Everything you need to know about the temporary nurse profession.
21 January 2026 · 4 min reading time
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See job offersBeing a temporary nurse means choosing a more flexible way of working, often better paid at certain times, but one that also requires real adaptability. Between assignments in hospitals, clinics, nursing homes (EHPADs) or specialised departments, temporary work makes it possible to vary working environments, build a schedule that suits you, and develop skills quickly, provided you fully understand how the system works (contracts, rules, responsibilities and organisation).
In this guide, we answer the most common questions: how much a temporary nurse earns (including allowances such as IFM and ICCP), how to become a temporary nurse step by step, why some healthcare professionals choose this path, where recruitment demand is highest, and above all how to succeed in your first assignments without unnecessary stress, by adopting the right safety and documentation practices.
A simple definition of temporary nursing and how it differs from fixed-term contracts, casual work and permanent positions
Temporary nursing is a mission-based way of working. You are employed by a temporary staffing agency, which assigns you to a healthcare facility (hospital, clinic, nursing home, etc.) for a defined period of time. In practice, you sign a mission contract with the agency and then work within a department to replace an absent staff member, reinforce a team or handle a peak in activity. Your schedule, hourly rate, assignment duration and any applicable bonuses are agreed before the mission begins.
The main difference compared with a fixed-term contract (CDD) lies in the employer. In a fixed-term contract, you are hired directly by the healthcare facility and sign a contract with that institution. In temporary work, your employer remains the agency, even though you work day-to-day within the “host” facility. Temporary work is also characterised by the succession of assignments and by specific end-of-mission allowances.
Casual work, on the other hand, usually refers to very short-term reinforcements, sometimes for a single shift, day or weekend. Its organisation varies widely depending on the facility and the sector. In practice, some nurses use “casual work” and “temporary work” interchangeably, but they are different frameworks: temporary work goes through an agency, while casual work may be organised directly by the facility or via platforms, depending on the case.
Permanent contracts (CDI or facility-based permanent positions) are the opposite of the mission-based model. You join a team on a long-term basis, with more stability in scheduling and organisation, but generally less flexibility in choosing when and where you work. Temporary work is therefore particularly suitable if you are looking for flexibility and variety, whereas permanent contracts better meet a need for stability and long-term team integration.
How can I become a temporary nurse?
Becoming a temporary nurse mainly means moving from being an “available registered nurse” to being a nurse who can be immediately placed on assignments. Once your authorisation to practise is in order, the key is to structure your market entry: choose the right channel, define your scope of assignments, and secure your first experience.
Start by identifying your non-negotiable criteria: maximum travel distance, accepted departments, night work or not, weekend rhythm, and level of autonomy. You will not accept the same assignments straight out of nursing school as you would after several years of experience. This step helps avoid a common pitfall: accepting a mission too quickly and ending up in a department that does not match your profile.
Next, your goal is to have a “readable” profile for recruiters: your experience by type of department, what you are comfortable with (technical care, prioritisation, handovers, tools), and the environments you prefer to avoid. The clearer this information is, the more relevant the mission offers will be, and the smoother the recruitment process becomes.
Finally, before accepting your first assignment, always ask the questions that determine whether the placement will be successful: exact department, schedules, handover organisation, level of supervision, and workload pressure. At this stage, it is not about being “demanding”, but about ensuring your safety, patient safety, and a realistic start to the assignment.
- State Registered Nurse (RN)
How much does a temporary nurse earn?
A temporary nurse’s salary primarily depends on the hourly rate set for the assignment and the number of hours worked. To this base are added variable elements depending on the department and the facility’s organisation, such as bonuses for night work, Sundays, public holidays and overtime, which can significantly increase the total monthly pay.
What makes temporary work distinctive is the addition of two allowances, generally paid at the end of the assignment.
The end-of-mission allowance (IFM), intended to compensate for job insecurity, is equal to 10% of the total gross remuneration due to the employee (with some exceptions depending on how the mission ends).
The paid leave compensation allowance (ICCP) cannot be lower than one tenth of the total gross remuneration earned during the assignment. Its calculation base includes bonuses such as night work and overtime.
To illustrate the mechanism, let’s take a simple example. If you earn €2,000 gross for an assignment, the IFM amounts to €200 (10%). The ICCP is then calculated as (2,000 + 200) / 10 = €220. Your total gross income related to the assignment (before deductions) is therefore €2,420.
In practice, hourly rates vary according to several factors: your experience, the type of department, staffing pressure, geographical location and working hours. Applicable bonuses depend on the agreements in force within the host facility, which is why it is recommended to check these elements before starting the assignment and when reviewing your payslip.
Where do temporary nurses work?
Temporary nursing covers most healthcare settings. It mainly responds to three needs: replacing absent staff, reinforcing teams during high-pressure periods, or ensuring continuity of care when staffing is constrained. Depending on the facility, assignments vary in length, pace and expected level of autonomy.
Hospital, clinic, nursing home, rehabilitation, emergency care: which sectors recruit the most?
Temporary assignments are frequent in hospitals, where staffing levels and departmental organisation can change rapidly. Regular needs arise in medical, surgical and geriatric units, as well as in high-activity departments.
Clinics also make regular use of temporary nurses, particularly to support planned services and ensure continuity of care. Needs may be short-term but recurring, depending on the period and workload.
Nursing homes (EHPADs) frequently recruit temporary nurses to strengthen teams, especially during sensitive time slots such as nights and weekends or during understaffing periods. Rehabilitation and post-acute care facilities also offer assignments, often involving longer patient stays and close coordination with multidisciplinary teams.
Emergency departments and other highly demanding care environments may also offer assignments, but they usually require very rapid integration and strong skills in prioritisation and handovers.
What profiles are most sought after in temporary nursing?
In temporary work, facilities primarily look for professionals who can be operational quickly while strictly respecting care protocols and documentation requirements. Autonomy, rigour in handovers, the ability to adapt to local organisation (tools, medication circuits, internal procedures), and good communication with the team are key criteria.
Certain profiles are particularly sought after depending on the setting: nurses comfortable with technical procedures, professionals accustomed to night or weekend shifts, and registered nurses who have already worked in high-pressure environments requiring strong prioritisation and coordination. Conversely, when starting out in temporary work, it is often advisable to choose assignments that allow for a gradual onboarding, helping you build confidence and solid reference points across different settings.
Two years of experience required to work as a temporary nurse
To access temporary nursing, two years of professional experience are mandatory. This rule has applied since 1 July 2024 and concerns all nurses wishing to work in temporary roles, regardless of the type of facility. The aim is to secure patient care and ensure that professionals sent on assignment have sufficient experience to be immediately operational, often in high-pressure or urgent replacement contexts. These two years of experience must have been completed outside temporary work, for example in permanent or fixed-term positions or casual work. Agencies are required to verify this condition before any placement. This requirement is now a strict legal framework: without two years of experience, access to temporary nursing is not possible.
How to succeed in your first temporary nursing assignments ?
Succeeding in your first temporary assignments is based on a simple principle: securing your onboarding. In short-term missions, integration is often rapid. It is therefore essential to quickly identify key reference points within the department, understand local organisation, and ensure impeccable documentation. This protects patients, teams and the professional alike.
Common mistakes and best practices (communication, documentation, fatigue management)
Difficulties encountered at the start of temporary work are rarely linked to pure technical skills. They are more often related to organisation and communication. A common mistake is starting without clearly defining the exact scope of the role (patients, area, expected tasks, break times, priorities). Another frequent issue concerns documentation: incomplete notes, rushed handovers or unrecorded actions can disrupt continuity of care. Finally, fatigue is often underestimated. Chaining assignments, night shifts or weekends without sufficient recovery mechanically increases the risk of errors.
Best practices are simple yet highly effective: ask the essential questions from the outset, document everything that needs to be documented, structure handovers clearly (facts, monitoring, actions, alerts), and allow yourself to ask for help whenever a critical point is unclear. In temporary work, successful integration is not just about speed, it is about rigour and the ability to secure your working environment.
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