To limit liabilities associated with under-qualified nurses, American Traveler takes diligent steps to ensure all RN traveling nurses placed by the agency meet or exceed the level of competence expected by clients.  Clinical testing and evaluations, reference verifications and performance tracking are just a few ways the nurse staffing company achieves client satisfaction contract after nurse contract. "Our Joint Commission Surveyor confirmed that our registered nurse staffing processes ensure competence," said Clinical Account Manager Deborah Bacurin, RN. "Moreover, our nurses continue to earn kudos among client facilities for promptness, professionalism and job knowledge." Medication errors by nurses - or incidents where bedside care suffered because an RN didn’t follow hospital protocol - rock the healthcare staffing world. They remind hospital administrators and nurse staffing agencies alike of the important role nurse competency testing plays in patient safety. It’s in this light that American Traveler goes to great lengths to provide competent nurses with proven track records of quality patient care. “I’m proud to say our larger healthcare providers have been with us for years because we continue to provide them with highly competent nurses who watch out for the best interest of their patients. In our [+]

Without the ability to effectively communicate with under-served minorities, healthy patient outcomes are in peril, say experts at the Pennsylvania Patient Authority. Their agency reported about 232 incidents over a six year period at Keystone State healthcare facilities involving accidents and near accidents that might have been prevented with video interpreters. Risk-related incidents included patient falls from not understanding care instructions, unwanted circumcisions and surgeon/patient disconnects. In some cases, language barriers made it difficult to obtain patient consent, delaying treatment and jeopardizing outcomes. Video interpretation services rely on a portable two-way video monitor system easily transported to the ER, bedside or visitor waiting area.  At a cost of about $0.80 to $1.00 a minute, the caregiver or registered nurse simply selects a language and the system conferences in an interpreter live via satellite almost immediately. For healthcare employers serving large urban communities, video interpretation systems are a godsend.  They alleviate high costs associated with on-site interpreters and enable better patient care through improved communication with Limited English Proficient, Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing patients. For career nurses on the front lines, a video interpreter means they no longer have to wait for a live [+]