In the summer of 2001, it was a pleasure to meet Michael, an OR nurse. Back then, he was looking for a seamless way to go from New York back to his southern roots. This is his story of working on and off with American Traveler over the course of many years.

American Traveler: We really appreciate you sitting down with us—especially since you just started your new travel nurse job in Virginia. It’s great to have you back! Mike: Thanks, I remembered how wonderful the American Traveler team was, and knew that working with you again was a no-brainer, given that I needed to relocate. American Traveler:  Can you tell us if your recruiter, Elizabeth Russell has helped you with this goal, and why you had to move from Indiana to Virginia? Mike: Elizabeth has been just great! My wife, Amy, whom I met during my first travel nurse assignment, accepted an R.N. job in Virginia, and Elizabeth understood my urgency in following her out there. American Traveler: Working in Virginia is going to be a big change! Take us back 10 years to when you began working in Ft. [+]

Staffing consultants and job boards are lighting up now with more opportunities than lighting bugs in a mason jar! The days are lasting longer and travel nurses are fitting more outdoor activities in their time after work. They’re motivated to find ideal nursing and therapy jobs—ones that will carry them into the summer. That’s why it’s important to post your job openings now, with a trusted name in healthcare staffing. Our recruiters work closely with each candidate, bringing talent and clinical expertise to your hospitals, outpatient centers and skilled nursing facilities. Says Debbie Bacurin, RN, Clinical Account Manager at American Traveler, “We are seeing a lot of early postings from Maine to Georgia—in Wisconsin and Michigan, too. Our nurses and therapists know that the best hospitals are posting their job openings right now. If you’re a healthcare facility looking for the best talent out there, post your openings now to find top candidates seeking spring and summer assignments.� That being said, healthcare employers should know R.N.s and therapists have, when it comes to job searches, an understanding that: Hospitals post positions today for late spring and summer. Job candidates are now getting their state licensures ready for summer [+]

February is a high profile month for registered nurses in the CVICU and other healthcare professionals who treat heart patients. The coming of Valentine’s Day, with its metaphors to the human heart, ties in nicely with the American Heart Association and CDC’s efforts to reduce the occurrence of heart disease. Right now, the idea of indulging ourselves at our favorite restaurants and chocolatiers almost feels like a mandate. But it doesn't have to be. 5 Heart Healthy Ways to Celebrate!   Here are the handful of tips you'll need for thinking outside the (heart shaped!) box this February 14th. Skip the restaurant and pack a healthy picnic. Valentine’s Day has long been associated with the image of a couple sitting in a candlelit restaurant, ordering items like steak and Baked Alaska from the menu. Who needs long wait times and so many fat grams? Opt instead to pack a healthy picnic lunch, and enjoy it bundled up and overlooking the sunset. It’s easy to find low fat, heart healthy recipes that can be toted to favorite travel nurse destinations. Reinvent a Classic Dish ... by making it heart healthy. Culinary school is not necessary to reach [+]

From Coast to Coast - Top Nursing Job Locations For many years now, states with the greatest job shortages have been offering the highest nursing salaries in the country. Because of dense Baby Boomer populations, and these states’ appeal to retirees, nurses will always be welcomed with open arms in certain places. So get ready to bookmark where these states are and what they have to offer! If you’re a travel nurse, poised to take your career anywhere, the following U.S. states offer the highest paying R.N. jobs in the country! Here’s what hourly mean wages were in 2012 and what you can expect in 2013. Below that, is a quarterly breakdown of where in the U.S. to find the best nursing jobs. California nursing jobs offer $42.06/ an hour and higher, plus benefits that let you make the most of the Golden State. Florida nursing jobs not only average $30.29 per hour, but some hospitals there are offering huge sign-on bonuses for R.N.’s with specializations. New York nursing jobs put R.N.s in the high earning Tri-State are, averaging $35.58 per hour or more. Texas nursing jobs have a lower cost of living than [+]

Read her story about flexible travel nurse jobs and where they are taking her Ask travel nurse Linda DeLeon if she’s curled up with a good book lately, and the ER nurse is likely to tell you that yes, she’s been reading and writing her own literature to pass the wintry nights. In addition to being a busy R.N. travel nurse book signing in Delaware, the Louisiana native has also managed to pen, since 2010, two vampire novels with a third on the way. American Traveler caught up with Linda on an evening shortly before Christmas to talk about her books, Veil of Time and Fall Into Darkness; these tales of immortal love that span the 17th Century and into present day are part of a series, featuring a love triangle between James, a history professor, Vanessa and the enigmatic Claire, the protagonist in all three stories who Linda says is a character derived from her own life. And what a life! Linda has been a travel nurse before, but her current assignment is her first nursing job with American Traveler. She and her husband, who met in Las Vegas across a black jack [+]

Autumn leaves have fallen and in some parts of the country winter is seemingly in full force. Snow and ice have begun pummeling parts of the northeast and Midwest and blizzards in the Mountain States have left motorists stranded. While some traveling nurses are fortunate enough to live within walking distance of nurse jobs when bad weather hits, others rely on public transportation and driving. For those who drive to your nursing jobs, American Traveler has some sound motorist advice.  This goes for travel nurses experiencing bad driving conditions now, and for registered nurses traveling to cold weather states who need to prepare for dangerous roads ahead this winter. For travel nurses who ride the bus, subway or train, it’s important to keep transportation websites, hot links and apps bookmarked in your mobile devices. Most cities offer cyber amenities to riders which are invaluable in finding out if your ride is running late or not showing up at all. NURSE JOBS REMINDER:  Bad weather means more drive time to traveling nurse jobs, so leave early and arrive on time. Be the registered nurse who supervisors say always shows up no matter what. TOP 10 DRIVING TIPS for Traveling Nurses in Rain, Snow and Ice Conduct [+]

Today is an important reminder to Americans, of the sacrifices and commitment of all who serve or did serve in our military. As members of the American Traveler healthcare team wake up today, they’ll head off to therapy and nursing jobs that serve a large number of veterans; some of you may even work in Veteran’s hospitals where the appearance of an American flag pin on your hospital scrubs is a welcome sight.  If you’re an R.N. who’d like to brush up on your Veteran’s Day knowledge and what it’s meant to Americans historically, this mini-list of facts about the holiday, helps you live in the moment. Are you an R.N. chatting with a Veteran Patient Today? For those nurses and therapists who treat veterans in healthcare facilities around the country, here’s a little bit of Q&A meant to enrich your Veterans Day. How does Veterans Day set itself apart from Memorial Day? The May holiday is a tribute to military troops who died, whereas this day in November is in remembrance of all active and retired military. What is Veterans Day called in other parts of the world? It’s called Remembrance Day or Armistice Day, [+]

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 [+]

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 [+]

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, [+]