By Andrea Stevens
AFRO Staff Writer
astevens@afro.com
The extraordinary commitment and adaptability of travel and strike nurses are essential to maintaining patient care across the country. These nurses fill critical staffing gaps, bringing diverse experience, cultural competence and deep compassion to every assignment. Their dedication reflects the true spirit of nursing — delivering skill, strength and empathy no matter the circumstances.
The difference between a strike nurse and a travel nurse is simple. Travel nurses typically commit to contracts lasting no more than a few months, while strike nurses stay at a hospital only for the duration of a strike.
Travel nurses bring flexibility and broad experience to hospitals in need. Jade Thomas, a registered nurse who has worked across multiple Johns Hopkins institutions, said her move into local travel nursing has expanded her clinical skills.
“Working in cardiology was very specific, so I needed to see a variety of diagnoses to prepare for case management,” Thomas said. “Even though I didn’t know the nurses initially, they were receptive and helpful.”
Thomas also addressed common misconceptions about travel nursing, particularly about pay rates that surged during the pandemic.
“People think we do it for the money — that we’re making $10,000 a week — but COVID-era rates were the exception, not the rule,” she said. “Most of us do it for new challenges, to help areas that are short-staffed, and to ensure safe patient care.”
Strike nursing, on the other hand, is often more lucrative, but can be controversial within the nursing community.
“You have to hit the ground running as a strike nurse. In my last strike, we worked six days a week, making $8,000 a week,” said Joanne Johnson. “They call us ‘scabs,’ because ultimately, the hospital nurses are striking for better wages and benefits.”
Johnson said it is often a taboo “for another nurse to cross the picket line.”
Despite the tension, she emphasized that strike nurses prioritize patient care above all else.
“Strike nurses get no orientation– you have to be prepared to jump in and perform from day one,” she said. “If your mom got sick tomorrow, you should be glad an experienced nurse is there to care for her — especially during a strike.”
Thomas also stressed the importance of representation in nursing, noting that patients often feel more comfortable when they see themselves reflected in their caregivers.
“Patients often feel more comfortable with a nurse who looks like them. Trust can make all the difference in the care they’re willing to accept,” she said.
Though she is dedicated to the patients she serves, Thomas said she must also keep her own needs in mind.
“I love caring for my patients, but if I don’t take care of myself, I can’t take care of them,” she said. “Self-care is essential– not optional– in this profession.”