Clinical Educator and ER nurse, Partrice Ballard, combines a love of travel with preparing nursing students for bright futures American Traveler caught up with Patrice Ballard, MSN for a chat about her experiences working as a Nurse Educator in Arizona. Part I of this two part nurse interview introduces RNs and physical therapists keen on combining work and travel, to a fellow professional who currently enjoys the best of both worlds. Patrice is a wife, mother and full-time Clinical Educator, with the admirable ability to work, also, in the ER once a week. Here, she shares commentary and tips for making the most of an 8 month long travel nursing assignment. Q: What prompted you to pursue a travel nursing career? A: You know, it’s a little ironic—albeit in a wonderful way—that I began a travel nurse career after 15 years in the ER.  Friends and family used to describe me as a “hover mother� – couldn’t picture me on an out-of-state assignment, but when the opportunity to work 34 weeks in Globe, Arizona came, I jumped on it. Q: You secured a unique position. How did that come about?[+]

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 [+]

Movie buffs, rejoice! With the recent announcement of the nominees for the 2010 Academy Awards, it’s officially Oscar season! For the first time, the list of nominees for Best Picture has been expanded to 10.  The choices for voters in the Academy run the gamut from serious drama to big-action sci-fi to whimsical animation. With so many nominations, the chances are pretty good that the RN who loves movies has seen (or will see) a good number of these films.  The winner will be announced during the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony on March 7. Meanwhile, which movie do you think deserves Oscar glory? Vote in our poll below. Which movie deserves the Best Picture Oscar this year?(survey software) [+]

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 [+]

More and more travel nurses are finding themselves working in a hospital that has a nurses union. What does this mean for the traveling nurse? First, know that this trend is gaining steam.  Just this past December, three large RN unions (in California, Massachusetts and Maryland) merged to form the 150,000-member National Nurses United.  Its mission? Says Deborah Burger, RN, one of three charter co-presidents of NNU: "We are going to make sure we organize every single direct-care RN in this country. RNs and our patients deserve to have a national nurses' movement that can advocate for them." The NNU -- which is seasoned, well-organized and well-financed -- has a very convincing sales pitch.  Among the “pros� of unionization are more security for nurses, more clout when battling administrators, and higher pay and seniority protection for nursing jobs.  Thus, many facilities are accepting a nurses union -- and many traveling nurses are choosing to join a union. To join, or not to join? Not everyone is a fan of RN unions. The “cons� include high union dues, having to comply with their bylaws and other regulations, and having one more layer of bureaucracy between the nurse and the patients. [+]

Are you an American Traveler and football fanatic, interested in featured travel nursing jobs? Well, if you have a Florida license in hand, you’re in luck. Our quick start positions may be just the ticket—to the Super Bowl XLIV! Our traveling nurses will have plenty of time to line up a nearby assignments, rub shoulders with Florida nurses already here for the fun, and watch the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts face off Sunday, February 7 at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami. In the days leading up to the big game, local festivities abound, and there couldn’t be a better place to enjoy them than the Sunshine State in wintertime. South Florida temperatures average in the low 70’s this time of year, making outdoor events like the Pepsi Super Bowl Fan Jam on February 5 a no-brainer! This event, hosted by Kevin Dillon of HBO’s Entourage, will take place at 8th Street and Ocean Drive, featuring singers Rihanna, DJ Irie, Justin Bieber and Nelly Furtado. If you’re looking for a free, non-ticketed affair to get in the Super Bowl mood, check out the Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel on Saturday, the night before the [+]

Thousands of nurses across the country are responding to the call for volunteers to provide medical aid in Haiti following its devastating Jan. 12 earthquake. National Nurses United, the largest RN organization in the country, says that more than 12,000 nurses have answered the call to serve, awaiting only funds (the NNU is asking for donations) and logistical arrangements (transportation, lodging, etc.) to be deployed to Haiti. This development presents two types of opportunities for the travel nurse. First, nurses between assignments may choose to do a volunteer stint in Haiti.  American Traveler has seen many of its RNs volunteer over the years, and encourages those who wish to serve in Haiti to do so. The second opportunity involves travel nursing jobs that will become available to fill the temporary absences.  These are likely to be opening up all across the country; check our rn jobs list often for new travel nursing assignments. In Florida, there has been a particularly large response from volunteers – and thus a looming shortage of licensed nurses. That means there’s a good chance that there will be many excellent Florida travel nursing jobs opening up. To make it even easier and more desirable for a traveling nurse to [+]