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 [+]

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 [+]

There is a feeling of helplessness that overwhelms parents when their child is admitted to the hospital as well as a feeling of hope that the NICU, PICU, and Pediatric nurses will nurture them back to health. Steps are being taken, however, to make this traumatic experience more comfortable for the patient and their families. With the help of the non-profit group, Facilities Guidelines Institute, several hospitals have invested to upgrade their children’s facilities in order to accommodate parents and elevate the healing process of children. One may think of it as holistic medical treatment for the entire family. Children’s Hospitals are Evolving In June 2012, Nationwide Children’s Hospital located in Columbus,Ohio opened a $783 million facility that provides private rooms for everyone, an atrium full of giant carved animals and a clubhouse for siblings and parents. A recent report focused on the physical environment of a hospital and warned that the noise and confusion can increase stress and anxiety. Noise reduction solutions helps to alleviate some of the problem and a proper interior design involving colors, furniture and carpet can actually promote the healing process by creating a safe and soothing environment. While physical changes are costly and parental involvement can be cumbersome, [+]

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 [+]

From now until November 7, it’s Medical Surgical Nurses Week. This is a great time to take a friend in med surge jobs out to lunch, or simply let them know how vital med surge nursing careers are in the world of public health. American Traveler can help registered nurses make rapid advancement on the nursing career path, by staying abreast of healthcare trends impacting med surg nurses; for instance, did you know that most med surge jobs now require Advanced Cardiac Life Support training, ACLS Certification? Medical Surgical Sub Specialties Touch So Many Lives Did you know that nearly every adult making his or her way through the hospital system is eventually cared for by a med/surge nurse? Because med surge nurses are knowledgeable in so many issues of adult health, their presence on the timeline of a patient’s illness is priceless; they heal the sickness and make that timeline longer. Gynecology: Breast Cancer Awareness and Ovarian Cancer Month wouldn’t have the same fund raising successes or gains without the med surge nurses who help explain and advocate new treatments. Medical: This specialty lets the med-surge nurse be the diverse professional that training has prepared her for, [+]

What do national public service organizations, healthcare associations, and government agencies have in common this month? They are all working together to increase awareness, raise revenue and eventually find a cure for Breast Cancer—and who could be more interested in making strides this October than the registered nurses who treat, counsel and, in many cases, know breast cancer survivors? If you have a story to share, wish to donate, or want to walk in a local event, please visit nbcam.org for the resources you’ll need to get started. With the numbers behind diagnoses of breast cancer, it’s no wonder foundations like Susan G. Komen and the American Cancer Association have been working tirelessly since the 1980s. More women die of breast cancer each year, than they do from AIDS, TB and malaria combined. Thankfully, “making strides� is more than words, creating a sweeping effort in fundraising and research that has led to a 98% survival rate for women who receive cancer treatment before the disease spreads beyond the breast. American Traveler Thinks Pink, Encouraged R.N.s to Do the Same Breast Cancer Awareness isn’t limited to the United States anymore; it means working together for a cure around [+]

ICU jobs are going places. Just ask Pamela Jo, an R.N. who joined American Traveler this month to embark on a travel nursing job in Alaska. A true adventurer, Pamela Jo set off for her first ever travel nurse job in her car, enjoying a scenic road trip that took her from her old home in Alma, Arkansas, through Canada, and eventually to Anchorage where her new Alaska travel nurse job has commenced. What might the best thing about this journey be? Pamela Jo was able to share it with her kids, who joined her on the road trip and helped her get settled in housing close to her ICU job at the hospital Learn more about free private housing by clicking on travel nurse job benefits. 

This R.N. and her family report that the scenery in and around Alaska is "the most beautiful thing ever!" Above picture- Pam and her kids river rafting From the looks of Pamela Jo’s photo album, it seems the trio is creating memories they won’t soon forget—which is why, in a month or two, we’re looking forward to sitting [+]

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 [+]

Find Your Inspiration to Advocate, Lead and Care! Registered nurses have always embodied the theme for this year’s National Nurses Week: "Advocating, Leading, Caring". When R.N.s visit the American Nurses Association (ANA) this Spring, they can’t help concur with its President, Karen Daley that ANA is their quintessential advocate; video galleries, pledges and other resources on the site show that celebrating a nurse’s calling is about so much more than remembering to wear a pin this week. Capture the spirit during May 6-12 and take it with you the rest of the year! It’s empowering to reflect on the amazing history of your vocation. Before the nursing career path became what it is today—the #1 career advertised on U.S. News & World Report’s List of Best Careers in 2012—nurses worked in relative obscurity. It’s hard to believe fewer than 20 R.N.s attended the first ANA convention in 1896—even more surprising that back then, they weren’t technically R.N.s. There were no laws licensing nurses at that time. This International Nurses Week, thank ANA for helping R.N.s become the backbone of American healthcare! Look at how far this profession has come, employing more than 3 million [+]

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 [+]