To limit liabilities associated with under-qualified nurses, American Traveler takes diligent steps to ensure all RN traveling nurses placed by the agency meet or exceed the level of competence expected by clients.  Clinical testing and evaluations, reference verifications and performance tracking are just a few ways the nurse staffing company achieves client satisfaction contract after nurse contract. "Our Joint Commission Surveyor confirmed that our registered nurse staffing processes ensure competence," said Clinical Account Manager Deborah Bacurin, RN. "Moreover, our nurses continue to earn kudos among client facilities for promptness, professionalism and job knowledge." Medication errors by nurses - or incidents where bedside care suffered because an RN didn’t follow hospital protocol - rock the healthcare staffing world. They remind hospital administrators and nurse staffing agencies alike of the important role nurse competency testing plays in patient safety. It’s in this light that American Traveler goes to great lengths to provide competent nurses with proven track records of quality patient care. “I’m proud to say our larger healthcare providers have been with us for years because we continue to provide them with highly competent nurses who watch out for the best interest of their patients. In our [+]

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, [+]