The Travel Nurse’s Summer Bucket List: Assignments Worth Saying Yes To
One of the best-kept secrets of travel nursing? Your assignment location is a choice. And summer is the season to make a good one.
Between the flexibility of short-term contracts and the sheer number of hiring facilities right now, June through August is prime time to land somewhere you’ve always wanted to go and get paid to be there. Here are some of the locations travel nurses keep putting on their lists, and what to know before you pack your scrubs.
Pacific Northwest: Mountains, Water, and Work-Life Balance That’s Actually Possible
If your idea of a great summer involves coffee, hiking trails, and the smell of actual rain, the Pacific Northwest delivers. Hospitals in and around Seattle, Portland, and smaller cities like Bend and Spokane see strong travel nurse demand in summer and the scenery outside your unit makes the long shifts a little easier to come home from.
What to know: Cost of living is higher here, so make sure your housing stipend does the math before you commit. The good news: the outdoor access more than compensates for the price tag.
Best for nurses who want epic day hikes on days off, love cooler summer temps, and don’t mind some drizzle.
The Mountain West: Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming
Think national parks within driving distance. Think farmers markets on Saturday mornings. Think the kind of summer that looks good on Instagram and feels even better in person.
Hospitals in Denver, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, and smaller regional facilities throughout the Rockies are reliably active for summer travel placements. And if you can land in a smaller market, think Grand Junction or Cheyenne, you may find a less competitive applicant pool and more room to negotiate.
What to know:Altitude adjustment is real if you’re coming from sea level. Give yourself a few days before your first shift to acclimate.
Best for nurses who want to hike, camp, or road-trip on their days off, and prefer open space over city energy.
The Southeast Coast: Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas
Summer on the Southeast coast comes with humidity and hurricanes and also beaches, seafood, and a pace of life that’s hard to argue with. Travel nursing demand stays strong in Florida year-round, and coastal Georgia and the Carolinas have solid opportunities for nurses willing to look outside the major metros.
What to know:Gulf and Atlantic coastal areas can see weather disruptions in peak hurricane season (August–October), so check facility policies on what happens to your contract if a storm hits.
Best for nurses who want beach access, warm evenings, and a little Southern hospitality between shifts.
New England: History, Lobster, and a Summer That Goes Fast
New England summers are short, spectacular, and genuinely unlike anywhere else in the country. Boston is a major travel nursing market with world-class hospitals. But smaller cities, Burlington, VT; Portland, ME; Providence, RI, are worth a look for nurses who want a quieter, more local experience.
What to know:Summer in New England moves fast. If you want a 13-week contract that lines up with peak season, start your search early. These placements fill up.
Best for nurses who: love history, small towns, ocean views, and don’t need sunshine every single day.
The Southwest: Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas
Hot? Yes. But the Southwest has a way of growing on you, especially if you’ve never done a summer in the desert. The sunsets are genuinely unreal. The food is outstanding. And with major metros like Phoenix, Albuquerque, Tucson, and San Antonio, the clinical opportunities are broad.
What to know:Pay packages in Southwest markets are often competitive because of the climate,facilities need to work harder to attract summer travelers. That can work in your favor.
Best for nurses who: want strong compensation, cultural richness, and are comfortable with triple-digit temps (or know to stay inside until 6pm).
How to Actually Get to Where You Want to Go
Having a bucket list location is one thing. Getting placed there is another. A few things that help:
– Tell your recruiter specifically where you want to go. “Somewhere fun” is a hard brief. “Pacific Northwest, preferably Washington state, open to Oregon” gives a recruiter something to work with.
– Be flexible on facility type.If your top-choice market is competitive, expanding from academic medical centers to community hospitals opens up more options.
– Start looking 6–8 weeks out. Summer placements move fast, especially in high-demand destinations.
– Ask about extension potential upfront. If you fall in love with a place, you’ll want to know whether staying longer is an option before you sign.
At Jackson Nurse Professionals, your recruiter’s job is to help you find assignments that work for your life not just fill a spot on a schedule. If you’ve got a destination in mind for this summer, reach out to one of our recruiters.
Jackson Nurse Professionals connects registered nurses travel assignments at healthcare facilities nationwide. Learn more at www.jacksonnursing.com
