10 Best Travel Dog Breeds For Healthcare Professionals
Tons of travel healthcare professionals love to bring their beloved pooches along for the ride, but not every dog breed is great for the open road. Breed size, temperament, trainability and need for exercise are all important factors to consider. To help you narrow down your choices, we’ve created a list of the top 10 best travel dog breeds by comparing data and information across many pet health and lifestyle web sources. We also refined our list by considering factors unique to healthcare travelers that could affect the health and happiness of your furry friend. For example, we took border collies off our list because their high-energy nature can be a bad match for busy solo travelers who may not have the time to work off that energy. When you’re looking over this list, keep in mind these are not the only dogs who can travel well. Every dog is different, so it’s very possible you find a mutt, mixed breed or alternative breed dog that happens to be the perfect travel companion. If you have questions about how to travel safely with your pet, make sure to check out our Pet Travel guide for quick tips! 10 Best Travel Dog Breeds 1. Chihuahua The “gold standard” for portable pups, Chihuahuas are compact enough to fit in a large bag anywhere you go. They also have very low exercise and food needs, so you won’t have to worry about bringing along big bags of food or hiring dog walkers very often. If you want small, you can’t go wrong with a Chihuahua. 2. Labrador Retriever Labrador retrievers are happy and ready for adventure. This breed has plenty of energy to happily follow you on the hiking trail and loves to explore. Most importantly, labs are very easy and obedient to train, meaning they won’t destroy your rental while you’re working those 12-hour shifts. 3. Pomeranian In terms of travel convenience, Pomeranians are basically fluffy Chihuahuas. Their super-compact size means they are ready to go anywhere in a moderately sized bag, and they are just as loyal and affectionate as their less poofy brethren. Shedding is obviously a downside of breeds with thicker hair, so plan to brush your Pom on a regular basis to weed out excess hairs before they end up everywhere. 4. Boston Terrier Boston terriers are adaptable and friendly. With a gentle, happy-go-lucky temperament, Boston terriers are great car-ride companions and want to tag along with you no matter where you’ll move. As a snubnose breed, it’s not recommended to take Boston Terriers on any planes. Becuase of their narrow airways they can asphyxiate at high altitudes. 5. Bichon Frise Bichon Frise’s have easy-going and sassy personalities—perfect for dishing about all the stuff that happened after a crazy shift. Like the Boston Terrier, this breed is also quite adaptable and comfortable around new people. 6. Great Dane You’ll have to make some room for your massive Great Dane, but what they lack in compact size they make up for with their loving temperament and gentle nature. Despite a large frame, Great Danes actually need very little exercise to stay healthy. Combine that with minimal grooming needs and you have a large, loveable and low-stress travel companion. 7. Yorkshire Terrier One of the benefits of owning a Yorkshire Terrier, other than their compact size, is their tendency towards sociability. Yorkshires are one of a handful of breeds that do very well in urban environments with lots of other dogs and owners, which is great for travelers who want to stick with metropolitan areas and larger hospitals. 8. Dachshund If RV travel is your method of choice, you can’t go wrong with a Dachshund. An inquisitive breed, Dachshunds form strong bonds with their owners and make great guard dogs. Just like the other small breeds on the list, they are compact, low maintenance and ready to accompany you anywhere. Keep in mind this breed is a bit more territorial of their owners and less tolerant of curious youngsters, so they are not recommended for travelers with children. 9. Golden Retriever Opposite from Dachshunds, Golden Retrievers are the perfect family dog and an all-around great first pet. They are eager to make friends with every new person they meet, which makes them a great tagalong for outdoor activities and social events. Just like their Labrador cousins, they are also very easy to train. Goldens do like to enjoy more open spaces and they may not do as well in urban environments. 10. French Bulldog A very trainable breed, French Bulldogs are just as happy playing around as they are lounging all day. Their laid-back attitude and low maintenance grooming and exercise needs mean they are great for long drives and in most living situations. As a snubnose breed like the Boston Terrier, French Bulldogs should not fly on planes. Stick to car travel with this dog.
How to Take Care of Yourself as a Travel Nurse
By Natalie Newman, Contributing Writer Stress is synonymous with nursing. Because of the constant changes in the healthcare environment and the rapid growth in healthcare technology, one can easily become stressed and disillusioned. I have 6 simple principles I incorporate into my daily life to ensure I am healthy, happy and emotionally strong as a nurse, no matter where my travels take me: Safety in the Hospital There are a number of dangerous chemicals in a hospital. Nurses especially are continuously exposed to bleach wipes and alcohol hand sanitizer, but too much exposure to these chemicals can cause damage to skin and lungs over time. I always hold my breath when using the bleach wipes and I don’t stand too close after using chemical products. I bring my own “natural” hand sanitizer and carry it in my pocket. I also run whenever I hear the word “x-ray.” Not just 6 feet away — but in another room hidden behind a wall! Continuous radiation is a serious health concern for health care providers. Talk Constantly being around sick people and emergent situations can lead to burnout. Also, at some point in your nursing career, there may be a patient death. It most likely won’t be your fault, but you will still feel awful about it and potentially take those feelings home with you for a long time. This happened to me and I constantly wondered “What if I did something different and saw something sooner?” But after hours of talking to other nurses, doctors, friends and professionals, I realized there was truly nothing I could do. I was shocked to learn how many nurses and doctors also process death the same way I did and even experience depression. Please, don’t bottle up your feelings. I wish everyone were more open and honest with their life experiences so we can understand that sometimes death is a normal process. The more we support each other and talk honestly, the better the outcomes for our team and patients. See the daylight Being in a hospital all day, especially in units with no windows, can affect your internal rhythm. Humans need to breathe outside air and be in sunlight. Therefore, on my breaks, I usually take a walk. Even if it is just for 5 minutes around the building, I take continuous deep breaths of fresh air to recharge. Plan your days off Even if you’re planning on just relaxing and doing nothing, make that your intention. Living with intention is key to a happy life. I like to plan something relaxing or fun for a much needed day off. If I totally unwind or learn something new, I’m feeding my brain which will always thank me later. The workplace can be a stressful environment for all, so I often find new things to do and learn and then invite other co-workers to join me. Don’t give into stress The cliche “follow your gut,” is not necessarily the best advice. You know when you think about something sad or frustrating and those nervous feelings in your stomach start churning? That is cortisol, a stress hormone. Never make decisions or conclusions from that stress hormone, or from anger or out of fear. If something is bothering you, use a combination of your intuition and analytical thinking. This can help you see the situation as it really is, without emotions involved. Regardless of how you deal with these situations, it’s important and rewarding to find your own way to be calm, rational, and professional. Hold hands and give hugs Medical studies have shown the most effective way to de-stress quickly is to give a hug or hold hands. When appropriate, I hug my patients especially when I know they are scared or lonely. I will get down to their eye level and hold their hand while talking to them. I can’t even begin to tell you how effective this is in healing and happiness. When my grandfather’s oncologist prepared to tell him of his fatal diagnosis, she knelt down first, looked him in the eye, held his hand and calmly gave the news. It was such a touching, compassionate and sincere way to speak to a patient. I will always remember her compassion as a nurse and family member. Following these 6 simple daily principles has allowed me to enjoy nursing to its fullest and additionally has helped me become a better nurse, over and over. Natalie’s Social Media YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NatalieNumie/
How To Reach The Elusive $100K Travel Nurse Salary
One of the most pervasive myths in travel healthcare is the potential to earn a six-figure travel nurse salary while jet-setting across the country. It certainly sounds appealing, and plenty of recruiters or agencies will try to sell you with that exact same message–but do you actually have that much earning potential as a traveler? Here’s our semi-short breakdown of five tips you can follow to earn your way towards $100k. If you just got off a brutal shift and five tips are way more than you want to read right now, click here to skip to the summary with our take on the issue. 1. Find cold weather, small towns and high-paying states Earning the most as a traveler often means going where the money leads, regardless of the location or harshness of season weather. This means you’ll be headed north in the winter, swapping with the “snowbirds” in states like Illinois or Wisconsin to cover gaps in staffing. It can also mean working in small towns and underserved locations that have trouble recruiting travelers, retaining staff nurses or that just aren’t that popular destinations. Generally, working where people can’t, don’t or won’t will earn you more through potential bonuses and higher pay packages. You also need to be aware of what state offer routinely high pay packages year-round, like California, Texas and Massachusetts. Peppering in jobs from these states can help boost your earning potential. 2. Work when everyone isn’t Not many people want to work during the holiday season from November to January, so jumping on a short-term holiday contract is a great way to build your travel nurse salary. Holiday pay typically matches overtime rates. Speaking of overtime, adding in extra shifts is always an easy way to get more money from a travel assignment, so look for overtime opportunities when you can. Important note: Make sure you know the exact overtime stipulations of your contract before committing to more hours. Some hospitals may not offer overtime pay that matches up exactly with state laws. Some agencies may offer “blended” bill rates–which has no difference in pay between regular and overtime hours–in states that charge overtime when working more than eight hours a day, as opposed to 40 hours per week. You should be able to discuss these details clearly with your recruiter. 3. Always take the housing stipend If you’ve established a tax home and are eligible to take a tax-free housing stipend instead of using company housing, taking the stipend means more money in your pocket in most cases. It can be a bit risky and a huge hassle, since the task of finding housing now lands on your shoulders, but you can often find housing that’s less than the total stipend, letting you save the extra cash. There are tons of online resources (Airbnb is very popular among travelers) to find quick, affordable housing. You can check the rates for per diems, along with meals and incidentals by state by visiting the General Services Administration website. This shows the maximum rate offered by location, not the general rate, but it can still help you gauge how much you may receive for an assignment. 4. Look for rapid response or strike opportunities Nurses who stay flexible with their assignments can make great money responding to strikes or other unexpected staffing problems at a hospital. Crisis rate pay packages are often significantly higher than standard, adding up to $10 or more per hour to your pay. Keep in mind these jobs are fleeting and tough–you may get to the job to find the situation has resolved itself before you’ve even started, and you must have all necessary compliance docs ready at a moment’s notice to jump on job opportunities. You also won’t get tons of flexibility on job shifts, since you’re there to help during a critical period. 5. Specialize Nursing specialties that are more in demand or require extensive training will often pay more. Specialty bill rates between hospitals and agencies range from 2 to 10 percent higher than standard rates, which means higher pay packages overall. Specialties that commonly see these higher rates are ICU, L&D, CathLab, ER, OR, PICU, NICU and CVICU. Standard rates are associated with more common positions like Medical/Surgical, PSYCH, PEDS and Postpartum. Our summary If you skipped to the bottom, here’s the short answer if you want to make $100,000 a year as a travel nurse. Work as much as you can; at every available opportunity; in places you may have never wanted to visit; in economical housing; in extreme weather climates; during most holidays; with the lowest amount of downtime possible; in difficult or highly specialized positions. Also ignore the fact that a portion of those wages will go towards insurance, travel, compliance and tax home expenses, regardless of whether they are offered by your agency. If that’s not an ideal answer, it’s certainly not an ideal situation. There are travel nurses out there who do earn up to $100,000 a year, but they will be the first to tell you it’s not easy. It’s up to you to realistically decide what you want from your travel nurse career, and your recruiter and agency should be there to help you make informed decisions at every turn.
Getting The Right Experience To Land Your First Travel Nurse Job
Picture this; you pick up a call from a recruiter at a staffing agency, and the conversation is going great. You are answering each of their clinical questions with confidence and the connection is perfect between the two of you. They’re asking if you have your ACLS, BLS, PALS, and you even start filling out the skills checklists with them over the phone. They can’t hide their excitement as they promise you $2,500 weekly take home at a level I trauma facility in the city, and you think you have finally made it to the big leagues. Then they ask exactly how long you have been a nurse, so you reply honestly, “Well, I just graduated with my BSN about 6 months ago, but I am ready to hit the floor running.” Just like that, the mood shifts. The recruiter shuts down and starts rushing you off the phone. “Ok, just send me your resume, I will follow up this week. Don’t call me, I’ll call you.” You know something has gone terribly wrong. You think to yourself, “How could I have been so gullible? Will I ever get a high-paying travel nursing gig?” Get the right travel nurse experience When you graduate from nursing school, you are so eager to find a job and start putting those hard-earned skills to use. Not so fast. The experience you gain post-graduation can determine your future as a travel nurse. If you see a fast-paced, high paying travel nurse gig in your future, you must pave the way for that early on. Urgent care clinics, correctional care, home health and SNF/rehab facilities can all be rewarding positions, but they aren’t exactly the experience that a facility is looking for in a potential traveler. For example, if you see yourself working at a Level I trauma center and teaching facility, your externship or first job should be at a facility with those same qualifications. Use this to get your foot in the door with your recruiter, and make sure to highlight it on your resume. Travel nurses are expected to adapt quickly, and if you have not been in bedside care or worked the floor of a hospital, your resume will fall to the bottom of the barrel quickly. Direct bedside care is the most important thing that facilities want to see in your experience. Travel nurse charting Charting can be an obstacle for even the most seasoned travel nurses. If you can show that you know multiple mainstream charting programs, you will get a big leg up on your competition. Soak up this knowledge early on in your career, or take some classes on the commonly used systems. Since you will not get as detailed of an orientation as a staff nurse, you are expected to be familiar with the facility’s charting program upon arrival. Some facilities even require that you are proficient in their program before you ever receive a job offer. Lynda.com is a great resource for either learning or brushing up on specific computer charting software. Here are some of the main charting programs used in facilities today: Meditech Cerner McKesson EPIC Systems Siemens Travel nurse certifications You know we had to bring these up. They’re not always cheap–and some are a pain to obtain–but being overly certified is never a bad thing when trying to stand out amongst a crowd of like-minded applicants. As a newly graduated nurse, obtaining as many certifications as you can within your specialty is a great way to boost your knowledge and highlight your resume. Facilities look to their travel nurses to be well educated and up-to-date with the latest clinical topics. Proving you’re certified solidifies your credibility. Cleaning up your travel nurse resumé Let’s face it; you lack experience, the one thing that a resume is supposed to highlight. Or do you? Here are a few tips from Oren Lavi, the director of client advisory at LiquidAgents Healthcare that will help transform you into a marketable candidate within the travel nursing industry: Add your externships and internships. If you graduated with any type of honors, such as magna cum laude, list that under your education. Get to know your managers. Detailed references are very important, especially if they take the time to write a positive comment about your work. Your agency will use those to really sell you to their clients. List any and all special experience, specialized skills or traits that you have picked up in your nursing career. Even though you are relatively new to the field, you can still learn a lot in a short period of time on the floor. Don’t be shy about your skills! Find a travel nurse recruiter and agency that understands your needs When you’re looking for your first job, jumping on the first opportunity offered, especially if you haven’t gotten a ton of other offers, seems like the right thing to do. Wrong! Rushing into a contract just to get some extra lines on your resume is the fastest route to burnout. Compromising too much could mean you’ll end up stuck 13 weeks in a city you hate at a hospital that isn’t traveler friendly. Now that doesn’t mean to wait for your fairytale travel nurse job to come along, because you’ll be waiting forever. Realistically, most contracts will come with a bit of compromise, but you shouldn’t have to give up everything just to make a travel job work. This is where your recruiter and agency should come to the rescue. What you don’t want is a recruiter or agency who are pushing you to take jobs at facilities or locations you don’t want just to fill a quota. A good recruiter who knows the market should be able to find you a position that fits most, if not all, of your criteria and will work with you to make your first experience a great one–and a good agency should provide multiple opportunities in the market for that recruiter to choose
Night Shift Nurse Cravings: The Healthy Way
By Alex McCoy, Contributing Writer, Owner of Fit Travel Life When I started working night shift as a new grad, I thought I knew exactly how to tackle the crazy hours. I had done one night per week during nursing school as a nursing tech, so I was sure I would transition into the world of full-time nights without a problem. I was sure I could maintain a healthy lifestyle all while being the super-nurse who worked the crazy hours. Wrong. So, so wrong. About six months into my night shift career, I realized something had to change. There was nothing “super” about how I was feeling thanks to the typical triad that befalls all-new night shift workers: tired, overweight, and poor diet. Despite my good intentions going in, night shift had gotten the better of me and my health. Like many people, switching to days was not an option. I was making meager new grad nurse wages in rural Missouri, and I was also attempting to save for my wedding. I knew I could not afford to take a day shift position even if there had been one available because I desperately needed that night shift differential. I had to figure out how to manage my current situation and night shift cravings in a healthy and positive way. Lucky for you guys, after three years of working night shift, I have built up an arsenal of tools to help me attack my night shift cravings head-on. These tips even helped me lose weight and compete in a bodybuilding competition while working nights. I say this to let you know that it is possible to make healthy changes while working nights, along with achieving intense goals along the way. To start, you need to have a plan, and a commitment to change. There is a lot of mental toughness that is required for changing habits while on a night shift, but by taking baby steps and implementing each of these tips as you can, I know anyone can change their lifestyle and habits while working third shift. Know how much your body needs Personally, I am a fan of counting macros, but if you don’t want to be that specific, you should at least know your body’s BMR, or basal metabolic rate. There are lots of free calculators online. This will give you a rough idea of how much food you need to eat in 24 hours. When I first started working nights, I was actually undereating because it drastically affected my appetite. By having a goal for my eating habits, it helped me become more structured and feel better overall when I was getting the right amount of food for my body. Plan what to eat the WHOLE time you’ll be awake Night shift workers are often awake for more than 24 hours at a time. Unfortunately, our bodies will still burn the same amount of calories they normally would in 24 hours. This means you need to plan for the entire time you’ll be awake. As a new nurse, I would often eat throughout the day like I wasn’t on the night shift, and then eat again at night like normal. Now, I make sure I eat volume foods that are lower in calories to make sure I don’t end up consuming way more than my body can burn in 24 hours. Find staple low-calorie beverages This is not to say ditch the energy drinks and coffee. I get it, night shift is almost impossible to survive without caffeine. But if you drink four cups of coffee with sugary creamers all night, add up how much sugar and fat you’re consuming via coffee. There are tons and tons of low-calorie drink options out there, so find one that gives you the caffeine boost you need without loading you up with excess calories. Figure out if you’re a snacker or a three-meals-a-day person Weight loss or weight management will always be based on calories in versus calories out. I was successful losing weight on nights without specific meal timing, so I ate based on what kept me sane and happy. Ultimately, you have to find a pattern that can be maintained long-term in order to see change. If that means six small snacks throughout your shift, great. If you’d rather sit and have a big “dinner” (or whatever you like to call your 2 a.m. meal), then be conscious of that and try to stay away from snacking throughout the night. Find a pattern that keeps you satisfied without overeating. If you’re looking to kick off your healthy eating habits and tackle night shift cravings, this is a simple recipe that’s also a favorite: Easy Banana Pancakes. Bring lots of options to work With your body being out of whack already from working a reverse shift, it can be hard to predict what you will want at 3 a.m. when hunger or a craving strikes. I suggest bringing a mix of sweet and savory snacks that will keep you from running to the vending machine or cafeteria (if that’s an option where you work). Some of my favorite night shift staples that satisfy sweet and savory cravings are; rice cakes with peanut butter, shredded crockpot chicken with salsa, plain Greek yogurt with a no-calorie sweetener, and rice cake chips. All of these tools took me several months to implement in a way that helped me lose weight and then maintain it. I actually struggled more on my day shift assignment because I had gotten the night shift rhythm down to a science! Working nights is not the easiest experience. It is hard on your body, mentally and physically. But by focusing on the things you can control, you can still reach health and fitness goals while working a night shift. By taking control of your diet while on night shift you can take the first step towards a more pleasant experience as a third-shifter, and start to feel
4 Traits New Travel Healthcare Professionals Need In A Recruiter
When you’re new to traveling, finding the right agency to work with is critical. But maybe more important is finding the right recruiter. This relationship is critical. If you get it wrong then your travel experience is going to suffer. So what do you want in a recruiter? Here are four things to look for. You want a recruiter who you generally get along with. Of course you do, right? That should go without saying. But too many travelers, especially those who are new, continue relationships with people who they don’t genuinely enjoy working with. Ideally, this will be a years-long relationship. Find someone whom your personality matches with, with whom you share a working style. While getting along is key, remember that doesn’t mean they’ll always tell you what you want to hear. You also want someone who can be direct when needed and deliver bad news quickly, should there be any. You want a recruiter who knows the industry. The truth is that travel healthcare recruiters can get into the industry without a lot of prior knowledge. So pairing an inexperienced recruiter with a first-time traveler can be dangerous. First-time travelers should look for someone who understands the industry and can help them navigate the aspects of it that can be confusing, especially as they get started. You want a travel healthcare recruiter who can not only help you understand the ins and outs of things like housing and pay packages, you also want one who can help you fix problems once you are on the job. He or she should be comfortable being your advocate and addressing problems with the hospital and working toward resolutions. It should be obvious early on that you are working with an experienced recruiter, but if it’s unclear ask how long they’ve been in the business. And if you aren’t comfortable doing that, there are a couple of red flags that you are working with someone who is inexperienced. They aren’t forthcoming with information. Do you get the used car salesman vibe from them? They won’t answer your questions with a straight answer, dancing around your query as long as they can? If so, they likely lack the experience and knowledge to answer your question. They are magically able to meet everything you’re looking for. While perfect placements can exist, an experienced recruiter knows that finding a job that hits the trifecta of location, pay, and shift is unlikely. If you are always being told yes, then you are working with someone who doesn’t understand the industry. You want a recruiter who puts your interest first. A good travel healthcare recruiter is going to put you in a situation that works for you. They will listen to what you want, then find you the closest thing they can to that. If you are looking for A, they won’t push B. A recruiter that puts his or her agenda first is one you want to walk away from. You want a recruiter who is responsive. Technology has made it very easy to communicate, so a recruiter who lets days go by when you are reaching out to them is a recruiter you don’t want to work with. That’s especially true when an issue arises on the job. Your recruiter is your lifeline. You need them to be available, and that means through email, phone or text message. If your travel healthcare recruiter isn’t responding when you reach out, it’s time for a new one.