One of our valued American Traveler Client Hospitals, just outside New York City, has been at the center of Hurricane Sandy. Widespread flooding, power outages, blocked roads and storm damage have made it difficult for staff to make it to the hospital -- and for emergency responders to reach those in need. Local citizens with storm-related injuries and acute conditions (that must be treated even when it is so hard to get to the hospital) have presented this facility with many urgent situations in the last 24 hours. Debbie Bacurin, Clinical Account Manager at American Traveler, checked in with the RN Administration at this facility to see how things are going. The administration staff reported that three of American Traveler's RN's -- Brian, Emmanuel, and Elson -- "have been wonderful." They clocked in before the storm hit full force, pulled double shifts, and as of Tuesday afternoon were finally resting. The hospital now feels the worst of the storm has passed. They have begun to clean up and wait for things to get back to normal. Nowhere are RN's like these more needed -- and appreciated -- than in situations like this. [+]

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 [+]

Colorado hospitals can now choose whether to employ anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, or a combination of the two. The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that advanced-practice nurses can administer anesthetics without supervision in response to an appeal by the Colorado Society of Anesthesiologists and the Colorado Medical Society. Advanced-practice nurses who work one year in critical-care jobs and earn their master’s degree are eligible to become anesthetists. Nursing boards claim the training is identical to an anesthesiologist and that they be able to administer anesthesia unsupervised. Doctor’s groups, however, disagree claiming that should patient complications arise; a licensed doctor is the best person for the job. Hospitals and other healthcare providers are siding with the nurses and the courts. They claim there aren’t enough anesthesiologists in the state as it is and, even less so, in rural areas. In addition, hospitals claim that they need cost-effective solutions to prepare for the increase in patients due to healthcare reform. New Advanced-Practice Nurse’s Regulation May Be Causing a Bit of a Medical Turf War While hospitals are looking for improved operations and cost reduction opportunities, nursing and physician groups are ramping up their public relations. In an article in the [+]

Though most healthcare professionals are aware that the flu vaccine is the single-most effective means of fighting the spread of influenza, less than 60 percent of all healthcare professionals (HCPs) are vaccinated annually for flu, reports the U.S. Department of Health and Human Resources. An alarming statistic for patients with compromised immune systems, the elderly, the pregnant and the very young. To bring the number of vaccinated HCPs up, The Joint Commission is requiring all accredited healthcare organizations to implement an annual influenza vaccination program for licensed independent practitioners and staff by July 1, 2012. The objective of the new requirement, explained in detail in The Joint Commission’s R3Report, is to meet 90 percent practitioner coverage by 2020 and to track the performance of the requirement through accredited health care organizations. “Increasing flu vaccination rates for healthcare workers is important not only to help protect themselves, but also to reduce the risk of flu infection for patients or individuals served,� said Kelly L. Podgorny, D.N.P., M.S., CPHQ, RN, project director, Standards and Survey Methods Department, Division of Healthcare Quality Evaluation, The Joint Commission. Vice President of Recruitment for American Traveler Staffing Professionals, Mary Kay Hull, [+]

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 [+]

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 [+]

Demand for Allied Healthcare Jobs = Demand for Expert Allied Health Staffing Agency It’s a great time to work as an allied health professional; those trained for physical therapy jobs are on the positive side of supply vs. demand. In other words, for every licensed PT, there are over 50 rehab facilities looking to employ a physical therapist. Picking the best one can be tough. That’s where a top staffing agency comes in. American Traveler is affiliated with America’s best hospitals and rehab facilities, and finds healthcare employers for physical therapists and occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and others looking to make their mark in rehab jobs. A Top Staffing Agency for Allied Health Careers Makes Sense Because… Here are a few more reasons behind  American Traveler’s ability to deliver high paying, rewarding physical therapy jobs: VIP Customer Care: Recruiters who understand how busy therapists are have done all the leg work researching healthcare employers; they have the inside track on the best physical therapy job openings and find the perfect match for job-seeking PTs. Certified Since 2005: We are accredited by The Joint Commission, and recipients of the Gold Seal of Approval and [+]

As much fun as Social Media has become, it can ruin your nurse career if you’re not careful. By following a few simple rules when conversing in online nurse forums and posting on Facebook, Twitter and others, nurses can freely enjoy Social Media and avoid common pitfalls that lead to conflict. Don’t post personal information. Outside of a basic online Profiles nurses use to network with employers, it is best to remain anonymous when participating in cyber discussion groups and posting on public and private Internet sites.  Anonymity can be effectively accomplished by utilizing avatars and clever pen names. Avoid using your real name (including just your first name) or actual thumbnail photos of you. Don’t post pictures or names of patients. Adhering to patient privacy and disclosure laws as mandated by state and federal governments (HIPPA) is paramount to avoiding conflict and liability as a nurse on the Internet. Avoid posting information that can potentially reveal who a patient is or where they’re being treated.  When sharing clinical information and experiences with others on the Internet; be sure not to refer to “a patient,� “the patient,� or “patient x.� In [+]

Find Jobs in the Pediatric Specialties! It’s that time of year again! U.S. News & Report has just released its top ranking hospitals for both rehabilitative care and pediatrics—some of the names on this list are our trusted affiliates. American Traveler is proud to have staffed over 75% of the facilities ranked "AMERICA'S BEST HOSPITALS" By U.S. News & World Report.  Our nursing jobs and therapist jobs are offered nationwide and you might just find yourself working in one the America’s best hospitals! Whether or not your workplace appeared in 2011-12 rankings, we congratulate all our R.N.s and therapists on a job well done. It was a banner year for high quality healthcare and we hope we see more of your good work in years to come. To create the 2011-12 rankings, U.S. News surveyed nearly 180 pediatric centers, obtaining clinical data and polling 1,500 doctors in 10 pediatric specialties where they would send the sickest children. In all, 76 hospitals ranked in one or more specialties. Eleven hospitals with high scores in at least four specialties were named to the U.S. News Honor Roll. Registered nurses intent on landing the best PICU jobs in the [+]