Travel Nursing in Colorado

I spent 6 months as a travel nurse in Colorado. Below I’ll share what I learned from my experience. This way you can decide whether or not to pursue a travel nursing contract in Colorado.

Pros of Living in Colorado

Fun Things to Do

For me, the biggest draws to Colorado were snow skiing and epic mountain scenery with ample hiking opportunities (including Rocky Mountain National Park). The state also provides plenty of other opportunities for outdoor recreation such as mountain biking, camping, fishing and mountain climbing. Many of the cities in Colorado are small, but Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Boulder provide fun city things/events to do as well. If you want to learn more about iconic Colorado things to do, click here.

Sunshine and Mild Weather

Colorado averages 300 days of sunshine per year. While it definitely snows and gets cold here, the cold is fairly mild for a snowy state. On average, winter temperatures range from 16-54 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cons of Living in Colorado

Costs vs. Pay

Colorado (especially cities such as Denver and Boulder) is fairly expensive, but contracts don’t necessarily pay more. I wouldn’t consider Colorado as the place to go if your primary goal with travel nursing is to make money. In my experience, California is a better bet in regards to pay. That said, I still made more money than I would have at my staff job in Texas. You’ll need to calculate for yourself if a Colorado contract makes financial sense for your situation.

Denver and the Front Range Cities aren’t as Close to Skiing as You Might Think

Before living in Colorado, I was under the impression that I could get to the mountains to ski in under an hour. Really, I thought Denver was in the mountains. It’s not. The Rocky Mountains are to the West of Denver and other cities such as Colorado Springs and Fort Collins. These cities are considered the “Front Range” and are where you are more likely to find contracts. East of the front range is actually very flat and more like Kansas than what you would typically think of as Colorado.

Most of the major ski resorts are located west of Denver along the I-70 interstate. Because there is basically one road to get to most of the resorts, traffic congestion is a major problem. Add snowy road conditions to that and you have serious traffic delays. If you want to ski on a weekend with fresh snow, be prepared to sit in traffic. Luckily as nurses, many of us have the option to ski on weekdays which helps a lot.

How Does Travel Nursing in Colorado Compare to Other States

Colorado is not widely unionized like California and the Pacific NorthWest. At least in my experience, this means Colorado nurses don’t typically get the elevated pay or number of breaks that their colleagues in California or the Pacific NorthWest do. However, I have not had a bad experience working in Colorado by any means. I’m sure that there this depends a lot on the specific hospital, but I still found it to be much better than nursing in the south.

Getting a Travel Nurse Contract in Colorado

Licensure

Colorado is a compact state. If your primary license (the license you carry for your home state) is part of the nursing licensure compact, you don’t need to apply for a Colorado specific license.

If you do not have a compact license, getting a Colorado license by endorsement typically takes 4-8 weeks.

Finding a Contract

Colorado does not have a high volume or travel nurse contracts available through external agencies. I found it difficult to get something that was in one of the front range cities with reasonable pay and the shift I wanted. UC Health, however, has an internal traveller program and they are one of the largest hospital systems in the state. That is how I found a contract there, and I had a great experience with the UC Health hospital system. I believe there are a few other internal programs in Colorado as well, but I can’t speak to those.

If you choose to apply for an internal travel nurse position, know that the application process is more lengthy than your typical agency contract.

Is Travel Nursing in Colorado Worth It?

In my opinion, 100x yes! Overall, I had a good experience with the working conditions and I learned to ski here! I found Colorado to be a fantastic opportunity, and I hope to take another contract here in the future.

You’ll likely love Colorado too if you are into outdoor recreation and value destination above getting the highest pay.