Can you hear that? It must be the footsteps of a fast approaching Halloween. While some limit their celebration of this fun holiday to decorations and candy, there are others with a keen interest in touring well-known haunted spots. If you’re an R.N. who loves a good fright, then this post is for you—as so many “on the map� places for hauntings and ghost sightings just happen to be hospitals. There’s a high concentration of paranormal activity in The Buck Eye State, putting Ohio nursing jobs close to the scariest places on earth; there are also haunted hospitals worth a closer look near nurse jobs in Georgia and NY travel nursing jobs. This ghost hunter’s preferred list of haunted hospitals is ordered from supremely spooky to just plain scary. Should you decide to tour one, call the facility first to ensure tours are still happening; consider making arrangements, if possible, to stay overnight in charming hotel lodgings these cities are known for. Patients at Highland View Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio get the willies when window shades move of their own accord and doors lock shut without help. Far north of the [+]

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 [+]

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 [+]

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 [+]

Colorado hospitals can now choose whether to employ anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, or a combination of the two. The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that advanced-practice nurses can administer anesthetics without supervision in response to an appeal by the Colorado Society of Anesthesiologists and the Colorado Medical Society. Advanced-practice nurses who work one year in critical-care jobs and earn their master’s degree are eligible to become anesthetists. Nursing boards claim the training is identical to an anesthesiologist and that they be able to administer anesthesia unsupervised. Doctor’s groups, however, disagree claiming that should patient complications arise; a licensed doctor is the best person for the job. Hospitals and other healthcare providers are siding with the nurses and the courts. They claim there aren’t enough anesthesiologists in the state as it is and, even less so, in rural areas. In addition, hospitals claim that they need cost-effective solutions to prepare for the increase in patients due to healthcare reform. New Advanced-Practice Nurse’s Regulation May Be Causing a Bit of a Medical Turf War While hospitals are looking for improved operations and cost reduction opportunities, nursing and physician groups are ramping up their public relations. In an article in the [+]

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, [+]

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 [+]

American Traveler Sits Down with Travel Nurse couple for an Interview Two of our registered nurses, working in ICU jobs in Kansas City, Missouri epitomize the life of an American Traveler; their names are Jeff and Jonann C., R.N.s.  So far, as our travel nursing interviews go, they represent a novelty because they are husband and wife! In fact, they met on a travel nursing assignment in Jeff’s hometown of New Hampshire 4 years ago. It is stories like these we love to feature; just see our footnote for links to other interviews with thriving travel nurses. How this Travel Nursing Pair Make the Most of Down-Time from Nursing Jobs We want to thank Jeff and Jonann for sharing some of their travel nurse lifestyle vacation memories with us. They recently returned from a family reunion in Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, where 2 weeks of fishing and helping the grandparents celebrate a 50 year anniversary were easy to negotiate around their nursing jobs.

Above: Jeff and Jonann during their stay in New Hampshire for a family reunion

When asked if this is the only big trip they’ve taken in 2012, Jeff and Jonann, [+]

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 [+]

The U.S. Senate passed legislation to reauthorize the FDA’s ability to approve prescription drugs, medical devices, and other medical products, sending the bill on to President Obama to sign into law. To read more about this pending law, click the FDA bill link. Some of the positive things the FDA bill does: Expedites FDA’s approval process for innovative treatments for people with rare diseases Cracks down on prescription drug abuse Protects the safety of prescription drugs from counterfeits and contamination. Ensures that medications manufactured abroad are safe Promotes drug supply chain integrity American Traveler’s Clinical Nurse Manager, Deborah Bacurin, R.N. is pleased with the bill, having experienced firsthand how aggravating it is for registered nurses when they must prescribe a certain medication simply because there is a shortage on a better drug – or the other side of the coin: being a patient and having to use the generic brand because the drug that was originally ordered for you is no longer being made. This FDA legislation will save many patients and their healthcare team from having to deal with this. U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) thinks the bill is positive too; he helped co-author it. A [+]