2013 Theme: Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care As a registered nurse among some 3.1 million R.N.s in America, you can always count on National Nurses Week as a time that brings pleasant surprises to the workplace—like a guest speaker who is a big advocate for nurses, commemorative luncheon or party, or other appreciative gesture made by your hospital employer. While it’s a time for some well-deserved celebration, countess registered nurses look forward to this week in May for its outreach potential as well. Whether it’s nominating a colleague for a special award this week, or winning honor and recognition personally, National Nurses Week is something to look forward to, as hospitals across the United States focus not just on thanking hard working R.N.s in staffing jobs and travel nursing jobs, but on patient advocacy and innovation in times of healthcare reform and a nursing shortage. Besides wearing an official "RN Pin" this week, these are some other things nurses can do to celebrate the profession in ways highlighted by the American Nursing Association. Be an innovator: Innovative thinking helps patients find solutions to their most troublesome problems; innovation can also reduce fall rates [+]

American Traveler recommends that traveling nurses have their vehicles inspected for safety and proper working order in preparation for winter. Follow these 5 easy-to remember tips to ensure your vehicle starts in winter and gets you to travel nursing jobs safely. Though bringing your car, truck or SUV to a certified mechanic may cost you a few bucks, the life you may save in the process is priceless. Have your brakes checked. Have this done by a certified mechanic. If you’re new to a traveling nurse job then find one by asking fellow nurses or by searching the Internet for a nearby franchise that guarantees their work. Check your tires for tread. Too little or no tread on your tires is dangerous and increases the chances of sliding on ice and hydroplaning in the rain. Remember to check tire pressure regularly (spare tire too!) all year. Request an engine diagnostic. This will ensure your motor is running on all cylinders and will start when temperatures drop. Ask to have heaters, defrosters and cold weather electronics inspected for working order. Pack a motorist safety kit. No traveling nurses leaves home or work planning to breakdown [+]

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, [+]

Why It Pays to Consider Florida Travel Nursing Jobs Here’s a sunny daydream to entertain you as temperatures drop around the country: you, a travel nurse, are walking along miles of pristine beach. You look down and see a big, pink conch shell, holding it to your ear for that assured sound of the ocean deep inside. Now snap yourself awake and hear this: of the 620 hospitals just named by The Joint Commission (JC) as the nation’s best, 18 of these healthcare employers are located in Florida. That means in addition to offering gorgeous winters, Florida travel nurse jobs give the R.N. a chance to work in a top performing hospital. So what helped these 18 Florida healthcare employers make the grade? The ratings were based on a number of measures, some of them quite specific: for instance, whether the hospital provided aspirin to heart attack patients on arrival; how reliably antibiotics were offered in the hour leading up to surgery and the quality of home management plans for kids with asthma and pneumonia. 11 of the 18 hospitals chosen as among the best by the JC are found at the [+]

Every year researchers and scientists find ways to stamp out disease, improve patient care, and utilize technology to make doctors and nurses more efficient, accountable and exact. Thank goodness, or we would still be bloodletting and using morphine-laced syrups to treat teething babies. Can you imagine? Check out these Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs for 2012. They’ll be introduced at the Cleveland Clinic “Innovative to the Bone� medical summit in October. From sterile bugs to CT Scans for lung cancer, it’s pretty cool stuff and we wanted to share. 10. Genetically-modified mosquitos Millions of sterile male mosquitos were release in the Caymans in an attempt to reduced disease-carrying pest populations. It worked! The mosquito population dropped by 80 percent!  Who would have thought sperm-less mosquitos could help eradicate malaria. 9. SGLT2 Inhibitors Waiting for approval by the FDA, SGLT2 inhibitors flush blood sugar out of the body in urine. This massive medical breakthrough has the potential to shift diabetes treatment from insulin to eating habits in an attempt to catch the debilitating disease early. 8. Using Data to Curb Medical Mistakes Healthcare systems crunch data 24/7 in an effort to enhance medical prognosis, diagnoses and therapies; data vital to reducing patient readmissions and improving outcomes. Computerized patient care [+]

Nurse jobs at American Traveler in high demand BOCA RATON, FL (PRWeb), Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:30:01 EST - Just about everyone in America rubs elbows with healthcare. And now with federal healthcare reforms aimed at granting millions of Americans improved access to quality care, American Traveler healthcare employers from hospitals to home health are on the hunt, once again, for skilled RNs. Good news for nurses looking for RN jobs and even better news for Registered Nurses looking to connect with travel nursing jobs. Raed the entire Healthcare Jobs on the Rise Press Release [+]

Travel nursing jobs in the American Southwest dominate the social scene in May with events that celebrate Mexican heritage in high style. If you’re a travel nurse who loves that special time of year when the 1852 Battle of Puebla is commemorated with great food and dancing, these are your best bets for Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Texas. Arizona Travel Nurses Flock to the Festival Chihuahua Races! If you’re an R.N. working in Arizona nursing jobs, this is your chance to root for the underdog! The charming Chihuahua races are coming back to historic downtown Chandler, AZ—just south of Phoenix. Give your pipes a workout, cheering for the winner on Saturday, May 7th, 2011, from 10am to 7pm. Denver Nursing Jobs Deliver Mile High Expectations—Especially During Cinco de Mayo! It’s a fact that Denver nursing jobs put R.N.s in the heart of a vibrant Latino population that’s more prominent and fun than ever come Cinco de Mayo. Come revel in the fun of one of Denver’s most impressive events, May 7-8, 2011. More than 400,000 attendees are expected! Witness Mariachi, Cumba, Salsa, Norteno and many other genres of Latino music and dance—plus tons of superb [+]

Employers continue to leverage temporary staff to meet increased business demands. One of the nation’s largest online job boards announced last month that 29 percent of employers responding to a recent employment survey said they hired temporary workers in the first quarter of 2011. Twenty six percent planned to do so in the second quarter, according to a March 31, press release. Though the survey doesn’t specifically address healthcare staffing, survey results come from a broad spectrum of more than 2,800 hiring managers and 5,600 workers. "A good indication that travel nursing jobs and travel therapy jobs are picking up," said Mary Kay Hull, from American Traveler, a leading supplier of travel nurses and therapists to hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, outpatient rehab, ambulatory surgery and home health providers. Trending was most positive for companies with 500 or more employees and least promising for companies with 50 employees or less. Hiring was hottest in the West and coolest in the South. Nurse job pay, as indicated by survey findings, is expected to change little in 2011. Fewer than half of employers planned to issue pay raises. Of those, only 15 percent anticipated increases beyond cost of living. "Here’s where travel nursing [+]

Advanced Cardiac Life Support training saves lives in emergency situations – an undisputed fact. It’s why most healthcare providers insist on critical care nurses being ACLS Certified. This, of course, in addition to healthcare reform measures pressuring providers to improve patient safety and reduce mortality rates to maximize Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Clinical Resource Manager for American Traveler, Deborah Bacurin, said there’s an uptick at her agency for Med Surg jobs certified in ACLS. Though not all hospitals require Med/Surg nurses to be ACLS Certified, more hospitals are asking for it. “The more certifications a travel nurse has, the easier it is to place them,� Bacurin said. “It shows they’re interested in furthering their education and advancing their nurse career.� The American Heart Association has found that patients in cardiac arrest have a 6.4 percent better chance of survival with ACLS than with conventional CPR. Hospitals and healthcare employers are finding that Med Surg nurses and allied health professionals certified in ACLS, PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) and TNCC (Trauma Nurse Core Course) add value to healthcare staff and foster an environment of patient safety and care excellence. In addition to FREE deluxe housing and FREE health insurance, Travel nursing jobs at American Traveler [+]

Find out which Healthcare Employers Topped Fortune’s List of 100 best places to work Fortune Magazine, well-known throughout the business world, has published this year’s results for the top 100 best companies to work for; not surprisingly, it includes 11 different hospitals and health systems across the United States—this is fantastic news for a leading nurse staffing agency that fills travel nursing jobs from coast to coast, and even better news for R.N.s who come to work for us! Our healthcare staff enjoys luxury private housing and other comprehensive benefits with some of the best travel nursing locations in the country as the backdrop—and the cherry on top? American Traveler is proud to be affiliated with America’s best hospitals, ranked year after year by U.S. News & World Report and frequent spot-holders on Fortune’s annual list. Need a Quick summary of Fortune’s list? Then feast your travel nursing eyes on this! Several of the hospital systems that made the cut are in coveted U.S. travel nursing locations, spanning the sunshine state—where Florida nursing jobs employ tens of thousands of registered nurses —to the west coast, where California nursing jobs are [+]