OBama Healthcare Plan... A Review of the latest ABC news video.

I recently watched a video interview with President OBama on ABC news and found it very interesting that the President would like to have less beuarocratic paperwork and more working. I don't know how many times I've said, "If he wasn't for all the paperwork, I could get more nursing done." They problem is the fact that if it's not documented then it's not done. Here are a few tips that I have on getting your charting done!

1. As a traveling nurse, we are faced every 13 weeks with a new computer or paper system. When starting an assignment, I find it almost unavoidable the possibility that I'm going to have to ask someone to help me. Don't be afraid to ask!!! Some of these computer systems can get a little tricky, and believe me, it's a lot easier to do things right the first way instead of having to go back and do things over again.
2. Make every attempt to chart as you go. I know this may be difficult at times, but it is much easier to document as you go. Then you don't have to spend an hour at the end of the shift wondering what time you actually changed that dressing.
3. Carry your notes with you at all times. If you have your notes in your pocket, then you don't have to spend extra minutes thinking about what you were going to write or going to do.
4. Don't chart at the nurses station. If you have a choice go somewhere down the hall or away from others to do your charting. This is also an advantage to charting in the room with your patient. You are not as liable to stand there and chat fifteen minutes with your patient then you might stand there and chat with the other nurses.
5. Charting is a part of patient care. If you are in the patient's room charting, then people don't see you in the middle of the hallway "standing around" or "just setting" at the nurses station.

Time management in nursing... a concept that will plague nurses for a long time. Write to me with your hints of time management!!! highwayhypo @yahoo.com

Written by Epstein Larue, author of Highway Hypodermics: On The Road Again... the premier guide to travel nursing! www.highwayhypodermics.com

Travel Company Spotlight: ATC HEALTHCARE

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
Contract and per diem assignments for nursing and Allied staff.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
All of the USA

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
Anywhere from 1 day to 1 week

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
We are a medium-to-large, publicly traded company without multi-layers of management and staff, so "everybody knows your name!"

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Absolutely! From recruitment to client service to housing & credentialing, ATC provides in depth, personal service to every healthcare professional we work with.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
Most recruiters provide their cell number and there is always someone in the office 7a-9p+ and often on weekends

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
Medical/dental, 401k, sign-on and completion bonuses, direct deposit, free digital camera and cruise for consecutive assignment completions, housing and meal allowances paid weekly, not monthly!

What about professional insurance?
Yes, we provide enough.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
A staff with vast experience in the healthcare field, One-on-one, relationship building service, contracts with hundreds of facilities across the country and the ability to provide the best pay package in the industry

We can get you where you want to go and what you want to make. Just call us at 866-562-7667 or visit our website: www.atctravelers.com

COMPANY SPOTLIGHT: Valley Medical Staffing

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
We offer 13-26 week travel nursing assignments. Occasionally we will have 4-8 week opportunities but those are rare.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
We specialize in California assignments.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
Today I placed a nurse I first spoke with last evening. It just depends if all the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name? We are a small travel nurse company. You definitely will not be a number.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
I am a former travel nurse myself. I will treat you the way I expected to be treated as a traveler

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
Hopefully we can take care of any problems that may arrive during the daytime hours but I always keep my phone with me. I give all my travelers my personal cell phone number so I can be reached as necessary. So the answer to the question is yes.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
We provide weekly direct deposit. You will be paid the Thursday after your first weeks work. Corporate style housing or housing stipend. Medical insurance provided at no cost to the traveler. Subsidy for family members. 401K plan available, travel pay.

What about professional insurance?
We provide professional liability but this should always be an individual choice for each nurse.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
I have been a travel nurse before I went to work for this company and have experienced the same issues and concerns that all travelers have. I am an RN. I will work for you and provide the personal service that I would expect as a traveler. Our greatest asset is our fairness and honesty. We will not submit you without your express permission. We are independently owned and not looking to sell information. The owners have decided to have a former travel nurse as a recruiter so the nurses might feel more cared for themselves. You are appreciated!

There are 2 totally different VALLEY travel companies. We are valley Medical Staffing. Come and visit us at: www.vmstaffing.com

Valley Medical Staffing
2107 Livingston Street, Suite A
Oakland, CA 94606
888-267-4174

Amazon Nursing Trends, Issues, and Roles Best-Selling Author Epstein LaRue Releases The Third Edition, “Highway Hypodermics: On the Road Again”

(Grace, ID) – Epstein Larue (www.epsteinlarue.com) and Star Publish, LLC, (www.starpublishllc.com) is happy to announce the release of Highway Hypodermics: On the Road Again, the third book in the Highway Hypodermics travel nursing informational series.

There is no end in sight for the nursing shortage. As the need for nurses grows, so does the usage of traveling nurses. Only through education can these nurses be properly prepared for their next travel nursing assignment.

Since 2005, the Highway Hypodermics series of books (On The Road Again, Travel Nursing 2007, and Your Road Map to Travel Nursing) has become an industry leader in providing quality information to traveling nurses and recruiting firms. Whether it’s your first or fifth assignment, there is always something new to learn with this book.

Epstein not only takes you from the basics of the changes in travel nursing, what it takes to be a traveling nurse, what to look for in a traveling company, and helps you choose a hospital and assignment, but she also has included in this edition helps for the traveling physical therapist, occupational therapist, the traveling licensed practical nurse, and the traveling foreign nurse.

This book also touches on how to prepare for emergencies on the road, keeping track of tax information, independent contracting, traveling with a family, homeschooling, traveling in a recreational vehicle, PBDS testing, JACHO certification for travel companies, and state nursing boards. Closing out the book is a huge section with travel nursing stories from other traveling nurses and a special section with information on over seventy traveling companies.

There may be other books on travel nursing, but Epstein and the Highway Hypodermics series is the only one that has been a finalist in the USA Book News Medical Resources contest for two previous editions, with the last edition, Travel Nursing 2007, reaching number one on the Amazon Nursing, Issues, Trends, and Roles three different times. Don’t leave home without the leading guide for travel nursing!

Highway Hypodermics: On The Road Again (ISBN: 978-1-935188-02-5) is available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Blackwells, or Borders. Autographed copies can be ordered through Epstein’s author website, www.epsteinlarue.com or her travel nursing website, www.highwayhypodermics.com.

About Epstein LaRue: The writing world calls her Epstein, but reality calls her "Kay." No matter what you know her by, she is a lady of many talents. She has been a nurse since 1992, and has worked on medical, surgical, emergency, telemetry, rehabilitation, and psychiatric units. Her previously published works include: Love At First Type: An Online Romance (January 2001), Crazy Thought of Passion (January 2003), Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map To Travel Nursing (January 2005), and Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2007 (January 2007). LaRue keeps herself busy by publishing a monthly eZine about travel nursing. Her article “Top 10 Reasons To Love Travel Nursing” and freelance writing for such magazines as Nursing2004, ORNursing2008 and EP Lab Digest. In 2005 she was named as a “Traveler of the Year” by Healthcare Traveler Magazine. Travel nursing is a dream that has become a reality. Although she was born and raised in the Oklahoma Panhandle, she has been a resident of Southeast Idaho since 1996. She is currently on a travel nursing assignment in College Station, TX. Step into her world and shoot yourself down the road with Highway Hypodermics.

About Star Publish: Star Publish has been producing quality books since 2004. In fact, Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map To Travel Nursing was their first contracted book. They are a cross between a traditional publisher and self-publisher in that publishing fees are paid by the author to cover publishing costs, but they are like a traditional publisher in that not all books are accepted. Star Publish provides quality book production while the author keeps control over all aspects of publishing their book. For more information on this book and others check out: www.starpublishllc.com.

Highway Hypodermics: On The Road Again First Printing!

GET IT NOW AT THE SPECIAL FIRST RELEASE PRICE!!!

Epstein has submitted the work to the publisher in October, the publisher did some great editing and formatting then off to the printer it went. The first printed copy has been sent to the publisher and has been approved, and now books are on the way to Epstein. Within the next few weeks, the first shipment will arrive. When the shipment arrives, you will get an autographed first printed copy!

NOW is your chance to take advantage of a first release price of only $20.00!

For more information check out my author website: http://www.epsteinlarue.com/HH2009.htm

Traveling Healthcare Staffing Company, Medical Solutions Partners with University of Saint Mary to Offer an Online RN to BSN Degree Program

Medical Solutions has formed a partnership with University of Saint Mary to offer an accelerated, online RN to BSN Degree Program aimed at registered nurses ready to advance their education and increase their professional opportunities.

Omaha, Nebraska (PRWEB) January 16, 2009 -- Medical Solutions has formed a partnership with University of Saint Mary to offer an accelerated, online RN to BSN Degree Program aimed at registered nurses ready to advance their education and increase their professional opportunities.

With this program, registered nurses can complete the RN to BSN Degree Program from University of Saint Mary in as little as two years. All books, tuition, and other educational costs are covered by Medical Solutions so long as they are traveling as part of the two year program and taking no more than two classes per term.

As the first staffing agency to offer an RN to BSN Degree Program that is completely cost free, Medical Solutions recognizes the importance of staffing hospitals with quality nurses, not just registered nurses, but nurses prepared at the baccalaureate and higher degree levels as well.

Craig Meier, Medical Solutions' Vice President of Sales states the importance of the RN to BSN Degree Program, "By providing nurses with a chance to better themselves and their professional development will translate to lower mortality rates and improved patient care. As a healthcare staffing provider, our number one objective is providing our client hospitals with the highest qualified nurses available."

Nurses working on a traveling assignment will gain an even greater education by adding a hands-on arena to utilize the knowledge they are gaining while in the program. It also allows for flexible scheduling so there is ample time for the nurse to complete the necessary coursework.

The RN to BSN Degree Program was developed with the hectic schedule of nurses in mind. The coursework is done completely online and is self-paced, without any campus obligations. The admission process parallels that of any other collegiate institution, with the primary exception being there are six different program start dates to help nurses maintain the balance between their professional and personal lives.

The RN to BSN Degree Program is an accelerated format designed for nurses who want to complete their degree in a fast-track mode over 24 months. A BSN degree can increase a nurse's opportunities for advancement, strengthen leadership and interpersonal skills, acquire computer literacy, ethical decision-making, and communication skills.

About University of Saint Mary: The University of Saint Mary is a private, four-year Catholic university founded and sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. The main campus is located at 4100 South 4th Street in Leavenworth, Kansas, with additional locations offering accelerated degree-completion and graduate programs in Overland Park, Shawnee, and Kansas City, Kansas. University of Saint Mary is an educational institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The RN to BSN program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). University of Saint Mary has been named a "Best Midwestern College" by The Princeton Review for the last four years. Visit University of Saint Mary (http://www.nursing.stmary.edu) to learn more.

About Medical Solutions: Medical Solutions, Inc. was one of the first travel nurse and allied healthcare staffing companies to be certified by the Joint Commission. It is focused on meeting the urgent and short-term staffing needs of its clients with highly skilled allied health professionals, nurses and technologists. A nationwide network of travelers allows Medical Solutions to help its client hospitals continue to provide excellent patient care amidst a nationwide nursing and allied health shortage. Medical Solutions provides travelers to nearly 900 client hospitals nationwide and is one of the fastest growing companies in the travel nursing and allied health industry. Visit Staffing. MedicalSolutions (http://www.Staffing.MedicalSolutions.com) or MedicalSolutions (http://www.MedicalSolutions.com) to learn more.

MedHunters Announces Online Nursing Social Media Partnership with NurseTogether.com

Denver, CO (PRWEB) January 27, 2009 -- MedHunters, an onTargetjobs Inc. company and the leading niche job board for the professional nursing community, and NurseTogether.com, one of the world's largest free, online communities for nurses, have announced a strategic sales and co-marketing partnership in which NurseTogether.com will serve as the exclusive nursing social networking partner to MedHunters.com.

The agreement will provide registered members on MedHunters with free access to NurseTogether.com's wide variety of unique, informative content and social media tools to assist them in their professional and personal lives. Other benefits include special discounts to nursing supplies through the NurseTogether Scrub Store, powered by Tafford Uniforms. In addition, MedHunters.com advertising customers will be able to take advantage of NurseTogether.com's advanced social media tools to bring their nursing-related employment opportunities to thousands of qualified nurses.

MedHunters is also part of the HEALTHeCAREERS Network, offering access to more than 70 professional healthcare associations and hundreds of sites that are well-established in the nursing, physician, allied and professional administration communities.

"We are proud to partner with NurseTogether.com. The site's active nurse membership, engaging content and robust social media tools are a strong complement to our MedHunters brand," said Wes Crews, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Niche Markets at onTargetjobs, the parent company of MedHunters. "As the industry's leading provider of online career services to the healthcare community, we're always looking for ways to add value to our jobseekers and our customers. Our partnership with NurseTogether.com will enable nurses to easily connect, share experiences and cultivate career opportunities in a fun and engaging Web environment."

"NurseTogether.com was founded with a simple goal in mind -- to empower nurses globally by giving them the support and information they need, with a focus on the unique lifestyle issues facing the nursing community today." said Randy Holloran, Founder and Chief Operating Officer of NurseTogether.com. "We're very pleased that MedHunters, one of the most well-known and respected names in the healthcare community, has partnered with us to provide nurses with easy access to our content and services that support nurses worldwide."

About MedHunters: MedHunters specializes in providing the most sought-after nursing, physician and allied job seekers, a large selection of quality healthcare jobs as well as relevant, healthcare-industry news and content. MedHunters offers a full suite of advertising products that include Web site and association banners and healthcare specific eNewsletter ads. MedHunters is an onTargetjobs company and part of the HEALTHeCAREERS Network. For more information, visit www.medhunters.com and www.ontargetjobs.com.

About NurseTogether.com: Based in Orlando, Florida, NurseTogether.com is a unique, global, online community of nurses coming together for support, networking, advice, career growth and nursing advocacy. To learn more, visit www.NurseTogether.com.

About Tafford Uniforms: Tafford Uniforms is a leading manufacturer and retailer of nursing scrubs, accessories and footwear. For more than 20 years, millions of customers have trusted the Tafford brand for the best in styling, quality, customer service and value. For more information, visit www.tafford.com.

Types Of Nurses

Why Nursing? Nursing can be one of the most challenging and rewarding career paths an individual can choose to travel. Now more than ever, it is important to bring awareness to the need for highly qualified and well-trained nurses in this country. This is important now, but will become increasingly more so as the baby boomer generation continues to advance in age. What follows is a brief list of reasons why nursing is the way to go.

A Noble Profession: Caring for those in need of care is one of the noblest things an individual can do. Nursing is indeed a challenging profession, with daily reminders of just how hard life can be. It can also be quite rewarding, especially when you help someone recover from a debilitating illness or injury.

Nursing Shortage: We are currently experiencing a nursing shortage and are already bringing in qualified personnel for India and the Philippines. However, with the baby boomer generation advancing in age, it is only a matter of time before we experience a true shortage, during which qualified healthcare professionals will be scarce and demand will be high. According to the US Department of Labor, the nursing profession should grow between 20-30% between 2006 and 2016.

Outstanding Salary: As it stands right now, nurses already make one of the best salaries for their cost of living out of many professional jobs in the US. Sign on bonuses are common, especially in areas on high need. Considering the fact that we are on the verge of a nursing shortage of potentially epic proportions, salaries could continue to grow in order to entice more to the profession and appease those working under heavier work loads as well.

Job Security: Professional Nurses are and will be in such high demand that job security is an excellent by product of an unfortunate situation. The economy may fluctuate, but human beings will always need health care at some point, whether they would like to think so or not. As the population grows, so too does our need for nurses, which equals job security for those qualified individuals.

Great Benefits: Another perk of working in the healthcare industry is the great benefits you receive in addition to salary and job security. Additionally, you will more than likely have a working relationship with your physician, which can be advantageous to say the least. Working in an environment where health is a constant concern can also make an individual that much more vigilant, which will ultimately affect that person’s health I a positive manner.

Written by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of types of nurses. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com

Online Nursing Degree Seekers Gain a New Education Resource: OnlineNursingCareer.com

Seattle (PRWEB) November 4, 2008 -- Today, Online Nursing Career announced the recent launch of their new website. The site is designed to help students find online nursing degree programs that will help them enter the nursing field or advance their careers through the convenience of a flexible online education. Online Nursing Career makes it easy for students--whether they're starting or continuing nursing education--to compare online nursing degree programs and request information from top schools

Along with their goal of connecting students with schools, Online Nursing Career also aims to provide students with valuable information to help them make important decisions. From advice about what to look for in online nursing schools to which type of nursing degree to choose, Online Nursing Career offers practical resources that will give students the confidence they need to make choices that best meet their needs and career goals.

The benefits of an online nursing education make it a great option for busy adults who have demanding job or family schedules. Health care is the fastest growing career field in the U.S.--with about half a million new jobs expected for nurses by 2016, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For aspiring nurses, this means that it's a great time to finish an online nursing program, and for practicing nurses, pursuing an advanced nursing degree online can give them a competitive edge for gaining higher paying positions with expanded job duties.

"There's no question that nurses are in high-demand. Graduates of online nursing degree programs will qualify for a large number of exciting opportunities," says Amy Balliett, product manager for Online Nursing Career. "We want to make it easy for students to learn about their online nursing education options, compare schools, and connect with admissions representatives--all in one stop. We provide all the information they need to make a great school choice."

About Online Nursing Career: Online Nursing Career is a comprehensive online directory of accredited nursing degree programs and nursing career resources. They strive to be the finest resource available allowing prospective students to: (1) Search for schools by degree, (2) Compare and research schools, (3) Request free information from schools, and (3) Explore education options and career paths. Their mission is to help students find the nursing degree and advanced education resources they need to realize their personal goals. For more information, visit www.onlinenursingcareer.com.