Meet Cindy Burbatt, R.N. and her Pets American Traveler had the pleasure of checking in with a new member of our travel nursing staff, Cindy Burbatt, R.N. who shared some of the details of her first travel nurse job in Kansas City, Missouri. We talked with Cindy on the eve of her birthday. She was full of excitement for the road trip planned the following morning, departing from North Carolina en route to the heart of the Midwest. As the mother of three grown children, Cindy decided it was the right time to change up her 16-year background as a permanent staff telemetry/med surge nurse by accepting a travel nurse job in America’s heartland. While the truck she drives may not be anything that unusual for a R.N. moving to Kansas City, one standout detail is the 17ft. long trailer attached. It accommodates her longstanding and beloved pets, George and Ash; these are Cindy’s horses, and during the car trip to Missouri they’ll be staying in farms sprinkled throughout various states—places Cindy found through an online network called Horse Motel. When they arrive in Kansas City, Cindy will take up residence in a townhome, compliments of American Traveler’s private housing arrangement. George [+]

Everything You Need To Know and More Looks like you just landed a new travel nurse or travel therapy job. Congratulations! Your next step is to pack light and relocate to your new city. You brought your skills, bright smile and determination; your consultant at American Traveler is handling the rest, and will soon send a detailed driving route and other vital information to make your assignment worry-free and the ultimate healthcare travel job experience! Travel Nurse Housing Essentials For a complete pack list, click on up-to-date Suggestions for Completing Your Apartment, and be sure to bookmark the American Traveler Housing Tips page for future reference. Here are the basics! Kitchen: A good set of kitchen knives, complete set of cutlery, silverware tray, waste basket, coffee maker & mugs,  toaster oven, veggie peeler, can opener, cork screw, strainer, cookie sheet and frying pan. Don’t forget to pack or purchase, a dustpan and broom, and all the bowls & plates you’ll need during your travel nurse assignment. Electronics: Your important electronic possessions may include a T.V., DVR , cell phone, PC or laptop,  printer, alarm clock, iPad, stereo system. Bring all that apply, and don’t forget the phone charger, spare [+]

R.N.s and physical therapists who work for American Traveler take every precaution to avoid the flu. They know their first and best defense is to get a flu shot or nasal spray. Like most top tier staffing agencies, our healthcare professionals must show proof of vaccination once a year, and are glad to provide patients with everything they need to know about protecting themselves during flu season, October through December. Spreading the word about the importance of an annual flu shot means you’re in good company with the Center for Disease Control. The CDC recommends that everyone 6 months-old and up get vaccinated. The 2011-2012 flu strain is identical to last year’s, including the H1N1 virus; that means if you were vaccinated last year, you need only receive 1 shot this go around. Click here to find flu shots near you and be sure to post a comment on our Facebook page when you’ve done your good deed for the day! American Traveler Encourages Flu Prevention Tactics For R.N.s Some controversy has surrounded mandating the flu shot for medical personnel. Interested Registered Nurses can read about this on a related healthcare [+]

Tips and Positive Affirmations for a Travel Nurse Career American Traveler congratulates our recent hires on landing the ultimate in therapist and registered nurse jobs! You’re well poised for rapid career advancement in travel nurse jobs offering top pay and benefits package that include free private housing, health insurance, referral bonuses and more! Checking in with the real life professionals in our travel nurse video is a testament to just how fulfilling and exciting all of this can be—and yet those first few days on the job often result in butterflies. Don’t despair! Calm yourself with the following travel nurse tips and positive affirmations: Tip: It almost sounds too simple, but keep smiling. A pleasant demeanor shows you welcome change; plus your new colleagues are all the more likely to offer their help. Why this tip works: With new procedures to learn and equipment to master, you’ll want to make friends in every new travel nurse job. Your fellow RN’s are the ones to brief you on everything from patients to supervisors, to helping you remember where you parked your car. Affirmation: This hospital chose me. Why this positive affirmation works: Because American Traveler staffs in [+]

An Exclusive Travel Nurse Interview It was our pleasure this summer to catch up with Rhonda Ward, R.N., who is enjoying a travel nurse job in Juneau, Alaska right now. A registered nurse for over 20 years and currently working in Endoscopy, Rhonda opened up about the travel nurse lifestyle, and why it’s so special. AT: Is this trip to Alaska your first travel nurse assignment? RW: No, this Alaska travel nurse job is my second, but my first with American Traveler. I’m really liking it so far and would love to extend, maybe work in a Hawaii nursing job next. I’ve had the opportunity to see a lot of the Pacific Northwest this summer, and that’s why I wouldn’t mind staying.

AT: Can you tell us about any day-trips or short vacations you’ve been able to do while on assignment? RW: Actually, Seattle’s not too far, so I accepted an invitation to meet up with Jennie Rayner over the 4th of July weekend. AT: Hmmm…Jennie Rayner. That name sounds familiar! Wait a minute! She’s one of our travel nurse recruiters. Are you two friends? RW: Yes, we are! Jennie’s my recruiter, and I got to [+]

Get Your Top 5 Kitchen Do’s and Don’ts Here Travel nurses are busy people with places to go and people to see, but that doesn’t mean they can’t prepare, say, a pizza during a Chicago nursing job that takes its cues from Deep dish, or, during a Hawaii assignment mix things up in the kitchen with newfound Polynesian flair. With free travel nurse job housing featuring all the amenities (like great kitchens), and proximity to great shopping, R.N.s can pick up all kinds of in season fruits and veggies that make mealtime special. Just make sure the pantry isn’t lacking with this fail-safe checklist: Must Have Pantry Items Sugar and flour Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, cashews) Rice (brown, white, long grain and minute rice) Dijon mustard, mayo, soy sauce, ketchup Chicken and beef stock Salt, Extra Virgin Olive oil Canned fruit and veggie goods Marinara and pizza sauce Tuna and salmon, packaged in pouches or cans Whole wheat bread, and pasta Got the goods? Great! Now it’s time to get started on a delicious home cooked meal! Five Cooking Do's Do: Save yourself time by cooking extra batches of chicken, pork or fish and store for future use. Once you seal it and freeze it, [+]

Find an event near you! For Maine travel nurses, it’s a very patriotic summer indeed in the blueberry capitol of America—a wonderful place for waving red, white and blue, taking in the fireworks and statewide festivals. Here are just a few state highlights. Start Your Fourth of July off with pancakes and fun in Bar Harbor If you’re a travel nurse with a hankering for flapjacks and sausage, get yourself down to Bar Harbor, Maine for their 4th of July pancake breakfast and festival—an all day affair that begins at 6am and includes a full day of crafts, lobster races, seafood, fireworks and band concert. Fireworks will be shot over Frenchman Bay at 9:15 p.m. Get starting times and exact locations for all activities planned by calling 800-288-5103. You may also catch a whiff of pancakes coming from Thomaston, Maine on the 4th of July; call 207-354-8763 for more information! Maine Fireworks and Festivals Perhaps one of the biggest to-dos is "Heritage Days" in Bath, ME. Starting July 1st and culminating in a lovely display of 4th of July fireworks over the Bay Waterfront (9:15pm), this is one of the best places [+]

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 [+]

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 [+]