Creating a space for nurses to thrive.

Northern Medical Connections is a preferred Canadian travel nurse agency, proudly based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our mission is to connect nurses to job opportunities across Canada where they feel valued, supported & safe.

Learn more about Northern Med

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Our STory

Started by Nurses. For Nurses.

Northern Med is a very different kind of agency. Unlike most travel nurse agencies, Northern Med was founded by an RN who has over 10 years experience working as a travel nurse across Canada - our founder Matthew Jurcina.

Matthew loved being a travel nurse, but after years in the industry he knew there had to be a better way; dreaming of an agency that vetted placements in-person before sending in new nurses, where staff could support you both clinically & administratively, and where quality patient-care & work-life balance were the top two priorities.
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So, in between shifts and placements Matthew started building Northern Med - eventually bringing together a dream team of staff; nurses to help with the clinical perspective, experts in healthcare administration to work with health authorities across the country, and HR pros to handle the high volume of placements and staff. The result has been Northern Med becoming one of Canada's topnotch Travel Nursing Agencies, recruiting healthcare professionals who are falling in love with nursing again!

Culture Matters

A team you can trust.

Community you can stand with.

If you're on your own, moving to a different community & starting a new job placement, the change can be daunting... That's why community makes all of the difference.

Northern Med not only commits to finding you ideal placements - we'll also ensure you feel supported, cared for, & a part of something bigger while you're there!

We care about patient care.

Northern Med truly cares about seeing our nurses deliver exemplary patient care.

It is a top priority for our agency.

We believe the best way to guarantee strong health outcomes is to take incredible care of our nurses so that they can take incredible care of their patients.

Balance isn't just a pretty idea.

When a company tells you they value a healthy work-life balance, do they really mean it? Most often you're still left feeling guilty for requesting vacation, expressing your needs, or doing anything other than showing up for work. Well, we're done with that.

Time to take back control of your life AND your career. Northern Med is here to help.

Our Leadership Team

We bring everything to the table.

Our leadership team is made of up an incredibly diverse and balanced group of people - with mixed professional backgrounds in nursing, human resources, business administration, and healthcare management.

Matthew Jurcina, RN

Founder

Our founder, Matthew began his career as an RN after receiving his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St-Francis Xavier/Cape Breton University. Matthew built up experience in many different nursing specialities including ICU, Emerg, Family Practice, Occupational Health, & Community Nursing in Indigenous communities. All this experience eventually lead Matthew into travel nursing across Canada, where he started dreaming of building an ideal travel nursing agency that advocated for both quality patient-care and a strong work-life balance for its nurses.

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Since founding Northern Med, Matthew has become an advocate for health, wellness, and balance - specifically in the nursing field. He is a proud husband and father of two boys. He loves all things hockey and will gladly join you on the ice for a quick game of shinny!

Jenn Wadden, MBA

Chief Executive Officer

With a Masters of Business Admin from U of A, an Executive Healthcare Leadership Cert from Cornell University, and nearly a decade of experience in healthcare management, Jenn brings so much to the table as Northern Med’s CEO.

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Jenn's extensive experience in hospital operations, recruitment, and people management, gives her the unique ability to step into the shoes of our partnering health authorities – helping us to facilitate healthy and long-lasting relationships between our nurses, healthcare administrations, and the communities we serve.

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Jenn is a proud Nova Scotian, wife, and mom of two girls. She is an active volunteer, avid traveller, and lover of live music.

Rebecca Coffey

Human Resources Manager

Joining us after an impressive post in the hospitality industry, providing HR leadership to top restaurant groups in Halifax, we're so excited to have Rebecca as our Human Resources Manager.

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With a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Saint Mary’s University and an HR Cert, Rebecca has all the chops needed to continually knock this role out of the park.

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When Rebecca is not snuggled up with a good book, she also enjoys getting out to an amazing spin class, or whipping up something delicious in the kitchen. With a passion for organization, learning, and community building, Rebecca is a perfect fit for Northern Med!

Ariel Gavin, RN, BN

Operations & Health Services Manager

Coming from a diverse RN background, floating to many different specialties over the last decade - including Burns/Plastics, ER, ICU, PACU, Med/Surg, L&D and Mental Health - Ariel is ready to handle anything that's thrown at her!

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While Nova Scotia has always been her home, Ariel has experience working as a travel nurse in Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, and the Yukon - giving her the unique insights and first-hand experience needed to tackle the job of being Northern Med's Operations & Health Services Manager.

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Ariel is a wife, mom of one very special girl, and an artist. She's also a sucker for live music, getting out in nature, and always game for an adventure!