Travel Registered Nurse, Medical Surgical

Per Diem Staffing Systems, Inc.

Palo Alto, California

Staffing partner

This role comes through Per Diem Staffing Systems, Inc., a staffing partner, so ask which facility you would land in.

Eligibility: Med surg

Posted Aug 3

Shift and hours: 12-⁠hour days
Unit and setting: Med-Surg · Hospital
License: RN licenseCurrent California RN License
Term: 26 weeks · Travel

Do you qualify?

License: Current California RN License Check your license
Certification: Current BLS and ACLS certifications through the American Heart Association (AHA)
Experience: Minimum of 3 years of recent Medical/Surgical nursing experience
Experience: With over 35 years of experience, we have continuously succeeded in helping healthcare professionals find their career in some of California's finest hospital facilities.
Also asks: Candidates must reside more than 60 miles from Redwood City, CA to qualify as a travel nurse for this assignment.
Also asks: Proficiency with the EPIC electronic medical record (EMR) system
Also asks: Traveler Eligibility
Also asks: Per Diem Staffing Systems, Inc. is one of California's leading healthcare staffing agencies.
Also asks: Please complete your online application and a recruiter will follow up with you.
Also asks: #IND1

Preferred

Education: BSN preferred

Let us help you check

What it pays

Against similar roles: Pays above most California travel rolesCalifornia travel postings that state pay run $1,800/week to $3,220/week, the middle half $2,080/week to $2,870/week, across 328 postings.

The role and schedule

Charting: Epic

The workplace

Per Diem Staffing Systems, Inc.

Staffing partner

Staffing partner: Per Diem Staffing Systems, Inc.

Organization profile

Worth asking

Can you walk me through base pay range and differentials?
What should I expect for weekly hours, weekend, holiday, call, and rotation?

Ask Mira

Your fit

[data-job-fit-skeleton]{display:none}Answer one question to see your fit

On your path

Med surg A broad first base while you learn which path pulls harder.

See your route →Check first: New-grad residency fine print

Original listing

Read full text

Travel Registered Nurse (RN) – Medical/Surgical (Med/Surg)

Stanford is seeking an experienced Travel Registered Nurse (RN) for a 26-week week contract in Redwood City, California. Shift: 12-Hour Day Shifts

Compensation

Weekly pay: $2,750.00–$3,005.00, based on experience

Requirements

Current California RN License
Current BLS and ACLS certifications through the American Heart Association (AHA)
Minimum of 3 years of recent Medical/Surgical nursing experience
Proficiency with the EPIC electronic medical record (EMR) system
BSN preferred

Traveler Eligibility

Candidates must reside more than 60 miles from Redwood City, CA to qualify as a travel nurse for this assignment.

Per Diem Staffing Systems, Inc. is one of California's leading healthcare staffing agencies. With over 35 years of experience, we have continuously succeeded in helping healthcare professionals find their career in some of California's finest hospital facilities.

Please complete your online application and a recruiter will follow up with you.

#IND1

What's around it?

In Palo Alto, CA

Palo Alto, CAFrom Census ACS 2024.

Living costs about 11% above the US average

Median rent: $3,484/mo
Household income: $231,101/yr, all local households, not nurse pay

Life in Palo Alto, CA

NeighborhoodsVentura is the in-city pocket locals name for reasonably priced apartment buildings; Barron Park is the frequent pick for a single-family home with a workable Palo Alto commute. Downtown along University Avenue and the California Avenue district mix condos, lofts, and older homes at some of the highest prices per square foot, with the strongest walkability and direct Caltrain access. Professorville and Crescent Park are historic Craftsman and early-20th-century streets with larger lots and scarce inventory; Old Palo Alto is similarly quiet and family-oriented; College Terrace (about 900 households, four small parks including Cameron Park) sits between California Avenue, Stanford Avenue, El Camino Real, and Amherst, walking distance to Stanford, Research Park, and the Dish. On an $80k-$150k nurse salary, many people actually live just outside the city—East Palo Alto and Menlo Park’s Belle Haven for the shortest cheaper commute, or Mountain View, Redwood City, and San Carlos for more attainable housing with the same Peninsula access.

Ventura is the in-city pocket locals name for reasonably priced apartment buildings; Barron Park is the frequent pick for a single-family home with a workable Palo Alto commute. Downtown along University Avenue and the California Avenue district mix condos, lofts, and older homes at some of the highest prices per square foot, with the strongest walkability and direct Caltrain access.

Professorville and Crescent Park are historic Craftsman and early-20th-century streets with larger lots and scarce inventory; Old Palo Alto is similarly quiet and family-oriented; College Terrace (about 900 households, four small parks including Cameron Park) sits between California Avenue, Stanford Avenue, El Camino Real, and Amherst, walking distance to Stanford, Research Park, and the Dish. On an $80k-$150k nurse salary, many people actually live just outside the city—East Palo Alto and Menlo Park’s Belle Haven for the shortest cheaper commute, or Mountain View, Redwood City, and San Carlos for more attainable housing with the same Peninsula access.

Sources

As of Sep 11, 2026Source 1: reddit.com Source 2: wendykandasamy.com Source 3: christopherfling.com Source 4: quora.com Source 5: movingpaloalto.com Source 6: facebook.com

Getting aroundPalo Alto has two Caltrain stops—downtown at University Avenue and California Avenue—and is a Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly Community; U.S. Census estimates put mean travel time to work in the mid-20 minutes, though destination and mode drive the real number. Stanford campus parking is generally permit-based, so the practical routine is bike, walk, Caltrain, or Stanford’s complimentary Marguerite shuttle from the Palo Alto and Redwood City Transit Centers, plus RP and CAX shuttles to Stanford Research Park at peak hours. Highway 101 and I-280 are the main freeways; I-280 helps toward Cupertino and parts of Santa Clara, while central and northern Palo Alto have shorter drives to Menlo Park and Mountain View. College Terrace is the closest neighborhood if you want a walk or bike commute onto the Stanford campus.

Palo Alto has two Caltrain stops—downtown at University Avenue and California Avenue—and is a Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly Community; U.S. Census estimates put mean travel time to work in the mid-20 minutes, though destination and mode drive the real number. Stanford campus parking is generally permit-based, so the practical routine is bike, walk, Caltrain, or Stanford’s complimentary Marguerite shuttle from the Palo Alto and Redwood City Transit Centers, plus RP and CAX shuttles to Stanford Research Park at peak hours.

Highway 101 and I-280 are the main freeways; I-280 helps toward Cupertino and parts of Santa Clara, while central and northern Palo Alto have shorter drives to Menlo Park and Mountain View. College Terrace is the closest neighborhood if you want a walk or bike commute onto the Stanford campus.

Sources

As of Sep 11, 2026Source 1: wendykandasamy.com Source 2: christopherfling.com Source 3: movingpaloalto.com

OutdoorsPalo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve is the wetland for trails, bay views, and birdwatching; Foothills Park offers hiking with Santa Cruz Mountains views and picnic spots; the Dish trails sit next to College Terrace and Stanford. In town, Rinconada Park (established 1922) has a renovated playground, pool, tennis, BBQ, the Magic Forest of more than 60 redwoods and a 200-year-old Coast Live Oak, plus the Voyage Solar System model; Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden and Matadero Creek paths are quieter strolls. Stanford’s campus, Arboretum, and Hoover Tower are everyday walking terrain, and the city counts nearly 40 parks; neighboring Mountain View’s Shoreline Park is a frequent add-on.

Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve is the wetland for trails, bay views, and birdwatching; Foothills Park offers hiking with Santa Cruz Mountains views and picnic spots; the Dish trails sit next to College Terrace and Stanford. In town, Rinconada Park (established 1922) has a renovated playground, pool, tennis, BBQ, the Magic Forest of more than 60 redwoods and a 200-year-old Coast Live Oak, plus the Voyage Solar System model; Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden and Matadero Creek paths are quieter strolls.

Stanford’s campus, Arboretum, and Hoover Tower are everyday walking terrain, and the city counts nearly 40 parks; neighboring Mountain View’s Shoreline Park is a frequent add-on.

Sources

As of Sep 11, 2026Source 1: paloalto.gov Source 2: creekside-inn.com Source 3: danacarmelgroup.com Source 4: christopherfling.com Source 5: youtube.com Source 6: quora.com

Others hiring in Palo Alto, CA

Check licensing in CA

See Palo Alto, CA

Moving for this role?

Check the commute at your shift’s start and end, upfront housing costs, and whether moving assistance must be repaid if you leave.

Living in Palo Alto

Palo Alto is a leafy Silicon Valley college town of about 67,000 wrapped around Stanford, with Caltrain at University Avenue and California Avenue, Gold-Level bike routes, nearly 40 parks, and PAUSD schools among California’s best. That is why it costs what it costs: 2026 median homes around $3.6 million, one-bedrooms near $2,850 a month, living expenses about three times the national average. A nurse on $80k-$150k will rarely buy in-city; Ventura apartments, a College Terrace bike commute, or rentals in Mountain View, Redwood City, East Palo Alto, or Belle Haven are the realistic bases. Days run along University and California Avenues—Ettan, Evvia, Oren’s Hummus, the farmers’ market—then out to the Baylands, Foothills Park, the Dish, and Rinconada’s redwoods and zoo. Marguerite shuttles and permit-only Stanford parking reward living close or on Caltrain. It is very safe and walkable, with property crime near shopping strips, old teen-pressure scars, and a culture that can feel sterile if you are not already affluent. Come for the job and the outdoors; assume housing will eat the raise.

AI area guide

Sources

As of 2026Source 1: movingpaloalto.com Source 2: wendykandasamy.com Source 3: christopherfling.com Source 4: paloalto.gov Source 5: 7x7.com Source 6: creekside-inn.com Source 7: reddit.com Source 8: reddit.com Source 9: youtube.com Source 10: quora.com Source 11: quora.com

Compare living costs Plan your license move Explore this area

Nurses on this role

Help improve this pageShare what it’s like, leave a heads-up, or fix a detail.

What would you like to do?

What was it really like?

Your connectionWould you recommend it?Your role (optional)Unit (optional)

Add ratings or a short headline

Short headline (optional)StaffingManagementSchedulingOrientationCultureTime there (optional)

I understand that, after review, Nursing Mastery may publish this anonymously.

A person reviews every submission before anything changes.

Do you qualify?

Preferred

What it pays

The role and schedule

The workplace

Worth asking

Ask Mira

Your fit

On your path

Original listing

What's around it?

Palo Alto, CAiFrom Census ACS 2024.

Life in Palo Alto, CA

Moving for this role?

Nurses on this role

Nurses on this role

Life in Palo Alto, CA

Moving for this role?

Nurses on this role

Palo Alto, CAFrom Census ACS 2024.