Archive for March, 2010

Get a High Nursing Salary in California plus the Art Scene

Monday, March 29th, 2010

California Travel Nursing Jobs may pay a high salary, but the art scene enriches you too —see our San Diego tidbit

Are you an RN who loves sunshine and entertainment possibilities that just happen to include Artwalks chock full of future Picassos and 4 separate stages of live music?

We’ve got a Tidbit for you; for those of you in San Diego travel nursing jobs, there’s a lot going on in your own backyard, like the Mission Federal travel nurse shopping at art festivalArtwalk on April 24th and 25th, 2010. The event takes place in San Diego’s historic Little Italy from 11am to 6pm, on what has been—for the last 25 years—glorious spring weather for this long-lived festival. Nearby San Diego areas, like Balboa Park, will make RNs want to learn even more about the additional benefits of travel nursing jobs at 50 States Staffing.

You can see last year’s downtown festival on the Mission ArtWalk website, find out how to commission an on-site portrait, or simply find a souvenir in almost every medium to dress up your free private housing.

We have California travel nursing jobs in well known cities, peppering the northern tip of the state as well (think San Francisco and Napa Valley) and, of course, those Southern Cal opportunities—putting travel nurses close to Little Italy events that include so much more than the occasional festival. Bookmark this site to add weekly farmers markets to your social calendar.

Remember that when in San Diego’s Little Italy, you can’t say when in Rome…but you can vouch for the fact that Disneyland in Anaheim is only a short two hour drive away!

The best way to get to Little Italy is by MTS trolley or shuttle. For easiest access, park at the Horton Plaza and catch the trolley on the corner of Cedar and Beech Street. Driving directions are available by clicking here.

Once you step off the trolley at County Center/Little Italy this whole historic area, once an Italian fishing village, is a travel nurse’s oyster.

To prove that the rest of California can be, too, we’ll leave you with a quote from one of our physical therapists and his travel nurse spouse.

“50 States has given my wife, DeAnna, and I, the opportunity to travel together as healthcare professionals.  DeAnna is a nurse and I am a PT. 50 States has allowed us to work with just one representative, which is rare.  We have been packaged as a team and have scored high paying jobs in perfect locations, close to big cities. We are living the life!”

If the cultural scene in the Golden State is something you think you’d like to take advantage of, your travel nursing career is the perfect vehicle. Get on the road to an impressive salary and so much more by checking out our travel nurse career tools that clue you in to community resources near you!

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Posted in Nursing Career, Travel Nurse Jobs, Travel Nursing Location | No Comments »

Get the Best of your Travel Nurse Job Housing

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

As a travel nurse you have the privilege to take nursing jobs anywhere in the U.S. ; but, while exciting, the location where you are going the live for the next few months can be as important as the travel nurse job itself.  So, to get the best of your new travel nurse job housing, and your new nursing job, first you need to decide if you are taking a pet or family member along for the ride. If the answer is yes, then you need to do your research and ask your consultant about the location and surrounding areas. Below, we have listed some key questions you should ask before accepting the job offer:

In case you are bringing your pet, here are a few items you need to tell your agency recruiter:

  • What kind of pet you are bringing; very important; some pets (dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, ferrets) might not be allowed in certain locations
  • Weight, breed, age, and if the pet is neutered or spayed.
  • The number of pets you are bringing; we don’t suggest more than  two pets.
  • What floor you would like to be housed on to make it easier to take your pet on a walk.

Additional important travel nurse housing tips are:

  • Make sure your travel nurse agency offers free and private housing or a subsidy stipend ; otherwise, look for another agency.
  • Be sure to express your feelings about your daily commute to the hospital; do you mind driving more than 10-15 miles to work or not?
  • If you don’t want cable TV installed, inform your recruiter; otherwise you might be charged an extra fee for cable.
  • Learn about the area before you leave for a travel nurse job. You can find out about the city and what is the lifestyle around/things to do in your days off by visiting 50 States Travel Nurse Jobs State Resources.
  • Ask as many questions as you need, about the housing and anything else you would like to know. Our Career Resource offers relocation links to help nurses on the go.
  • You can also check Google Earth for housing location pictures and surrounding area information.

Once you are sure about your assignment, just take the plunge! And, hope to have as much fun as this travel nurse did in her travel nursing career. Read Lydia’s testimonial below:

“Soon after experts at 50 States Staffing told me they would provide my husband and I with free private housing and free health insurance benefits while we traveled, I completed an online application and got my first travel nurse job stress-free and easy as a Mother-Baby Nurse in sunny Florida.” Read the rest of Lydia’s travel nursing experience testimonials and others.

Lydia Landis – Travel Nurse

We hope these tips help you get the best of your next travel nurse job and the housing location. Enjoy!

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Posted in Nursing Career, Travel Nurse Career Tips, Travel Nurse Jobs, Travel Nursing Location | 1 Comment »

New CDC Concussion Web Page a Good Resource for the Pediatric Nurse

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Pediatric nurses and school nurses on the front lines of keeping our kids healthy probably already know that sports injuries account for a big portion of visits to their office every year. And, a good percentage of these cases are likely to involve some sort of brain injury.

But you might not know the widespread extent of this problem.  So, here’s a head-up: Of the 1 million emergency-room visits per year for traumatic brain injury (TBI) or concussion, “an estimated 135,000 are sports- and recreation-related TBIs, including concussions, among children ages 5 to 18,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Unfortunately, many of these brain injuries go ignored far too long by parents and coaches — resulting in complications, hospitalizations and even death.  To get the word out to the general public 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, including the basics of how to recognize a possible brain injury or concussion and what to do if a concussion occurs. There are materials on the site directed at doctors, parents, and coaches for high school and youth sports.

But the site is also an invaluable tool for school nurses, pediatric nurses and other healthcare professionals who need to keep on their toes in all of their travel nursing jobs.

Of particular interest to the school and pediatric nurse is the information regarding youth sports and its alarming role in brain-injury rates.

Says the site:

Most sports-and recreation-related TBIs, which include concussions, occur among youth and teens. … Among youth ages 5 to 18, the sports and recreation activities that generate the greatest number of emergency department visits for TBI are popular activities such as bicycling, football, basketball, playground activities, and soccer.

This is a Web page that should definitely be bookmarked before you head to any more 50 States Staffing pediatric nurse jobs!  And  please let us know of any other invaluable job resources you have discovered in your nursing practice!

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Posted in Healthcare Web Site Reviews, Nursing Career, Peds Nurse, Travel Nurse Jobs, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

The Travel Nursing Survival Guide

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Traveling nurses already possess the spirit of adventure and the personal flexibility needed to enjoy the travel nursing career and lifestyle.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s all smooth-sailing on every assignment. On the contrary: You can expect to occasionally hit some bumpy waters when you arrive at new destinations for your nursing jobs.  But the RN who can navigate these unpredictable bumps will learn to survive – and thrive – in your travel nursing career!

At 50 States Staffing, we are dedicated to providing our health-care professionals with the support and services they need to be successful on the job.  And clients are thriving, judging by traveler testimonials:

“I couldn’t be happier! 50 States Staffing allows us to travel together as a couple, and gives me the opportunity to choose from assignments best suited to my ‘semi-retired’ travel nursing lifestyle. We’re already deciding where to go on my next travel nurse assignment.” — L. Landis, travel nurse

For instance, to help our clients prepare for their upcoming assignments — Florida Nursing Jobs, say, or Colorado Nursing Jobs — we’ve already offered suggestions on what to pack when you’re heading to certain destinations that happen to be the Top 10 Places to Live in the United States, parts I and II.

And here are some general tips on how to make the most of all of your travel nursing job assignments:

Keep a good attitude:

  • Don’t let yourself get flustered by the unfamiliarity of your new nursing-job environment.
  • Keep in mind that a new place lets you make a fresh start every few months.
  • Also, remember that meeting new people provides an opportunity to experience different perspectives.

Be prepared:

  • Arrive in your new location a day or two early to get the lay of the land (e.g., find out where the local stores are, how long the commute to work is, etc.).
  • Get plenty of rest before your first day so you can arrive refreshed and ready to go!
  • When you begin your travel nursing job, bring a small pouch that contains all necessities — pens, a small notepad, a copy of your nursing license, your driver’s license, any certifications, and a small coin purse with some cash. (This way, you’re self-contained in case there’s no locker or other storage place available right away.)

Be a team player:

  • Make an effort to be aware of what’s going on with others around you.
  • Be on time, be reliable, and communicate clearly and professionally.
  • Fill in for co-workers or do an extra shift when you can.
  • Befriend other traveling nurses or permanent nurses so you have people to socialize with outside the job.

Keep looking ahead:

  • Stay in touch with the registered nurses and medical professionals you’ve befriended during all of your travel nursing jobs.
  • At the end of each assignment, ask for written references from the colleagues and managers you connected with most.

Follow these tips, and you can feel confident in accepting any of 50 States Staffing’s registered nurse jobs. Check out the opportunities today!

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New concepts in patient safety take flight in travel nursing and travel therapy jobs

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Peter Pronovost, an anesthesiologist and critical-care specialist at Johns Hopkins partnered with colleague and media relations executive, Eric Vohr to publish “Safe Patients, Smart Hospitals”, a compelling 304 page read that has the healthcare industry buzzing with new approaches to protecting its patients.

The book begins under the premise that patient care ought to be more like the aviation business, which is to say (and we traveling nurses and therapists know how to assess the metaphor here) pilots rely on every crew member, regardless of rank. Pilots and crew work as a team; they report preemptively on danger, and, above and beyond this, pilots make checklists before take-off.

Why can’t doctors and nurses work together like this? Dr. Pronovost is saying that they can.

RNs need to feel comfortable talking to doctors. A travel nursing assignment may, at times, entail conversations with the health team when a patient’s health is at stake. The bottom line? Better communication among hospital staff and simple checklists are having a remarkable impact on patient care and saving thousands of lives.

Here’s an example of how well a check-list approach works. The Center for Disease Control has a 120 page book of guidelines for safe catheter insertion—too long, argues Dr. Pronovost, for healthcare professionals to absorb and implement flawlessly; so he broke it down into an easy 5 step checklist.

  • Wash hands
  • Use sterile gowns, gloves and masks
  • Clean the insertion site with antiseptic
  • Avoid placing catheters in the groin (where infection risk is higher)
  • Remove catheter just as soon as it is no longer needed.

In a federally funded program, Dr. Pronovost’s checklist was implemented in 50 ICUs in Michigan hospitals. The result? Infection rates dropped to nearly zero and stayed there, saving an estimated 2,000 people, dropping cases of infection and unnecessary deaths across the country by 90 percent.

If you work in travel nursing somewhere in the 50 states, have an opinion, are familiar with Pronovost’s book or just have something to say about his ideas, we hope you’ll post a comment. It’s hard to argue against his ideas for shaking up the medical culture and removing its toxicity; they may well be just what the doctor ordered.

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Posted in Books, Product Reviews, Travel Nurse Jobs | 5 Comments »