As an ER nurse, you probably do know that many of these brain injuries go ignored far too long, resulting in complications, hospitalizations and even death.  To help get the word out about the seriousness of concussions and TBIs, the CDC has launched a Concussion in Sports Web page.

This Web page is loaded with useful information and statistics for consumers — coaches, parents and others — including the basics of how to recognize a possible brain injury or concussion or what to do if a concussion occurs.

But the site is also an invaluable tool for the ER nurses and other healthcare professionals, too. Let’s say you just took an American Traveler assignment for a pedriatric ICU job in Cincinatti, or for a critical care job in Hudson, FL (these jobs are actually available right now!) — and a suspected brain-injury case comes walking through the door.

Well, the CDC site has a handy page titled Brain Injury in Your Practice that helps physicians (and NEURO nurses) “play a key role in helping to prevent mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) or concussion and improve a patient’s health outcomes through early diagnosis, management, and appropriate referral.”

This page also contains a link to MTBI clinical diagnosis guidelines for four key questions:

• Which patients with MTBI should have a head CT scan in the ER
• Is an MRI more useful than a CT scan when assessing a patient with acute MTBI?
• In MTBI patients, are brain specific blood serum biomarkers predictive of an acute traumatic intracranial injury?
• Should an MTBI patient with a normal neurologic evaluation and a negative CT scan be discharged from the ER?

This is a Web page that should definitely be bookmarked before you head to any more American Traveler ER nurse jobs!  And ER nurses, please let us know of any other invaluable job resources you have discovered in your travels!

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 in high demand. (And, even more so, considering the projected shortfall of all types of nurses will be 260,000 in the next 15 years.)

Therefore, it makes sense to get as much additional training and education as possible to increase your potential worth as a registered nurse.  See our recent blog with suggestions on what advanced nursing certifications and credentials to pursue.

And, the good news is, there may be money coming from Uncle Sam for some of this education. Says the Times:

“The health care bills moving through Congress contain provisions that would increase funding for nurse training programs, including one aimed specifically at raising the number of advanced practice nurses, which include nurse practitioners.”

Registered nurses, if you are thinking about advanced specialized training or you are currently enrolled, please share with us your comments or recommendations!

“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 certifications the better – and the more advanced, the better.

Here are Bacurin’s suggestions for certifications in their specialty that RNs should pursue:

• ED: PALS, NRP, ENPC, TNCC, CATN, CEN
• Critical Care: PALS, NRP, TNCC, CCRN
• Tele: PALS, TNCC
• Peds: NRP, PALS, ACLS
• M/S: ACLS, PALS, TNCC

For those looking to change nursing-job specialties or increase your skills:

• M/S to Tele, ED or ICU: Go for the trauma certifications (TNCC, CATN); plus  advanced-life support certs such as ACLS or PALS
• L&D or M/B: Go for AWHHON, NRP or S.T.A.B.L.E.

For more information on these and other licenses and education programs, see our Nursing Professional Resources page; also, you can always discuss your options with your American Traveler consultant.

Meanwhile, share your nursing-training experiences with fellow travelers. What certifications and credentials have you found to be most valuable in advancing your travel nursing career?

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 patients with various disease entities).

Another test that travel nurses accepting RN jobs might expect during their orientation is a medication administration exam. (And you thought you were done with those in school, right? Wrong!)  Hospitals administering these nursing tests will usually allow the use of a drug-reference book and a calculator; but it’s up to the travel nurse to be on top of these skills in order to assure on-the-job success.

Here are a few Web sites that might help you study for these nursing tests:

• Brush Up On Your Drug Calculation Skills
• Dosage Calculations Tutorial
• Useful Abbreviations

“It is always a good idea to review the most common drugs used in your specialty,” advises Deborah Bacurin, RN, clinical resource manager at American Traveler.  “Critical care nurse? Review your arrhythmias before going in on the first day.  Remember the basic testing tips:  a good night’s sleep, confidence and be ready for anything!”

As a Joint-Commission Certified travel nursing agency, American Traveler is devoted to matching each client’s skills and talents with the most suitable RN jobs.  Your American Traveler consultant will walk you through the specific nursing tests required at any facility where you might be assigned.  Once you know what will be expected, you can arrive well-prepared for your travel nursing jobs.

We look forward to hearing your comments, suggestions and tips on how you prepare to pass tests when arriving at a new travel nursing job.

Don’t be shy; leave us your question and Kristin will post an answer under Ask Kristin a Question….

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