Is it possible that forming close bonds with new people on the job, leading an active social life and keeping in touch with friends and family on Facebook can help you live longer? According to a 2010 review of nearly 150 independent studies on social ties the answer is a resounding “Yes.� Not only do close friends result in greater physical and mental health, say experts at Johns Hopkins University, supportive relationships help stave off memory loss, reduce stress and boost immunity – all factors associated with aging. In fact, people with strong social ties had a 50 percent better chance of survival regardless of age, sex, and health than those with weaker ties, one study found. Meeting new people and making friends is high up on the list of why RNs choose a travel nurse career. Countless have reported falling in love while on assignment and others traveling with soul mates and spouses say the experience is more enriching when someone comes along for the ride. In terms of physical health, nurses often embark on travel nurse careers to get away from stressful permanent positions that result in burnout, less quality time with [+]

National Nurses Week, beginning May 6th and celebrated through May 12th on Florence Nightingale’s birthday, is a long celebrated tradition, wherein all of us—from healthcare professionals to patients and their families—take the time to stop and show our hard working R.N.s our due appreciation. Throughout that week, nurses of every stripe are honored, from those still in training and recognized on May 8, National Student Nurses Day, to travel nurses and their R.N. colleagues who take the spotlight on International Nurses Day, May 12th. For generations, The American Nurses Association (ANA) has supported and encouraged recognition programs for Nurses Week that embody Florence Nightingale’s pledge; in honor of the travel nurses on staff at American Traveler, we would like to expound on Florence’s words and commend our R.N.s for practicing their profession so faithfully and elevating its standards. Whether they work in hospitals, clinics or rehab facilities, R.N.s in our travel nurse jobs are devoted to the welfare of patients who rely on them nationwide. Let's Get Visible: Ideas for Celebrating National Nurses Week Thanks to ANA and word of mouth, registered nurses, colleagues, friends and patients know just how to celebrate National [+]

Springtime in the Bluegrass state offers travel nurses the chance to witness the most exciting two minutes in sports! On May 5 through May 7th, the 137th Annual Kentucky Derby & Oaks unfolds at the famous twin spires of Churchill Downs in Louisville. If you’re an R.N. working in Ohio or Kentucky travel nurse jobs, this is a golden opportunity to enjoy gourmet food, Mint Juleps and dressing in high Derby style. The Travel Nurse Guide to the Kentucky Derby Get a Taste the Derby! Famous for its signature drinks and Old Kentucky Home dishes, like Burgoo stew, the Taste of the Derby (click the event link to see a photo gallery of 2010’s amazing spread) is on Thursday, May 5 this year, and lets you sample food and drink prepared by world famous chefs. Travel nurses who are self-described “foodies� won’t want to miss this Mellwood Arts and Entertainment Center event! A "Ladies First" Race at the Oaks! Just before the big Kentucky Derby race, there’s a Ladies First event, known as The Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 6th; on this day, travel nurses can grab their best buds and enjoy the ultimate [+]

Travel nursing jobs in the American Southwest dominate the social scene in May with events that celebrate Mexican heritage in high style. If you’re a travel nurse who loves that special time of year when the 1852 Battle of Puebla is commemorated with great food and dancing, these are your best bets for Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Texas. Arizona Travel Nurses Flock to the Festival Chihuahua Races! If you’re an R.N. working in Arizona nursing jobs, this is your chance to root for the underdog! The charming Chihuahua races are coming back to historic downtown Chandler, AZ—just south of Phoenix. Give your pipes a workout, cheering for the winner on Saturday, May 7th, 2011, from 10am to 7pm. Denver Nursing Jobs Deliver Mile High Expectations—Especially During Cinco de Mayo! It’s a fact that Denver nursing jobs put R.N.s in the heart of a vibrant Latino population that’s more prominent and fun than ever come Cinco de Mayo. Come revel in the fun of one of Denver’s most impressive events, May 7-8, 2011. More than 400,000 attendees are expected! Witness Mariachi, Cumba, Salsa, Norteno and many other genres of Latino music and dance—plus tons of superb [+]

American Traveler has the utmost appreciation and regard for its nationwide workforce; recently, we honored our Sunshine State travel nurses with a Florida Spring Traveler Appreciation Party. It was a special evening for our travel nurse agency, because it allowed us to thank both our working professionals in Florida nursing jobs, as well as members of our corporate staff. [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Florida Spring Appreciation Party Video Gallery, March 23, 2011 "][/caption] We invite travel nurses in all 50 states to click the video link and see pictures of their colleagues kicking up their heels in Florida. It was a night of sharing stories and fun from the nursing career path, over cheese & crackers, pizza, sandwiches and more. Camaraderie hung in the Spring air, thanks to our mix of impressive professionals, ranging from R.N.s new to travel nursing and on a first assignment, to Travelers logging ten years and counting with the company. More fun ensued when guests flirted with the chance to win an iPad2 for referring a qualified friend. Vice President of Company Recruitment, Mary Kay Hull, was impressed by the high morale at the March party, which put "a [+]

Employers continue to leverage temporary staff to meet increased business demands. One of the nation’s largest online job boards announced last month that 29 percent of employers responding to a recent employment survey said they hired temporary workers in the first quarter of 2011. Twenty six percent planned to do so in the second quarter, according to a March 31, press release. Though the survey doesn’t specifically address healthcare staffing, survey results come from a broad spectrum of more than 2,800 hiring managers and 5,600 workers. "A good indication that travel nursing jobs and travel therapy jobs are picking up," said Mary Kay Hull, from American Traveler, a leading supplier of travel nurses and therapists to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient rehab, ambulatory surgery and home health providers. Trending was most positive for companies with 500 or more employees and least promising for companies with 50 employees or less. Hiring was hottest in the West and coolest in the South. Nurse job pay, as indicated by survey findings, is expected to change little in 2011. Fewer than half of employers planned to issue pay raises. Of those, only 15 percent anticipated increases beyond cost of living. "Here’s where travel nursing [+]

Advanced Cardiac Life Support training saves lives in emergency situations – an undisputed fact. It’s why most healthcare providers insist on critical care nurses being ACLS Certified. This, of course, in addition to healthcare reform measures pressuring providers to improve patient safety and reduce mortality rates to maximize Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Clinical Resource Manager for American Traveler, Deborah Bacurin, said there’s an uptick at her agency for Med Surg jobs certified in ACLS. Though not all hospitals require Med/Surg nurses to be ACLS Certified, more hospitals are asking for it. “The more certifications a travel nurse has, the easier it is to place them,� Bacurin said. “It shows they’re interested in furthering their education and advancing their nurse career.� The American Heart Association has found that patients in cardiac arrest have a 6.4 percent better chance of survival with ACLS than with conventional CPR. Hospitals and healthcare employers are finding that Med Surg nurses and allied health professionals certified in ACLS, PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) and TNCC (Trauma Nurse Core Course) add value to healthcare staff and foster an environment of patient safety and care excellence. In addition to FREE deluxe housing and FREE health insurance, Travel nursing jobs at American Traveler [+]

In anticipation of long-term manned space missions -- several of which are penciled-in to Mars, Jupiter and Alpha Centauri in the next few decades -- government authorities are considering the possibility of requiring licensing for off-planet healthcare workers. The Interplanetary License (IPL) would permit physicians, nurses and rehabilitation therapists to practice aboard spacecraft, both during the voyage and also on the destination planet. Healthcare workers would be trained and tested in the unique requirements of medical procedures in a zero-gravity environment and prepared for the effects of physical changes due to space-time relativity. The proposed regulation does not cover conflict resolution should the licensing standards of the destination planets' inhabitants differ from Earthling standards. Nor does it cover insurance issues stemming from treatment of non-human life forms. In other words, Happy April Fools' Day. You may not be ready to practice on another planet, but in case you want to travel on this one, we've got rewarding travel nurse and therapist jobs across the US. You can also read more about nurse licensing and state boards here (on Earth). [+]

With 2011 in full swing, healthcare professionals and recent hires across the board are enjoying the fruits of the previous year’s trend toward job growth, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting a December increase of approximately 35,700 jobs within the healthcare sector—that’s a lot of allied health and nursing jobs! The majority of these recently staffed healthcare jobs are in the ambulatory care setting, with rosy labor statistics forecasted for therapy jobs through the year 2016! Fourth Quarter Gains in the Healthcare Sector “Zero in� on Best Regions for Nursing Jobs Job growth statistics for November of 2010 also cited big numbers for nursing jobs in hospitals and in ambulatory care; in fact, Bureau of Labor Stats for healthcare professionals at large, show that their employment figures remained high throughout the entire fall season of 2010. The HWS Labor Market Pulse Index (LMPI) has determined where job demand is highest for healthcare workers. It includes Florida nursing jobs, near the Tampa Bay area, and Arizona nursing jobs near Phoenix, both regions ranked very high in the 4th quarter for job gains. Online Job Postings for Nursing and Therapy Jobs Are a Huge [+]

One of American Traveler's Recruiters, Sara Zamora, just had to share this romantic story that a travel nurse sent her on Valentine's day. Jenna S., who is on a Wisconsin nursing job, reports that it has been an unforgettable assignment -- for several reasons! Jenna writes: "I have always wanted a white Christmas because we don't get those very much around Tennessee, where I'm from. On Christmas morning here in Wisconsin, it was so beautiful outside. There was snow on the ground, and some of the biggest snowflakes I've ever seen were coming down. My boyfriend and I decided to take a drive to visit a harbor near the hospital where I'm working. We had a great view overlooking Lake Michigan. I was standing on the pier, in awe of the scenery. When I turned around to get my boyfriend's attention, he was down on one knee. He asked me to marry him and told me that I would make him the happiest man alive if I accepted. He said that he couldn't imagine another day without me. He'd been in a serious car accident a few months earlier and neither of us wanted to be apart like that -- ever [+]