By Andrew Ferguson

November 27, 2018

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Travels with Knox

Our travel nurse family consists of my wife (the actual nurse), myself (the chronicler), and our four-year-old, Knox (the activity director). We’ve been doing this now for over two years, and with no end to our adventure-seeking insight, we’ll probably be out here for at least two more. Our choice to take this show on the road has very possibly been the best one we’ve made together. There are good days and bad days, ups and downs, and all the other uncertainties associated with doing cool stuff, but man, all and all, it’s been one heck of a ride-and one none of us would trade for all the milk in the milky way.

I’ve written before about how impressed and proud I am of my wife and all she does for this family and her patients. I have extrapolated some of this appreciation to the entire travel nurse community and have done some articles for The Gypsy Nurse expressing those sentiments.

Travel Nurse Kids

I’ve done a few pieces on my own experiences (mostly comical) and have tried to pass on some of what I’ve learned from our travels. But I haven’t written a lot about our son Knox, or at least not about how travel nursing has affected him. As with some of my own stories, I’ve written about his more comical reactions to things or some general stuff about his relationship to traveling, but I haven’t really gotten into specifics.

In defense of my perceived neglect, Knox has been traveling for over half his life, so it’s all normal to him. He acts like a seasoned traveler smashed into a little kid body, so I sometimes forget what a big impact our lifestyle has had on him.

The little stuff

There’s the little stuff that we sometimes take for granted. Like the fact that he talks about Jeanie’s (my wife) main recruiter like he’s part of the family. “Has John called yet, mommy?” Has John found us a job yet, mommy?” “What’s John up to, mommy?” Or how he’ll ask his mother about turning in her hours worked to the agency she’s with at the time. “Have you turned in your time this week, mommy?” It’s funny and encouraging to see how involved he wants to be (and is) in our daily lives, which revolves around travel nursing issues in many ways. Although I do take it as just part of our lives sometimes, there are other times when it fills my heart with joy to see him interacting in those ways. It won’t be long until he gets promoted from activity director to travel coordinator.

Travel nurse kids are resilient

Knox is more resilient than most adults. He’s not too worried about where his next home will be; he just wants to help pick it out. He’s not afraid to make new friends. As a matter of fact, he thinks of it as part of his job to meet new people. He gets really involved in finding the best places to eat, finding out about what programs are offered for kids his age in the new towns we are in, or finding new adventures for the family to have.

Many things to consider

There are many things to consider when deciding on whether to travel nurse or not. And a child’s well-being is always at the top of that list if you have children. But take it from the parent of a travel nurse child. It’s one of the best decisions you can make if you decide to take your family’s show…on the road.

By Jen Fox

November 9, 2018

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Wanderlust Nurse: A Travel Nurse Volunteer in Shanghai, China

What happens when a Travel Nurse Volunteers in China? One of our FB Group Members is currently in Shanghai. With tons of interest and questions from the group, we asked her if she would provide a run-down of what it took to get there and her initial thoughts on being a Nurse Volunteer in China.

Guest Post: Wanderlust Nurse

I’m currently in Shanghai, China, volunteer teaching nursing to students. Here, I’ll talk about how I ended up here, what was required, and challenges I’ve experienced. You can also read more about my adventures over at Wanderlust Nurse!

“How did you get to go to China to teach nursing?!”

It wasn’t something I actually thought of doing, ever, well at least not up until I applied. Just pick up and move to a foreign country where I don’t speak the language to teach nurses? I have taught clinicals, some staff classes, been a primary preceptor, and really enjoyed all of that. I reserved the thought of university teaching for much later in my life. But sometimes things happen in our lives at the right time, and you just think, “Why not?”

I was on Facebook one day and saw one of my GVSU nursing school classmate’s pictures from a volunteer project with Project Hope. For some reason, I decided to visit their website, and “China-Volunteer Nurse to teach at San Da School of Nursing” jumped out at me. I had the minimum qualifications (MSN, two years of nursing education-related work experience; no Chinese language skills required) so I talked it over with my wife, and applied on August 1st. I thought I’d just put it out into the universe and see what happened.

Project Hope contacted me a week later, asking for my availability. I was caught off guard, and had a million questions for them. We emailed back and forth for 4 months, and I finally bought my ticket on New Year’s Eve 2014.

“What did you need to do to prepare to go to China?”

To prepare for my visit, I had a background check, and had to have a physician sign a statement declaring I was fit for international travel…really not much different from all the paperwork required for a travel nursing job. I did get a polio booster because there are active cases of polio in China. The other recommended vaccines were MMR, DPT, Hep A, Hep B, and Typhoid, which I’ve had because of my job, and from my previous travels in Southeast Asia. In addition to that, I had to apply for a Chinese visa, because it is required for stays longer than 72 hours. I am from Michigan, and the closest Chinese consulate is in Chicago. The visa application has to be delivered IN PERSON, so, we thought we’d drive, to Chicago, in the middle of winter…just to save a few bucks. It was FREEZING, and this is coming from a girl who grew up in Michigan. We even had to make 2 trips because they won’t issue the visa on the same day. Next time, I think I will just cough up the visa service fee.

“What type of compensation do you receive while you are in China?”

I think for a “volunteer position”, my compensation is very generous. Project Hope and San Da University reimbursed me for my RT flight ($1900) & Chinese visa ($140), provide a monthly stipend (about $300), and pay for my housing (a very nice 2 bedroom apartment). I also get a meal card that I can use on campus, where a cafeteria lunch costs $1.28. The Metro costs 48-80¢ per ride, and I take a free university shuttle bus to campus (about 40 minutes each way) on days I teach.

“What have you seen and eaten in Shanghai?”

We have visited many parks and gardens, some temples, and eaten a lot of dumplings. I find the food to be good, but somewhat bland. Shanghai is not known for spicy or extremely flavorful food. Think of a Chinese restaurant menu item with the white/light sauce, and that’s pretty much the flavor of a lot of things: salty, maybe a little sweet. What Shanghai is known for are their xiaolongbao, or “soup dumplings”: little pillows of heaven for your mouth that could scald you with their internal soupy goodness. Delicious.

“What cultural differences have you noticed?”

A city of 25 million people, Shanghai is surprisingly clean, and very easy to get around using the Metro. But there are A TON of people and the concept of personal space isn’t a reality here, so the metro rides can get interesting. We get stared at, a lot. They don’t pretend to just take a side look, they full on STARE, and then when I turn back to look at them again, STILL STARING. Yes, I am white, and I look different than you. So, little things like that are definitely a cultural adjustment.

I’ve seen a lot of personal grooming in public spaces: nose picking & Q-tip using on the Metro. Girls are all very touchy, so best friends hold hands. On the first day, my faculty mentor, Rong Rong, just linked her arm in mine, which caught me off guard. Not in a bad way, just in a, we-don’t-do-that-at-home way. Also, pedestrians are the lowest life form. Even when there’s a “Walk” symbol, you still have to look both ways the entire time you’re crossing the street. Cars just don’t stop.

“What challenges have you experienced in Shanghai?”

One of the biggest challenges is the language barrier. It was not a requirement for the position; however, day-to-day life outside of our apartment really requires some knowledge of the language. There’s a lot of miming and hand gestures to convey what we want. Also, that all of Google is blocked, including Google Translate & Maps, has been difficult.

At school, the challenge is creating all original content for my classes. I cannot use the school’s textbooks, as they are in Chinese. I did bring a CCRN book, as well as a couple of digital books to help, but it is just a lot of work. And I wasn’t really expecting that. My ‘Intensive Care Nursing’ lecture is a total of 160 minutes, and coming up with enough content and PPT slides is an enormous amount of work. At least with a nursing job, I can just work my 3, 12’s and not have to think about work again until I go back. Here, it’s like, when’s my next class, how long is the class, gotta make some more PPTs. Even on the weekends, I’m preparing for my Monday class. It’s a completely different workload.


Many Travel Nurses Volunteer in foreign countries. If you are a Travel Nurse Volunteer and would like to share your story, we would LOVE to feature it!  If you’re interested in sharing your experience and contributing to The Gypsy Nurse, please contact us.

By Honza Hroch – CreativeNurse

November 7, 2018

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Reasons Why Travel Nurses Can’t Retire Just Yet!

Nurses spend long hours in the hospital and take very good care of their patients. As you already know, you fulfill a societal need every day and offer remarkable value to the people under your care.

You’ve been working for decades now and you’re considering retiring. However, you need to first decipher how your paychecks can be replaced with other sources of income such as social security, retirement accounts, and any other income-generating assets you own. As your final working year’s approach, certain questions may start looming and if you haven’t figured out your plans and the answers to those questions, the retirement stage could be an uncomfortable one especially in terms of finance.

You don’t know exactly how long your savings will last

A major concern of people who are retired is whether or not their overall savings will provide a lifetime income for them. They worry that advances in medicine and health care are enabling people to live longer and so wonder if they have enough saved up.

Sometimes, nurses entering retirement think that income throughout this new phase in life doesn’t have to increase over time and that having a fixed income schedule is all they need. However, they are often surprised when eventually they realize that inflation doesn’t end just because they have retired. Costs for travel, food, entertainment and other expenses will continually increase all through retirement period therefore, you need a longevity financial plan as well as a plan that accommodates “pay” increases over time.

If you strongly believe that you only need specific amount of money in your retirement account then you’re probably not quite ready to retire yet. Rather than work towards having a particular amount, try looking at other factors like your life expectancy, your health and unforeseen expenses as well as ways you can build additional structured income plan that will outlive you.

 You do not understand how social security works

As soon as you clock 62 years, you are qualified to start getting your Social Security benefits. You can also defer it until you reach 70 years. Waiting to reach 70 years most times seems appealing because the benefits are more compared with 62 years or 66 years. What you need to do is sit with a financial coach and develop a plan that takes all your other assets into consideration and analyze the most efficient time to start collecting your social security benefits.

And if you think that your Social Security benefits will just happen and that there’s no need to map out how best to utilize those benefits, you’re probably not quite ready to stop working.  Study the Social Security system and get to understand how it actually works. Consult a professional to ensure that you make the overall best financial decision around social security.

You do not have a plan with your partner.

As a couple, your retirement ought to be a fresh exciting stage in your life together but if you haven’t built a joint monetary plan, surprises may crop up.  There are lots of decisions that must be made jointly before you retire, for instance how the money will be spent, how to get earnings, how to create a survivorship plan to enable the surviving partner to continue with the same lifestyle. You both also need to agree on the things you’d like to spend time doing when you retire. Do you intend to travel a lot or would you rather stay at home and spend time in your locality?

You’re most likely not quite ready to give up work and retire if you and your partner are yet to design a dream picture of what retirement ought to look like. That comprises the things you desire to do and how your income can help accomplish this.

2017-35574  Exp. 2/19

Securities products and advisory services offered through Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS), member FINRA, SIPC. OSJ: 677 Ala Moana Blvd, Suite,720,Honolulu,HI (808-695-2100) PAS is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. CreativeNurse® is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian.

By Soliant Health

November 6, 2018

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Fall Nursing Must-Haves

This article is sponsored by Soliant Health

Fall is here. That means it’s time to break out the flannel, rake the fallen leaves, and gear up for some serious holiday prepping. Whether you’re embarking on your first or last travel nursing assignment, we’ve got just the things you need to make your fall season the most bountiful one yet.

1. The holy grail of fall drinks: the Pumpkin Spice Latte

In this day and age, there are very few things more representative of the fall season than the Pumpkin Spice Latte.  And it’s here to provide autumn warmth and a caffeine boost… for at least a few more weeks. Perk up for your next shift – be sure to grab your cup today!

2. The 2018 Fall Foliage Prediction Map

Want to be treated to a spectacular display of fall foliage? The Smoky Mountains Foliage Prediction Map lets you do just that… for free! Think of it as the weather forecast for foliage. Just slide to the date of your choice and find out the ideal time for catching peak autumn colors based on your destination.

3. A Wow-Worthy Non-Nursing Halloween Costume

As the inspiration to one of the most popular Halloween costumes in the U.S., nurses are no strangers to dressing the part. But if you’re looking for something outside of your wardrobe, consider these creative costume ideas.

4. Better-For-You Halloween Treats

Promote healthy habits among neighbors by ditching the usual sugar-laden goods for sanitizers, festive pencils, spooky stickers, plaque-fighting gum, all-natural candies, and other better-for-kids treats this Halloween. And for those working with younger patients, use spooky stickers as a reward for good behavior.

 5. A Library of Fall Memes Nurses Will Love

Had a tough shift and need a laugh? If you’re a true fall fanatic, these memes are as relatable as they get. If you’re excited about fall, make it known! Save and share with your friends and fellow nurses.

6. A Winning Thanksgiving Recipe

What better item to be on a list of fall nursing must-haves than Thanksgiving food. Thanksgiving food has earned a reputation for being rich not only in flavor but also in calories. After all, what’s a spread without sugary pies and buttery casseroles? It’s time to prove to your coworkers (it’s potluck season), friends, and family that healthy Thanksgiving food does exist! Impress them with these fantastic fall recipes that are easy on the waistline. You’ll have your guests saying, “there’s no way that was cauliflower!”

7. A Pumpkin Carving Nurses Can Be Proud Of

Fall isn’t complete without pumpkin carving. This is why it is a great fall nursing activity! Do away with classic Jack-o-Lanterns this year. Get creative and try a heartbeat pumpkin or use these nurse-related pumpkin carving templates to express your nursing pride. For something easy and equally festive, put that extra stethoscope to use – an easy prop that’s sure to be a conversation starter for your next fall gathering.

8. A Solid Black Friday (Cyber Monday) Shopping List

Have your eye on the newest fitness tech? Put those Thanksgiving calories to good use by making the Black Friday Shopping trek. These hard-to-find deals may be worth the long lines at the checkout. If you prefer to stay in and take advantage of free expedited shipping, be sure to keep an eye out for unbeatable Cyber Monday deals.

9. And last but not least… A Travel Nursing Assignment to Fall In Love With

Fall is the season of change, and there’s no better time to fall in love with a new travel nursing assignment than right now.

Which of the above have you already made a part of your fall plans? Be sure to comment below with your own fall-must haves and autumn favorites.

Photo By: Kenny Caraan (via Instagram)

We hope you found this list of fall nursing must-haves helpful. What do you think of our list? Did we leave anything off? Do you have any personal fall nursing favorites? Comment them below.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

By Dennis Carruthers

November 3, 2018

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Famous Tourist Spots in Central America

Travel Nurse Vacation In Central America

One of the great things about being a travel nurse is the fact that you can Vacation as often as you want (and as long as the bank account allows).

As a travel RN, you want to visit the most popular places around the world and some those places include outside the United States. The lack of experience makes it challenging to choose which places to give priority. In Central America, there are many places you could travel to that are ranked highly and most experts including D. Scott Carruthers have rated these spots as some of the most interesting destinations.

Scott is a travel enthusiast who has also worked as a travel nurse for various companies, offering vital information to travelers and guiding those looking to learn more about different destinations. He today shares information about some of the most famous spots you should travel to in Central America.

Tikal and Copan

Located in Guatemala, Tikal and Copan are ancient cities that were used by the Maya people during early civilizations in the region. The ruins date as far back as 700 BC. three are many ruins around the area, however, Tikal and Copan stand out. These have remained intact for centuries. You will enjoy visiting the Great Plaza, which is an impressive structure that stands between the ceremonial buildings and lavish ancient dwellings. The ancient people of Maya are known to have been lovers of ball games, and this is a historical cue that will give you a chance to learn more about the development of various sporting activities around the region.

Xunantunich

Also in the Maya ruins is the Xunantunich, which are located at the top of a ridge on the Mopan River in Western Belize. The ruins are believed to date back to the 900 BC. They include dark structures that sit against the blue skies, which makes the spot an ideal photo-shooting location. Visitors are advised to wear stable walking shoes and carry lots of water. If you want to explore all these regions for a longer duration, there are a lot of volunteer opportunities available.

Flores

Flores is in northern Guatemala and the island town is strategically situated in Lake Peten Itza. It was once home to Maya Indians. Despite having transformed its architecture to assume a modern appeal, there is a lot of history to learn. You will get an opportunity to discover the charming old town and there are many activities you could engage in while around the lake including sailing. There are shops and modern restaurants as well as Spanish colonial churches.

Antigua

Known for its carefully preserved Spanish colonial architecture, Antigua city is among Central American spots that are adored by tourists. The city was established in 1524. Following a tragic fire and earthquakes, it was destroyed over the years. There are  handful of structures still intact.

Antigua is a great place for a Travel Nurse vacation in Central America. Additionally, a nurse traveler can combine Spanish language classes, volunteering, or simply enjoy the abundance of beautiful sights. Historical churches and landmarks like the Santa Catanina Arch are highlights.

Famous Tourist Spots in Central America

About the Author: D Scott Carruthers has been traveling his whole life. He also loves the paleo lifestyle. His content can be found at dscottcarrutherstravel.com


Looking for a Great Travel Nurse Staffing Agency?

TOP 10 Agencies


By Host Healthcare

November 1, 2018

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10 Homesick Tips For Travel Nurses

This article is provided by Host Healthcare

As a travel nurse, you understand that for many months out of the year, you are not going to be at home. While it’s an understanding, it doesn’t mean being away from home is enjoyable. We speak with many travel nurses who experience homesickness during an assignment. To help, we have put together this list of 10 homesick tips for travel nurses.

homesick

10 homesick tips for travel nurses

Setup Weekly Calls With Friends & Families.

Schedules give you something to look forward to. Find a day and time that works for you and your friends or families to have a weekly call. Use it as an opportunity to catch up. If you want to have more fun, use Facetime.

Stay Connected Via Social Media.

Social Media is a great way to stay connected. You can see what others are doing and they can also see what you are up to.

Explore Your New Surroundings.

Getting out in your next city helps you establish new routines. It also takes your mind off being homesick as you become present in the moment.

Get To Know Your Neighbors.

Your neighbors can be great people to help you explore new areas and no longer be homesick. When you “get adopted” by others in your new surroundings, you can create a new family.

Go Out With New Colleagues.

You should have a few similarities with some of your colleagues. Use that to build off of. Invite one of them out to dinner, drinks, coffee, or go exploring. If you have travel nurses at your facility, even more of a reason to get to know them.

Join A Social League.

Many cities have sports leagues you can join. These are great ways to have something social in your schedule and meet new people.

Have Friends/Family Visit You.

The best way to avoid being homesick and missing your friends and family is to see them. So why not have them come out for a few days. They can see your new environment and they get to take a little vacation. It’s a win, win.

Travel With Someone.

Many travel nurses travel with someone else. Whether it’s another traveler, a friend, loved one, or pet, traveling with someone is certainly one of our 10 homesick tips for travel nurses.

Take Your Next Assignment Near Friends and Family.

If you want to avoid being homesick on an assignment, make your next assignment near loved ones. Be sure to let your recruiter know ASAP as depending on your ideal location, it could be competitive.

Do Something New.

There must be something on your bucket list you have always wanted to try. What better time to try something new than when you are on assignment. Doing something new can help take your mind off being said and focus that energy on your new hobby.

By The Gypsy Nurse

October 17, 2018

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How To Pack For A 13 Week Travel Nurse Assignment

This article was provided by Vero.

Packing in рrераrаtiоn for уоur 13 wееk travel assignment саn either be an еnjоуаblе experience or a nightmare. Thеrе are two ways to analyze thе items уоu intеnd to take on an assignment.

Don’t take too much!

Firѕt, уоu might dесidе to tаkе аlоng everything thаt iѕn’t рhуѕiсаllу bоltеd down in уоur hоmе. Thаt, hоwеvеr, iѕ a miѕtаkе. If you tаkе too much on уоur vасаtiоn you will inеvitаblу bе tiеd uр trуing to mаnаgе thе ѕаmе mаtеriаl роѕѕеѕѕiоnѕ that you hаvе cluttering uр уоur lifе bасk hоmе. Hоwеvеr, уоu dеfinitеlу nееd to tаkе itеmѕ thаt аrе absolutely еѕѕеntiаl so that уоur assignment is еnjоуаblе.

If thеrе iѕ any question about juѕt hоw essential аn itеm rеаllу iѕ thеn maybe it wоuld be mоrе рrudеnt to lеаvе it out оf your bаgѕ! Thе kеу tо packing juѕt what wе need liеѕ in a careful соnѕidеrаtiоn of the fасtѕ. Dесiding what tо take аlоng аnd whаt tо lеаvе bеhind is аll dependent, оf соurѕе, оn your рrесiѕе destination, уоur lоdging аrrаngеmеntѕ, how уоu will bе traveling, and a dоzеn оr ѕо оthеr fасtоrѕ.

Tips for Pасking Your Luggаgе fоr a 13 Wееk Assignment

A 13 wееk travel assignment iѕ a valuable luxury for thе аvеrаgе working person. Hоwеvеr, ѕоmе mау find it ѕtrеѕѕful during the расking рhаѕе. Gеtting ready for a triр can bе еxhаuѕting, mаking thе gеtаwау еvеn mоrе рlеаѕurаblе. Pасking fоr a wееks lоng assignment does nоt hаvе to bе diffiсult, however. Below are a fеw tips that can help уоu knоw how tо bеѕt pack уоur luggаgе fоr уоur wееks in paradise.

Make a list

Thе firѕt thing you ѕhоuld do when packing fоr a weeks lоng assignment iѕ mаkе a liѕt. Thiѕ will kеер you frоm forgetting аnуthing thаt уоu will nееd whilе away frоm hоmе. Break the list dоwn intо categories, and writе down еvеrу ѕinglе itеm you рlаn tо tаkе with уоu, nо matter how imроrtаnt the itеm is. It mау ѕееm funnу tо inсludе undеrwеаr оn уоur liѕt, but you will bе ѕurрriѕеd аt thе numbеr оf реорlе whо mау fоrgеt (or nоt расk enough) undеrgаrmеntѕ whеn lоаding their suitcase.

Keep toiletries separate.

Keep your toiletries ѕераrаtе frоm thе rest of thе luggage. Sometimes shampoo оr bоdу wash саn lеаk frоm thеir bоttlеѕ, which соuld ruin уоur сlоthеѕ, ѕhоеѕ, and other bеlоngingѕ. It iѕ bеѕt tо put them in their own bag tо рrеvеnt thiѕ from happening or buy these items once you reach your destination.

Make sure your luggage is a good size.

Make ѕurе уоur luggаgе is a gооd size fоr you and еvеrуthing уоu nееd tо tаkе with you. Thiѕ mау mean carrying multiple bags, but you will wаnt tо mаkе sure you have еnоugh ѕрасе tо accommodate аll оf уоur itеmѕ. Cramming your bаgѕ full соuld rеѕult in dаmаgе tо уоur ѕuitсаѕеѕ or your bеlоngingѕ thаt аrе inѕidе. Considerations rеgаrding hоw muсh уоu need tо расk should аlѕо bе made in оrdеr tо limit thе numbеr оf pieces оf luggаgе you tаkе with you. It iѕ best to hаvе thе fеwеѕt bags with уоu, еѕресiаllу if уоu are traveling оn an airplane.

Knоwing hоw tо pack for a 13 week assignment can save you a grеаt dеаl оf stress. Yоu ѕhоuld bеgin early еnоugh ѕо thаt уоu аrе not ruѕhing around at thе lаѕt minutе. Doing so will nо dоubt hеlр you forget a fеw muѕt have items frоm your hоmе.

Things nоt tо forget whеn расking for уоur 13 wееk vасаtiоn

With уоur flights and accommodations bооkеd, thе luggage iѕ the lаѕt thing ѕtоррing you frоm thаt grеаt assignment. Wе knоw it fееlѕ likе a сhоrе, but if уоu follow оur expert расking tiрѕ уоu’ll nеvеr hаvе tо wоrrу.

Nаmе tаgѕ are thеrе tо hеlр

Unlеѕѕ you’re аn international mаn оf mуѕtеrу, уоu shouldn’t hаvе to worry about trаvеlling incognito. Most ѕuitсаѕеѕ соmе with nаmе tags fittеd аѕ standard, ѕо bе sure tо fill thеm in juѕt in case уоu – оr thе airline – lоѕе уоur luggage!

Mаkе a liѕt

Ok, ѕо it ѕоundѕ a littlе bоring, but idiot-proof lists аrе thе gаtеwау to a ѕtrеѕѕ-frее assignment. Sераrаtе your еѕѕеntiаlѕ from уоur desirables, аnd bе rеаliѕtiс with your luggаgе limitations. If уоu need liѕt inѕрirаtiоn – thе following might be a gооd рlасе tо ѕtаrt…

Don’t fоrgеt thе firѕt аid kit

Wе’rе nоt asking уоu tо рrераrе fоr ER, just a ѕmаll bаg with thе most necessary pills аnd mеdiсinе you might nееd. After аll, nоbоdу wаntѕ tо suffer a рuniѕhing headache, high-сlimаtе fеvеr, uрѕеt stomach оr all thrее during a trip. It might bе еаѕу enough to рiсk uр a domestic remedy fоr your ailments аt hоmе, but medicines in the соuntrу уоu are viѕiting mау be limitеd to рrеѕсriрtiоn оnlу. The ѕаmе gоеѕ fоr аllеrgу mеdѕ and аѕthmа remedies – bring thеm оn bоаrd!

Obѕеrvе rеѕtriсtiоnѕ оn bаggаgе

If уоur airline ѕауѕ: “23kg”, then they mean 23kg! Weigh уоur bаgѕ bеfоrе уоu gеt to the аirроrt аnd mаkе ѕurе уоu аrе within thе rеѕtriсtiоnѕ, оthеrwiѕе уоu’ll be fоrсеd tо cough up extra cash аt the аirроrt or, еvеn wоrѕе, have tо ѕау gооdbуе tо that lоvеlу hаnd-knittеd саrdigаn уоur grandmother spent ѕо long slaving оvеr.

Bе dеliсаtе with уоur delicates

If you hаvе to pack any сhinа plates оr glаѕѕ gооdѕ, wrаррing thеm in bubble wrap or in-bеtwееn сlоthеѕ аnd putting them right in thе middle оf уоur case iѕ ѕаfеѕt wау tо mаkе ѕurе thеу аrrivе with уоu in оnе рiесе.

Cаtеgоriѕе уоur сlоthеѕ

Pасk clothes in grоuрѕ: thаt means ѕhirtѕ with shirts, pants with раntѕ -it’ѕ еаѕiеr tо find whаt you nееd and unрасk оn thе оthеr side.

All valuables gо in hand luggаgе

It’ѕ rаrе that airlines lоѕе luggаgе thеѕе dауѕ, but whу tаkе the risk? Stау ѕаfе аnd stow all уоur expensive luxuries – frоm your camera tо your diаmоnd еngаgеmеnt ring – in hand luggаgе

Skiр the shoes

Thе biggеѕt аnd mоѕt fruѕtrаting itеm оf luggage. Hоw mаnу раirѕ оf ѕhоеѕ уоu ѕhоuld tаkе is vеrу much dереndеnt оn hоw long your assignment might bе, but wе’d ѕuggеѕt thаt fivе pairs iѕ a rеаѕоnаblе аvеrаgе for a 13 week gеtаwау. Mоrе imроrtаnt thаn vоlumе is vеrѕаtilitу, ѕо make ѕurе уоu’rе not ѕtuсk hiking in ѕtilеttоѕ by bringing a pair of ѕhоеѕ fоr еvеrу rеаliѕtiс оссаѕiоn оf your trip. Wear уоur most сumbеrѕоmе pair on thе рlаnе – рluѕ, ѕtuff уоur socks in the rest – and уоu’ll ѕаvе even mоrе ѕрасе.

Hоw tо Sаvе Mоnеу on Yоur Nеxt Assignment

Gоing on assignment iѕ a gооd time to explore the unknown, learn new skills, аnd maybe сrеаtе mеmоriеѕ with new friends. Traveling саn be expensive, аnd it is easy to break thе bаnk. A littlе рlаnning ahead саn make thе соѕt of уоur next triр more аffоrdаblе.

Firѕt, you’ll wаnt tо figurе оut what уоur budgеt iѕ going to be. Knowing hоw much уоu рlаn оn ѕреnding will hеlр you dесidе whаt аttrасtiоnѕ you саn see аnd hоw much mоnеу уоu саn ѕреnd оn ѕоuvеnirѕ. If you run intо a ѕtrеаk оf gооd luck аnd еnd up with еxtrа mоnеу tо ѕреnd, уоu саn аlwауѕ upgrade your triр, but trу to сrеаtе a budget fоr аn amount of money thаt уоu knоw you will have fоr the assignment.

Travel nursing assignments ѕhоuld be аn аdvеnturе!

Gеtting tо your dеѕtinаtiоn and finding оut you lеft ѕоmеthing bеhind thаt iѕ indispensable, however, саn ruin thе еxреriеnсе. To kеер that frоm happening, уоu have tо hаvе well-thought-out liѕtѕ. Those liѕtѕ аrеn’t ѕоmеthing thаt you generate аt thе last minutе. Thеу аrе ѕоmеthing thаt iѕ fоrmulаtеd and саrеfullу noted over thе соurѕе оf оur livеѕ. By following thеѕе расking tips for your 13-week assignment, you will have an еnjоуаblе experience!

Photo Credit: Leah Gnitka (@ScrubsInASuitCase via Instagram)

By Aaron Highfill

October 13, 2018

21332 Views

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Getting above it all….Flight Nursing!

A serious motor vehicle accident has occurred in your suburban community, many seriously hurt, traffic clogged roads between the scene and the trauma center.

Flight Nursing

A man having a heart attack presents to a rural community hospital. He is given the best care available at that facility, but he needs the Cath Lab 100 miles away in the city.

Your retired grandparents are finally able to go on that Caribbean cruise. Unfortunately, the trail to the beach was a bit too steep and Grandma is now in an island hospital with a broken hip.

What do all three of these situations have in common? 

All will likely require the services of a flight nurse.

Flight Nursing

Flight Nursing is the provision of nursing care within the air transport environment. A flight nurse typically works in either a helicopter (rotor wing) or airplane (fixed wing) setting. They likely have a paramedic partner, though some organizations will pair the nurse with a respiratory therapist, another nurse, or occasionally a physician.  The medical team works closely with the pilots to get the patient safely to their destination.

Shifts

A flight nurse on a helicopter might work 12, 24 or 48 hour shifts at a base or hospital. They may be tasked with helping out with critical patients in the ER or ICU when not flying.  When notified of a flight they report to their briefing room or hangar to get whatever information is available about the patient, while the pilots plot a safe flight path and landing area. Sometimes conditions exist that might make a response unsafe. Weather, unfamiliar environments, crewmember illness, or maintenance issues are some of the reasons this might occur. Every mission must be accepted by all crewmembers in order to proceed. The common expression for this is: “Three to go, one to say no”. Dispatch to launch is often less than 10 minutes.

Fixed wing flight nursing is slightly different in that you’re not picking up a patient from the side of the road, but rather from a hospital with an ambulance providing ground transport at each end of the trip. The transport times are longer, sometimes by a couple hours, sometimes by a few days. The patients may be critically ill, requiring ventilator management, vasoactive medications, etc, but they should be stabilized prior to flight to the best of the sending facilities capability. The flight crew may assist in stabilizing patients for transport. Because of the logistics involved, dispatch to launch times might range from 30 minutes for a quick in-state hop to 24 hours for a long international flight requiring multiple fuel stops, crew changes, landing and overflight permits for multiple countries.  The logistics of planning for such missions using a very small aircraft are often more complex than the patient care aspect. “Do I have enough oxygen to care for this patient for 20-30 hours? What stops along the way can refill it?  Does the accompanying family member know there is no bathroom? How much do they weigh? How much luggage do they have?”

To become a flight nurse, the registered nurse should have 5 years of critical care experience. In the opinion of this author, a mix of ICU and ER is best, but most programs will consider a candidate with either. EMS experience is helpful and some states require flight nurses to maintain co-licensure as an EMT or Paramedic. Many programs have specialty teams for Neonatal and High Risk Obstetrical patient transport made up of staff with the appropriate background. Flight nurses enjoy an expanded scope of practice compared to their bedside colleagues and must be comfortable with the responsibility that comes with autonomy. Physician approved protocols define the scope of flight nurse practice for each organization. Some of the skills the flight nurse must master are advanced and surgical airway management, chest tube placement, arterial and central line access and escharotomy. Maintenance of these skills must be demonstrated frequently and quality care is maintained with regular case reviews and critiques by the medical director.

While clinical excellence is required for a flight nurse, interpersonal and communication skills are just as important. As every day is different with new opportunities and challenges, flight nurses must be extremely flexible and willing to adapt to new situations. The flight nurse interacts with people at some of the most stressful times of their lives, making tact critical.

Ultimately, most flight nurses find the rewards outweigh the downsides. The flight nurse gets to be the critical link between accident and surgery, between community hospitals and tertiary care. When you’ve been lying for a week in a hospital bed in Brazil or Barcelona, the flight nurse gets to walk in and say “Hi, we’re here to take you home.”

Travel assignments for Flight Nursing positions do pop up from time to time. These are usually at small rural hospitals where the flight nurse also does ER/ICU. Even such listings in places like Alaska and Montana.

By movemofitness

October 8, 2018

7731 Views

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A Stronger Heart Built by Strong Relationships

As a travelling nurse, getting your individual fitness and exercise going is important for cardiovascular health, but that’s not all.  To build a stronger heart, I’d like to highlight another essential principle instead of just regular exercise and fitness – building real relationships.

Often people assume that keeping your body healthy and preventing cardiovascular disease can be achieved solely through fitness and exercise, good eating and positive behavior change.

Indeed, as a travelling nurse, I can understand how even finding time to exercise on your own and eat well in a new home is a challenge in itself.  But the goal of a stronger heart and even stronger body can’t be fully achieved without building good and real relationships with those that can keep you happy, motivated and healthy for a lifetime.  For example, building a positive relationship with a family member, friend and even co-worker can mean having another workout buddy at the gym or another jogging partner on the weekends.  Having them at your side, building a healthier life with you will strengthen your heart physically and emotionally.

I know this can be hard especially for travelling nurses whose profession involves moving around to different locations.  However, don’t let this be an obstacle.

Nowadays, there a numerous ways to stay connected and involved in people’s lives without the convenience of physical proximity (i.e. Skype, G-chatting, Facebook, Face-time and of course the classic – phone calling).  Human beings are, for the most part, social in nature and therefore health and happiness often happens between people rather than in isolation. Why try to build a healthier and happier heart alone?  In addition to exercise and eating well, try building on positive relationships to create a life of wellness that is well supported and enduring.

As a travel nurse, what tips do you have to build or maintain strong relationships?  How do you maintain the relationships you have with family, friends, and co-workers?  Please share in the comments.