As a forward-thinking traveling healthcare professional, you have the opportunity to choose the best places to live as a nurse depending on what your career and life objectives are.
And since you live in the U.S., there are 50 states and literally thousands of cities, towns, and districts with even more hospitals, clinics, and other facilities for you to choose from. That’s why we’ve selected the best places to live as a nurse on travel assignment based on a number of professional and lifestyle indicators:
- cutting edge medical care
- top city lifestyle
- best outdoor adventures
Best Places to Live as a Nurse for Cutting Edge Medical Care
If your objective as a travel nurse is to work in some of the most advanced medical facilities, the following cities are a good choice.
1. The New York Metropolitan Area
An apple a day keeps the doctor away—but that doesn’t mean the Big Apple doesn’t offer some impressive opportunities for travel nurses to beef up their résumés.
The city’s top medical institutions include:
- New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
- New York State Psychiatric Institute
- NYU Langone Medical Center
- Mount Sinai Hospital
- Hospital for Special Surgery
- Hackensack University Medical Center
2. The Greater Boston Metropolitan Area
Boston, Cambridge, and the surrounding area are home to some of the best medical schools and research institutes in the world, including Harvard Medical School, Tufts Medical School, and Connell School of Nursing at Boston College.
So it’s not surprising that some of the most pioneering treatments are developed and applied in the hospitals in this area.
The following are all known as leading hospitals—and having worked there is a huge feather in any travel nurse’s cap:
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- McLean Hospital
- Boston Children’s Hospital
- Brigham and Women’s Hospital
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Learn more about the area, and browse all Massachusetts travel nursing jobs.
3. The Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
While plastic surgery might be the first specialization that springs to mind when you think of Los Angeles, the city’s hospitals are among the world’s most advanced in a wide range of areas.
Top Master’s in Healthcare Administration ranks Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center among one of the most technologically advanced in the world, with virtual robotic telemedicine, robotically assisted surgery, and more cutting edge techniques available.
Other top ranked medical facilities in the nation include:
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Keck Medical Center of USC
- Huntington Memorial Hospital
Learn more about the area, and browse all California travel nursing jobs.
Best Places to Live as a Nurse for City Life
Is your primary objective of being a travel nurse is to sample city life throughout the United States?
Of course, in addition to cutting edge medical care, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles are all fascinating metropolitan areas in their own right. But the following places each also offer a unique experience that every city slicker will enjoy.
4. Chicago
Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, the Windy City is the third largest city in the U.S.
Traditionally a city of immigrants, the city offers a colorful blend of cultures that shines through in its neighborhoods, art, music, museums, festivals, cuisine, and shopping areas.
Yet despite being densely populated, Chicago has more than 570 parks—including beaches and nature areas for if you need to connect with nature now and then.
And don’t forget about sports, with the Bears, the Cubs, the Blackhawks, and the Bulls all calling the city home!
Learn more about the area, and browse all Illinois travel nursing jobs.
5. San Francisco
When you think of San Francisco, you probably think of hippies, streetcars, the Golden Gate Bridge, and Alcatraz.
But the city has much more to offer than this.
There’s plenty to explore and enjoy in terms of architecture, shopping, cuisine, and culture with neighborhoods like:
- Fisherman’s Wharf
- Haight Ashbury
- Mission Hill
- Castro District
- Chinatown
If you enjoy museums, then the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, the Museum of African Diaspora, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art are all a definite must-see.
And festival lovers will have a blast here, with every month offering an array of events ranging from well-known celebrations such as Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and Castro Street Fair to the Black Choreographers Festival and the Tater Tots and Beer Festival.
Learn more about the area, and browse all California travel nursing jobs.
6. Miami
For an entirely different kind of city experience, visit Miami, a unique blend of business and culture with very significant Hispanic influences.
Its many neighborhoods include Downtown, the Design District, picturesque Coconut Grove, and Little Havana—each worth spending at least a weekend to explore.
Shopping opportunities abound, and with both designer outlet malls and high-end malls like Bal Harbour Shops, there’s something for every budget.
If you enjoy nightlife, then this is definitely the place for you, with rooftop bars, beach lounges, and happy hour hotspots attracting locals and tourists alike.
Of course, the perfect way to recuperate from a night on the town is to spend the next day on one of the beautiful beaches in and around the city!
Learn more about the area, and browse all Florida travel nursing jobs.
Best Places to Live as a Nurse for Outdoor Adventure
Being a travel nurse is also an excellent way to explore the many natural wonders of our country. If this is you, then you’ll love these places!
7. Boulder, CO
Named the No. 1 Sports Town in the U.S.A. by Outside magazine, Boulder is simply the best place for people who enjoy:
- hiking
- biking
- rock climbing
- horseback riding
- camping
- kayaking
- tubing
- swimming
- skiing
- snowboarding
- …and much more!
A love for adventure, the outdoors, and environmental conservation is what brings most people to this modest town—and it shows.
This small town only has just over 103,000 human residents, but in the 450,000 acres of spaces surrounding it, you can see a wide variety of furry and feathered creatures including the Colorado chipmunk, white-tailed deer, and even elk if you’re very lucky—and very patient!
8. Kauai, HI
Kauai is the fourth largest of the Hawaiian Islands and only has approximately 67,000 inhabitants.
However, its natural beauty and mild climate attract more than 1.3 million visitors every year—which means there are plenty of employment opportunities for traveling nurses.
The island is more rural than its bigger siblings, and begs to be explored for those who have a love of natural beauty and a flair for adventure.
In addition to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, you can explore Waimea Canyon, hike along the Kalalau Trail, or spend a day on the Na Pail Coast.
Whatever you do, though, don’t forget your camera, because you’ll definitely want to have something to remember Kauai’s breathtaking scenery by!
Learn more about the area, and browse all Hawaii travel nursing jobs.
Conclusion
Of course, this is just a small sampling of the many beautiful, interesting, and exciting places to explore in our vast country!
Where do you think are the best places to live as a nurse?
Share your ideas with us in the comments below!
