Life After Mac: Real Stories of alumni finding their way — Cassandra

Finding home on the road: life as a travel nurse

Cassandra was born and raised in Hamilton. After graduating from the School of Nursing, it felt only natural that she would accept a role at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton — the same hospital she was born at. Cassandra got hired right out of school and immediately fell in love with the emergency department. “I liked the chaos and I liked the people,” she says.

Cassandra worked there for 4 years before COVID hit, drastically changing the healthcare system. “Everything I thought nursing was didn’t exist anymore,” she says. Two years into the pandemic, Cassandra was beginning to question her future in the profession. She was exhausted. “You just spent your whole days running. I didn’t have it in me to keep doing that,” she says.

Cassandra knew she needed a change. Around the same time, she had other friends who were working in a field called travel nursing. Travel nurses are stationed at hospitals around the country for short contracts to help fill staffing shortages. Cassandra thought this could be a great way to explore Canada, and if she didn’t like it, she could always come home after a year.

Two years later, Cassandra is currently living in the rural town of Port Hardy at the northern most point of Vancouver Island. “I get to see the ocean and mountains every day,” she says. But she won’t be there for long — contracts last anywhere from 10 days to 3 months, so she’s always on the move. Between contracts, Cassandra travels around British Columbia, exploring all the beauty the province has to offer.

Cassandra is forever grateful for her time at Mac for helping her come out of her shell. Her favourite memories are volunteering with an on-campus spirit group called the Maroons, who organize events that promote school pride and unity. With the Maroons, Cassandra did everything from cheering on varsity sports teams, to setting up merch stands, volunteering at concerts, greeting first-years during Welcome Week, and much more. “I was always a shy person, so that really forced me to get out there and meet people,” she says. “Being on a team of 50 very different people, you get to see a lot of different personalities and views.”

Cassandra believes it was her time with the Maroons that ultimately gave her the confidence to explore travel nursing. Having friendships with people from different faculties in a wide range of career paths showed her that it’s ok to try something different.

“I wouldn’t change my four years at Mac for anything,” she says.

Cassandra’s advice to current McMaster students is to do what makes you happy — not other people. “And don’t be afraid to change your interests at any point,” she says.

Cassandra wants to be known for always having a sense of adventure, making people feel safe and comfortable, and not being afraid to make changes. She wants to spend a couple more years working as a travel nurse, particularly in the rural setting. “I’ve learned more in the last year than I think I learned in the last 5 years in practice,” she says.

One day, Cassandra may return to a big city, but for now she’s content exploring hidden gems across Canada. “I used to be the person who was always planning ahead, but […] for once, I’m content in my present,” she says.

Packing up her whole life and moving to British Columbia was the most challenging thing Cassandra ever did (aside from being a nurse during COVID). It’s also been the most rewarding.

Cassandra’s time at Mac helped shape her life in important ways. While academics were an important part of her journey, it was the deep connections and lasting friendships that inspired her to make the most exciting decision of her life.

Cassandra Taylor

BScN ‘16

Faculty of Health Sciences

The Office of Alumni Engagement will be featuring recent grad’s career stories to show career paths are anything but linear. If you graduated in the last 10 years and are interested, share your story.

If you are looking to get started on your own journey, take advantage of the resources available to recent graduates through our partnership with the Student Success Centre.