Travel Nurses Connect with the Resources You Need, Here! Since the success of registered nurses' continuing education hinges on razor sharp critical thinking, it’s important to sharpen the blades from time to time by keeping up with your continuing education credits; free and unlimited at American Traveler, CEU courses are designed for busy schedules and easy to accumulate during any nursing assignment. You can print your completion certificate at home! Continuing Education is an important part of travel nursing job benefits; beyond the free health and life insurance, cost-free private housing and help meeting travel associated costs, registered nurses with CE Direct Membership are eligible to receive one complimentary credit when they view a webinar and fill out an evaluation report. If you’re a healthcare professional interested in building critical thinking skills that—for recent hires in great registered nurse jobs —boost PBDS nursing test scores, a visit to eventbrite.com lets you view and register for upcoming webinars. What is the PBDS Nursing Test? The PBDS nursing test is the Performance Based Development System. Learn what nurses can expect from this test, now implemented in over 500 US hospitals nationwide. Read more about the PBDS test  and download the PBDS [+]

The HCAHPS* survey is valuable to healthcare employers and nurse staff alike in that survey results allow hospitals to compare patient experiences geographically with a hospital’s own data and to engage improvement in eight key performance areas: Communication with doctors Communication with nurse staff Responsiveness of hospital staff Pain management Communication about medicines Discharge information Cleanliness of hospital Quietness of hospital environment Patients ranked communication with nurse staff highest in hospitals in Louisiana, South Dakota, North Carolina, Vermont and Mississippi and lowest in hospitals in California, Nevada, Washington D.C. and Hawaii, based on the HCAHPS survey national average. The complete results of the 2009 HCAHPS patient satisfaction survey can be found online at the official HCAHPS website. While communication with nurses and doctors - along with responsiveness of hospital staff and hospital cleanliness - fared well overall in the patient satisfaction survey, patient opinions were markedly lower in areas of communications about medicines, discharge and hospital quietness. The HCAHPS survey, formally endorsed by the National Quality Forum in 2005, embraces three main objectives. First, to identify what consumers feel is most important or lacking in the patient care experience; second, to inspire healthcare employers and nurse staff to continually improve quality of care and [+]

“Smart Moves for Families” This year’s physical therapy month is dedicated to helping families fight obesity through physical activity. For the entire month of October, physical therapists around the country are encouraged to initiate dialogue with parents and families over the role physical activity and healthy choices play in circumventing the consequences of obesity. “Children and adults who participate in sustained daily physical activity and follow a balanced diet enjoy improved cardiovascular fitness, greater bone mass and strength, and are better able to manage their weight ― all of which help prevent the onset of obesity and type 2 diabetes,” said sports certified physical therapist Teresa Schuemann, PT, SCS with the APTA. Schuemann and her colleagues at the American Physical Therapy Association are suggesting to physical therapists that they emphasize to parents the importance of being positive role models for health in the family, making it easier for children to adopt healthy lifestyles.  Physical activity must be made a priority, she said, as a means of preventing the loss of physical function and independence as children mature. Click here for Physical Therapy Jobs working with children, adults and the elderly. Once rare in American children, Type 2 diabetes accounts for eight to 45 percent of [+]

Last October, close to 700,000 walkers across the country collected $60 million to help the American Cancer Society make strides in research, prevention and medical advances for those living with breast cancer. With support like this and in future events to come, it’s highly probable that some day, we'll find a cure. It's exciting to think about what Breast Cancer Awareness Month in this 2010 will bring in terms of support, donations, early detection and resources for survivors and their families—this Fall, travel nurses have a chance to play their part! If you're new to a travel nurse job and still unfamiliar with the area, just plug your current zip code into "Making Strides Event Near You". You'll find out the where and when on the nearest cancer walk, happening nationwide this October; you can sponsor a walker, an entire team—or make the 3 to 5 mile journey alongside like-minded peers, colleagues and friends. Getting the word out is as simple as sending a free E-card when you make online donations and/or register for Making Strides at the American Cancer Society. In Octobers past, a wonderful show of support came from corporate American Traveler [+]