It’s Hurricane Season, June 1st—November 30th! Here’s What You Can Do to Prepare For many healthcare professionals in nursing and therapy jobs across the United States, hurricane season registers as a far-away news story; however, for those living near the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes and tropical storms pose a very real threat—especially as Hurricane Season gets underway. National Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 26 through June 1st, is a good time to take stock of emergency resources in your home and community. These are a few guidelines for setting up an emergency plan. Build up Your Water Supply: A gallon of water per person, per day is recommended. Having a 2 week supply of bottled water on hand is highly recommended. In preparation for a serious storm, it’s a good idea to clean and fill your bath tub, in case a power loss cuts water off. You can use the water to wash up, as well as flush toilets. Make Sure you Have Plenty of Food and a Can Opener: A supply of non-perishable food that could get a family through at least 5 days is recommended. Consider canned nuts, beans, fruits, vegetables, soft [+]

Registered nurses make up the largest segment of the healthcare workforce, which is why shortage predictions from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)* point to a potential crisis. The BLS is projecting a huge deficit in qualified R.N.s to fill nursing jobs between now and 2025. The reasons for this are attributed, not just to the surge in Baby Boomers seeking medical care, but in the imminent retirement of the nurses treating them.

Over the next 20 years, the average age of the R.N. will increase and the size of the nursing workforce plateau, as many nurses retire. The hope for filling these vacant positions is that nurses coming into them have strong clinical backgrounds, in graduate and baccalaureate programs in accredited nursing schools. As it stands now, many American colleges are struggling to expand enrollment in nursing programs, and are getting help in collaborative efforts made by company partnerships, grants, and legislative initiatives focused on hiring more qualified nursing staff—enough to meet the needs of the current population. 30 million plus Americans have been added to insurance roles as healthcare reform takes effect. BLS’ Employment Projections (2010-2020) released in February [+]

From Coast to Coast - Top Nursing Job Locations For many years now, states with the greatest job shortages have been offering the highest nursing salaries in the country. Because of dense Baby Boomer populations, and these states’ appeal to retirees, nurses will always be welcomed with open arms in certain places. So get ready to bookmark where these states are and what they have to offer! If you’re a travel nurse, poised to take your career anywhere, the following U.S. states offer the highest paying R.N. jobs in the country! Here’s what hourly mean wages were in 2012 and what you can expect in 2013. Below that, is a quarterly breakdown of where in the U.S. to find the best nursing jobs. California nursing jobs offer $42.06/ an hour and higher, plus benefits that let you make the most of the Golden State. Florida nursing jobs not only average $30.29 per hour, but some hospitals there are offering huge sign-on bonuses for R.N.’s with specializations. New York nursing jobs put R.N.s in the high earning Tri-State are, averaging $35.58 per hour or more. Texas nursing jobs have a lower cost of living than [+]

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 [+]

Some nurses are already here, enjoying all the sun, fun and cool things to do in the Sunshine State with travel nurse jobs in Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Orlando and Miami. In fact, the local newspaper, The Sun-sentinel reported recently that online help wanted ads in the state are up 14% – almost double that of the Northeast or Western U.S. regions.

Travel Nurse jobs in Fort Lauderdale, FL brings you excitement and fun! Watch Video below

"Every one of our hospitals said they were busier this year than last and now most are ramping up for winter staffing. Travel nurse jobs for summer have been continuous and the upcoming tourist season looks very promising." said Clinical Account Manager for American Traveler, Debbie Bacurin, RN.

Why are nurse jobs in Florida up over other parts of the country? For starters, Florida is a retirement state. With more Baby Boomers than ever approaching their golden years nurses, no doubt, will be put to work. Second, many hospitals and health care systems in the state have retooled staffing budgets to include more temporary help, keeping nurse supply close to bedside demand. "Hospitals use travel nurses for different reasons. Some need nurses [+]

This weekend while we honor the soldiers who serve our country so bravely, we also honor the military nurses who have made such an amazing contribution to our nation. This year marks the 111th Anniversary of the Army Nurse Corps, the organization charged with training and deploying nurses to warzones. It was established in 1901 in response to the need for an organized military nurse structure. The Army Nurse Corps was created to effectively treat wounded soldiers during wartime. Just prior to the Corps' inception, a deficit of nurses during the Spanish American War (1898-1902) proved that without a reserve force of caregivers, American troops would suffer dire consequences. For over a century, these brave men and women have worked tirelessly to save lives during every American war and conflict. They continue to serve on the front lines today and rely on cutting edge technologies to treat and care for soldiers and civilians in hotspots around the world. Earlier in the year, the Army Medical Museum was the backdrop for a Nurse Corps Anniversary celebration. Corps Officer, Col. Bruce Schoneboom, spoke to the transformation Corp's RN's have been undergoing in recent years in [+]

Details on the American Traveler Spring Appreciation Party Wednesday, March 14th was no ordinary hump day for American Traveler. It just happened to be the date of our annual appreciation party for R.N.s and corporate staff. Travel nurses enjoy a Florida spring appreciation party, and it was our pleasure to see the return of wonderful stories about the travel nurse lifestyle and other rewards found along the nursing career path. Our guests came together in Boynton Beach, where good food and camaraderie passed the night. We hope you’ll enjoy a few of the photographs saved from this event, where door prizes and goody bags were on the menu too. From left to right, on first picture travel RN (left) & Joyce Streem (right), Senior Consultant; second picture Brandy Kapke (left), Assignment Advisor with Antoinette McCrary, R.N. (right); third picture  Dorothy Maloney, R.N. (left) and Amy Roll, (right) Consultant.

Vice President of Recruitment, Mary Kay Hull who also enjoyed the party, remarked that the guests she spoke with are truly amazing people. Case in point, Antoinette McCrary, R.N.—as young looking as she [+]

Nurses will love these top 10 states and the travel nursing jobs waiting there! For RNs who love to travel, it’s a happy coincidence that the top 10 travel nurse job locations of the season just happen to be in America’s most loved spring break destinations. American Traveler offers high paying travel nurse careers in the top 10 states for R.N. jobs. Please read our preview of springtime highlights and apply while opportunities last. California: The Golden state is packed with California nursing jobs, from San Francisco to L.A. Be sure your Easter plans include a garden tour, April poppy festival or farmers market in the fresh spring air! Ohio: There’s nothing prettier and greener than Ohio nursing jobs in the springtime. Take advantage of it, by visiting the plethora of outdoor spring events offered statewide, from Earth Day events in Cleveland to the herb fairs and butterfly shows in other parts of the state. Texas: Texas travel nursing is a sunny and musical affair, offering well known annual concerts that draw in music lovers from around the country. Mark your calendars, April 20th for the Texas Crawfish & Music Festival in [+]

Is your Healthcare Employer joining this year’s Great American Smokeout? It’s catching on as quickly as a smoking habit itself: more hospitals in more states putting an end to hiring registered nurse smokers. So far, Pennsylvania and Georgia, Missouri, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Texas lead the pack. Others are expected to follow. "Hospital administrators say it’s about improving worker productivity, reducing healthcare costs and promoting healthy living," said Clinical Account Manager, Deborah Bacurin for American Traveler Staffing Professionals, a leading provider of Florida nursing jobs.  "We're getting more calls for travel nurse nicotine screens and the buzz nationwide is to expand the practice." In a readers poll conducted by media giant, Tribune Company, more than half of 522 respondents said healthcare employers should ban smoking. Thirty-nine percent answered "no way," it’s a violation of smoker's rights, and five percent were undecided.* Cleveland Clinic director, Paul Turpeluk, told the New York Times** earlier in the year that his organization had received numerous requests in recent months from healthcare employers looking to transit to non-smoking environments. Cleveland Clinic stopped hiring smokers in 2007, pioneering a contagious movement to cut costs and improve employee performance. On average, smokers cost [+]

The last Monday in May is Memorial Day in America, capping a patriotic holiday weekend to be enjoyed by one and all. Travel nurses can find local events from coast to coast; here are just a few holiday highlights close to American Traveler staff in Florida, California and Washington D.C. nursing jobs. Memorial Day Planning Guide For D.C. Travel Nurses What better way for travel nurses to honor courageous military than spending the long weekend exploring our Nation’s capitol? The 2011 Memorial Day event schedule for D.C. includes a Sunday (May 29th) free concert on the west lawn of the U.S. capitol. On this day, the National Symphony Orchestra will perform, as well as top-billed celebrities. Click on the Memorial Day event link to learn more about this event, as well as wreath laying ceremonies at D.C.’s best known Memorials, a GI Film Festival, marching bands, Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Rally and more! Memorial Day Events For Our Florida Travel Nurses Are you a Florida travel nurse with a taste for crab? Then take a trip to Palatka, close to the well-known destinations like St, Augustine and Jacksonville for the Blue Crab Festival, held each year [+]