February is a high profile month for registered nurses in the CVICU and other healthcare professionals who treat heart patients. The coming of Valentine’s Day, with its metaphors to the human heart, ties in nicely with the American Heart Association and CDC’s efforts to reduce the occurrence of heart disease. Right now, the idea of indulging ourselves at our favorite restaurants and chocolatiers almost feels like a mandate. But it doesn't have to be. 5 Heart Healthy Ways to Celebrate!   Here are the handful of tips you'll need for thinking outside the (heart shaped!) box this February 14th. Skip the restaurant and pack a healthy picnic. Valentine’s Day has long been associated with the image of a couple sitting in a candlelit restaurant, ordering items like steak and Baked Alaska from the menu. Who needs long wait times and so many fat grams? Opt instead to pack a healthy picnic lunch, and enjoy it bundled up and overlooking the sunset. It’s easy to find low fat, heart healthy recipes that can be toted to favorite travel nurse destinations. Reinvent a Classic Dish ... by making it heart healthy. Culinary school is not necessary to reach [+]

Get romantic travel nurse ideas and other "hearty" facts here RN's in the nation’s best travel nurse jobs are setting a great example for colleagues and patients by showing their hearts are in the right place. On February 4th many of them will observe "Wear Red Day" to help raise awareness on stroke and heart attack prevention. But every good travel nurse knows this isn't enough. Throughout the calendar year, it's important to raise cardiac health awareness and practice what we preach by living an active, smoke-free lifestyle and eating right. A Travel Nurse Career Makes Your Heart Fuller! Valentine's Day has amazing potential for RN's and therapists in featured travel nurse jobs from coast to coast. Leave your heart in San Francisco in high-paying California nursing jobs, or get cozy for the rest of the winter in New England nursing jobs. Don’t like the cold? Catch a romantic sunset in Florida nursing jobs—no matter where you go on the nursing career path, when it’s with American Traveler you decide the length of your assignment and work closely with our recruiters to find ideal free private housing in the city of your dreams. If you need inspiration, click on these related Valentine's Day stories:[+]

One of American Traveler's Recruiters, Sara Zamora, just had to share this romantic story that a travel nurse sent her on Valentine's day. Jenna S., who is on a Wisconsin nursing job, reports that it has been an unforgettable assignment -- for several reasons! Jenna writes: "I have always wanted a white Christmas because we don't get those very much around Tennessee, where I'm from. On Christmas morning here in Wisconsin, it was so beautiful outside. There was snow on the ground, and some of the biggest snowflakes I've ever seen were coming down. My boyfriend and I decided to take a drive to visit a harbor near the hospital where I'm working. We had a great view overlooking Lake Michigan. I was standing on the pier, in awe of the scenery. When I turned around to get my boyfriend's attention, he was down on one knee. He asked me to marry him and told me that I would make him the happiest man alive if I accepted. He said that he couldn't imagine another day without me. He'd been in a serious car accident a few months earlier and neither of us wanted to be apart like that -- ever [+]

Penny Krause, R.N. has fallen in love twice; first with her husband, and now with her travel nursing job! Her current assignment is in the southeastern part of the Wisconsin and close enough to Chicago that she can’t resist traveling there every chance she gets. Thanks to the flexibility of travel nursing jobs, Penny is in the Windy City quite a bit, and kind enough to share stories with us, of how she’s making the most of her travel nursing career, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Year Round Travel Nursing Fun! Penny and her husband spent New Year’s Eve on Chicago’s Navy Pier, watching a fantastic fireworks display. The pier is a place, says Penny, that is absolutely beautiful at Christmastime, especially with its indoor skating rink—and Chicago—is known for their deep dish pizzas, ethnic eateries, galleries and nightlife. And, Penny tells us, they are also looking forward to this summer when they can attend a Cubs game in the famous Wrigley Field. For Penny, it’s just a 20 minute drive or short trip on the Metro from her Wisconsin travel nursing job to reach Chicago, and once she’s there, a mere $18 [+]