Why It Pays to Consider Florida Travel Nursing Jobs Here’s a sunny daydream to entertain you as temperatures drop around the country: you, a travel nurse, are walking along miles of pristine beach. You look down and see a big, pink conch shell, holding it to your ear for that assured sound of the ocean deep inside. Now snap yourself awake and hear this: of the 620 hospitals just named by The Joint Commission (JC) as the nation’s best, 18 of these healthcare employers are located in Florida. That means in addition to offering gorgeous winters, Florida travel nurse jobs give the R.N. a chance to work in a top performing hospital. So what helped these 18 Florida healthcare employers make the grade? The ratings were based on a number of measures, some of them quite specific: for instance, whether the hospital provided aspirin to heart attack patients on arrival; how reliably antibiotics were offered in the hour leading up to surgery and the quality of home management plans for kids with asthma and pneumonia. 11 of the 18 hospitals chosen as among the best by the JC are found at the [+]

In an effort to ensure that Americans have access to high-quality, patient-focused healthcare, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has issued nursing education grants to nine states. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Washington will each receive two-year, $300,000 state grants through a new program called the Academic Progression in Nursing (APIN). The program is run by the American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE) under the authority of the Tri-Council for Nursing. Each state will consult with local academic institutions and health care providers to assist nurses in attaining higher education levels targeted towards high-quality patient care. Debbie Bacurin RN, Clinical Account Manager at American Traveler, a leading nursing and allied health staffing firm, is a big proponent of increased nursing education particularly in the area of customer service and patient care. Bacurin states, "When I managed a level II ED/Trauma center, customer service was becoming more and more important with all of the other facilities competing for our patients. Hospitals have long been doing customer service surveys and trying to change their unit or system to meet what the customer is looking for." "At American Traveler," she continued, "we counsel our travel nurses and have them [+]

What do national public service organizations, healthcare associations, and government agencies have in common this month? They are all working together to increase awareness, raise revenue and eventually find a cure for Breast Cancer—and who could be more interested in making strides this October than the registered nurses who treat, counsel and, in many cases, know breast cancer survivors? If you have a story to share, wish to donate, or want to walk in a local event, please visit nbcam.org for the resources you’ll need to get started. With the numbers behind diagnoses of breast cancer, it’s no wonder foundations like Susan G. Komen and the American Cancer Association have been working tirelessly since the 1980s. More women die of breast cancer each year, than they do from AIDS, TB and malaria combined. Thankfully, “making strides� is more than words, creating a sweeping effort in fundraising and research that has led to a 98% survival rate for women who receive cancer treatment before the disease spreads beyond the breast. American Traveler Thinks Pink, Encouraged R.N.s to Do the Same Breast Cancer Awareness isn’t limited to the United States anymore; it means working together for a cure around [+]

ICU jobs are going places. Just ask Pamela Jo, an R.N. who joined American Traveler this month to embark on a travel nursing job in Alaska. A true adventurer, Pamela Jo set off for her first ever travel nurse job in her car, enjoying a scenic road trip that took her from her old home in Alma, Arkansas, through Canada, and eventually to Anchorage where her new Alaska travel nurse job has commenced. What might the best thing about this journey be? Pamela Jo was able to share it with her kids, who joined her on the road trip and helped her get settled in housing close to her ICU job at the hospital Learn more about free private housing by clicking on travel nurse job benefits. 

This R.N. and her family report that the scenery in and around Alaska is "the most beautiful thing ever!" Above picture- Pam and her kids river rafting From the looks of Pamela Jo’s photo album, it seems the trio is creating memories they won’t soon forget—which is why, in a month or two, we’re looking forward to sitting [+]

American Traveler Sits Down with Travel Nurse couple for an Interview Two of our registered nurses, working in ICU jobs in Kansas City, Missouri epitomize the life of an American Traveler; their names are Jeff and Jonann C., R.N.s.  So far, as our travel nursing interviews go, they represent a novelty because they are husband and wife! In fact, they met on a travel nursing assignment in Jeff’s hometown of New Hampshire 4 years ago. It is stories like these we love to feature; just see our footnote for links to other interviews with thriving travel nurses. How this Travel Nursing Pair Make the Most of Down-Time from Nursing Jobs We want to thank Jeff and Jonann for sharing some of their travel nurse lifestyle vacation memories with us. They recently returned from a family reunion in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, where 2 weeks of fishing and helping the grandparents celebrate a 50 year anniversary were easy to negotiate around their nursing jobs.

Above: Jeff and Jonann during their stay in New Hampshire for a family reunion

When asked if this is the only big trip they’ve taken in 2012, Jeff and Jonann, [+]

US Supreme Court Rules on the Affordable Care Act; American Nurses Association Explains How the Ruling Impacts RNs Most political analysts don't think that the debate over the Affordable Care Act (ACA), known to some as "Obama Care",  will end any time soon, but the American Nurses Association is already informing its membership of the Act's implications for the nursing profession. By upholding most of the ACA's provisions, the US Supreme Court has helped the legislation clear a significant political hurdle, and the ANA reports that they expect one of the Act's primary goals -- expanded insurance coverage for more Americans -- to have a positive effect on the nursing profession. One of the more debated aspects of the ACA is its requirement that Americans must purchase insurance or pay a penalty, starting in 2014. The Supreme Court held that the penalty was not overly burdensome and was within the rights of Congress to impose as a tax. The ultimate goal of this requirement is to provide reasonably-priced insurance coverage for more Americans and to grow the pool of available healthcare funds. With more people insured, the medical system can focus on preventive care and ongoing [+]

The U.S. Senate passed legislation to reauthorize the FDA’s ability to approve prescription drugs, medical devices, and other medical products, sending the bill on to President Obama to sign into law. To read more about this pending law, click the FDA bill link. Some of the positive things the FDA bill does: Expedites FDA’s approval process for innovative treatments for people with rare diseases Cracks down on prescription drug abuse Protects the safety of prescription drugs from counterfeits and contamination. Ensures that medications manufactured abroad are safe Promotes drug supply chain integrity American Traveler’s Clinical Nurse Manager, Deborah Bacurin, R.N. is pleased with the bill, having experienced firsthand how aggravating it is for registered nurses when they must prescribe a certain medication simply because there is a shortage on a better drug – or the other side of the coin: being a patient and having to use the generic brand because the drug that was originally ordered for you is no longer being made. This FDA legislation will save many patients and their healthcare team from having to deal with this. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) thinks the bill is positive too; he helped co-author it. A [+]

LSUHSC School Nursing

Cornerstone of Cultural Competency During the Disaster Cycle

Click here to View and Register for this Program

THERE IS NO FEE FOR THIS PROGRAM

Activity Description/Objective To offer continuing education for registered nurses who possess the knowledge, understanding and judgment to minimize health hazards and life-threatening issues to vulnerable populations during the disaster cycle. The program will provide strategies addressing the four phases of a disaster to enable nurses to facilitate and work effectively as members of a team to manage both the physical and psychological impacts of disasters on vulnerable populations. Delivery Format The Program is delivered through online presentations on best practices of emergency preparedness and disaster management. The program will use provider-directed live, on-line forums utilizing case studies, discussion, application and reflective journaling through the integration of education and technology in an inventive 3-D virtual format, focused on the unique needs of disaster victims. Program Activities Participants must complete the three (3) core modules and selected vulnerable population modules via taped presentations. The participant will then complete a Post-Assessment and Learner Feedback form online. There is no fee for this program "This project is/was supported by funds from the [+]

U.S. News & World Report's It’s an exciting time for registered nurses—and U.S. News & World Report may be the first to agree. On the heels of America’ best hospitals list, the magazine released more good news for R.N.s destined for high paying nursing jobs: the Top 10 best careers for 2012. This year, nurses carved out the #1 spot, with software development jobs coming in a close second. American Traveler is proud to offer both nursing and allied jobs—which is why we were happy to see the list mention occupational therapists, sliding in at #10, and physical therapists who earned the #8 spot. The magazine’s list has posited an amazing job outlook for R,N.s, reporting that as many as 712,000 nursing jobs will need to be filled between now and the year 2020! Nurse staffing agencies are well poised to offer registered nurses—particularly those with a penchant for site seeing—travel nurse jobs in all 50 U.S. states. Following opportunities along the travel nursing career path is a first class ticket to see some of the most coveted attractions America has to offer, and earn an annual salary upwards of $100K while you do it! For Registered Nurses Who Need More Reasons to [+]

Where R.N.s are concerned, Mother’s Day is a bit of a double entendre; it’s a great time to appreciate nurses, for example the ones delivering and caring for mothers and babies in L&D and NICU jobs—and it’s also a perfect opportunity to wish ALL registered nurses, many whom are mothers themselves, a happy Mother’s Day. And still yet, it's a day to think about, and celebrate Mom, whether you are one or not. Mother’s Day is a gentle reminder to take time from your busy nursing career, pick up the phone and call Mom—as well as taking time to enjoy a little pampering if you’re on the receiving end this holiday. Sharing maternal stories from both the nurse and patient perspective adds an extra smile to this lovely day in May. The repertoire includes both heartwarming and enterprising tales, ranging from current hot jobs in pediatric nursing, to R.N.s who decorated the NICU in time for Mother’s Day, to trail blazers from our nursing career path who credit Mom for the inspiration to become a nurse. Whether you work in travel nurse, permanent or therapy jobs, these stories appeal to everyone on Mother’s Day; see the footnote to read [+]