There’s a lot of talk about the growing shortage of doctors and registered nurses, which is likely to be exacerbated by any health-care-reform package that adds millions of patients to insurance rolls. According to a recent story in the New York Times, “the American Academy of Family Physicians projects a shortfall of 40,000 physician generalists -- family practitioners, pediatricians, general internists and geriatricians -- by 2020, even without significant changes to the current health care system.� This shortfall, experts predict, will increase the importance of the nurse practitioner -- because nurse practitioners will be needed to do even more of the tasks now performed by physicians. The nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has received specialized education (usually, a master’s degree) in a selected field.  These positions offer the chance for work in health education, counseling and customized care.  Nurse practitioners’ duties vary by state depending on regulation; but generally, they include diagnosing and treating illnesses, ordering tests, prescribing drugs and making referrals to specialists. Nurse practitioners typically work in primary care, whereas physician assistants generally work for specialists.  But either way, these specialized areas of the nursing profession are going to be [+]

Pink ribbons have long been synonymous with Breast Cancer Awareness, but there’s another advocacy group helping women who face a different cancer diagnosis: ovarian cancer; its ribbon is teal blue. RNs are a critical part of the medical team treating a woman with cancer, which, you could say, is women helping women; according to the U.S. Department of Labor, women make up 91% of the nursing workforce. If you want to use your skills to help cancer patients, American Traveler Nursing Professional Resources page has a link to the Oncology Nursing Society web site. No matter her specialty, RNs should recognize the symptoms of ovarian cancer (bloating, a feeling of fullness before meals, frequent trips to the bathroom, Pelvic and abdominal pain) to help their female patients, as well as know their own bodies well enough to stay healthy themselves. The deadliest of all gynecological cancers, ovarian cancer and the research conducted everyday to beat it, is supported largely by The Ovarian Cancer National Alliance (OCNA), where teal ribbons and a host of products in the same robin’s egg blue (bracelets, necklaces, pendants, art and more) are devoted to raising money for increased [+]

Learn more about our Hot Jobs by signing up for our Healthcare Jobs RSS feed or follow us on Twitter. Our Hot Jobs are refreshed hourly, with a call right now for critical care nurses, Case Manage,  physical therapists, occupational therapists and Med/Surg nurses across the nation. You should know that Hot Jobs offer more specialized positions in telemetry, dialysis, Pediatrics and PACU. You can apply for a job that lasts a mere six weeks, or up to five months; a 13 week assignment is the norm. Every week, we showcase our Top 10 hot jobs. When travel nurses apply, they begin work immediately upon hire. Do you crave an assignment in New England, the nation’s capital, heart of America or somewhere out west? Featured jobs at American Traveler are diverse, well paying—you could earn up to 110K a year!—and scattered across the country. As we mentioned earlier on, you won’t need to check in regularly to see the latest in Hot Jobs, because when position openings come to Washington D.C., LA, even Wichita, you’ll feel like a little bird told you, just by following us on Twitter or better yet, get it in your [+]

Although there is technically a nursing shortage, that doesn’t mean there isn’t lots of competition out there for travel nursing jobs. The best way in increase your competitive edge is to add to your skill set and experience level. Basic qualifications such as BLS, ACLS, PALS and TNCC are not enough anymore to land the best RN jobs. “Hospitals are looking for candidates with the most up-to-date and advanced certifications,� notes Deborah Bacurin, RN, clinical resource manager at American Traveler. By pursuing advanced nursing training by earning additional credentials and certifications, you are proving yourself as a motivated individual who cares about keeping on top of the latest trends and education -- and therefore, a top candidate for American Traveler’s travel nursing jobs. This goes double for new grads and nursing students, who are finding that it is somewhat difficult to find the ideal job right out of school with basic nursing skills. Get as many certifications and credentials as you can, as soon as possible, advises Bacurin. Also, do not expect the employer to reimburse you for this nursing job training (although it never hurts to ask!); view these credentials as prerequisites for top RN jobs.  The more [+]

Nurses, take note: There’s a hot new product coming to many U.S. hospitals, and it’s going to make your job as a traveling nurse easier – because it makes the patients happier! The product is Arizant Inc.’s Bair Paws, a layered-paper hospital gown that keeps the wearer warm by using a forced-air system to regulate the body temperature in the chilly operating rooms and other areas of the hospital. These single-use gowns are easily self-regulated for temperature, and they also detach quickly from the hose that goes to the air pump – giving the patient more independence, and the registered nurses more freedom!  Bair Paws were also designed with lots of Velcro and ways of being opened, so that they can be adjusted in a variety of ways by doctors and RNs performing operations and other procedures. The gown has other advantages, according to Arizant Web site: “This budget-friendly gown can also help avoid the significant costs associated with the complications of unintended hypothermia, which has been shown to triple the rate of wound infection (SSIs), extend the length of hospital stay and increase mortality rates.� About 1,700 facilities are using Bair Paws, with more [+]

February is Heart Awareness Month. We’re putting it on the calendar of all our traveling nurses and professionals. Nurses specializing in patient care relative to heart disease are already educated and wonderfully outspoken when it comes to heart disease and stroke prevention. Are you a specialty nurse that already knows the facts on healthy hearts? Then we hope you’ll skip ahead to our hot travel nurse jobs from California to Florida, in departments like the ER, CVICU, CCU, ICU, PCU and more. If you’re a nurse looking for RN jobs in the Critical Care fields of Cardiac Medicine and heart surgery, don’t delay! There are so many patients—and hearts—in need of your care!  Read the 5 fundamentals here: The 5 Fundamentals of Heart Healthy Don’t let your health go up in smoke. Cigarettes and other tobacco products are among the biggest risk factors for heart disease; even low-tar, low-nicotine products and second hand smoke exposure can be dangerous. If you want a shot at optimal cardiovascular health, don’t smoke at all. If you need a smoke break, take a walk instead—and spare your body from exposure to more than 4,800 chemicals, [+]

RN Travel Nurse Job - Pediatric ICU Location: Oklahoma City, OK Night – 12 Hour Shift Length: 9 Weeks Call 800-884-8788 or Apply Online Now RN Travel Nurse Job - Home Health Location: Irvine, CA Days – 8 Hour Shift Length: 12 Weeks Call 800-884-8788 or Apply Online Now Find more jobs refreshed hourly on our health care Hot Jobs page [+]

As a skilled healthcare professional, you may think that your credentials and record can speak for themselves in landing travel nursing jobs. And, until recently, they did. However, more and more hospitals have embraced the idea of adopting competency assessment models for their medical personnel;  and thus, they are requiring travel nurses to pass certain nursing tests after being hired. These tests, administered on-site, can often be quite grueling-- requiring comprehensive proof of a range of skills, from medication dosages to care of patients depending on their medical diagnosis. Facilities are getting stricter about the rules, too: Nurses must pass these nursing tests by a certain percentage (which can vary by hospital) on their first try -- or they lose the RN job. One test that travelers are likely to encounter is the Performance Based Development System, or the PBDS test – which is being used in more than 500 hospitals to assess new RN hires, both permanent and traveling. The multi-part PBDS test evaluates three areas of skills: interpersonal (customer relations, conflict resolution, team building, etc.);  critical thinking (med-surg, critical care, neonatal ICU, and OB); and technical (creating and following a care plan for [+]

Here’s a tongue twister for you: are you a registered nurse, only recently registered? If you’re like many graduate nurses and you’ve just finished school and quit working a day job in anticipation of finally getting to focus on your career, you might be doing a bit of financial catch up; after all, nursing school and the licensing examination weren’t free. The good news is, you can expect to earn 40K or more in your first year of full-time employment – that’s a good salary, and every penny of it worth managing wisely. When it comes to money matters, financial analysts at Wall Street Journal have got your back, bringing 4 fundamentals in money management to the attention of graduate nurses, and RNs like you, new to a profitable career path. #1: Assess your biggest liabilities. Look at your student loan or mortgage, and talk to the lender about refinancing at a better rate. Institutions like Sallie Mae are accustomed to negotiating smart option catch up plans, and may suggest low interest only payments until you’re back on your feet. As for mortgages, lenders know they have to stay competitive, [+]

In today’s difficult economy, workers are realizing the importance of job security and starting to understand that a high-salaried career does not mean much if there are no jobs to be found. With that in mind, job seekers and career changers need to pay close attention to employment numbers and growth. According the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing and other allied health professions are among the careers most likely to see significant growth in the next eight years. Nursing jobs are likely to increase by 23% by 2018, which is well above the national average. U.S. News and World Report listed nursing as one of its 50 Best Careers for 2010, projecting that there will be a growth of 582,000 nursing jobs between 2008 and 2018, stating that many of those nursing jobs will be in physicians’ offices. A popular option for registered nurses is travel nursing. In 2009, nursing salaries ranged from $40,000 to more than $92,000, with a national median of $62,000, but travel nurses can earn a greater take-home salary than nurses in permanent positions, and they earn a number of other benefits, including completion bonuses, free health insurance, free private housing, and free [+]