How Brain Mapping Research Could Improve Patient Outcomes & Lead to More Jobs Healthcare professionals who work with patients following a traumatic brain injury or stroke will be excited to learn all they can about the BRAIN initiative, a 10-year-project that President Obama unveiled this April. Congress is deciding, sequester or no, whether to grant $100 million for this groundbreaking research initiative; it would begin in 2014, with the goal of creating new healthcare jobs and better treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism and wide spectrum of brain disorders. The news from Capitol Hill comes on the heels of Mr. Obama’s February State of the Union speech, in which “Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies� (BRAIN) is expected to help neuroscientists understand how we think, how we remember, and how we learn. BRAIN is a collaboration between the National Institutes of Health, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Foundation, as well as private partnership with organizations like the Allen Institute for Brain Science—with backing like this, BRAIN is sure to take the healthcare industry by storm, just as mapping the human genome did last year. Obama’s BRAIN mapping project differs [+]

Staffing consultants and job boards are lighting up now with more opportunities than lighting bugs in a mason jar! The days are lasting longer and travel nurses are fitting more outdoor activities in their time after work. They’re motivated to find ideal nursing and therapy jobs—ones that will carry them into the summer. That’s why it’s important to post your job openings now, with a trusted name in healthcare staffing. Our recruiters work closely with each candidate, bringing talent and clinical expertise to your hospitals, outpatient centers and skilled nursing facilities. Says Debbie Bacurin, RN, Clinical Account Manager at American Traveler, “We are seeing a lot of early postings from Maine to Georgia—in Wisconsin and Michigan, too. Our nurses and therapists know that the best hospitals are posting their job openings right now. If you’re a healthcare facility looking for the best talent out there, post your openings now to find top candidates seeking spring and summer assignments.� That being said, healthcare employers should know R.N.s and therapists have, when it comes to job searches, an understanding that: Hospitals post positions today for late spring and summer. Job candidates are now getting their state licensures ready for summer [+]

Today is an important reminder to Americans, of the sacrifices and commitment of all who serve or did serve in our military. As members of the American Traveler healthcare team wake up today, they’ll head off to therapy and nursing jobs that serve a large number of veterans; some of you may even work in Veteran’s hospitals where the appearance of an American flag pin on your hospital scrubs is a welcome sight.  If you’re an R.N. who’d like to brush up on your Veteran’s Day knowledge and what it’s meant to Americans historically, this mini-list of facts about the holiday, helps you live in the moment. Are you an R.N. chatting with a Veteran Patient Today? For those nurses and therapists who treat veterans in healthcare facilities around the country, here’s a little bit of Q&A meant to enrich your Veterans Day. How does Veterans Day set itself apart from Memorial Day? The May holiday is a tribute to military troops who died, whereas this day in November is in remembrance of all active and retired military. What is Veterans Day called in other parts of the world? It’s called Remembrance Day or Armistice Day, [+]

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 [+]

If you missed Part 1 of my blog, please click here before you read Part 2 below. My time on the farm has helped me to see that there are very few material things that make me happy, but having balance in my life creates an enormous amount of joy. I look at everything as an exchange of energy.  A week or two of work affords me a month on the farm.  I forgo expensive vacations because instead I spend months in my hammock, overlooking picturesque mountain views on the farm. The job flexibility allows me to spend quality time with my family in Ohio. And my time off lets my creative juices flow.  I sold my cows and now have an organic coffee plantation.  I am also holding retreats in Ecuador to show others how to cultivate joy inside, find balance in their lives, and go for their dreams. Now I know some of you may be thinking, “Sure she can do it, but I have children, a husband, a house... I need medical insurance etc.�  You don’t have to move to a Third World Country, but traveling can allow you to [+]

Today's post comes from Cheryl, a Travel PT from American Traveler. Thanks Cheryl! When I was a new grad from PT school, I remember learning about travel therapy.  Because I was not fond of change, the thought of starting a new job every three months did not sound appealing to me, but rather intimidating.  Now, having been a traveler for the past eight years, I can’t think of my life any other way.  I love the people I get to meet and the new places I get to see. I learn new customs in my very own country because each area has its own little twist on life. (For example, I “might could� eat BBQ every day of my life in Texas if I had a fixin’ to do so!)  But what I love the most about travel is that it allows me to live a very unique life. Fifteen years ago I stumbled upon a little country called Ecuador in South America when I signed up as a volunteer physical therapist for two weeks. I fell head over heels in love with this special place. Some years later, I purchased [+]

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 [+]

Speech language pathologists restore the human connection for patients with hearing loss, communication disorders and aphasia, a condition that affects nearly a million Americans who suffered a stroke, many of them elderly; an increase in the senior population is creating a surge in speech language pathology jobs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is predicting a 23% hike between now and 2020—something to keep in mind as Better Speech and Hearing Month (BSHM) gets underway. Speech, language and hearing impairments—an important specialization for speech pathologists—are hardly reserved for Baby Boomers. Almost 30 million Americans experience some degree of hearing loss, and approximately 1/3 of them are adolescents. Noise-induced hearing loss is a contributing factor, which is why promoting awareness in May, and throughout the calendar year, is so important. Conscientious SLPs can get a leg up on this and other prescient topics by visiting the American-Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). In the meantime, here are some points worth sharing during BSHM. BSHM May Prompt These Questions from a Speech Language Pathologist Does a patient think a hearing aid is in order? If he or she can identify with these symptoms the answer may be yes. Pain or ringing in the ears Keeping the volume on audio [+]

Read all about the best U.S. States for occupational therapists Today is Friday the 13th, as good a time as any to plan your next career move. Fortunately, for occupational therapists, the career outlook couldn't look any better; that’s why recruiting experts have narrowed the infinite possibilities by focusing on the Top 13 best places to work in occupational therapy. If you’re looking to find top benefits that include free private housing in one of these great cities, today might be your lucky day! The Top 13 Places to Get Occupational Therapy Jobs in the USA The following details on top states for occupational therapists make for great selling points—states made the list for their abundance in OT jobs, amazing healthcare facilities and top pay! • California occupational therapy jobs couldn't be any more golden! Come leave your heart in San Francisco, or work in therapy jobs throughout exciting Southern Cal. • Colorado occupational therapy jobs are close to miles of white powder to ski on, or toast with hot chocolate from your ski chalet. There’s also great food and drink to be had in the mile high city of Denver! • Iowa occupational therapy jobs, is a foray into [+]