12 Holiday Travel Nurse Adventures Posts That Will Make The Grumpiest Grinch Smile
Look, we get it. Working during the “most wonderful time of the year” can really suck. You’re stuck at a hospital while everyone else is getting to cozy up by the fire. Not to mention you’re tired, cranky, hangry, and all of this holiday cheer is bringing you to the brink of strangling the next patient who hits their call light. via GIPHY Unfortunately, we’re not here to change that. What we can do is momentarily distract you from the existential dread of working a holiday shift by reminding you of why you got into travel healthcare in the first place—for the awesome #TravelNurseAdventures that you could have never had as a permanent staffer. So without further ado, check out these 12 wonderful social media posts that will hopefully inspire you to make your own travel nurse adventures during the holiday season. Or at the very least will keep you from going insane. via GIPHY 1. BRB, going to buy a camper and renovate it to look exactly like this because it’s gorgeous. View this post on Instagram Have yourself a merry little camper… I mean Christmas 😊 I’ll be home for 5 whole days including Christmas Eve and Christmas. Anyone who works in healthcare knows how big of a deal that is! I am so excited to spend time with family and friends. The past four years I’ve had to work at the hospital and this year, my husband and I are both off! Excited is an understatement. I’m ready to celebrate! A post shared by EMILY (@ems_traveldiary) on Dec 16, 2018 at 4:27pm PST 2. In Hawaii? During Christmas? Now that’s living the dream. View this post on Instagram Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains, can you paint with all the colors of the wind 🍃🎨 I hope you sang that and it’s stuck in your head now 🎵 A post shared by Anna Nguyen (@annannna__) on Dec 16, 2018 at 12:13pm PST 3. Remember to equip your doggo with the latest winter fashions when bringing them along for fun in the snow. View this post on Instagram Glad my baby had fun today 💛💚 #mustard X #lettuce A post shared by Wendy Diane Mendoza Lozano 👑 (@weymendoza) on Dec 17, 2018 at 5:34pm PST 4. Taking a good look at The Monkey Face in Smith Rock State Park in Oregon. View this post on Instagram None of that monkey business Prince. 🙈 A post shared by Andrea Hahn (@drehahn) on Dec 17, 2018 at 2:22pm PST 5. Snow plus barn equals perfect Christmas cards for the family. View this post on Instagram It looks like a winter wonderland at my papaw’s old barn. . ❄️🎄❄️ . #asheville #winterwonderland #snowday #redbarn #winter #somanymemories A post shared by Courtney (@courtney.dowell) on Dec 10, 2018 at 1:48pm PST 6. Remember to drag your SO along to Christmas light displays because they have the perfect lighting for great selfies. View this post on Instagram The holidays are in full swing 🎄🎁 ⭐ I personally love this time of year and am lucky enough to travel with this guy ⬆️⬆️ who will gladly come along to all the light displays and Christmas events. ⭐ I know that a LOT of travelers aren’t as fortunate so this week I’m sharing some tips to keep your spirits up as a traveler over on the blog today ▫️ Link in profile ❤ A post shared by Alex McCoy- Peds Travel Nurse (@fit.travel.life) on Dec 17, 2018 at 5:22am PST 7. Wait a second, is that Boba Fett decorated with HOLIDAY LIGHTS? Move over Santa, everyone’s favorite intergalactic bounty hunter is here. View this post on Instagram Who needs a visit from Santa when you can get a visit from a Storm Trooper, Darth Vader, a Rebel Fighter Pilot and Boba Fett?!? JK, Santa arrives next week 🎬 . . #starwars #darthvader #jedi #pedsnurseshavemorefun #picunurse #movietime🎬 #sundayfunday #travelnurselife #travelnurseadventures A post shared by the wandeRiNg RN (@the_wandering_rn) on Dec 16, 2018 at 9:21pm PST 8. Time for a winter wonderland weekend road trip? View this post on Instagram Man oh man… what an adventure the last couple days have been. We made it though! Me, most of my belongings, and two (very annoying) cats, all packed tightly in a little Hyundai Elantra. Can’t beat that view though 😍 I would make that drive again in a heartbeat. Excited for the next 3 months ☀️ #welcometomontana #cowboycountry #travelnurseadventures A post shared by Samantha (@raygammas_) on Dec 16, 2018 at 7:15pm PST 9. A family is great, but friends are also fantastic to spend time with during the holidays. Also, we are digging that hairy dude sweater. View this post on Instagram I may be 3,000 miles from home but having great friends close by makes these holiday times easier 🌲🎁 A post shared by j1marie (@j1marie) on Dec 16, 2018 at 10:21am PST 10. Christmas pub crawl? Christmas pub crawl. View this post on Instagram #12pubsofchristmas #shenanigans #imgonnamissthisplace #sixmonthswentsofast #travelnurseadventures #cctctravel @crosscountrytravcorps A post shared by Andrea Rea (@andie1026) on Dec 16, 2018 at 6:25am PST 11. This time of year is the perfect excuse to hang out with your fellow travelers! View this post on Instagram Getting close to finishing our #travelnurse contract at SJMC #stockton so our travel nurse group got together for #dinner tonight at #seoulsoondubu #korean #koreanbarbecue #travelnurselife #travelnurseadventures #thewrights #jeffandheatherwright #notwv @klanerh @jswright75 A post shared by Jeff Wright (@jswright75) on Dec 15, 2018 at 10:21pm PST 12. Do pajamas count as scrubs? View this post on Instagram Good morning world! #california #nevada #laketahoe #tahoe #northlaketahoe #travel #travelgram #vacation #winter #travelnurses #travelnurselife #travelnurseadventures #gypsynurse #nursesofinstagram #snow #pjs #instagood #me #happy #victoriassecret A post shared by Samantha Garcia (@samanthagarciasg) on Dec 14, 2018 at 8:39am PST
Missouri Travel Nurse Needs Remain High In Wake Of Slow Flu Season
Missouri travel nurse needs have remained at a significantly high number throughout November and the first week of December, according to current market data. More than 140 travel nurse needs are active in the state, most of which are newer positions located in or around the St. Louis region, said Jennifer Pomietlo, a director of client advisory for LiquidAgents Healthcare. That includes cities like St. Charles, Chesterfield and Columbia. The most-needed specialties include medical-surgical, telemetry, ICU, step-down and OR nurses, with limited openings for other non-core or surgical specialties, Pomietlo said. Allied healthcare travel positions are also fairly limited, but certified surgical tech and rad tech opportunities are available. Contact Allie Evans with LiquidAgents Healthcare for more information about Missouri travel nurse jobs >> Flu is the main driver for hiring in the state, Pomietlo said. Normally, Missouri hospitals will aggressively hire in early fall because the state is one of a handful that typically see high levels of flu activity starting in November, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention records. This year’s flu season is off to a slower start for the state, with “minimal” influenza-like illness activity and sporadic spread, according to CDC data. A total of one death and 1,384 laboratory-positive influenza cases have been reported as of Nov. 24 to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). More than 300 cases were reported from the eastern region of the state, where St. Louis is located. Missouri hospitals are hiring in December in anticipation of a delayed surge in flu patient census in January and February, Pomietlo said. “They get hit hard by the flu in St. Louis, and it also hangs around longer in Missouri than in other places,” Pomietlo said. In the record-breaking 2017-18 flu season, Missouri reported 133,957 laboratory-confirmed cases of flu and more than 2,000 pneumonia and influenza-associated deaths, according to a DHSS press release. Other things travelers should know about Missouri Missouri is one of the 31 states that are part of the enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact, meaning nurses who have a compact license can work in the state without paying additional licensing fees. Travelers who don’t have a compact license can get a single state license at a low cost. The state board charges $55 for a license by endorsement or $45 by examination. Missouri is also a walk-through state, so nurses can get a temporary license within a day. You can find more Missouri licensing information on the state nursing board website.
Travel Jobs: Where Travelers Applied In Oct., Nov. Market Predictions
November can be a bit of an odd duck month for the travel healthcare job market. As the last month before the busiest season of the year in terms of patient census, many healthcare facilities are still trying to fill jobs needs with temporary staff. Many states still have job opportunities in the triple digits as of Nov. 13. At the same time, many travelers who were job hunting in September and October are either committed to jobs with November start dates or have pre-booked for late-December or early-January to have free time during the holidays. Travel healthcare jobs November 2018 Based on current job market data and information from staffing agency recruiters and sales representatives, we expect a slight increase in the volume of available job opportunities, but the amount of application activity should remain relatively flat. In other words, the amount travelers applying to jobs is already quite high—with dozens of submittals for competitive positions—and should stay high throughout most of the month. A good portion of the job market volume increase will come from northern and cold weather states, like Oregon, Michigan, Colorado and Wisconsin. Hospitals in these states will need to fill vacancies left by “snowbird” travelers heading south, said Jamison Reitinger, a client advisor for LiquidAgents Healthcare. “Bill rates are remaining consistently high in northern territories, except OR-RN rates, which are increasing across the board due to large OR nurse shortages in Wisconsin, Michigan and Colorado,” Reitinger said. There has also been a notable increase in travel nurse jobs available in the Southeast U.S., mostly in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia. A large part of the increase is due to the recent surge in EMR conversion positions available in Kentucky and West Virginia through Appalachian Regional Healthcare. The healthcare system started advertising temporary staffing needs for their hospital in late October and will need travelers through the rest of the year and into 2019, so we expect these states to see more incoming applications from travelers in November. Depending on the severity of this year’s flu season, job market activity could also increase in Southern states like Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama and Arkansas, as those states typically see high levels of flu activity earlier than others. No major changes in the Top 10 most applied-to states The most popular states for travelers—California, Florida and Texas—retained their top spots in October, and should continue to see high application numbers for the rest of the year. South Carolina was the only new state to enter the top 10, moving up from No. 12. Georgia fell out, dropping seven ranks to No. 12. Utah makes the largest jump, Connecticut drops the farthest Utah saw the biggest surge in traveler applications by far, moving up 18 positions to No. 33 on the list. Connecticut dropped 12 spots to No. 46 October’s Top Markets California Florida Texas Michigan Tennessee North Carolina Missouri Pennsylvania Arizona South Carolina Virginia Georgia Indiana Kentucky Oklahoma Arkansas Maine Iowa Idaho Wisconsin West Virginia New Mexico Nevada Oregon Colorado Hawaii Ohio Washington Massachusetts New Jersey Illinois Louisiana Utah Alaska Minnesota Alabama Montana Kansas Maryland Mississippi New Hampshire North Dakota Nebraska Rhode Island Wyoming Connecticut Washington, D.C. Delaware New York South Dakota Vermont Editor’s note: This list is created by analyzing the number of travelers applying for jobs in these individual states and Washington D.C. Is not necessarily an indicator of traveler interest in these states and is not necessarily an indicator of job volume. Application data comes from the StaffDNA jobs database.
EMR Conversions: Appalachian Regional Kicks Off Meditech Upgrade In Kentucky, West Virgina
Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), the largest not-for-profit healthcare system in Southeastern Kentucky, is in need of hundreds of travel nurses over the next several months for a system-wide electronic medical record (EMR) conversion, according to industry reports. View current West Virginia travel nursing EMR conversion jobs on the StaffDNA boards >> Currently, Meditech EMR conversion jobs are open at Beckley ARH in West Virginia and Middlesboro ARH in Kentucky, with more expected through the rest of 2018 and into 2019. As of Oct. 29, all major travel nurse specialties are needed, including medical-surgical, labor and delivery, ER, ICU and more. ARH operates 12 hospitals, 11 home health agencies and multiple clinics, pharmacies and home care stores, most of which are located in Southeastern Kentucky. The healthcare system plans to convert its smallest facilities first, working its way up to 358-bed Hazard ARH sometime in 2019. Travel nurses who apply can expect very quick interviews and offers for these EMR conversion jobs, Oren Lavi with LiquidAgents Healthcare said. View current Kentucky travel nursing EMR conversion jobs on the StaffDNA boards >> “Nurses will have more options to move and extend [on contracts] after these initial EMR assignments are complete, as they will be able to move to other facilities that are converting,” Lavi said. ARH is implementing a new EMR for the first time, upgrading from paper charting to an integrated Meditech charting system. ARH announced their selection of Meditech in 2017, according to an official press release. “We are excited to partner with Meditech in providing ARH an innovative Web EHR that fosters and supports sustainability,” Joe Grossman, ARH’s president and CEO said in a 2017 press release. “With the Web EHR, our clinicians will have seamless integration across the continuum, improved productivity, and the sophisticated tools to improve the quality and safety of care delivered to our communities.” What to know about working in Kentucky Kentucky is a favorable state for travelers looking to save money as the cost-of-living is low, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. In a 2018 BEA report, Kentucky ranked as the 5th most affordable state in the U.S., thanks to some of the lowest apartment and home rental rates in the country. Nurses can also use a compact license to work in Kentucky. The state joined the enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact this year, along with more than 20 other original NLC states.
Travel Market: Florida Sees Wave Of New Jobs In September
Want to find positions in Florida now? Click here to check out the most recent posts on the StaffDNA job board. Most veteran recruiters know that Florida is a juggernaut state for travel healthcare staffing. The Sunshine State utilizes more travelers than most states, in part because of heavy winter seasonal needs. Those job needs have come back in force in the last few weeks of September, according to staffing industry sources. David Kinslow, a senior client advisor for LiquidAgents Healthcare, said he’s aware of more than 140 new jobs in the state, an increase of 80 compared to August. Agencies have anticipated this spike in job needs for several weeks. Florida ranks third in the country for most hospitals statewide according to American Hospital Directory data, and many of those facilities start recruiting for winter in late September and early October. Along with other southern states like Texas and New Mexico, Florida is a large target for “snowbirds” seeking warm weather for winter contracts. This could mean the job market will continue to ramp up through December, eventually cooling down by next January. For travelers who are interested in Florida, here are some things you should consider before working in the state this winter. 1. Florida became a nursing compact state this year Florida joined the enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact in January, so nurses who have their compact license can now work in the state and don’t have to apply for a single-state license. This only applies to nurses, so allied healthcare travelers will still have to get a single-state license. Click here to see a map of states who have joined the enhanced Nursing Licensure Compact. 2. Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) uses a lot of travelers HCA is one of the largest private health systems in Florida with 50 hospitals and 31 surgery centers across the state, according to their website, and many HCA-associated facilities use a large number of travelers, according to staffing industry sources. This is good news for travelers who want some variety when picking a location, as HCA-affiliated hospitals are located in almost all major cities in the state. 3. Depending on location, cost-of-living in Florida is pretty cheap According to our Travel Nursing Pay Package Ranking List, Florida has a 99.7 rating on the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis price parity index, which means the state is almost exactly at the national average for prices on housing, gas and other goods. However, the state average is largely affected by Miami, which is significantly more expensive than most other cities in the state. When looking at other locations like Tallahassee, Tampa or Orlando, prices drop to 5 percent or more below the national average. This is mostly because of dirt cheap rent and housing costs, which is great for travelers hoping to pocket extra money from agency housing stipends. Florida is also peppered with temporary vacation homes and seasonal vacancies, so finding proper short-term housing may be easier than in other states. 4. Expect fierce competition Just because there are lots of job opportunities in Florida doesn’t mean travelers can apply to jobs at their leisure. Hospitals in major “snowbird” states are looking to fill jobs fast, and agencies will send in qualified candidates even faster. Speed and efficiency are key to locking down a solid Florida contract, so travelers who are flexible on location and who can quickly produce necessary compliance docs will have the edge over others. 5. Beware of January pre-books David Kinslow, a senior client advisor at LiquidAgents Healthcare, said travelers should be wary about pre-booking Florida jobs with January start dates. Census numbers may not be high enough to warrant a high number of travelers, so January contracts could be canceled before the start date. While no one can perfectly predict how healthcare needs will change in the state once winter hits, it’s still safer to book early and ride out a fall contract through the winter than hope for needs to stay consistent.
Travel Jobs: Where Travelers Applied In August, Sept. Market Predictions
In last month’s update, we touched on how August serves as a transitional period for the travel healthcare job market. Many travelers looking to avoid the early wave of competition in July waited until August to search for a fall contract. At the same time, many travelers went back to work or squeezed in a bit more “paid vacation” by extending at their summer facilities through the month. Pediatric facilities may have needed more help, with parents bringing children in for check-ups before school and to get the first round of flu vaccinations. As such, our predictions for the total volume of applications on the StaffDNA job boards were mostly on the mark, dropping by about 12 percent from July to August. Market activity ramped up towards the end of the month, but not fast enough to reach July’s high number of applications. Travel healthcare jobs September 2018 We expect September to at least recoup from the 12 percent drop in application volume for August, but we may also see a possible increase in application activity. There are a few market indicators that point towards September as a high-activity month: Many travelers who decided to extend their summer contracts will be looking for either a quick contract between fall and winter or they will already be planning for the winter months. Hospitals are continuing to push for more temporary staffing to bulk up for flu season. The great “snowbird” migration will start to ramp up this month. Travelers who moved north for cooler summer temperatures will head back south for the winter. Conversely, travelers who don’t mind the cold will head north to fill gaps left by summer travelers. If you didn’t catch it, the recurring theme here is winter. Late November through February are incredibly busy times for general healthcare facilities, so most hospitals, recruiters and travelers have already begun planning three months ahead. We already saw a few examples of the winter job swell in the past two weeks. Facilities in East Texas have been hiring medical-surgical nurses en masse, and one of the largest hospitals in St. Louis plans to bring in more than 200 travelers in the next two months. Unsurprisingly, both of these locations are in southern states where flu activity peaks early and stays high throughout the winter. Expect to see more facilities in Alabama, Mississippi, New Mexico, Arizona, Louisiana and Arkansas heavily recruiting in the next few weeks. While we can’t say for sure September will be the busiest month of the year for job hunting, we can guarantee travelers have a much wider range of options to find a contract right now that fits their needs. Let’s see what we learned from August’s top markets. State rankings show a gradual winter shift The StaffDNA state rankings list didn’t change much overall from July to August, but it did provide early hints to where travelers may be looking for the late fall and winter. Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Nevada continued to gain ground and now sit comfortably in the top 20 most applied-to states. Arizona also held a spot in the top 10, dropping only two spots to No. 8. Kentucky, South Carolina enter the Top 10 Kentucky just barely jumped into the top 10 most applied-to states for August, bumping Virginia down to No. 11. South Carolina made the largest shift, moving seven spots from No. 13 to the sixth place slot. We expect the state to remain popular in September, as there are many high-paying opportunities on the StaffDNA job boards in the state, especially for rad techs and OR, ER, ICU and PACU nurses. August’s Top Markets Florida California Texas North Carolina Tennessee South Carolina Pennsylvania Arizona Georgia Kentucky Virginia Indiana Missouri Oklahoma Arkansas Wisconsin Michigan Iowa Idaho Maine New Mexico Nevada Oregon West Virgina Colorado Ohio Hawaii Washington New Jersey Illinois Massachusets Alabama Minnesota Utah Maryland Louisiana New Hampshire Vermont Arkansas Montana New York South Dakota Connecticut Kansas Mississippi Nebraska Washington D.C. Wyoming North Dakota Rhode Island Delaware