have worked a set amount of hours with us in a year.
Will I get to choose my schedule?
Generally no. But our open opportunity employee portal is transparent with all postings available and what is required for each posting.
Sometimes there is opportunity to choose more time off to adventure while working on a site, and sometimes you just want as much overtime as possible while away. You can choose how you want your assignments to look.
This all sounds really fun and exciting, are there any downsides to travel nursing?
If you’re looking for a new adventure and to grow your career, travel nursing is the best way to do that! If you don’t like to travel, meet new people, set your own schedule, and getting paid more to do all that, then maybe travel nursing isn’t for you.
Many people find a new found love for their career once they can step outside of their union line and start to open up to the exciting world of travel nursing!
What provinces can I expect to get assignments in?
We currently have assignments in BC and AB. We are focusing on expanding to eventually be Canada-wide. Being a “newer” agency (since 2021), we do not want to spread ourselves too thin – we want both our team members and our partners to enjoy working with us.
What are the contract min/max lengths?
Depending on the province you are working in, there may be different expectations to assignment length. In BC, the minimum is a 4-week commitment. In Alberta, the minimum is a 6-week commitment.
What are Team Locations? Why is everyone talking about #TeamSympatico Locations?
Team Locations are locations that have a high demand (requiring more than just “a few” team members). We have focused on the Team Locations with the goal of alleviating the workload for better patient ratios, community feeling and being able to see familiar faces in different places.
Apply Today!
We require provincial licensing, 2 years post graduate work experience, current BLS and applicable specialty certificates ACLS and PALS for rural assignments.