Modern Healthcare Recognizes Staffing Agencies In ‘Best Places To Work’ 2019 List
Modern Healthcare, an organization that focuses on healthcare business news, analytics, research and data, released their annual ‘Best Places To Work in Healthcare’ awards list last Saturday, and several travel nursing and allied healthcare staffing agencies were named among the winners. The ‘Best Places To Work’ awards seek to identify and recognize outstanding healthcare employers on a national level, according to their website. Companies that choose to participate for the award are selected for the list through confidential employee surveys. The surveys measure key factors to success, like work-life balance, benefits and employee satisfaction. “Organizations making this year’s list of ‘Best Places to Work in Healthcare’ stand out in their efforts to create an empowered and satisfied workforce,” Modern Healthcare said in a recent post. “They did so by nurturing a sense of loyalty and building engagement.” The alphabetical list released recognizes 150 healthcare companies, and the official rankings will be released on September 26 at the Best Places To Work in Healthcare Gala. They will also be featured in a supplement published with Modern Healthcare’s Sept. 30 issue, according to the post. Among the winners, travel staffing agencies LiquidAgents Healthcare and Aya Healthcare are both repeat honorees. This marks the 11th year in a row that LiquidAgents Healthcare, based out of Plano, Texas, has been recognized as a ‘Best Place to Work’, according to their company press release. “It’s an honor to be recognized among the nation’s top healthcare companies to work for in the country,” LiquidAgents Healthcare CEO Sheldon Arora said in a press release. “We’ve established a unique, collaborative culture with a key focus in mind: to help employees be as successful as possible in their roles and careers. Our team’s positivity and dedication shine through in everything we do.” Aya Healthcare made the list for the third consecutive year, according to a company press release. President and CEO Alan Braynin said the recognition highlight’s Aya’s focus in providing an engaging and exciting workplace. “This recognition is a testament to our belief that giving employees freedom, flexibility and a voice is beneficial for the entire company, including the clinicians and clients we serve,” Braynin said in the release. Other staffing agencies that made the 2019 list include CHG Healthcare, MPLT Healthcare, and several other non-travel specific staffing companies. The full list can be viewed below or on the Modern Healthcare website. COMPANY LOCATION Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital Kaplan, La. American College of Cardiology Washington, D.C. Atlantic Health System Morristown, N.J. Bailey Medical Center Owasso, Okla. Beach Cities Health District Redondo Beach, Calif. Black River Memorial Hospital Black River Falls, Wis. Bridge Connector Nashville CAQH Washington, D.C. CareSource Dayton, Ohio Carolina Caring Newton, N.C. Catholic Health Services of Long Island Centre, N.Y. CHG Healthcare Midvale, Utah Choice Recovery Columbus, Ohio Cleveland Clinic Cleveland CollaborateMD Orlando, Fla. Conway Regional Health System Conway, Ark. Corazon Pittsburgh Cox Monett Hospital Monett, Mo. Crothall Healthcare Wayne, Pa. Deaconess-The Women’s Hospital Newburgh, Ind. Divurgent Virginia Beach, Va. Elevate Healthcare Consultants Plano, Texas Encompass Health – Home Health & Hospice Dallas Epion Health Hoboken, N.J. Equiscript North Charleston, S.C. Excel Health Philadelphia Forcura Jacksonville, Fla. Galen Healthcare Solutions Chicago Guadalupe Regional Medical Center Seguin, Texas Harmony Healthcare IT South Bend, Ind. Health By Design Medical Group San Antonio Health Catalyst Salt Lake City Health Recovery Solutions Hoboken, N.J. HealthFirst TPA Tyler, Texas HealthRise Southfield, Mich. Heart Care Imaging Tequesta, Fla. Heart ‘n Home Hospice Fruitland, Idaho Hendrick Health System Abilene, Texas Henry County Hospital Napoleon, Ohio Hillcrest Hospital Cushing Cushing, Okla. Hillcrest Hospital Henryetta Henryetta, Okla. Hillcrest Hospital Pryor Pryor, Okla. Hosparus Health Louisville, Ky. IEP (Independent Emergency Physicians) Farmington Hills, Mich. Impact Advisors Naperville, Ill. Imprivata Lexington, Mass. Infusion Express Brentwood, Tenn. Innovative Health Scottsdale, Ariz. Intelligent InSites West Fargo, N.D. J2 Interactive Charlestown, Mass. Jackson Physician Search Alpharetta, Ga. Jamestown Regional Medical Center Jamestown, N.D. Jellyfish Health Panama City, Fla. KeyBridge Medical Revenue Care Lima, Ohio King’s Daughters Medical Center Brookhaven, Miss. Landmark Health Huntington Beach, Calif. Lee’s Summit Medical Center Lee’s Summit, Mo. Lexington Regional Health Center Lexington, Neb. Licking Memorial Health Systems Newark, Ohio LiquidAgents Healthcare Plano, Texas LiveData Cambridge, Mass. Loma Linda University Medical Center-Surgical Hospital San Bernardino, Calif. Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency Covington Lovelace UNM Rehabilitation Hospital Albuquerque Lovelace Women’s Hospital Albuquerque Marathon Health Winooski, Vt. Medasource Royal Oak, Mich. Medical Advantage Group Ann Arbor, Mich. Medpricer Walnut Creek, Calif. Melissa Memorial Hospital Holyoke, Colo. Memorial Healthcare System Hollywood, Fla. Mercy Health-Tiffin Hospital Tiffin, Ohio Mercy Health-Willard Hospital Willard, Ohio Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Hospital San Antonio Metrolina Nephrology Associates Charlotte, N.C. Morrison Healthcare Sandy Springs, Ga. MPLT Healthcare Coral Springs, Fla. MTS Physical Therapy & Wellness Lafayette, La. Nathan Adelson Hospice Las Vegas National Medical Billing Services St. Louis Navin, Haffty & Associates Westborough, Mass. NCCPA (National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants) Johns Creek, Ga. Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center Chanute, Kan. Nova Healthcare Administrators Buffalo, N.Y. Pacific Companies Aliso Viejo, Calif. Parkview Huntington Hospital Huntington, Ind. Parkview LaGrange Hospital LaGrange, Ind. Parkview Noble Hospital Kendallville, Ind. Parkview Wabash Hospital Wabash, Ind. Parkview Whitley/Warsaw Hospital Columbia City, Ind. Pelham Medical Center Greer, S.C. Physicians Surgical Hospitals Amarillo, Texas Propeller Health Madison, Wis. Providence Holy Cross Medical Center Mission Hills, Calif. Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center Torrance, Calif. Rendina Healthcare Real Estate Jupiter, Fla. Rio Grande Regional Hospital McAllen, Texas RiverView Health Crookston, Minn. Santa Rosa Consulting Franklin, Tenn. Seton Medical Center Harker Heights Harker Heights, Texas Shriners Hospitals for Children-Erie Erie, Pa. Signature Performance Omaha, Neb. Southern Tennessee Regional Health System-Pulaski Pulaski St. Bernards Medical Center Jonesboro, Ark. Stillwater Medical Center Stillwater, Okla. Sutter Amador Hospital Jackson, Calif. Sutter Roseville Medical Center Roseville, Calif. Tandigm Health West Conshohocken, Pa. TigerConnect Santa Monica, Calif. Tri-Cities Cancer Center Kennewick, Wash. TSI Healthcare Chapel Hill, N.C. Tulsa Spine & Specialty Hospital Tulsa, Okla. University Hospital & Clinics Lafayette, La. Uvalde Memorial Hospital Uvalde, Texas Wallowa County Health Care District Enterprise, Ore. Weber Human Services Ogden, Utah
Where To Find National Nurses Week Deals And Freebies
The theme of this year’s National Nurses Week celebration, which takes place from May 6-12, is “4 Million Reasons To Celebrate”, which highlights contributions of America’s 4 million registered nurses, according to the American Nurses Association website. Even if there are four million reasons, one of the best reasons for nurses to celebrate this week is that they get to cash in on tons of free food, giveaways and discounts! We’ve compiled a list of as many great National Nurses Week deals and freebies that we could find, but some are only available for a limited time. Editor’s note: We plan to update this page if we find more deals, so make sure to bookmark it and check back in throughout the week. Found a great deal you want to share? Submit it here or email it to us at news@hcttoday.com National Nurses Week Deals And Freebies Cinnabon May 6-11: Nurses can recieve a free MiniBon roll or four-count BonBites. Must show ID badge to receive free items. Sonny’s BBQ May 6: Complimentary Pork Big Deal at any of the chain’s 100 locations for nurses who can show their ID. MOD Pizza May 12: BOGO free deal on a MOD-size pizza or salad with a valid nurse ID. Only available for in-store orders. Uniform Advantage May 6-14: Up to 50 percent off on all products sitewide. Use the code “125FREE” to get free shipping on all orders over $125. Giordiano’s May 6-8: 20 percent off any order with the code 656-263-214. Offer valid for both dine-in and online and for both teachers and nurses. Enlightened Ice Cream May 6-12: Nurses or friends of nurses share their appreciation for all that nurses do by visiting this link: https://eatenlightened.com/pages/nurses-week. They can send themselves or their nurse friend a coupon for a free pint of ice cream or a free box of ice cream bars. PDQ Restaurant May 7: Teachers and nurses get 50 percent off their entire order with a valid ID at all PDQ locations. Hey, Teachers & Nurses! ☺️ On Tuesday, May 7th we’re hooking you up with 50% off your entire order with valid ID. Valid at all PDQ locations. pic.twitter.com/K1vpHWV0kr — PDQ Restaurant (@PDQFreshFood) May 3, 2019 Salata Salad Kitchen May 8: BOGO free offer Wednesday for nurses on salads and wraps with a valid ID on in-store orders. The free salad or wrap must be of equal or lesser value. Home Run Inn May 6-10: Teachers and nurses get 20 percent off their checks during Teacher Appreciation and National Nurses Week. Scooter’s Coffee May 6: 50 percent off any drink for all teachers and nurses. Cotton Patch Café May 6-10: 20 percent off on orders for all nurses when they show a valid ID. Sandals Resorts May 1-31: Sandals is giving away six-night, seven-day trips for free every day throughout the month of May to teachers, nurses and members of the military. Full giveaway details are here. DiscountGlasses.com May 6-12: 30 percent off any order with the code “HEARTNURSES30.” DiscountContactLenses.com May 6-12: 15 percent off contact lens orders with the code “HEARTNURSES15.”
Short-Staffed Nursing Homes See Drop In Medicare Ratings (KHN)
By Jordan Rau and Elizabeth Lucas, Kaiser Health News The federal government accelerated its crackdown on nursing homes that go days without a registered nurse by downgrading the rankings of a tenth of the nation’s homes on Medicare’s consumer website, new records show. In its update in April to Nursing Home Compare, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services gave its lowest star rating for staffing — one star on its five-star scale — to 1,638 homes. Most were downgraded because their payroll records reported no registered-nurse hours at all for four days or more, while the remainder failed to submit their payroll records or sent data that couldn’t be verified through an audit. “Once you’re past four days [without registered nursing], it’s probably beyond calling in sick,” said David Grabowski, a health policy professor at Harvard Medical School. “It’s probably a systemic problem.” It was a tougher standard than Medicare had previously applied, when it demoted nursing homes with seven or more days without a registered nurse. “Nurse staffing has the greatest impact on the quality of care nursing homes deliver, which is why CMS analyzed the relationship between staffing levels and outcomes,” the agency announced in March. “CMS found that as staffing levels increase, quality increases.” The latest batch of payroll records, released in April, shows that even more nursing homes fell short of Medicare’s requirement that a registered nurse be on-site at least eight hours every day. Over the final three months of 2018, 2,633 of the nation’s 15,563 nursing homes reported that for four or more days, registered nurses worked fewer than eight hours, according to a Kaiser Health News analysis. Those facilities did not meet Medicare’s requirement even after counting nurses whose jobs are primarily administrative. CMS has been alarmed at the frequency of understaffing of registered nurses — the most highly trained category of nurses in a home — since the government last year began requiring homes to submit payroll records to verify staffing levels. Before that, Nursing Home Compare relied on two-week snapshots nursing homes reported to health inspectors when they visited — a method officials worried was too easy to manipulate. The records show staffing on weekends is often particularly anemic. CMS’ demotion of ratings on staffing is not as severe as it might seem, however. More than half of those homes were given a higher rating than one star for their overall assessment after CMS weighed inspection results and the facilities’ own measurement of residents’ health improvements. That overall rating is the one that garners the most attention on Nursing Home Compare and that some hospitals use when recommending where discharged patients might go. Of the 1,638 demoted nursing homes, 277 were rated as average in overall quality (three stars), 175 received four stars, and 48 received the top rating of five stars. Still, CMS’ overall changes to how the government assigns stars drew protests from nursing home groups. The American Health Care Association, a trade group for nursing homes, calculated that 36% of homes saw a drop in their ratings while 15% received improved ratings. “By moving the scoring ‘goal posts’ for two components of the Five-Star system,” the association wrote, “CMS will cause more than 30 percent of nursing centers nationwide to lose one or more stars overnight — even though nothing changed in staffing levels and in quality of care, which is still being practiced and delivered every day.” The association said in an email that the payroll records might exaggerate the absence of staff through unintentional omissions that homes make when submitting the data or because of problems on the government’s end. The association said it had raised concerns that salaried nurses face obstacles in recording time they worked above 40 hours a week. Also, the association added, homes must deduct a half-hour for every eight-hour shift for a meal break, even if the nurse worked through it. “Some of our member nursing homes have told us that their data is not showing up correctly on Nursing Home Compare, making it appear that they do not have the nurses and other staff that they in fact do have on duty,” LeadingAge, an association of nonprofit medical providers including nursing homes, said last year. Kaiser Health News has updated its interactive nursing home staffing tool with the latest data. You can use the tool to see the rating Medicare assigns to each facility for its registered nurse staffing and overall staffing levels. The tool also shows KHN-calculated ratios of patients to direct-care nurses and aides on the best- and worst-staffed days. This story originally appeared on Kaiser Health News. Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
‘Sorry, I Don’t Have Any 8’s’: Nurses Slam State Senator On Social Media For ‘Nurses Play Cards’ Comments
UPDATE, 10:26 a.m., April 24, 2019 Washington Sen. Maureen Walsh released an official statement on the Washington State Senate Republican Caucus Website, apologizing for her comments last Tuesday. “I really don’t believe nurses at our critical access hospitals spend their days playing cards, but I did say it, and I wish I could reel it back,” Walsh said in the statement. You can read her full statement here: http://maureenwalsh.src.wastateleg.org/walsh-issues-statement-regarding-house-bill-1155/ Comments made by Washington Sen. Maureen Walsh during a recent debate about a bill regarding breaks and overtime for nurses spawned a massive wave of negative reactions over the weekend. Walsh made the comments during a Senate floor debate on Tuesday in opposition to SHB 1155, which would require uninterrupted meals and rest periods and would provide for stronger protections against mandatory overtime. Walsh argued for an amendment to the bill that would exclude rural critical access care hospitals, and said it would make it more difficult for those facilities to stay open. “By putting these types of mandates on a critical access hospital that literally serves a handful of individuals, I would submit to you those nurses probably do get breaks,” Walsh said. “They probably play cards for a considerable amount of the day.” The online backlash to Walsh’s comments from nurses around the country was swift and significant. Nurses and healthcare workers shared thousands of memes, Instagram posts, YouTube reaction videos and more over the Easter weekend in response, using hashtags #maureenwalsh and #nursesplaycards. A blog post condeming Walsh from the Washington State Nurses Association caused the organization’s website to crash over the weekend, as too many people tried to view the post at once, according to a USA Today report. “No, Senator, nurses are not sitting around playing cards. They are taking care of your neighbors, your family, your community,” Matthew Keller, WSNA’s director of nursing practice and health policy, said in the blog post. “And they do read the research: mandatory overtime is bad for patient care and it’s bad for your rural hospitals. With all due respect, Sen. Walsh: perhaps it’s time for you to put down the cards and pick up the literature.” Supporters created two petitions on Change.org, one calling for Walsh to shadow a nurse for a 12-hour shift, and another calling for her resignation. The shadowing petition had about 5,000 signatures by noon Saturday and has climbed to more than 560,000 as of Monday morning. Walsh told Tri-City Herald she regretted her comment and didn’t have any malicious intent when it was made. “I was tired,” Walsh said. “I said something I wish I hadn’t.” Walsh still supports an amendment to the bill that would exclude nurses at hospitals with fewer than 25 beds from uninterrupted breaks. An unamended version of the bill already passed through the state’s House, but will have to be reconciled in the Senate following a voice vote approval of a seperate amendment that would restrict state nurses to only working 8-hour shifts.
NYC Nurses Vote To Ratify Contract For Increased Pay, Safe Staffing Ratios
A majority of union nurses that work at NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals voted Thursday to ratify a four-year contract with the hospital that includes the establishment of minimum staffing ratios among other provisions, according to a Facebook post from the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). About 91 percent of the nurses at the hospital voted to ratify the contract agreement, according to the post. NYSNA members and representatives from some of the state’s largest hospitals reached the tentative contract agreement last Tuesday, ending a months-long feud and preventing a major nurse strike. The four-year contract includes a $100 million agreement to hire nearly 1,000 additional staff members at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Montefiore, and Mount Sinai hospitals, a minimum wage increase of three percent annually and an extended window for nurse retiree health benefits. The provision of the contract praised the most by supporters on social media—and that was often the source of escalating tension between union members and the hospitals—was the agreement to create unit-specific staffing grids that would establish minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. This is the first time minimum staffing levels have been “spelled out in the contract with a meaningful enforcement mechanism,” according to a press release from NYSNA. Once both parties agree on the minimum staffing levels, a third-party arbitrator will be responsible for enforcing those levels and changing them based on patient census and acuity changes, according to the contract. Anthony Ciampa, first vice president of the New York State Nurses Association told the New York Times this agreement marks a groundbreaking achievement in addressing staffing issues statewide. “This is going to have a very positive impact, and it will be the trendsetter of the industry,” Ciampa told New York Times. “What we decide in these major city hospitals tends to set the framework for other hospitals.” Details of the full agreement can be view below:
Stocking Up: 4 Ways To Cheaply Furnish Your Travel Nurse Short Term Rental
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life Editor’s note: Stocking Up is a three-part miniseries that covers the essential travel items and furnishing methods Alex McCoy uses to make it feel more like home at each new travel assignment without breaking the bank. Click here to read part one, or click here to read part two. One of the best ways to save money on short term rentals is to do a little more leg work when it comes to furnishings, linens, or other household supplies. While fully furnished places might sound appealing, opting to furnish a rental yourself may be a great way to save money while on a travel nurse assignment. There are several ways to approach furnishing a short term rental, from bare bones furnishings up to move-in ready packages. This week I want to share some ways to save money while furnishing a rental yourself. These options won’t get you a decked-out crib, but hopefully, you will be able to weigh the pros, cons, and cost of each option and make the best decision for you. How To Furnish A New Rental As A Travel Nurse Option One: Bare bones furnishings. Most travel healthcare workers are minimalists at heart. If all of your belongings fit into your vehicle, chances are most of your life is pretty “no frills”. As a result, I have seen many travelers opt for the most basic of furnishings to save money and time. Many of these travelers will simply invest in a decent air mattress and use plastic tubs as tables in their home. They will sometimes buy inflatable couches or a cheap futon to act as a couch. Camp chairs also work well for watching TV or eating dinner if you want to avoid purchasing actual furniture. While this may seem extreme to some people, to others this is simply a practical way to live to save money. If you are not entertaining guests and sleep well on an inflatable bed, there may be no reason to spend money on any more furniture than what can fit in your car. Option Two: Purchase cheaply or find free furniture. Some travelers prefer to purchase gently used furniture at the beginning of each assignment or even find offers for free furniture on Facebook or Craigslist. One great way to source cheap furniture or other household items is to find a local traveler page for the city you are living in. By searching “City + Travel Nurses” on Facebook you can find a specific group for almost every major city in the United States. I have seen many furniture listings on such groups, and most travelers looking to sell will list their whole apartment as a lot for an incredibly low price. The downside to this option is having to then get rid of the furniture at the end of each assignment. However, it can be easy to simply offload possessions in the way you acquired them: by listing them for very cheap or free on different networks. This also requires some leg work the last few weeks of an assignment when you have to coordinate pick up times and meet-ups. One way to skip this hassle would be to simply donate items, or you could re-list as a lot for people to pick up in one go. Option Three: Rent cheap from a furniture store. If you go online and browse some of the more popular rental furniture stores, you will notice that a full apartment worth of rental pieces will run several hundred dollars. But what they don’t tell you is if you go in person to the store they will have a selection of gently used pieces that may not be as “pretty” as the online photos but will be just as functional. You don’t actually have to rent a full package—you can simply pick the basic necessities (think mattress, couch, coffee table, TV stand) and build your own perfect package. Some of these stores will even have furniture that can be sold and delivered for cheaper than renting it, but once again you will have to decide if purchasing and then reselling is worth the money you may save up front. Option Four: Scout out locally-owned furniture stores for deals. Last time we rented furniture ourselves, we found an incredible deal from a local furniture shop. We initially planned on just renting the basics, but the cost of an entire apartment worth of furniture was less than $200 so we splurged a little to make our place feel more like home. Because locally owned stores have less overhead they may be able to keep prices down. This is even more common in areas with large military bases where renting furniture is a much more common practice. These types of places may be easier to find in person once you arrive at your destination. You can simply plan on using an air mattress for the first couple of nights while checking out the local area for potential rental shops. Or, combine all of the above. Some travelers will simply rent or purchase a couch while sleeping on an air mattress and using a plastic bin for a TV stand. Regardless of how you make it work, all that matters is that you are comfortable and happy with your living space. By getting a little creative when deciding how to furnish your travel nurse apartment, you can skip the big prices and still end up with just what you need. Skip the major websites, look for local travelers offloading items, and itemize rather than renting full packages to save cash all around. Make note of what furniture you actually use on a regular basis rather than worrying about filling space, and it will be easy to see what the must-haves are for each assignment. << Part Two: Saving Money On Essentials For Your New Travel Home
Travel Healthcare Jobs: Market Healthy In April As Seasonal Shift Continues
It’s not just the grass that’s growing greener in April—recruiters and industry insiders say the job market is still quite hot following a job-heavy March. Travel nurses and allied healthcare professional are also officially out of their winter contracts and on the hunt for spring and summer positions, meaning competition has picked up significantly and created a healthy, active market for recruiters and agencies. There are plenty of states to choose from this month for job opportunities, but Florida sticks out as the most odd choice, said David Kinslow, a senior client advisor for LiquidAgents Healthcare. Florida is already one of the most popular destinations for travel healthcare professionals, and as such typically has no problems finding travelers to fill needs especially during summer vacation months. The difference this spring is because of Hurricane Michael, Kinslow said. The Category 4 storm devestated several cities in the Florida panhandle and along the coastline, and many of those communities are still recovering. This has caused serious problems when trying to find housing for travelers, but it has also caused a rare increase in job orders with higher bill rates for the state, Kinslow said. “A lot of the facilities in the panhandle are screaming for help and this also why they’re bumping up their bill rates,” Kinslow said. Travel Healthcare Jobs April 2019 Here’s a quick breakdown of the states and travel healthcare job specialties that are most-in-demand now and are expected to stay popular in April, according to data provided by staffing industry sales and recruiting representatives. Arizona RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, ICU. Limited options in other specialties. Allied: Surgical techs (OR, sterile processing) Other Notes: “A new hospital opening in Phoenix has taken full-time staff away from other hospitals. Also, government facilities (Indian Health Service) are needing more help.” Arkansas RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, PCU/IMC, ICU Allied: Respiratory therapists Florida RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, ICU, ER Other Notes: “Bill rates are higher in the Florida panhandle where hospitals need the most help. Georgia RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, ICU. Limited options in other specialties. Allied: Surgical techs (OR, sterile processing) Other Notes: “Georgia consistently lacks RN staff after the state went compact, so opportunities are regularly available.” Illinois RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, PCU/IMC, ICU Allied: Respiratory therapists Other Notes: “Bill rates have increased to slightly above the national average now, but may come back down as positions are filled.” Indiana RN: Cath Lab, labor and delivery, PICU, PEDS, ER, ICU, telemetry Other Notes: “Not as many job needs in Indiana compared to March, but still plenty to choose from and jobs move quickly.” Kentucky RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, PCU/IMC, ICU Allied: Respiratory therapists Maine RN: Medical-surgical, OR, ICU Allied: Surgical techs (Cath Lab, OR) Other Notes: “Maine is still on fire for jobs this month. Bill rates are up by $10 at least. Portland, Maine has multiple needs. A lot of allied as well, specifically Cath Lab techs.” Michigan RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, ICU Allied: Surgical techs (OR, sterile processing) Other Notes: “Warmer weather is coming in and people are venturing out more, so census is picking up at Michigan hospitals.” Missouri RN: OR, ICU, telemetry most in-demand, but all specialties are available. Allied: Respiratory therapist Other Notes: “Bill rates have increased in April, and the candidate pool is steady. St. Louis, Missouri is specifucally increasing for ICU and telemetry needs at decently high bill rates. Also, any and all ER needs are closing quick—we have the nurses but not many jobs, so they fill quickly.” Nevada RN: Medical-surgical, ER, ICU, NICU, PICU, labor and delivery Allied: Rad techs, respiratory therapists, certified surgical techs Other Notes: “Renown Health alone has 47 positions available, but the competition will start to increase as people love Reno in the summertime. It’s best to start looking now.” New Hampshire RN: OR, CVOR, ER, telemetry. Allied: Rad techs Other Notes: “OR is very hot right now and will take nurses at a high bill rate.” (Around $2,000 weekly gross on average) North Carolina RN: Medical-surgical, ER, ICU, NICU, PICU, labor and delivery Allied: Rad techs, respiratory therapists, certified surgical techs Other Notes: “The state has 150 open jobs currently as many facilities have said they have seen a patient census increase. Competition is steady, but travelers should expect it to increase as we get closer to summer since the spring and summer seasons are so enjoyable in North Carolina.” Oklahoma RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, ER, OR, ICU Allied: Rad Techs Other Notes: “Job needs are hot when posted. Not a lot of new jobs are posted regularly, but for those that are, calls and interviews will happen ASAP.” South Carolina RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, ICU, ER Texas RN: Medical-surgical, telemetry, PCU/IMC, ICU Allied: Respiratory therapists Virginia RN: ICU, medical-surgical, telemetry, with a steady increase in ER needs as summer approaches Allied: Surgical assistants, surgical first assistants, certified surgical techs Other notes: “There are lots of needs, jobs are closing fast, and bill rates tend to be higher. We are beginning to see a slow increase in ER needs. Also, we are seeing an increase in allied needs.”
Stocking Up: How To Save Money On Essentials For Your Travel Nurse Rental Home
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life Editor’s note: Stocking Up is a three-part miniseries that covers the essential travel items and furnishing methods Alex McCoy uses to make it feel more like home at each new travel assignment without breaking the bank. You can read part one by clicking here, or jump to part three by clicking here. Finding housing can be one of the most stressful parts of working as a travel nurse. At the beginning of my career, I always looked for a place that had all the bells and whistles: furniture, linens, and dishes seemed like “must-haves” for a short term lease. I started to realize that this was actually costing me money as I have moved back and forth across the country. I could pay for the convenience of having everything I needed ready and waiting or I could spend a little extra time and cash up front and save myself hundreds of dollars a month at each assignment. Aside from corporate rentals or Airbnb, I have found that most apartment complexes that offer furnished options do not usually offer a “fully stocked” option. This means your apartment will have all of the big pieces of furniture, but smaller items such as dishes and linens will not be provided. I have found these rentals to be much cheaper than move-in ready versions, and for our last three assignments, we have gone this route instead. In the process, I have learned several shortcuts to get all the necessities we need without breaking the bank or overflowing the car. 1. Get familiar with Dollar Tree and other discount stores. My first stop is Dollar Tree whenever we have to purchase small household items including kitchen utensils, dish towels and bathroom accessories . I usually make a list of things we need and go their first and see if I can get lucky and find most of the items I need. After that, I go to Big Lots. I can usually find some of the larger items here like shower curtains or small kitchen appliances for $10 or less. By purchasing cheaper versions of some necessities, I can usually keep my first-day expenses under $150 and donate anything that won’t fit in my car at the end of the assignment. 2. Remember that you likely won’t be entertaining large groups of guests. I think one of the reasons we stress about having certain items in our home is because friends and family might be coming to visit and “need” something like a matching hand towel or an extra blanket if they get cold. When you start to think about what you personally use on a regular basis, the need for extra “stuff” will start to dwindle. Even when we do have friends come out to visit, we simply make a joke about the travel life and hand them our plastic silverware and a paper plate. 3. Pare down linens to the bare minimum. When it comes to bulkier items like blankets and towels, space gets taken up wdqquickly. As a traveler, you have to analyze what you actually use on a regular basis, and weed out items that you might have at home for “show” rather than usability. For example, traveling with a good quality fleece blanket or heavy afghan will take up less space than a comforter. Try to bring no more than two towels per person—one for everyday use and an extra in case you go to the pool, gym, etc. Use dish towels that can double as hot pads when cooking. 4. Opt for disposable options. Madeleine Olivia Get Rid Of It GIF from Madeleineolivia GIFs While producing extra waste is not my favorite way to live, often as a traveler, we have to take a few shortcuts here or there. One way I have learned to save space when packing is to utilize disposable silverware, plates, and bakeware when I can. One way I do this and cut back on overall waste is to reuse these items as I can. By buying the heavy duty plasticware, you can actually get quite a bit of use of them by re-washing. I have also rewashed plastic cups and aluminum pans that are meant to be disposable and then I try to recycle as much as I can when they are worn out. 5. Be willing to do dishes and laundry more frequently. If you only have one towel or just a couple sets of silverware it is inevitable that you will have to wash these items quite frequently. I often hand wash my dishes as I use them because I know I will be using them again soon. I also do a lot more laundry as a traveler than I did when I had a permanent home. This may seem like a little bit of a pain, but the other option would be to create more space in your vehicle for extra items or splurge on a few things you want to donate at the end of your stay. I personally am fine with washing my towel every couple of days to save a little money and space. 6. Don’t stress—you’ll get more efficient as you go along. Model Of Efficiency GIF from Model GIFs Any long term traveler will tell you that as your career progresses you will find yourself getting better at streamlining what you need and cutting back on what you don’t. I used to spend way too much money stocking up on “needs” at the beginning of each assignment and quickly realized how fast three months goes by and what we really use in that time frame. Now, if I end up needing it, I can always go back for it. Whether you decide to aim for the convenience of a move-in ready rental or to save a little cash by bargain shopping your first few days, you will find the routine that works best for your lifestyle
Stocking Up: My Top 5 Travel Nursing Kitchen Must-Haves
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life Editor’s note: Stocking Up is a three-part mini series that covers the essential travel items and furnishing methods Alex McCoy uses to make it feel more like home at each new travel assignment without breaking the bank. You can read part two here. You guys—I love to cook. Like, a lot. Before travel nursing, I had all the gadgets. Pressure cooker, Ninja blender, wine glasses for each style of wine…the list went on. But when we had to pack up our life into our small SUV and Nissan Altima for our first out-of-state travel assignment, I knew there was simply no way I could fit all of my precious kitchen items into our new lifestyle. After almost two years on the road it is safe to say I have our kitchen box down to a science. I have made a few alterations as we’ve gone along, and I also have some “disposable” items that I can donate and then buy again at Goodwill if needed. By keeping a few quality items on hand I have made sure we still eat healthy, home cooked meals on a regular basis and that everything I need for the kitchen fits into one 30 gallon tub. My number one tip would be to start with the box you know is feasible for your vehicle, and dedicate only that space to kitchen supplies. If an item doesn’t fit in the box, try 13 weeks without it. Worst case scenario? Amazon will deliver just about anything you could need. My Top 5 Travel Nursing Kitchen Must-Haves 1. Crock-Pot A lot of people swear by their Instant Pot, but I left mine behind in favor of my trusty slow cooker. I love it for long work days because I come home to a ready-to-eat meal, whereas with a pressure cooker I would still have to throw it all in and wait 30 minutes or so for dinner to be ready. Fun fact: I left my Crock-Pot behind for one assignment where we had to pare our belongings down to one car and I thought I could make it three months without it. It took me one week and I ordered a new one on Amazon. I will never ever leave it behind again. 2. A high-quality kitchen knife While it would be nice to have the perfect knife for every occasion, I have found that keeping one high quality knife and sharpener in my box does the trick. I usually buy a medium-sized knife so I can use it for lots of different tasks (think cutting open a spaghetti squash or eating a steak you grilled at home). Another option is to buy a mid-range knife every couple of assignments. Depending on how often you cook, the blade may stay sharp enough for several months and then you can purchase a new one when you start feeling like it isn’t safe to cut your sweet potatoes any longer. 3. Dutch Oven Initially, I thought I could get away with my crock-pot for all of my bulk meals or entrees that needed a larger pan. I quickly realized I needed something with a little more room to cook some of my favorite recipes like taco chili soup or salisbury steak. This is not an item you have to buy high-end. I was already on assignment when I realized how much I needed some sort of soup pot, so I made a trip to the nearest thrift store and found a plethora of large pots to choose from. This is also an item that you could probably donate and re-purchase if needed, as most of the thrift store options were under $5. 4. High-quality skillet People might argue you can make do with whatever is supplied at your rental house, or you can purchase this from a thrift store. However, after our first assignment where the cheap, nonstick coating from the provided pan started scraping off into our food, I decided keeping my own skillet was worth the extra space. I personally have a nice Calphalon pan that can also go into the oven up to 500 degrees, so it doubles as a casserole dish when needed! This is an item I would splurge on a little bit as it is hands down the most utilized cooking tool in my box. 5. Pizza cutter Yes, I run a health and fitness coaching program and no, I am not above a homemade pizza night or a good ole’ take-and-bake every once in awhile. For those occasions, there is nothing worse than trying to cut a hot pizza with your medium-sized kitchen knife without burning your fingers or sliding the cheese all over. This is another item we did not bring at first and ended up buying early on. Since then, we make sure our pizza cutter makes the cut (no pun intended) every time we start packing up. While there are some other kitchen items I would love to bring along—my favorite wine glass and my French press are top of the list—I have found that with everything else we can usually make do. Most of my other kitchen utensils come from Dollar Tree, which makes it easy to get rid of them if we need to make space. I also like to reach out and ask if there are specific items provided by the rental I have chosen. Things like a toaster or coffee maker might seem standard, but I have found most landlords have differing ideas of what’s considered a necessity. >> Part Two: How To Save Money On Essentials For Your New Rental Home
New Ohio Legislation Would Ban Mandatory Overtime For Nurses
An Ohio House legislator introduced a new bill in March that would ban mandatory overtime for nurses, a move which supporters claim could greatly reduce mistakes at the bedside and increase nurse retention rates. If House Bill 144 is approved, Ohio would become the 19th state to implement a mandatory overtime ban for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses. “House Bill 144 stands up for Ohio’s nurses, which play a crucial and influential role in the treatment of patients,” Republican Rep. Don Manning, who introduced the legislation, said in a press release. “This bill makes patient safety the highest priority, and no one should have their nursing license or employment threatened for declining unscheduled overtime after a scheduled shift.” A ban on mandatory overtime means employers could not use it as a condition of employment, and nurses would be protected from discipline, retaliation or termination for choosing to not work overtime, according to the bill’s text. A similar bill was introduced in 2018 and passed the House almost unanimously, but failed to garner enough support in the Senate before the end of the legislative session. The Ohio Nurses Association announced their support of the bill in a recent press release. The union argues this legislation would help reduce work fatigue, and pointed out how studies have found a correlation between fatigue and an increased chance of medical errors. “…Furthermore, nurse burnout increases with regular extended shifts, leading to costly nurse-turnover for healthcare facilities,” Brian Burger, President of the Ohio Nurses Association stated in a press release. “The needs and safety of the patient and nurse need to be put first instead of trying to cut initial costs by using mandatory overtime to plug nurse staffing holes.” The Ohio Hospital Association has not released a statement about the current bill, but did argue against the 2018 version of the bill, according to a Becker’s Hospital Review report.