Highway Hypodermics

Top Ten Travel Companies for 2012

2012-02-01T12:35:00.002-05:00

In the challenging world of travel nursing it’s time to honor those travel companies who provide the best of benefits to traveling nurses, along with exceptional service.

There are three important aspects to this award: the companies’ benefits, the informational interview, and how the traveling nurses evaluate the company.

Nurses were polled regarding which benefits they looked for in a traveling company, and then an inquiry was made to each company as to whether or not they provided those benefits.

To help nurses further understand what the individual travel companies were all about she had each company fill out an interview form, in which each company was then spotlighted for a full month on the Highway Hypodermics website.

Each company who provided an interview was placed on a list in which the number of benefits was added to the evaluations of that company.

This year Nationwide Nurses and HRN Services tied at number 10 with 36.5 benefit and evaluation points.

Other top ranking companies include: Pro-Med Staffing, Cirrus Medical Staffing, Trinity Healthcare Staffing Group, Flexcare Medical Staffing, Talemed, Nurses in Partnership, Freedom Healthcare and Premier Healthcare Professionals.

The biggest congratulation goes to a new number one… Valley Healthcare Systems out of Gold River, CA.

Another 9 companies have been listed to the honorable mention list.

For the complete list and more information check it out at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/TopTenDownload.htm

TravelTax News for January 2012

2012-01-09T07:08:00.002-05:00

Hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. 2012 is underway and that means yet another tax season.

Our annual tax workbooks are ready for your download. If you have not been to our website in the last few months, you'll notice a fresh look and much better organization thanks to my wife who is officially working full-time in the office. An added benefit of the workbook will be a fill-in Adobe version which should be posted by the 13th of January. This will allow you to enter information and save it randomly as you assemble your material. As always, if you have any questions along the way any of our helpful staff will be able to assist you.

***Upcoming Seminars and Workshops

A reminder about our January tax workshops and teleconferences. Our live workshops will be held in

San Francisco, January 6th and 7th
Seattle, January 8th and 9th
Fairbanks Alaska, January 10
Los Angeles, January 13th and 14th
Phoenix, January 15
Dallas, January 23

Our teleconferences will be scattered throughout January and the remainder of the tax season.

Details including times, registration and locations can be found on the first page of our website www.traveltax.com

***Federal Tax News

Presidential election campaigns no longer financed through tax returns Have you ever noticed the little checkbox on the first page of a tax return asking whether you want to fund the presidential election campaign? That question is now a thing of the past with recent legislation.

Standard mileage rates: For 2012, the standard mileage allowance for business expenses remains the same at 55.5 cents a mile. Medical/moving expenses are $.23 a mile and charitable mileage at $.14 a mile.

Assistance for returning veterans - Employers that hire returning veterans have an expanded list of incentives and tax credits to encourage their employment. If you are returning veteran or an employer and want to find out more about these programs, the free to contact us

***State Tax News

Professional practice licenses targeted more It all started in California-the practice of pulling a list of active professional practice licenses including nurses and physicians, and cross-referencing the list with state tax return filings. Any non-filer, regardless of whether they earned income in the state, was sent a letter asking for a tax return. If there was no reply within a certain period, a tax lien was filed based on the amount of income reported on the federal return. This practice is now extended to almost every state. We are encouraging clients to file what is known as "zero" returns in states in which they hold licenses, but do not have income. Since the "possibility" of earning income still exists, state tax agencies hungry for additional revenue are pursuing this.

New York no longer accepting federal extensions Most states will typically accept a federal filing extension in place of their own form. Only a few states require separate extension to be filed. New York is now among those requiring a separate extension.

***Other Tax News

Staffing firms under exam: As we mentioned in our last newsletter, there are over a dozen staffing firms under audit by the IRS. We may see some additional changes in the way agencies construct their tax residence statements. One possibility is that some may require proof of mortgage payments or rent for those travelers claiming to have a tax home. A problem that industries employing mobile professionals have had all along is the lack of consistency with screening traveler's tax homes.

State residency Issues: We have mentioned in previous newsletters that state tax departments have become very aggressive in asserting residency on anybody remotely tied to a state. States are particularly targeting those who have moved to another state but have lingering ties to the former state. It is important to note that most states assume that your residency continues until you have not only established a residence in the new state AND shut the door behind you in regards to the former state. It's not enough simply to move but it's equally important to sever all ties to the former residence.

Otherwise the former state of residence will have adequate justification to assert residency under their domestic laws spreading their tax net over your worldwide income.

Receiving per diem for housing while the company provides the housing One issue that is arising frequently in industries employing mobile professionals is when an employer or staffing agency provides the housing for the traveler AND pays lodging per diem, taking out their costs, and then paying the remainder the traveler tax free.

This is not kosher in the eyes of the IRS. A per diem given to an employee as a reimbursement for lodging should be free of any employer involvement in the lodging cost. In other words, per diem is for the employee to use not the employer to dictate its use.

When the employer is involved in the cost of lodging and pays a per diem or stipend in excess, the amount that exceeds the cost is taxable to the employee and subject to employment tax to the employer.

60/40 splits: Another issue that is common among staffing agencies is the practice of paying a blanket per diem or allowance without allocating a portion to meals. Under the regulations, when an allowance, stipend or per diem is less than the published rates, 60% of the payment is deemed to be for lodging and 40% for meals.

Since meals are only 50% deductible to the individual and employer (absent rare exceptions), allowances cannot be held out as 100% deductible payments. An employee's tax return is also required to reflect this allocation.

Would you like to work as a state tax auditor in California? There on a hiring binge right now. The qualifications are listed below- notice, no experience is required

"We are now accepting applications for our Auditor Evaluator I positions.

The California State Auditor is seeking motivated candidates who already have or are within a year of graduating with a degree in accounting, business, finance, economics, or MPA/MPP/MBA/JD graduate degrees. Candidates must have strong analytical and writing skills and a desire to be challenged. No experience is required; we will train you"

***Last Things

Remember to mark your calendars for October 18 and 19th, 2012 and attend the fifth annual Travelers Conference in Las Vegas. Details can be found at www.travelersconference.com

The filing deadline for the 2011 tax year is April 16, 2012 since the 15th falls on a Sunday.

With the emergence of 2012 a number of tax provisions have expired.

Congress will be quite busy this year deciding which one of these to keep as many of them are popular tax deductions. A list of these can be found at http://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=EYDex&m=JNIfeKoe1Xkidv&b=qGStyS5xvH0xDs_iod97Xw

Joseph Smith EA

Enrolled Agent, Admitted to Practice Before the IRS

www.traveltax.com

jsmith@traveltax.com

Office 402.379.7818

Fax 877.872.8829

TravelTax LLC

Box 1643 Norfolk, NE 68702

Supplemental Health Care Expands Staffing Services With Health Information Management Division

2011-12-24T02:04:00.000-05:00

PARK CITY, Utah , Dec. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Supplemental Health Care, a leading healthcare workforce solutions provider, has established a national Health Information Management (HIM) division to support organizations enduring wide-spread changes to the industry's insurance billing policies and overall healthcare delivery process. This division extends the company's staffing services to identify non-clinical personnel to assist clients in managing and improving their internal medical data procedures.

Based in Dallas, TX , the HIM division will implement strategies to connect organizations with HIM coders, managers, directors, auditors, clerks and clinical documentation improvement specialists. The division will utilize Supplemental Health Care's suite of workforce solutions, offering contract, travel, remote and permanent work options to meet the varied demands of its client facilities.

"Creating flexible staffing options that evolve with the needs of our clients is one of the foremost commitments of our company," said Janet Elkin , President and CEO at Supplemental Health Care. "Our HIM division continues this commitment by providing our partners with resources needed to maintain productivity through new industry regulations and the sweeping impact information technology has on the healthcare industry."

In recent years, the HIM industry has experienced substantial growth as more professionals continue to enter this popular sector of the healthcare industry. Supplemental Health Care, committed to sourcing knowledgeable talent from this growing pool of health information specialists, requires all employees hold nationally-recognized certifications to ensure they are highly-skilled, well-versed in the latest HIM advancements and meet industry-wide compliance standards.

"Patient information impacts multiple areas of the healthcare delivery process, including treatment plans, billing procedures and electronic medical record-keeping," said Julie Barrera , Director of Sales for Supplemental Health Care's HIM Division. "We will ensure our professionals understand the dynamics of these areas and consistently expand their expertise through our various continuing education and career development opportunities."

To learn more about Supplemental Health Care, visit the HIM Division online or call 855-268-4087.

About Supplemental Health Care: Based in Park City, Utah , Supplemental Health Care delivers wide-ranging workforce solutions that address staffing challenges faced by healthcare organizations today. For more than 27 years, the company has provided organizations better access to skilled nurses, therapists, physicians and other healthcare specialties. With more than 60 local offices in major U.S. markets and five national travel divisions, Travel Nursing, Direct Hire, Travel Allied, Locum Tenens and Health Information Management, Supplemental Health Care places healthcare professionals in temporary and travel positions throughout the country. Learn more about Supplemental Health Care online at www.supplementalhealthcare.com.

Increase In Nurse Jobs

2011-10-23T01:21:00.004-04:00

Just about everyone in America rubs elbows with healthcare. And now with federal healthcare reforms aimed at granting millions of Americans improved access to quality care, American Traveler healthcare employers from hospitals to home health are on the hunt, once again, for skilled RNs. Good news for nurses looking for RN jobs and even better news for Registered Nurses looking to connect with travel nursing jobs.

Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) October 20, 2011 - Leading travel nurse agency, American Traveler, announced in October a year-over-year increase of 56 percent in nurse job employment, a number that includes both staff RN positions and travel nurse jobs. The uptick, said Clinical Resource Manager, Deborah Bacurin, RN, is due to larger healthcare employers rebounding from recession and hiring travel nurses again, along with a sprouting up of ambulatory outpatient centers across all 50 states.

“It looks like healthcare is back in business,” Bacurin said. “The demand for ambulatory nurse jobs has skyrocketed and almost half of all jobs created in September went to healthcare.”

Bureau of Labor numbers confirm what Bacurin says. Hospital job growth in the first nine months of 2011 is four times what it was in all of 2010. Moreover, 42 percent of new jobs last month were healthcare jobs. Of those, ambulatory care jobs doubled in number.

Driving growth in ambulatory services is a number of factors, Bacurin said. First, technological advances in patient care have enabled a greater number of health problems to be treated by outpatient doctors and nurse practitioners. Add a boon in nursing care, as record numbers hit retirement age, and a clinical emphasis on preventive care, spawning thousands of jobs for nurse specialists and therapists. Healthcare jobs projected to increase most in coming years include registered nurses (RNs), nursing aides, licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses, reports Labor.

"It’s a really good time for nurses to consider a career in travel nursing, and for some to look beyond the hospital. New business models have pervaded healthcare. These include not only ambulatory care centers, but skilled nursing facilities, outpatient surgery clinics and various types of physician practices subject to a seasonal census," said recruitment VP, Mary Kay Hull.

Though nurse pay flattened during the recession, Hull said, she’s starting to see wages bounce back to pre-recession levels and better. Her firm is experiencing a significant demand for nurse job specialties such as Operating Room and Labor and Delivery, and continues to fulfill requests for nurses and therapists well-versed in computerized patient care systems and modern therapies.

“Depending on regional and state economies, physical therapists are now earning six figures in some markets,” she said.

What does the future hold?

The outlook for healthcare jobs is positive according to Labor. Healthcare jobs continue to outpace employment sectors manufacturing and construction and are expected to number 344,000 by year’s end, a level of growth not seen in four years.

Hull said American Traveler recruitment figures fall in line with the boom in healthcare jobs growth. The company is on track to exceed last year’s placements in the first nine months of 2011 and continues to grow postings for niche nurse specialties and certifications.

“The nurse jobs are out there,” said Hull. “They pay good and come with great benefits. On the other hand, healthcare employers are looking for the ‘cream of the crop.’ They’ve raised performance standards for nurses and are keeping better track of where and how they spend labor dollars.”

About American Traveler: The Joint Commission-certified American Traveler specializes in short-term, per diem, travel nursing and permanent positions for RNs, Physical Therapists, OTs, SLPs and other allied health professionals. American Traveler places these professionals in rewarding positions across the nation, from world-renowned university teaching hospitals to rural medical facilities. In addition, American Traveler is proud to offer a full array of workforce management software to hospitals that includes Internal Staffing, Vendor Staffing, and Contingent Workforce Management. Our solutions encompass all aspects of supplemental staffing that optimize hospitals' valuable human resources, savings of significant capital, and ease the burdens of maintaining adequate staffing levels.

Dream Nurse Travel

2011-10-22T04:00:00.002-04:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?

We offer Per Diem and travel assignments to RNs and LPNs.

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

Currently we are limited to NY state and PA.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?

We are a small family run business that boasts the ability for customer service.

Can I expect personal service with your company?

Absolutely. That is one of our missions.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?

We have 24 hour point of contact. Absolutely.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?

We are owned and operated by two traveling nurses and one ER physician. In our experience in the traveling world, we felt the nurse should get higher wages. Therefore, we as a company take more of the top to provide our nurse with higher wages.

What about professional insurance?

We believe that the insurance a company provides should be sufficient.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?

We feel we are different. We make sure all of our nurses have health insurance. If they don't we offer up to single+dependent at no cost to the nurse. As stated above, we really do take off the top to supply nurses with higher rates.

We are not corporate America. We will never function like that. We will fight for our nurses even if it means losing contracts and/or money. We will always do right by the nurse.

For more information... check them out here:

Dream Nurse Travel, LLC

11 Leslo Lane

Newfield, NJ 14867

866-368-3708

www.dreamnursetravel.com

Travel Nursing Conference Coming Soon!

2011-09-14T01:47:00.000-04:00

Don't miss the Travel Nursing Conference coming to Las Vegas in just a few more weeks! Spots are filling up quick, but there are still come left! CHECK IT OUT!

Travel Nurses can win 1 of 20 weekly prizes in Medical Solutions Room 2 Roam Mobile Sweepstakes

2011-09-05T11:05:00.002-04:00

If you have a smart phone and are a travel nurse, entering is easy.

Omaha, NE (September 1, 2011) – Medical Solutions, a nationwide Travel Nurse and Travel Therapy staffing company has launched its first ever Room 2 Roam Mobile Sweepstakes. For two months beginning today, the sweepstakes offers 20 weekly giveaways of a mobile phone accessory kit complete with mobile charger, portable battery and other attachments, and a grand prize drawing for an Apple iPad 2.

Sweepstakes entries are only open to traveling healthcare professionals, whether in Nursing, Allied Health or Therapy. Entries into the sweepstakes can only be submitted through a mobile device or smartphone, now through the end of October.

Just recently the company has re-launched its newly designed website as well as a new mobile friendly version. The company has also created a new brand identity which is a direct result of continued growth and its overall objective to widen the reach and appeal to the modern day healthcare professional.

“The sweepstakes will be a great Medical Solutions brand marketing effort as well as a great opportunity for traveling healthcare professionals to win prizes that can be invaluable during their travels between job assignments,” said Patrick Fuerstenau, Brand Craftsman at Medical Solutions.

Medical Solutions “Room 2 Roam” Mobile Sweepstakes prize details: 20 weekly winners will receive one Mobile Phone Accessory Kit. One Grand Prize winner will receive an Apple iPad 2 (16G – WiFi + 3G)

Prize Eligibility: Must be at least 18 years or older, a person residing in the United States and a licensed traveling healthcare professional.

Sweepstakes timeframe: Room 2 Roam Mobile Sweepstakes starts September 1, 2011 at 12:00am (CST) and ends October 31, 2011 at 11:59pm (CST).Official rules: Official rules and details can be found on the Medical Solutions website at, http://www.medicalsolutions.com/mobile-sweepstakes-terms-and-conditions/

About Medical Solutions, Inc.: Medical Solutions, Inc. was one of the first travel nurse and allied healthcare staffing companies to be certified by the Joint Commission and has been continuously certified since 2004. Its focus is 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 nursing and allied health shortage. Medical Solutions has contracts with nearly 900 client hospitals nationwide and is one of the fastest growing companies in the travel nursing and allied health industry. Visit MedicalSolutions.com to learn more.

Travel Nurse Solutions Changes Name and Focus

2011-09-03T02:37:00.002-04:00

Travel Nurse Solutions, a Birmingham-based staffing company is now Jackson Nurse Professionals. The change stems from the company’s recent expansion in services and opportunities and the higher standard of customer service the company provides.

Birmingham, AL (PRWEB) July 07, 2011 - Travel Nurse Solutions, a Birmingham-based staffing company, has changed its name to Jackson Nurse Professionals. The change stems from the company’s recent expansion in services, opportunities and a higher standard of customer service. This decision better aligns Jackson Nurse Professionals with its parent company, Jackson Healthcare, a name that is synonymous with quality in the healthcare industry. Jackson Nurse Professionals has not undergone any ownership changes and is still led by the same management team who focuses on keeping quality at the forefront.

“Our vision is to build a brand that is strategically aligned not only with our partners in healthcare, but also our nurses by building upon their professionalism and making sure we give our clients the best nurse on the market,” said company President Greg Sanchez. Jackson Nurse Professionals’ new commitment to clients is a detailed approach in the development and implementation of unique staffing solutions. According to Joanna Edge,RN, Director of Client Development, “Each client is different; they have their own challenges, demands and issues.”

Jackson Nurse Professionals can effectively staff the following service levels for clients: travel, per-diem, permanent, rapid response, EMR conversions, long-term care, disaster crisis teams and ambulatory services.

Clients can also expect hands-on consulting aiding in EMR transitions and software implementations. “We want clients to look at Jackson Nurse Professionals as a resource and not just another staffing agency, “says Joanna.

Jackson Nurse Professionals takes the time to focus on quality by equipping nurses with the tools and opportunities needed to enhance their professional skills in the nursing field. The company serves as a partner and guide in directing nurses in their career paths ensuring they receive the right experience and resources needed to meet their future goals.

Along with the expansion in client and nurse services, Jackson Nurse Professionals is also placing an importance on giving back to the community. “We want to truly adopt the Jackson mentality of other’s first,” says Greg. The company encourages nurses and clients to get more involved in the community by volunteering and serving to help others in need.

Jackson Nurse Professionals has developed a new website, jnpnursing.com, which caters to the needs of clients and nurses, and expresses the “other’s first” motto. Along with the new website, the company has added other communication avenues such as newsletters, blogs and social media sites.

Jackson Nurse Professionals strives to continue to make beneficial and progressive changes as the nursing industry changes. “It is our commitment to make sure we are providing a higher standard of excellence in the nurse staffing industry, says Greg.

About Jackson Healthcare: Jackson Nurse Professionals is proud to be a part of the Jackson Healthcare family. Jackson Healthcare provides hospitals with physicians, clinicians and allied health professionals to ensure the delivery of timely, high quality patient care. Founded by healthcare innovator Richard L. Jackson, Jackson Healthcare serves more than two million patients in nearly one thousand hospitals each year. Jackson has consistently been recognized as one of the largest and fastest growing staffing companies in the country by Inc. Magazine, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Georgia Trend and Staffing Industry Analysts. Its healthcare research and charitable work continue to garner national media attention. Visit JacksonHealthcare.com to learn more....

AMN Healthcare Receives NCQA Certification

2011-08-19T04:43:00.001-04:00

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 18 , 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AMN Healthcare, the nation's leader in healthcare staffing and workforce solutions, has announced it has earned the Credentials Verification Organization (CVO) Certification from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). AMN also holds Joint Commission Certification.

The NCQA certification provides healthcare organizations that utilize locum tenens providers, sourced through AMN Healthcare, an assurance that they are getting the highest quality candidates. This certification will be initially utilized to support the credentialing services of Staff Care, an AMN company.

"Achieving NCQA certification is another key differentiator for AMN and Staff Care," said Dr. Marcia Faller, Chief Clinical Officer at AMN. "As one of only a handful of healthcare workforce solutions companies to have earned this distinction, our clients now have further independent confirmation regarding the value of our credentialing rigor and thoroughness."

To achieve certification, AMN underwent a meticulous onsite and offsite evaluation conducted by a credentialing surveyor and an administrative surveyor. AMN's temporary physicians are verified for licensing, the Drug Enforcement Agency's Controlled Dangerous Substance certification, highest level of education, malpractice history, work history review, sanctions history search and ongoing monitoring and much more.

About NCQA: NCQA is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA accredits and certifies a wide range of health care organizations. It also recognizes clinicians and practices in key areas of performance. NCQA is committed to providing health care quality information for consumers, purchasers, health care providers and researchers. For more information, go to www.ncqa.org/.

About AMN Healthcare: AMN Healthcare Services, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, CA, is the nation's largest provider of comprehensive healthcare staffing and workforce solutions. As the leading provider of travel nurse, local (per diem) nurse, allied and locum tenens (temporary physician) staffing and physician permanent placement services, AMN Healthcare recruits and places healthcare professionals on assignments of variable lengths and in permanent positions with clients throughout the United States. AMN Healthcare is also the nation's largest provider of clinical staffing managed services programs and recruitment process outsourcing solutions. Settings staffed include acute-care hospitals, government facilities, community health centers and clinics, physician practice groups, and a host of other healthcare settings. AMN Healthcare also provides home healthcare services in select regions. For more information, visit www.amnhealthcare.com.

Cirrus Medical Staffing Announces First Half 2011 Revenue Performance Exceeds 2010 Same Period by 32%

2011-08-06T03:54:00.001-04:00

Charlotte, NC (PRWEB) August 04, 2011: Cirrus Medical Staffing, an industry leader in travel nursing and allied healthcare staffing, today announced its financial performance for the period of January 2011 through June 2011. The company recorded a substantial increase in staffing-related revenue for the first half of 2011, equating to a 32% increase year-over-year for the same period in 2010. The travel nursing division saw its revenues increase by 28% and the travel allied division showed a 35% increase in revenues.

“We’re obviously very pleased with our financial performance thus far in 2011,” said Randy Holloran, President of Cirrus Medical Staffing. “Our strong growth is indicative of the hard work our organization as a whole has put in over the past several months. We pride ourselves on the quality of our services and the strong relationships that we build with our clients as we partner with them to provide staffing solutions.”

About Cirrus Medical Staffing: Based in Charlotte, NC, Cirrus Medical Staffing is an award-winning healthcare staffing firm, providing medical professionals to healthcare facilities across the nation. With offices in Charlotte and Atlanta, Cirrus specializes in placing nurses and allied health professionals into travel, contract and permanent employment. Cirrus is ranked as one of the top 10 travel nurse companies in the US and is Joint Commission Certified. For more information, check out their website at www.cirrusmedicalstaffing.com

2006 Vista Cruiser Mini C.. Great Travel Nursing Rig!

2011-08-01T04:53:00.004-04:00

Would you like a business write off and travel in you own home and get 22mpg? I did…

I have for sale my 2006 Vista Cruiser Mini C. This is a 24 foot Gulf Stream with a slide out that has a Mercedes Benz engine and a Freightliner Sprinter chasse.

The mileage is an outstanding 22-24mpg that only drops to 15-17mpg when towing a vehicle.

It sleeps 5 and has lots of storage and extras.

This is a one owner vehicle, used for business by a traveling nurse.

This RV received new tires in late 2010 and a new ancillary battery also in 2010. All maintenance records go with purchase.

It was professional appraised for $53,000 in May 2011, but the asking price is only $45,000.

For more information, contact Judy at: prairiecowgirl@aol.com

Demand For Agency Nurses

2011-07-25T04:58:00.001-04:00

Stafford, VA (PRWEB) July 21, 2011: With recent Labor Department reports of an increase in temporary-help services employment to about 2.3 million in March 2011 from a recent low of about 1.7 million in mid-2009, nurse staffing agency, FlexRN, reports similarly strong demand for its agency nurses in hospital and urgent care settings.

Temporary workers are often called upon to offer the flexibility companies need -- especially in times of economic uncertainty or growth. Contingent workers also allow companies to tap specialized skills, avoid payroll taxes, and adjust staffing levels on an as-needed basis.According to some estimates, roughly half of all workers hired in the post-recession time frame have been contingent workers. And last year's growth in the average daily employment of temporary and contract workers ranked second to the historical record of 428,000 set in 1994, according to the American Staffing Association.

FlexRN, a leading nurse staffing agency based in Stafford, VA, has seen similar growth in demand for its specialty nurse staffing services among its hospital and urgent care clientele. Staffing with agency nurses allows hospitals to maintain complete flexibility by adjusting their staff counts up or down on a daily or seasonal basis -- without obligation.

“Considering the average cost to hire a full-time nurse staffer is $40,000, it’s no wonder during these uncertain times that more hospitals and clinics are turning to per diem, contract, or travel nurses to fulfill their staffing needs,” remarks Executive Director of FlexRN, Diana O’Toole.

FlexRN has reported YTD increase of 37% over the same period in 2010. The increase is attributed to a steady but unsure economic recovery as well as changes in healthcare reform.

As a nurse staffing agency, FlexRN handles screening, selection, and evaluations for the nurses it sends to hospitals and clinics. The company also ensures 100% compliance for all critical credentials. As such, clients can avoid those upfront costs and confidently add staff by submitting their requests direct to the agency.

About FlexRN: FlexRN is a nurse staffing agency that is managed by nurses for nurses. The company maintains a strong commitment to put the needs of nurses on par with the needs of hospitals and urgent care facilities to deliver a win-win for both. The company’s per diem staffing opportunities are currently available in Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, New Jersey and Pennsylvania with additional locations coming soon. Travel nursing jobs are available nationwide. FlexRN nurses are offered standout wages and comprehensive benefits, a personal scheduler, and flexible shifts and hours. Interested nurses are encouraged to visit http://www.FlexRN.com to learn about agency nursing jobs and travel nursing jobs, talk with a staffing expert, or apply to become a FlexRN nurse.

Nurses Week Contest

2011-04-23T19:50:00.000-04:00

In observance of the approaching 2011 Nurse's Week, Medical Solutions, Fibers.com and Scrubadoo.com have partnered to bring you Nurse Rock! Nurses Week T-Shirt Design Contest, a contest where Nurses and Nurse-aficionados can create clever and compassionate t-shirt designs all for the appreciation of the Nursing profession.

Beginning April 12, users may submit endless designs using the simple yet powerful Fibers.com design tool. No design skills necessary! Fibers.com has everything you need to create your own contest entry with over 500 fonts and 10,000 images.

All entrants will receive a $10 gift card towards their next purchase at Scrubadoo.com (Limit one per person). The contest ends May 12, the birthday of the founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale. Three winners will be chosen to win over $1000 in prizes, including an Apple iPad 2. Vote for your favorite design today!

Visit the following link to view, participate, and vote in the contest: http://www.fibers.com/contests/nurses-week-2011

The goal of the contest is to honor the nursing profession all whilst rewarding those with the best design or slogan. All are encouraged to participate and vote! Please feel free to share on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media.

Rn Networked Named to Travel Company Spotlight

2011-01-11T17:47:00.002-05:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
13-week travel nursing assignments at premier healthcare facilities across the United States.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
Our jobs comprise all 50 states plus the U.S. Virgin Islands.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
The average amount of time it takes to place a nurse in a new assignment is around 4 weeks, although we have placed nurses in as little as 7 days.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
RN Network is a medium-sized company with approximately 65 employees based in South Florida. Owned by CHG Healthcare Services, we have the strength and backing of one of the strongest staffing companies in the healthcare industry. Our recruiters are the best and most personable in the industry. You will never feel like just a number at RN Network.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
RN Network understands the importance of a building and nurturing a trusted relationship between nurse and recruiter. For that reason, we hire only the best-qualified, most-experienced, friendly and courteous professionals to assist you in finding that perfect job opportunity.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
We offer 24/7 support to our nurses on assignment. If you encounter a problem, you can reach us anytime, day or night.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
We offer premium health insurance with multiple plan options designed to meet the needs of as many people as possible. This includes a zero-premium medical and dental plan offering. Coverage begins the day you start your assignment. In addition, we offer free life insurance and employee assistance programs, plus optional vision insurance, 401K plans, and pet insurance.

What about professional insurance?
Our top-notch, comprehensive professional liability insurance is available to all of our travelers, completely free of charge. We believe our liability insurance is sufficient for all our working nurses or we would not offer it.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
The level of professionalism and expertise shared by our recruiters and support staff clearly separates us from our competitors and makes loyalists out of our nurse travelers. Travel with us just once and you won't want to look anywhere else.

You can have it all with RN Network--great pay, benefits, 24/7 service. Our golden job opportunities will help you get the most out of your nursing career. Give us a call!

For More Information Check them Out:
Rn Network
2000 NW Corporate Blvd, Suite 150
Boca Raton, FL 33431

800-866-0407

www.rnnetwork.com

Nursing Ventures Named Company Spotlight for June 2010

2010-06-10T12:43:00.002-04:00

W hat kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
Extremely high pay opportunities for Nursing and Allied Healthcare Professionals. We offer local per diem, local contracts, travel assignments and permanent placement.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
We cover all of the United States including Alaska and Hawaii. At this time we do not offer any international services.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
One to Two weeks depending on the responsiveness of the applicant.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
We are small to medium size and would like to keep it that way. All of our employees have a name!

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Each employee can expect above average personal service with Nursing Ventures.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
Nursing Ventures Inc. provides after hours support for our employees and hospital clients. Our toll free number will direct after hours callers to our administrator on call.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
The number one benefit from working with Nursing Ventures is the exceptionally high pay. We are against any type of program, vendor, overhead that will decrease the bottom line of our employees. We do not offer referral bonuses, "free private housing", transportation, completion bonuses, free laptops, free scrubs, stethoscopes, health insurance or anything else that will take money out of the checks our nurses work so hard for! Nursing Ventures believes that hard working professionals can manage their money better than we can.

What about professional insurance?
We provide excellent professional liability insurance coverage. We do not discourage our professionals from getting their own policies but we do not require it. We believe a professional employer should secure the best coverage possible.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
Nursing Ventures Inc. is a dedicated professional temporary healthcare staffing company whose primary goal is to pay our employees as much as possible. In our 4 year history we have never found ANY other staffing company who can beat our high pay rates, based on the same billing rate. We are creating a huge niche between the large greedy publicly traded staffing companies and the small "mom and pop" or internet "start your own nurse agency for $299" companies. The owners of Nursing Ventures Inc. are all RN's who work full time for client facilities along side of our employees. We do not rely on our employees for our bread and butter. The owners of Nursing Ventures Inc. believe that the time for change in the temporary healthcare staffing industry starts with us and starts now. Nurses have been taken advantage of for years by large staffing companies who are making huge profits from the hard work of nurses like us. Nursing Ventures Inc. will change that! We are against corporate greed and against small get rich quick companies who know nothing about the staffing industry or employment law. Nursing Ventures Inc. has elected to take the high road, the path of professionalism and integrity for all healthcare professionals who choose to have more freedom in their careers. Our employees understand that their careers are tools that allow them to live life the way they want, on their terms and not working 5 - 7 days a week just to make ends meet. Nursing Ventures Inc. is outraged by huge profit margins that are taken from the billing rates charged to the hospital clients in return for the hard work of nursing professionals who should be getting paid double what they are making.

Nursing Ventures Inc. is a professional healthcare staffing company whose goal is to pay our employees more than any other staffing company, period! We are not a staffing company that is right for everyone. We seek healthcare professionals who want to make the most of their time so they can live their lives as they choose. Nurses are human beings, not wage/insurance slaves who are locked into a cycle of work-pay-bills-work-pay bills. Nursing Ventures Inc. is about blocking anything that reduces the hourly pay for our employees' bottom line. Work to live NOT live to work.

For More Information Contact:
Nursing Ventures
2825 East Cottonwood Parkway
Suite 500
Salt Lake City, UT 84121
877-657-6262
www.nursingventures.com

New Blog Awards

2010-05-20T13:01:00.000-04:00

Richard Hemby here from OnlineCollegeGuru.com, I'm contacting you about a nursing web awards we're currently running with the following categories:

* Best Nursing Blog of 2010
* Best New Nursing blog of 2010
* Best/Influential Post of 2009-2010
* Top Nursing Twitterer of 2010
* Most Useful Nursing Website of 2010
* Most Useful Web/Mobile Tool for Nurses of 2010

1st place, 2nd, and 3rd place winners will receive Kiva gift cards for best nursing blog, new nursing blog, and best nursing post. Besides Kiva gift cards, we have some pretty nice web badges for other categories.

We have just started accepting nominations and we would really appreciated (really!) if you could give the awards a plug on your blog so we could make this the biggest and best nursing web awards! Tweet it too if you could!

Here's the awards website:
http://onlinecollegeguru.com/awards/nursing/2010/2010-nursing-web-awards-begins/

Wesley Medical Staffing

2010-05-18T14:17:00.002-04:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
We offer per diem, short term, long term, and temp to perm opportunities for RN's, LPN's, and CNA's nationwide. We can do hospital, office, LTAC, and correctional assignments throughout the US.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
We cover the continental US including Hawaii and Alaska!

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
The average time after acceptance is generally dependent on the client facility. Most facilities for travel assignments allow the nurse to start asap (or as soon as they can get there). Typical turn around time after acceptance is around a week to 10 days.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?

We are a very small company (compared to most out there now) but have offices positioned strategically to specifically target the high traffic areas where travel nurses want to go.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
YES! Wesley specializes in personal service! We work very hard to make sure that we completely understand the needs and goals of our nurses to give them their "best fit" in assignments.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
Yes, we have someone on our phones 24/7 to answer any questions or address any concerns that our nurses may have. If there is a clinical concern or patient care issue, our nurse directors are also available to discuss issues on a one to one basis.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
We provide generous sign on and referral bonuses, paid private housing (or stipends), paid travel (or stipends), education reimbursement, and health care reimbursement.

What about professional insurance?
I believe that our company's insurance carrier is very thorough and comprehensive but as a nurse, I have always carried my own Professional liability insurance and make this same recommendation to all nurses working for our company.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
Our personal service is what sets Wesley apart from other companies. We truly care about our nurses and it shows in our bookings and in our retention numbers.

We would love for all travel nurses to take a look at Wesley and give us a try. We are not the biggest and flashiest company out there, but our people KNOW healthcare and nursing and we would love to help you find your next assignment!

For More Information Contact:

Wesley Medical Staffing
801 E. Morehead St., Suite 305
Charlotte, NC 28202
866-295-9306

www.wesleymedicalstaffing.com

100 Reasons to Become a Nurse

2010-03-18T11:20:00.000-04:00

Becoming a nurse is a great decision for anyone interested in the field of medicine as it can be a rewarding career, both personally and financially. If you're thinking about enrolling in nursing school, check out our list of 100 great reasons to become a nurse. Read more here...

25 Things You May Not Know About What Nurses Know

2010-03-09T19:53:00.002-05:00

Remember that 25 Random Things About Me fad that went viral on Facebook? Well, we have created our own version, sort of. We recently posted an article entitled 25 Things You May Not Know About What Nurses Know. It’s an interesting read that puts nurses in a new light, like having to juggle the roles of being a CEO, customer service manager, crisis coordinator and medical professional all rolled in one.

Intrigued? Here is the link to the article:
http://dnpprograms.org/25-things-you-may-not-know-about-what-nurses-know/

March Ezine Released

2010-03-07T11:21:00.000-05:00

The March 2010 Edition Of HIGHWAY HAPPENINGS has been released! This month's edition includes:

*Patient Safety Awareness Week Tools and Tips
*HPS Staffing
*Travel Tax News
*Nurse Staffing Agency Unveils New Corporate Branding & Website
*New Study Highlights Social Media Use Among Nurses and Physicians

For more information and to download visit: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm

Almost Tax Time!

2010-02-24T07:04:00.003-05:00

Just wanted to remind all traveling nurses that it's almost tax time! Get all your receipts together, and don't forget your mileage!

For the professional Travel Nurse, we strongly recommend the services of Joseph Smith and his office. They're website can be found at: http://www.traveltax.com/

February 2010 HIGHWAY HAPPENINGS

2010-02-09T10:11:00.002-05:00

This month's eZine includes:

Hopkins Nursing Center Offers E-Support to Nurses, Midwives in HaitiMed Staff Inc.
Travel Tax News
Allied Health World Launches: A Site Dedicated to Health
EducationJoint Commission Annual Report Shows Gains in Patient Care Quality
New Mini Lift For Helping Patients To Stand Up And Be Transported In A Small Area

This edition can be downloaded at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm

Med Staff Inc. Named Company Spotlight

2010-02-04T17:06:00.002-05:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
We will assist the healthcare professionals with their CEU's if needed.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
We cover the entire United States including Alaska and Hawaii for travel Healthcare Professionals. We also provide per diem in Iowa and Illinois.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
It varies with each healthcare professional. If they are ready to travel and their is a position available, it would run no longer than 48 hours for an acceptance. If they are not ready, finishing an assignment or some other type of issue, it would have a variance.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
Small. We will always be treated as a name. We treat all of our employees as family. If you treat individuals with respect and honesty, you will find that you will have a better rapport and long-term employees.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Yes, each individual is treated with respect, honesty and dignity. Each individual is unique in their own way and will treated with individualized service.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
Yes, we have someone that you can call 24/7. No problem is ever dismissed and will be discussed at anytime and we will rectify it ASAP.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
We offer furnished one bedroom apartment, day one medical and dental insurance, $500.00 completion bonus, $500 travel reimbursement, Tax Advantage Plan option and Excellent payroll department.

What about professional insurance?
We supply the insurance for the nurse to work, but if a nurse needs to obtain her own professional insurance is up to each individual. Yes, it is good to have this, but that is each individuals choice.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
We are dedicated to our employees and strive to make them happy and comfortable on their assignment. Our recruiters develop a rapport with each of their nurses and some have them for four years. The success of a company is the recruiter and the rapport that they develop with the healthcare professionals.

We will do everything to make your travel assignment comfortable, stress free, location you would like to work, open communication and an excellent payroll department. As we know, payroll can either make or break an agency. My motto is to always be honest and upfront with each person.

For More Information Contact:
Med Staff Inc.
4425 Welcome Way
Davenport, IA 52806
563-359-1933
www.med-staff.com

December 2009 eZine

2009-12-05T04:41:00.000-05:00

The December eZine has been released. This month's edition includes:

*12 Unique Gifts For Travelers
*Freedom Healthcare Staffing
*iPhone Edition of Portable Drug Reference Released
*New Instant Job Updates Via Twitter
*Joint Commission Introduces Perinatal Care Core Measures
*New Online Continuing Education Course on Near-Death Experiences
*Joint Commission & HHS Team Up In Language Access Education
*Top Ten Reminder For 2010

It can be downloaded at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm

Don't forget to evaluate your travel company! Next month the Top Ten Travel Companies for 2010 will be named!!!
http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/Questionnaire_TravelCompanyEvaluation.htm

Two Nurses Are Amongst The Dead At Fort Hood

2009-11-12T19:21:00.002-05:00

It has just recently come to my attention that two of the dead at Fort Hood where actually psychiatric nurses. The following is what I have learned from several public access sources...

Capt. John Gaffaney, 56, was a psychiatric nurse who worked for San Diego County, Calif., for more than 20 years and had arrived at Fort Hood the day before the shooting to prepare for a deployment to Iraq.

Capt. Gaffaney, who was born in Williston, N.D., had served in the Navy and later the California National Guard as a younger man, his family said. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, he tried to sign up again for military service. Although the Army Reserves at first declined, he got the call about two years ago asking him to rejoin, said his close friend and co-worker Stephanie Powell.
“He wanted to help the boys in Iraq and Afghanistan deal with the trauma of what they were seeing,” Ms. Powell said. “He was an honorable man. He just wanted to serve in any way he can.”
His family described him as an avid baseball card collector and fan of the San Diego Padres who liked to read military novels and ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Capt. Gaffaney supervised a team of six social workers, including Powell, at the county’s Adult Protective Services department. Ellen Schmeding, assistant deputy director for the county’s Health and Human Services Agency, said Capt. Gaffaney was a strong leader. He is survived by a wife and a son.

The following is a list of local news reports about Capt. Gaffaney:

Capt. Russell Seager, 51, of Racine, Wis., was a psychiatrist who joined the Army a few years ago because he wanted to help veterans returning to civilian life, said his uncle, Larry Seager of Mauston.

Capt. Seager’s brother-in-law, Dennis Prudhomme, said Capt. Seager had worked with soldiers at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Milwaukee who were suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. He also taught classes at Bryant & Stratton College in Milwaukee, said Mr. Prudhomme, who is married to Capt. Seager’s sister.

Larry Seager said his nephew’s death left the family stunned, especially because the psychiatrist only wanted to help soldiers improve their mental health.

“It’s unbelievable. He goes down there to help out soldiers and then he …” Mr. Seager said, his voice trailing off. “I still can’t believe it.”

Russell Seager is survived by a wife and 20-year-old son.

Capt. Seager was scheduled to go to Afghanistan in December and had gone to Fort Hood for training.

“Our family has suffered a great loss and we are all devastated,” Capt. Seager’s sister, Barbara Prudhomme, said in a statement read by her husband. “We are very proud of the way Russell lived his life, both personally and professionally, and our hearts go out to all the victims and their families.”

The following is a list of local media in Wisconsin that have more information on Capt. Seager:

May God shed a special blessing on the families of these slain nurse soldiers!

Alliant Medical Staffing

2009-07-24T11:31:00.001-04:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
We offer both travel and perm jobs for nurses and allied health professionals.

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

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
The average time from acceptance of application to the first day on the job is usually about 2-3 weeks.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name? We are a small company. Unlike other larger travel staffing companies, a traveler is able to build a trusting relationship with their recruiter. The recruiter is their main point of contact for any issue so the traveler always knows who to call and always has someone that can take action for them.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Yes. Alliant Medical Staffing is a small company and our we go out of the way to build personal relationships with all of our travelers. Our travelers don't have a different department to call for every type of problem. The recruiter acts as your single point of contact and coordinates with the appropriate departments to handle issues.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
We offer 24/7 support while our travelers are on assignment so if there is ever a need for assistance, we are only a phone call away.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
-Wide Variety of Assignment Options -Personal Attention -Higher Wages -Exceptional Insurance Coverage -Free Private Housing or Generous Housing Subsidies -Sign-on & Completion Bonuses -Loyalty & Referral Bonuses -Tax-free Travel Allowances -Reimbursement for CEU’s -Credentialing Assistance -License Reimbursement

What about professional insurance?
Yes, we provide enough.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
Once you begin a relationship with Alliant Medical Staffing, you will discover that what makes us different is that we give you the personalized attention that you deserve. Our recruiters take the time to understand your goals, preferences, and skills so that we can match you to the assignment that best fit your needs.

Through unparalleled personal service, our team consistently strives to make sure that our travelers have nothing but the best experience possible. With Alliant Medical Staffing, you can expect a wide variety of travel employment options, great compensation and benefits, fully furnished housing, and lucrative bonuses, not to mention a friendly voice on the other end of the phone if you ever need our assistance.

For More Information Contact:
Jeff Francis, President
c/o Alliant Medical Staffing, LP
6060 N. Central Expressway, Suite 560
Dallas, TX 75206
866-868-0469

www.alliantmedical.com

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

2009-07-16T18:14:00.003-04:00

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!

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.
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.
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.
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.
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

2009-05-14T13:13:00.001-04:00

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

2009-03-06T02:58:00.002-05:00

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”

2009-02-06T05:00:00.000-05:00

(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!

2009-02-03T19:39:00.000-05:00

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

2009-01-29T19:44:00.001-05:00

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

2009-01-29T19:39:00.001-05:00

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

2008-12-22T22:59:00.001-05:00

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

2008-12-22T12:36:00.001-05:00

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.

Travel Nursing Jobs In Crisis

2008-11-13T20:11:00.000-05:00

The major problems with the economy and the popularity of travel nursing is the fact that hospitals are finding it harder and harder to "make ends meet" therefore they are looking at how to either keep the staff they have, increase the nurse to patient ratio, or when they do hire travelers it is at a greatly reduced rate.

There are so many travel companies out there now, that the "underbidding" is horrible. And of course, hospitals are going to take the cheap way out.

Then it's up to the companies to find apartments that will actually take a 3 month lease, and then they pay up to $200 more per month for the short-term lease!

Then you have the furniture rental place who is charging more and more to deliver the rental furniture along with the utility companies charging more and more for their services.

It's like a soap opera... "As The Stomach Turns"

As of this last summer, I've stopped traveling during the summer and just travel during the winter so that I can go SOUTH for the winter. I'm just not into -30 degree weather and 8 feet of snow!!! BUT, to do this, I had to take a $5.00/hour cut in pay from what I make per diem at home. IT'S CRAZY!!!!

LocumTenens.com Reaps Mixed Reviews on Universal Healthcare

2008-10-29T17:19:00.001-04:00

General surgeon salary survey shows 40 percent imagine negative income impact.

Alpharetta, GA (Vocus) October 3, 2008 -- Although the economy currently dominates both the news media and the presidential campaign, Americans still view healthcare reform as a top priority for the new president, according to recent survey results. But how do U.S. surgeons view the issue?

In its 2008 general surgeon salary survey, physician recruitment firm LocumTenens.com asked how general surgeons thought universal healthcare would affect their personal incomes. Among close to 200 respondents, only 17 percent said 'positively.' While 43 percent predicted universal healthcare would have no effect on their incomes, another 40 percent predicted a negative effect.

"Autonomy is one of physicians' hot-button issues and many of them think universal healthcare would mean greater government control and bureaucracy," LocumTenens.com Senior Vice President Pamela McKemie said. "However, a growing number seem to think it's a policy whose time has come, regardless of how it affects them personally."

Respondents to the LocumTenens.com general surgeon salary survey offered a mix of perspectives on universal healthcare, including these:

"It will be based on Medicare and we will all lose money."
"We need it no matter what my income does."
"Income would likely diminish even more as doctors are expected to provide care to more people at a decreased compensation rate in order to fund universal healthcare."
"My taxes might go up, but I'm certain that the increased number of paying patients would more than compensate. Universal healthcare would be very good for the bottom line of most doctors."

Straining the Surgical Suite: Earlier this year LocumTenens.com published physician survey results indicating that as much as 20 percent of the country's physician work force will stop practicing medicine if the U.S. implements universal healthcare under the new president. Additional analysis of the survey's 1,400 responses indicated that the vast majority of that 20 percent were surgeons, anesthesiologists or radiologists.

"As waves of baby boomers begin retiring over the next few years, the volume of surgeries is likely to skyrocket," McKemie said. "Since about a third of our general surgeons are age 55 or older, we need to be careful not to reduce their ranks even more through what we do to reform healthcare."

She noted that at least one study has predicted a 47-percent increase in surgery volume by 2020. The American Hospital Association recently reported that between 2000 and 2006, knee replacement surgery increased 65 percent and hip replacement surgery increased 21 percent.

Surgeon Salary Stagnation: Sixty-two percent of general surgeon respondents to the physician recruitment firm's 2008 salary survey said their 2007 gross personal income was about the same as (29%), or less than (33%), their 2006 gross personal income. Twenty-one percent reported 2007 gross personal income that was less than 2006 income by 10 percent or more.

Overall 2008 annual compensation for general surgeon salary survey respondents averaged $284,078, roughly 97 percent of the average $292,104 for respondents to the 2007 LocumTenens.com survey. Regardless of compensation concerns, most 2008 general respondents (73%) said they would choose medicine as a career again if given the choice.

Seventy percent of responding general surgeons had been practicing for 10 years or more, 86 percent were male and 90 percent were board certified. While 42 percent of respondents were in private practice, 35 percent were employer-based and only 12 percent reported working on a locum tenens, or contract, basis exclusively.

Founded in 1995, LocumTenens.com is a full-service physician recruitment firm specializing in anesthesiology jobs, psychiatry jobs, radiology jobs, surgery jobs and CRNA jobs with U.S. hospitals, medical groups and community health centers. LocumTenens.com is part of the Jackson Healthcare family of companies. To learn more, visit http://www.locumtenens.com/welcome.

Travel Nursing Jobs Ease New Overtime Ban

2008-08-21T10:46:00.000-04:00

Foundation Medical Staffing supplies dialysis nurses to fill the gap.

Oklahoma City (PRWEB) August 21, 2008 -- Several states, including New York and Massachusetts, recently passed laws that prohibit medical facilities from scheduling overtime for their nursing staff. This may contribute to the rising gap between the current amount of nurses and the number of patients who need their care; the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) recently stated that the number of unfilled nursing jobs could reach a record high of 500,000 by 2025.

Medical facilities and nurses alike have turned to a relatively new industry to combat the nursing shortage: travel nursing. Travel nursing jobs offer a creative solution for facilities looking to provide care for their patients. Dialysis nursing jobs in particular have become plentiful; people often experience problems with kidneys first as they age, and the population is getting increasingly older.

"With such a high demand, we usually place our nurses within one day to three weeks," said John Riner, Director of Travel for Foundation Medical Staffing. "And on average, traveling nurses can stay in an area as little as 90 days to as long as a year or more."

The concept is simple: nurses travel to different medical facilities across the country and work only as long as needed. This saves the facilities money by giving them the option to supplement their staff only where necessary, allowing them to abide by the new laws while still meeting patient needs. And although these nurses work on temporary basis, they still receive full-time benefits.

"A common misconception is that if you travel you do not have job security or benefits. Neither is true," said Riner. "Each of our nurses receives a comprehensive benefits package on every assignment."

Overall, travel nursing jobs offer a rewarding experience; nurses have the opportunity to sightsee in many parts of the country while furthering their careers by working in a variety of professional settings.

"Many dialysis nurses use traveling to get a wider variety of experiences in different locations. In the end, traveling nurses often have more control over the direction of their career than most traditional nurses," said Riner.

About Foundation Medical Staffing: Foundation Medical Staffing is the nation's leading provider of staffing services for dialysis professionals, including dialysis nurses, managers, dieticians and patient care technicians. Founded in 1999, the company also provides traveling rehabilitation therapists to hospitals and healthcare organizations nationwide. For more information, visit www.foundationmedicalstaffing.com.

MedexSupply Announces the Release of the ADC Limited Edition Pink Ribbon Stethoscope, With Proceeds Being Donated to Breast Cancer Research

2008-08-20T18:25:00.000-04:00

Medexsupply, a national leader in the supply of medical instruments and equipment announced the release of the ADC 603 Limited Edition Pink Ribbon stethoscope to the health market. The company will donate a portion of the proceeds from their versatile, new stethoscope to Breast Cancer Research.

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 11, 2008 -- Today, Medexsupply, a national leader in the supply of online medical instruments and equipment announced the release of ADC 603 Limited Edition Pink Ribbon stethoscope to the health market. This stethoscope comes with a variety of new features at a very affordable price. ADC has become a popular brand name when it comes to medical equipment and its latest stethoscope is no exception. The wide spread use of ADC stethoscopes attests to their quality, versatility and performance. At Medexsupply, we have made our promotional stethoscope designed to promote breast cancer awareness.

Breast cancer is the second most common cause of deaths in North American Women and is the cancer most women fear most. Estimates from the cancer agencies indicate that close to 180,000 females will develop breast cancer this year alone. However, great advances in early diagnosis and treatment have been made in the last two decades. Current research has led to more and better treatment options, and many women are spared radical disfiguring surgeries. "We at Medexsupply strongly believe that awareness is the key to treatment of breast cancer. Our medical supplies will hopefully spread knowledge and encourage women to take charge of their own breast health, while reminding all to help support a cure for breast cancer."

While there are some excellent stethoscopes already on the market, many are not affordable or lightweight. Surveys indicate that the majority of healthcare workers want a device which is easy to use, light weight and has excellent performance - and the ADC 603 provides all that and more.

ADC 603 is a two sided chest piece which offers the latest state of the art noise reduction technology located inside the chest piece. This allows one to listen to the patient without any interference from environmental noise. The unique design of its diaphragm and bell has allowed it to be great stethoscope offering comfort to both adult patients and children. The instrument is also easy to use for any health care professional and its ergonomic design makes it easy to wear around the neck and handle.

All health care workers agree that the stethoscope must fit properly for the best performance. The better the custom design, the more freely the sound transmits to the ear from the body. The ADC 603 is widely used by many health care professionals as a general stethoscope. While it can't decipher all the heart sounds, it does function well when it comes to auscultation of the chest, heart and blood vessels anywhere in the body.

Dr Bhimji, a cardiothoracic surgeon says, "The ADC 603 is a great stethoscope. It can easily pick up the faintest murmurs in the heart, allows you to listen to the chest clearly and one can easily use it to auscultate bruits in the neck and groin. And because it does not stick out like a Littman, the chances of someone nicking it are nil."

The slightly enlarged bell easily fits into the spaces between the ribs and can augment all heart sounds. Bruits or murmurs all over the body are accentuated because the bell "cups" the skin. The Ultra sensitive diaphragm (17/8" diameter) offers superb amplification and crisp high frequency response. One does not need to press the stethoscope into the body to decipher the sounds. Unlike other stethoscopes, the bell or the diaphragm remain warm and never have the chilly feeling.

The ADC 603 is one of the most comfortable and versatile general use stethoscope manufactured today. For the price of $35, this high performing piece of equipment is a bargain. All ADC stethoscopes come with the finest manufacturers' service and a warranty package.

Through the sale of our Pink Limited edition ADC 603 Stethoscope Breast Caner Awareness Merchandise, we will donate $5 for Breast Cancer Research for each stethoscope purchased. The product is easily available online by visiting our online Medical Supply Store.

Medexsupply, a leading manufacturer and supplier of a number of innovative medical equipment is located in New York. The company offers a variety of online medical surgical, and diagnostic equipment for all types of medical facilities as well as products for patient care, occupational safety, and control of infectious disease. Medexsupply supplies Universities, hospitals, physicians, nurses and numerous governmental agencies with all type of medical supplies. The major thrust of the company is to provide medical supplies to ensure that both health care professionals and patients work in a safe and sterile environment. 1-888-433-2300. For more information, check out their website at: www.medexsupply.com

Medical Solutions Announces the Launch of its New Client Management Website and Brand

2008-08-20T18:11:00.001-04:00

Medical Solutions, one of the nation's leading healthcare staffing companies has launched a new website dedicated to its clients. In conjunction with the new website, Staffing.MedicalSolutions.com, Medical Solutions is also unveiling a new Client Management brand to further distinguish their services from their competitors.

Omaha, NE (PRWEB) August 12, 2008 -- Medical Solutions, one of the nation's leading healthcare staffing companies has launched a new website dedicated to its clients. The purpose of the new site is to improve the overall online experience for its clients and communicate its staffing philosophy. In conjunction with the new website, Staffing.MedicalSolutions.com, Medical Solutions is also unveiling a new Client Management brand to further distinguish their services from their competitors and better communicate with hospital executives.

In addition to allowing hospitals to submit staffing requests, the new client website is brimming with unique content to benefit Unit Managers, HR Representatives, hospital Recruiters or anyone responsible for hospital staffing decisions. The content includes testimonials from Medical Solutions clients, information on recruiting strategies and several unique features.

In the future Medical Solutions plans to offer many new and innovative tools through Staffing.MedicalSolutions.com. These features will enable staffing managers to quickly access and manage a wide array of information on Medical Solutions travelers working at their facilities including billing information, time records and approvals. Additionally, the site will provide secure information on traveler documentation necessary for reporting and meeting Joint Commission requirements.

"This is just the beginning of the exceptional online experience we will provide to our hospital clients. These innovative tools we will deploy over the next several months are further examples of our pledge to provide industry leading quality and service to our clients. Our uncompromised commitment to quality and service to our staff, travelers and clients is the primary reason why Medical Solutions is one of the fastest growing companies in the industry," said Scott Anderson, Medical Solutions President.

The brand transition involves color changes to the existing logo. The colors were chosen based on their ability to communicate trust and stability. Furthermore, a Core Values icon has been created and constructed of four interconnected swoops, with each swoop representing a different component of their devotion to outstanding customer service; Commitment, Value, Quality and Experience. The tagline, "Your traveling healthcare partner" will remain as a statement of Medical Solutions' position as an established company who works together with its clients to provide excellent patient care.

"Confidence and dependability are imperative in an industry where the ability to deliver quality staff in a timely manner without disrupting patient care is critical. That is why we felt it was important to create our new brand around the core values that drive our business and communicate a strong level of trust to our client hospitals," said Jeff Long, Medical Solutions Marketing Manager.

About Medical Solutions, Inc.: Medical Solutions, Inc. was one of the first travel nurse and allied healthcare staffing companies to be certified by the Joint Commission. It's 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.com or MedicalSoutions.com to learn more.

Nursegalaxy.com Takes Nurse Networking to the Next Level

2008-08-20T17:49:00.000-04:00

Nursegalaxy.com is expected to become the Mecca of nurse networks. It will create an abundance of opportunities, while allowing nurses to have a fun, interactive online experience that will keep them coming back for more.

Fairburn, GA (PRWEB) August 19, 2008 -- Nurse Galaxy LLC has launched an interactive, informative, and fun website for nurses that will bring nurse networking to the next level. The website has been designed to cater to nurses and nursing students. It is expected to be the Mecca of nurse networks, and will offer an opportunity for businesses to advertise.

The website will be beneficial in that it will provide opportunities for career and educational advancement, keeping up- to -date with nursing/healthcare events, and last but definitely not least networking with fellow nurses. Nurses will have access to an abundance of opportunities nationwide right at their fingertips.

Nurse Galaxy LLC is currently taking orders from advertisers to get an advance start on the high volume traffic we will be receiving. If interested in advertising please contact us by email or phone.

We have taken an aggressive approach using various types of advertisement avenues in order to expand results. A few ways Nursegalaxy.com will advertise is, Pay Per Click, Print Advertisement, Word of Mouth, and Search Engine Optimization.

Nursegalaxy.com is important not only because of its expected high volume web traffic for advertisers, but it will provide a relaxed, fun atmosphere for nurses. The site will be loaded with interactive features that will make nurses want to return for more.

Site Features Include:
•Personal Profile with the ability to upload pictures, songs, and videos
•Journal Boards
•Interactive Groups
•One on one chat or group chat
•Games/ Surveys
•Current Nursing/Healthcare Issues
•Career Opportunities
•Online meetings/events
•And Much More

The primary goal of the website is to give nurses and nursing students a place to come together and discuss the day to day issues of being a nurse, while providing them with quality advertisements that are of importance to them. For additional information please contact Quetina Howell.

About Nursegalaxy.com: Nursegalaxy.com is affiliated with Nurse Galaxy LLC which was created by Quetina Howell. Quetina has her Bachelors of Science in Nursing, and has over nine years experience in healthcare. For more information contact: Quetina Howell, President, Nurse Galaxy LLC., 404-429-0138, marketing@nursegalaxy.com www.nursegalaxy.com

Medicare Fraud: How Many Dead Doctors Does it Take to Prescribe $90 Million in Medical Equipment for Medicare Patients?

2008-07-18T13:04:00.000-04:00

The Health Insurance Advocate Cary Hall interviews Cato Institute's Michael Cannon to specify why Medicare is not the model to use for National Health Care

Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) July 18, 2008 -- While some politicians are pointing to Medicare as proof that a national health care plan can work in the United States, Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, wholeheartedly disagrees.

Cannon joins Cary Hall this Saturday, July 20, on The Health Insurance Advocate Show (HIA Network) to discuss the fallacy that Medicare can be used as a model for future national health care plans in the US.

Listeners are invited to join The Health Insurance Advocate Show Saturday, July 19, at 12 p.m. CST to learn about what Cannon foresees for seniors with Medicare as the system faces potential change.

Important questions covered in this week's show:
• What happens when Medicare sets medical service costs too high or too low?
• Exactly how do they arrive at their "allowable rates and charges"?
• If reimbursements are cut in the future, which doctors will no longer accept Medicare patients?
• And more importantly, which doctors will continue to accept Medicare patients?
• What does "gaming the system" mean?
• Will all doctors eventually say "No more Medicare patients"?

Listeners will learn about these and other important questions, including Cannon's view on how free market solutions can correct the worsening Medicare situation as well as prevent a National Health Care disaster.

Cannon will also discuss studies which show that Medicare's universal coverage has lead to thirty percent wasted spending much of which includes $100 million that has been spent on services serving no beneficial health-related purpose. Meanwhile, Americans have suffered ten separate national tax increases to pay for Medicare in its short forty-year history.

While Medicare currently allows patients to see any doctor they wish, Cannon contends that this could easily change in the near future.

"Because Medicare does not scrutinize medical services like commercial carriers, doctors have come to rely on the Medicare system to pay them without question," says Cannon. "In the past when Republicans have attempted to cut Medicare payments to doctors by up to eleven percent, doctors have successfully persuaded Congress not to cut the payments. Should the cuts eventually pass in Congress, many doctors would likely stop accepting Medicare patients."

Hall and Cannon will also discuss recent ABC and New York Times reports that show Medicare suppliers have consistently abused the badly managed Medicare system by filing claims which contained the identification numbers of 18,240 deceased physicians. One deceased doctor's identification number was used 484 times from 2003 to 2006 even though he died in 1999. The Medicare supplier that fraudulently used the number netted $544,789.

The Associated Press reported that "Sellers of wheelchairs, drugs, and other medical supplies collected as much as $93 million in fraudulent Medicare claims based on prescriptions from doctors who actually were dead, some for 10 years or more, a congressional investigation has found."

Outside of the context of the Medicare debate, opinions expressed by the Cato Institute do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Cary Hall or the HIA Network.

About Cary Hall -- Cary Hall is the president of Benefits By Design and the host of The Health Insurance Advocate Show. Cary has focused his company to be a consumer advocate organization. Cary is a top producer for Coventry Health Insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, Golden Rule, American Medical and United Healthcare. Cary is a member of the National Association of Health Underwriters and The Greater Kansas City Benefit Professionals Association.

Travel Nurse across America Ups the Ante: No More Gambling for Healthcare Coverage

2008-07-15T11:55:00.000-04:00

Travel Nurse across America (TNAA) has redefined the standard of health care coverage for the medical staffing industry with first day coverage, free insurance option, and a variety of choices in available coverage.

Little Rock, AR (PRWEB) July 15, 2008 -- TNAA recently upgraded its health insurance benefits package after switching to United Healthcare Network, one of the largest healthcare networks in the nation. The new plan will provide choices for their traveling nurse or surgical technician, and now includes greater flexibility and choice with coverage ranging through three levels (Classic Plan, Performance Plan, Premier Plan).

TNAA announced it will continue to offer its original "free" plan, the Classic Plan. The Classic Plan is offered at no cost to its employees and allows dependent coverage at an affordable premium.
The Performance and Premier Plans are both offered with affordable premiums and provide a variety of options depending on the type of coverage an employee desires. Both plans include a 3-Tier prescription drug program and no annual maximums.

When asked about the impetus for these changes, Gene Scott, President and CEO of Travel Nurse across America, responded, "We listened to our registered nurses and surgical technicians who are traveling with us on assignment. The consistent message we received from them is that they value a long-term relationship with their travel company and want available health insurance coverage options that offer REAL coverage without the fine print. Our travel nurses deserve access to the best healthcare coverage we can offer them, at least as comprehensive as the coverage of the patients to whom they provide care. We view this new offering as a way to reward our long-term, loyal travelers who are providing a high level of healthcare to the patients of our client hospitals."

Scott further reported that TNAA employees will continue to enjoy coverage beginning the first day of work, as well as free dental coverage and life insurance policy at no premium charge. Optional vision care packages with VSP, short term disability and additional life insurance through Jefferson Pilot are also available, making Travel Nurse across America's benefit offering the most comprehensive in the industry!

About the Company: Travel Nurse across America is a medical staffing company specializing in thirteen week assignments throughout the US for registered nurses and surgical technicians. For more information, check them out at www.nurse.tv

An American Appeal to Overseas Hospitals

2008-07-08T15:13:00.000-04:00

MedRetreat Offers 5 Steps to Help International Medical Providers Partner With Only the Best Medical Travel Agencies

Vernon Hills, Illinois (PRWEB) July 8, 2008 -- As interest in medical tourism heats up in the U.S., more and more medical tourism agencies (MTAs) are popping up to cash in on the emerging industry. But international hospitals should be aware that not all MTAs are created equally. According to Patrick Marsek, managing director of MedRetreat, a U.S. based medical tourism agency, "the best MTAs have trained staff, industry experience, and proven facilitation processes that guarantee a safe and stress-free experience for North American medical travelers." Unfortunately, some MTAs may not possess the qualifications necessary to ensure a positive medical travel experience.

To ensure that the medical tourism industry continues to flourish, overseas hospitals must take great care when choosing MTAs as affiliates. That's because a single patient mishap can effectively put an overseas medical provider out of the health tourism business for good. Even if a hospital has provided superior quality care, it may lose business if a medical tourist who is dissatisfied with the service provided by the MTA speaks to the media about having a bad overseas experience.

The fact that there is no official accreditation agency in place to identify and evaluate quality standards for MTAs makes it difficult for international hospitals to know which MTAs offer top quality. Until such an agency exists, MedRetreat would like to encourage all international hospitals to take the following 5 steps before agreeing to an affiliation with a MTA for the purpose of attracting North American patients.

Develop an affiliation approval process.
Verify that the MTA is a legitimate business in good standing.
Insist that the MTA visit your hospital facility.
Ask the MTA to disclose their facilitation process.
Determine the level of service the MTA provides.

In summary, it's important to make sure your business principles and those of the MTA are similar in nature. The MTA is an extension of your hospital and your reputation… choose wisely. MedRetreat offers 183 procedures in cosmetic, dental and general medical surgeries to 11 destinations in 9 countries around the world. MedRetreat continues to be the leading medical tourism service agency in the U.S. For more information about MedRetreat, visit: http://www.medretreat.com/.

National Investigative Team Looks At Digitek

2008-06-30T16:16:00.000-04:00

Americas Watchdog's US Drug Watchdog has expanded its national investigation of the drug called Diditek. In April 2008, Actavis Towtowa recalled all lots of Bertek and UDL Laboratories Digitek (digoxin tablets, USP, all strengths) for oral use, due to a manufacturing defect. Since that time many consumers or their families have received notification of the drugs recall. The US Drug Watchdog wants to talk to any consumer who took this drug and suffered any side affects or complications to include death. Consumers who were exposed to this drug can call the US Drug Watchdog anytime at 866-714-6466.

(PRWEB) June 30, 2008 -- Americas Watchdog's US Drug Watchdog has just expanded its national investigation into the drug called Digitek. According to the Food & Drug Administration (FDA), "the Digitek defect could expose users to twice the amount of active ingredient, which could cause serious and even fatal reactions". The best known side affect of this drug is death. If you or a loved one suffered an injury after taking Digitek, the US Drug Watchdog wants to talk with you. A victim or a family member can call the group anytime at 866-714-6466.

What Kind Of Drug Is Digitek? Digitek is a form of digitalis, a chemical derived from the foxglove plant that has been used as a heart medicine since the 18th century. The medication is sold generically as digoxin by several companies.

The Digitek defect could expose users to twice the amount of active ingredient, which could cause serious and even fatal reactions.

Digitalis medicines strengthen the force of the heartbeat by increasing the amount of calcium in the heart's cells. When the medicine reaches the heart muscle, it binds to sodium and potassium receptors. These receptors control the amount of calcium in the heart muscle by stopping the calcium from leaving the cells. As calcium builds up in the cells, it causes a stronger heartbeat. Again if you have taken this drug or were exposed to it please call the US Drug Watchdog at 866-714-6466.

So What Happened? On April 25, 2008 Actavis Towtowa recalled its Digitek tablets because there existed a possibility that tablets with double the appropriate thickness may have been commercially released. The FDA deemed the Digitek recall a Class I recall, meaning that the defective Digitek tables could cause serious health problems or death. Most if not all US consumers have now been told not to take Digitek by their physician or pharmacist. If a family member of a person who was taking Digitek & then died received the recall letter, please call the US Drug Watchdog at 866-714-6466. The recall letters should have been received in early May 2008.

What Are The Risk Health Risks Associated With Digitek? A double-strength Digitek tablet poses a serious risk of digitalis toxicity in those patients suffering from renal failure. Digitalis toxicity can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, confusion, loss of appetite, low blood pressure, cardiac instability and irregular pulse, heart palpitations, and bradycardia. Bradycardia is a slower than normal heartbeat rate.Vision changes such as halos or light rings around objects, seeing lights and bright colors, experiencing changes in color perception, blind spots in vision, and blurred vision can also occur. Patients suffering digitalis toxicity can also experience decreased urine output and excessive nighttime urination, overall swelling, decreased consciousness, and difficulty breathing when lying down. At its most severe, death can result from excessive Digitalis intake.

Both Actavis and the FDA said retailers who have Digitek tablets in stock should return the product. Consumers with medical questions should contact their health care providers. Consumers were also can obtain more information on the Digitek recall by calling the US Drug Watchdog at 866-714-6466.

If a family member died or has suffered other side affects related to the possible use of Digitek Americas Watchdog is available to consumers or their family members 24-7 at 866-714-6466

Americas Watchdog and its US Drug Watchdog is all about consumer protection and corporate fair play. For more information, check out their website at: http://www.usdrugwatchdog.com/

Website and Blog Increase Placement for Medical Sales Recruiter - Providing Sales Winners Calling on the Hospital, Lab and Physician Call Point

2008-06-25T17:17:00.000-04:00

Peggy McKee (Recruiter and Owner of PHC Consulting) hasn't felt a down economy at all. PHC Consulting is focused on top sales and sales support talent in the medical industry (laboratory clinical and research, physician call points, medical devices, pharmaceutical, etc). So far, 2008 is a fantastic year for revenues and Peggy attributes that growth to a strong web presence.

Celina, TX (PRWEB) June 24, 2008 -- www.phcconsulting.com (PHC Consulting), a recruiting firm specializing in providing top talent in the areas of sales, sales management, technical support, and marketing for all areas of medical sales (research, laboratory, clinical diagnostics, pathology, imaging, molecular products, cellular products, biotechnology products, and pharmaceutical) announces 25% growth for the first quarter of 2008 over the first quarter of 2007. The company attributes this significant growth to its extensive network in the healthcare industry, its strong presence on the internet (www.phcconsulting.com ), and its 9-year track record of personal service and quality hires. PHC Consulting candidates consistently ranks in the top 10% of medical sales force rankings.

Allocating resources to cultivate an industry-wide network has been critical to the company's success. PHC Consulting has an extensive database, which it continually adds to by cold calling, internet data-mining and attending national trade shows every month, such as the annual meetings of ASCB (American Society of Cell Biology), ASM (American Society of Microbiology), AACR (American Association for Cancer Research), AACC (American Association for Clinical Chemistry) , and Neuroscience, the National Society for Histotechnology Annual Symposium , and CLMA Think Lab (Clinical Laboratory Managers Association).

PHC Consulting developed www.phcconsulting.com/WordPress (the Medical Sales Recruiter blog) in late 2006 to communicate with clients. Today there are over 180 posts that Peggy has authored to assist both job seekers and hiring managers with the hiring/interviewing process. Topics include resume and interviewing advice, networking, and sales development. Peggy McKee, owner of PHC Consulting, reports an overwhelmingly positive response from candidates and hiring managers. In 2008, Peggy has started introducing her readership to additional resources using podcasts and http://www.youtube.com/user/MedSalesRecruiter (videos).

PHC Consulting usually places the top reps every year within our client companies. Clients describe PHC Consulting candidates as the most on target, pre-screened and prequalified of all candidates that they receive.

PHC Consulting prescreens and prequalifies candidates, arranges face-to-face as well as video interviews, and follows through on the onboarding process to ensure a smooth transition for both candidate and company. According to Peggy McKee, "PHC Consulting usually places the top reps every year within our client companies. Clients describe PHC Consulting candidates as the most on target, pre-screened and prequalified of all candidates that they receive." For more information check out there website at: www.phcconsulting.com

NLN Ceo to Deliver Keynote At Nursing Education Summit in Virginia

2008-06-23T14:53:00.000-04:00

The critical issue of expanding nursing education capacity to educate the numbers of students needed to meet future nursing demands will be addressed at the national Nursing Education Summit. As the CEO of the NLN, the association that represents nurse faculty from all types of nursing education programs, Dr. Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, is well chosen to address this forum where state teams will share best practices, consult with experts, learn about innovative strategies, and develop and refine their own plans to effectively expand nursing education capacity.

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 19, 2008 -- The critical issue of expanding nursing education capacity - including faculty, clinical resources, and physical space - to enroll and educate the numbers of students needed to meet future nursing demands will be addressed at the national Nursing Education Capacity Summit on June 26-27, 2008, organized by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; the US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration; the Center to Champion Nursing in America; and the US Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.

As the CEO of the NLN, the association that represents nurse faculty from all types of nursing education programs, Dr. Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, is well chosen to address this forum where state teams will share best practices, consult with experts, learn about innovative strategies, and develop and refine their own plans to effectively expand nursing education capacity. Teams will benefit from the experience of their peers and the perspectives of experts in the field.

"The Educator, the Educated, and Nursing Education" will describe tranformative strategies, such as: decreasing the time between licensure and the next degree through intense incubator learning experiences that provide a bridge from one degree to the next; and changing the faculty message about clinical practice before a nurse may proceed to master's or doctoral preparation. Dr. Malone will also discuss how the use of simulation in nursing education can alleviate some of the capacity problems endemic to our health care system.

In a preview of her address, Dr. Malone stated, "Cost and resistance to transformation are challenges we have to confront, as are public policy and political issues. It is imperative to find a way to adequately fund nurse faculty development and nurse workforce development programs."

Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education offering faculty development, networking opportunities, testing and assessment, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 27,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members.

New Website Serves As A One-Stop Resource For Healthcare Professionals

2008-05-16T12:14:00.000-04:00

After months of careful research, planning and development, Onward Healthcare, a nationwide healthcare staffing provider specializing in travel nursing jobs and allied health careers, has launched an updated version of its corporate website, http://www.onwardhealthcare.com/. The new site incorporates a number of significant improvements, resulting from extensive usability testing from our nationwide base of nurses and allied health professionals. Upgrades include an enhanced navigational structure, improved search capabilities and a much clearer design.

"Today's healthcare professional is in high demand and has numerous choices on the web when searching for a career," stated Steve Dobrowski, director of corporate marketing for Onward Healthcare. "Our goal was to provide travel nurse and allied healthcare professionals with a one-stop resource that allows them to best maximize their travel experience."

The enhanced website provides educational information on how to get started in a career in travel nursing or travel therapy, while offering salary and benefit information, as well as a featured jobs section. "Our online visitors will now experience a more vibrant and seamless view of our services," added Dobrowski.

The new website also provides additional features such as travel nursing news and resources, a traveler photo gallery, and a featured jobs RSS feed that highlights some of Onward Healthcare's premier nationwide positions. Viewers are also given the option to apply online if they are interested in any of the jobs; however they are not required to do so to view the rest of the site's content.

In addition to the numerous upgrades aimed at serving the travel professional, the site also has an expanded presence for Onward's local per diem nursing and allied professionals. "Local staffing has traditionally been more of a phone based or in-person experience," said Stephen Saville, vice-president of local staffing services for Onward Healthcare. "We are excited that our re-launched site will provide our local staff with additional online benefits such as managing their profiles, accessing their compliance paperwork, and maintaining their skills checklists."

Onward Healthcare was one of the first companies in the travel nursing industry to launch a corporate website with the ability to apply online in 2002. Onward plans to launch future enhancements to the new site over the course of the spring, including expanded RSS feeds, a dedicated section for allied healthcare and travel nursing news, as well as additional resources for travel professionals.

About Onward Healthcare: Onward Healthcare (http://www.onwardhealthcare.com/company/about.aspx) is a leading provider of integrated travel, permanent and local per diem staffing for nursing and allied health professionals, international candidates and vendor managed services for large health systems. Onward currently staffs clients in all 50 states including hospitals, outpatient clinics, magnet facilities, government facilities, schools, and long-tem care facilities. Founded in 2002, Onward Healthcare is headquartered in Wilton, CT with local staffing offices in Encinitas, CA, Burlington, MA, Crofton, MD, Cherry Hill, NJ, Livingston, NJ, Melville, NY, and Wexford, PA. The company received full certification by the Joint Commission in September 2005 for healthcare staffing services.

Medical Solutions Tops The 2008 Best Places To Work In Omaha List

2008-05-14T11:12:00.002-04:00

May 14, 2008 -- Omaha, NE - Healthcare staffing company Medical Solutions (http://www.medicalsolutions.com/) is proud to be named the winner of the Best Places to Work in Omaha by The Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, one of the top honors for an Omaha business. Employees throughout Omaha voted on the best companies to work for and Medical Solutions topped the list of companies with 50-250 local employees in just its first year entering the competition.

President and CEO Scott Anderson is pleased the hard work of the company is being recognized, but is more proud of the team that has been built at Medical Solutions. "We are excited Medical Solutions is a company employees are happy to work for, but more importantly we are truly appreciative of each and every individual that makes up the Medical Solutions team. This award is really about them," Anderson said.

One the fastest growing companies in the healthcare staffing industry, Medical Solutions is a company built on the philosophy that when employees are treated well, financial success will follow. For Medical Solutions, treating employees well means putting them in the best position to succeed. They do this by giving the individuals the room to learn and grow and the resources they need to thrive. Anderson and co-owner Dale Williams believe empowering employees to be their best is what makes Medical Solutions a great place to work; whether it is providing an in-office concierge to handle life's little chores or a relaxing break room, equipped with an Xbox, foosball table and pinball machine, where the employees can unwind.

Aline Quick, a Travel Nurse Recruiter at Medical Solutions agrees, "I consider it a privilege to work for such a great company, always willing to show appreciation toward their employees. I know I am valued and supported, allowing me to use my abilities to grow and advance within the company."

Another major factor towards Medical Solutions' success in building a great company is their ability to find and hire great employees. Medical Solutions uses a careful hiring process to identify top talent with qualities and attitudes that match their core values of being passionate, intelligent, inspiring and honest communicators. By placing an emphasis on referrals and personally interviewing every prospective employee, Anderson and Williams make sure each new hire will be a great fit to the Medical Solutions family. Not only does this process create a great team environment, but also builds loyalty and consistency as evidenced by very little staff turnover.

In addition to putting employees in a position to succeed, the company plans numerous events for the staff that are not only fun, but also promote team building. Guided by the company Fun Force, with events ranging from paintball to riverboat rides, Medical Solutions has crafted a culture of fun and inspiration. The company's success is due to a motivated staff working to make sure they meet the highest standards and help make Medical Solutions more than just another healthcare staffing company. "Medical Solutions empowers their employees in a positive way to be passionate, respectful and excited about what they do each day. It's truly an honor to be a part of this team," states Christy Johnston, Medical Solutions Team Manager.Medical Solutions has learned that an environment of recognition, appreciation and empowerment with its staff translates to quality relationships with its traveling healthcare professionals and client hospitals. With the need for traveling nurses on the rise it is important the company makes the nurses' transitions to a new career as comfortable as possible. The great teamwork at the company eliminates the worry for the travelers and hospital staffing professionals, allowing them to focus solely on providing patients with excellent care.

The combination of quality employees and a servant leadership model is a large part of why Medical Solutions is the fifth fastest growing company in Nebraska. Medical Solutions grew more than 60 percent last year and is on track to continue that growth well into the future. The company, which was first formed in 1997 has grown to employ 102 people in its corporate office and is currently ranked No. 625 on the list of Inc. 5,000's fastest growing companies in 2007. Looking to improve on that rank in 2008 with revenues just shy of $50 million for the year, Medical Solution's future is bright."As excited as I am to be a part of what this company is right now, I'm even more excited about our future. Every employee at Medical Solutions plays a vital role in where we'll be tomorrow, and the fact that everyone buys into that idea is inspiring," said Steve Seitner, Medical Solutions Team Manager.

About the 2008 Best Places to Work in Omaha: The competition, which was sponsored by the Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce and Baird Holm LLP, is based on a survey of employee satisfaction and is used to boost satisfaction in the workplace by measuring feedback for participating companies to help them gauge their employee happiness. The results are used by businesses to further improve working conditions for their employees.

About Medical Solutions, Inc.: Medical Solutions, Inc. was one of the first travel nurse and allied healthcare staffing companies to be certified by the Joint Commission. Its focus is on meeting the urgent and short-term staffing needs of its clients with highly skilled allied health professionals, nurses and technologists.

Med Staff Oklahoma Named Travel Nursing Company Of The Month

2008-05-08T14:08:00.001-04:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
Nation wide contracts with over one-thousand facilities including; hospitals, clinics, corrections, outpatient and home health. Med-Staff employees can choose from several contracts such as; short-term travel, permanent placement and per diem.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Personal service is a trademark of Med-Staff. As on of the few nurse-owned and operated travel companies, Med-Staff uniquely understands the field of nursing and uses this experience to better serve our employees.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
Med-Staff offers assignments in every state, including Hawaii and Alaska. We do not offer international assignments, however Med-Staff does offer employment for guest workers under H1-B work visas.

What about professional insurance?
Med-Staff provides professional liability insurance for every travel nurse. Although there is not a need to obtain additional insurance, the nurse may obtain additional coverage for as little as $92 per year.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
Med-Staff is a medium-sized company, employing over 1,000 healthcare professionals nationwide including, Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Occupational and Physical Therapist and Assistants, Certified Scrub Techs, Certified Nurse Aids, Radiographers and lab technicians.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
Med-Staff's call center is open 24/7. You will never have to leave a message on a machine when calling Med-Staff because our phone is always answered by a live person.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
Med-Staff offers our full time employees comprehensive health insurance through one of the largest network providers in the country, Pacificare. Benefits include; office co-pay, low charges for urgent care visits, prescription drug card and more! Our 401 K is 100% matched up to 4% of your gross income. It also includes profit sharing which further increases the amount put into your account each year.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
Typically, the turn-around for nurses who provide a compete application and the additional information such as immunization records, skills checklist, work history, etc... is three to five business days.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
MSO works for our travelers. Working conditions, assignment location, nurse-to-patient ratios and administrative support are things that other companies do not concern themselves with when placing travelers on assignments. Often times it is this attention to detail that separates the service that we provide from the service of our competitors.
At MSO you will never be treated like a number. We are dedicated to making your travel experience a positive one and we pride ourselves in the commitment and dedication provided to our travelers.

For More Information Contact:
Med Staff Oklahoma
3821 East 61st, Suite 221
Tulsa, OK 74133
866-787-6928
http://www.msohealth.com/

May 2008 Highway Happenings

2008-05-05T21:50:00.000-04:00

The May 2008 eZine has been released! This month's topics include:
*Caring For Spanish Speaking Patients
*Med-Staff Oklahoma
*Prepackaged Medical Kits Future Predicted
*CareSeek Launches Travel Study Program For Nurses
*Viral Marketing To Be Found At NTI
*Iraqi Boy Receives Life Saving Heart Surgery At MUSC Children’s Hospital
*Dealing With Stress At Work
*BioBands Used To Treat Chemotherapy Nausea
*Travel Tax Workshops

Download you copy at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm

Survey: 35% Of Baby Boomer Nurses Plan A Career Change In The Next One To Three Years

2008-03-21T12:37:00.000-04:00

Over one-third of baby boomer nurses plan to retire in the next one to three years, find a non-nursing job, work part-time, or work as travel nurses, a new survey indicates.

Conducted by AMN Healthcare, the largest health care staffing firm in the country, the survey of 1,830 nurses age 45-60 suggests that many baby boomer nurses may be facing career burn-out. About 46 percent of those surveyed said that working as a nurse has become less satisfying in the last five years, about twice the number who said nursing has become more satisfying. Less than half of those surveyed (43 percent) said they would choose nursing as a career if they were starting out today, and only about 48 percent said they would recommend nursing as a career to their children or to other young people.

Number one on the list of job frustrations for those surveyed was nurse staffing shortages. Over 80 percent of nurses identified nurse staffing shortages as one of their top professional frustrations.

Over 1,250,000 nurses in the United States are between the ages of 45 and 60, notes Marcia Faller, RN, executive vice president of AMN Healthcare. Should even ten percent of these nurses retire or find non-nursing jobs in the next one to three years, over 120,000 nurses would be removed from the workforce.

"It is critical that we find ways to keep baby boomer nurses engaged in patient care," Faller observes. "Without them, we will be hard pressed to meet the needs of baby boomer patients."

On a positive note, 58 percent of baby boomer nurses surveyed said that physicians being trained today are more respectful of nurses than are physicians who trained ten or twenty years ago. Twenty-four percent said that newly trained physicians and older doctors are equally respectful of nurses, while 18 percent said newly trained physicians are less respectful of nurses than are older physicians.

"Positive working relations between nurses and physicians are key to promoting nurse retention," Faller says. "Improving these relations helps keep nurses in the clinical workforce."

Results of AMN Healthcare's 2008 Survey of Nurses 45 to 60 are available at http://www.amnhealthcare.com.

About AMN Healthcare: AMN Healthcare is the largest healthcare staffing firm in the United States. The company is the largest nationwide provider of travel nurse and allied staffing services, temporary physician staffing services (locum tenens) and physician permanent placement services. AMN Healthcare recruits healthcare professionals both nationally and internationally and places them on variable lengths of assignments and in permanent positions at acute-care hospitals, physician practice groups and other healthcare facilities throughout the United States.

Nursing Options Named Spotlighted Company Of The Month

2008-03-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
We have travel assignments from coast to coast, specializing in the placement of RNs, LPNs, Dialysis Technicians and OR Scrub technicians. Most assignments are for 13-weeks, but we have the ability to customize the length of many positions.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Absolutley! No matter where you wish to work.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
We cover all parts of the U.S., with the exception of Rhode Island.

What about professional insurance?
Considering the minimal premium for the added professional protection, nurses should carry their own insurance. Many homeowners can endorse this coverage on their policy for less than $15/mo.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
We are a smaller company and pride ourselves on the personal attention we offer.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
We offer 24/7 support.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
Flexible spending accounts, shared-cost group health insurance, tax-advantage program, direct deposit, referral bonuses with a lot more to come...

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
Usually about seven days.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
Not only are we a preferred provider with many Vendor Management companies across the country, we also work hard to staff those areas not touched by many other travel companies. If you're looking for options, we have many assignments unique to only us.

For More Information Contact:
Dean Fox, Manager
c/o Nursing Options
760 Whalers Way, B-201
Fort Collins, CO 80525
877-687-7350
www.nursingoptions.com

March Highway Happenings

2008-03-03T15:40:00.000-05:00

The March edition of "Highway Happenings" has been released! This edition includes:

Finding The Right Travel Company
Nursing Options
Fastaff Introduces Powerful New Search Tool For Travel Nurses
Reliable Health Career To Specialize In Nursing & Pharmacy Career Placements
Next Generation Computer System As A Patient Safety Solution
NLN Tap Program Supplement Proven Assessment and Evaluation Tools
Emotional Intelligence Reduces Stress and Predicts Success In Healthcare
Emerging Technology for Chronic Care Through Patient Centered Rehabilitation
Mile To Wild Rafting Looks Towards Arizona’s Best
Rafting In Years
Travel Nursing Agent

It can be downloaded at http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm

For the new Travel Nurse and Travel Company matching service that I have created (which can be read about in the ezine), check out TRAVEL NURSING AGENT at http://www.travelnursingagent.com/

Travel Nurses Making Millions!

2008-02-27T07:26:00.001-05:00

What?

May seem a little far fetched, but I don't know how many times I have heard lately, "Oh, you're one of those nurses who travels and makes a lot of money."

Staff nurses are still under the impression that the $50 to $70 per hour that the hospital is paying for us, is all coming to us! They don't see all the expenses that go along with getting from your house to the assignment, apartment costs, and what the travel company takes for their expenses.

When it comes right down to it, traveling nurses are really paid only a few dollars over what the staff nurses are making.

Do we get the tougher assignments? My personal guesstimate would be about 30% of the time. About 1/3 of my assignments have I really felt that I have gotten the most admits, the tougher patients, the GI bleeds that no one else wants, the "crazy" person that no one will come near... Most assignments, I believe that I get the worst of it maybe 1 day out of 3... Is that because I'm a traveler or is that because I'm a nurse?

The adventure of seeing a new place and not being stagnant at work... THAT, is the reasons I travel. If you are getting into it just because of the money, you need to take a serious look at where you are going and what your living expenses are going to be there... My question to you, what extra money are you going to spend?

I'll let you know when I make my first million as a travel nurse!

What About Travel Housing?

2008-02-23T18:34:00.000-05:00

There are many different ways an agency can house you. In a motel, an extended stay, a private rental, or an apartment. Most companies look for apartments or vacation rentals, but some have to go with an extended stay related to what is available. Also, some travelers prefer to go in an RV.

Apartments are okay, but you need to ask your company what they are furnishing and what you need to bring. Find a few smaller pictures to put up on the walls or if you're into sewing, make some great quilt wall hangings!

Vacation rentals are nice in the fact that you just have to bring your uniforms, casual clothes, and other basics. Just remember to ask where to meet the landlord and what services are available if needed related to Internet and television.

Motels and Extended Stays can feel closed in after a while, be sure to get out and about and see the country or you are going to go stir crazy in a short time.

RV traveling fits some and not others. There is some set up and tear down with moving, but at least you don't have to pack a million boxes! You will definitely travel a lot slower. Like with a motel, get out and about when traveling in an RV because it is very easy to get claustrophobic.

Remember, you don't have to let the travel company. Feel free to send them suggestions after you have done your work. It's your destination.... take control!!

Travel Nursing Demands Shift to Pacific Northwest

2008-02-22T09:45:00.010-05:00

New travel nurse markets emerge with superior pay and benefits at American Traveler.

(Boca Raton, FL February 18, 2008) – The travel nurse employment boom in Florida, Arizona and other warm weather states is over for now, with travel nurse positions adequately filled for the season, report hospitals in the Sunbelt. But new travel nursing markets have begun to appear in the Pacific Northwest says traveling nurse staffing agency, American Traveler.

“Midseason demand in warmer areas has fallen off, and traveling nurses have begun to converge on a variety of fun and interesting cities in the Pacific Northwest such as Seattle, Washington; Vacaville, California; and Puyallup, Washington.” said Deb Bacurin, clinical resource manager for American Traveler.

Bacurin noted a 32 percent increase in travel nurse postings in states such as California, Washington, Oregon and others in the Midwest. She encourages traveling nurses to take advantage of high paying positions and to be open-minded with regard to location. Although warmer climates are what often lure new travelers to the travel nursing industry, in a Medical News Today July 2007 survey, high pay, benefits and flexible schedules were listed as the primary motivations for both new and seasoned professionals alike to turn to travel nursing.

Economists at the Office of Financial Management say that Oregon and Washington State economies continue to outperform others in the nation. Net migration and jobs are on the rise and healthcare markets are exhibiting signs of long-term growth.

“The rise in travel positions in the Northwest can mainly be contributed the trend of people moving to the major metropolitan areas in both Oregon and Washington,” said Hospital Marketing Director, Dennis Urbanski. “Hospital officials in both states have recognized that they need to hire more travel nurses to keep up with the demand on their Healthcare delivery systems.”

“The lifestyle opportunity in these areas is immense and the potential for career satisfaction incredible,” said Bacurin. “Destinations listed in the Pacific Northwest will surely bring traveling nurses pleasure, excitement and quality of life.”

American Traveler staffs thousands of top-ranked hospitals across the U.S. If you’re a Registered Nurse, Physical Therapist, ORT, RT or other allied health professional, American Traveler has high paying travel nurse jobs for you.

About American Traveler: JCAHO certified American Traveler staffs the most prestigious hospitals and outpatient facilities in the U.S. From world-renowned university teaching hospitals to rural medical facilities, American Traveler specializes in short-term travel nursing jobs, per diem, and permanent positions for RNs, Physical Therapists, RTs, STs, and other allied health professionals.

For more information on positions in the Northwest, call 800-884-8788 or apply online today at http://www.americantraveler.com/.

Nationwide Nurses In The Spotlight

2008-02-09T10:51:00.000-05:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
Nationwide Nurses provides RNs and LPNs with ultimate personal service, unmatched in the nurse travel industry. We have assignments ranging from 8 to 52 weeks. Nationwide Nurses has experienced travel nurses working in house as your personal travel specialist, assuring you have an assignment that is custom made to fit your special wants and needs!

Can I expect personal service with your company?
We offer unmatched personal service 24\7. Katherine Hefley, Vice President is available anytime.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
All 50 States

What about professional insurance?
Our company carries 1 million and 6 million. This is more than enough insurance for any professional. I do not believe that any nurse working for NWN will need to buy additional insurance.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
We are a Veteran owned small business. You will be a name and we will even recognized your voice.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
Katherine Hefley, Vice President is available 24/7. You will speak to me personally.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
We provide housing that will accommodate you, your family and pets if that is what you need to be comfortable during your travel assignment. We also pay all utilities including Cable TV and Telephone. Other benefits include: top hourly wages, guaranteed hours, weekly pay, free direct deposit, free private housing, tax free program, monthly newsletter and special gift, destination pay, upfront sign on bonus, completion bonus, loyalty bonus, performance bonus, referral bonus, paid vacation, paid CEUs, upfront rental car, round trip airfare, round trip motel allowance, health insurance, stipend licensure paid in full, overtime available, family emergency assistance, free professional liability insurance, workers compensation, insurance incentives and other unmatched personal service.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
With a completed application NWN can have you working in as little as 3 days. The average time is usually 7 to 10 days. This all depends on the travel distance and if the nurse has to stop along the way to get state licensure.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
We are a smaller company by choice so we can focus on our nurses individual needs and concerns. We have been there for our employees for all kinds of needs. For instance, last year we had a nurse working in AZ and his family was in FL during the horrible hurricane season. We hired a moving van, packed their personal belongings and relocated his family to AZ to be with him so he would not have to leave his assignment or worry about the safety of his family. Another nurses home had been broken into while he was away working in NM. We relocated his family to a safe motel and had all of the locks changed in is home. Peace of mind is priceless for our Travelers and we go above and beyond at no cost to the nurse.

NWN staff has a tremendous retention of their Travelers and a high percentage of new employees are referred by our current Travelers. I feel that speaks volumes about us as a preferred Travel Nurse Company.

For more information check them out!

http://www.nationwidenurses.com/

New Video

2008-01-25T05:35:00.000-05:00

Hey y'all... I just got through finishing up my latest promotional video about travel nursing!!

Intelistaf Named As Company Spotlight

2008-01-10T00:41:00.000-05:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
We take care of our nurses and allied professionals. We meet their individual needs and accommodate their unique situations. We have Travel and Per Diem available nationwide.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Our main goal is very personal service to the RN that is representing InteliStaf.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
We cover all 50 states.

What about professional insurance?
Our professional insurance is absolutely good enough to cover any Travel or Per Diem RN.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
We are a large company with personal service, you will never be just a number to InteliStaf.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
We have a recruiter on call 24/7.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
iRewards-PTO and Referral Bonus incentives. Health, Dental, Vision, Short Term Disability & Life Insurance. License reimbursement. Certification reimbursement i.e. ACLS, TNCC, ENPC, CCRN etc (except for BLS). Direct Deposit. Free private housing with paid utilities except phone & cable. We also use Homestead Suites or Extended Stays that have everything including weekly maid service in most medium to larger cities. Payroll is weekly with most clients. Travel money. 401K with matching.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
Minimum 2 weeks. Sometimes less than 2 weeks depending on the hospital requirements.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
We have many long term travelers. I myself have been here 11 years and have many RNs that have been with me that whole time and others that I still keep in touch with over the years that refer RNs to me. I am very honest & upfront about contracts, hospitals, benefits etc. I never mislead my RNs in any way shape or form.

InteliStaf is a large travel nurse company with more personalized service than any other large travel company. We are also one of the first travel companies est. 1980. InteliStaf's goal is to hire qualified RNs and Allied Professionals that will provide high quality care to patients.

For More Information Contact:
Marci Grant, Senior Nurse Recruiter
4101 McEwen, Suite #800
Dallas, TX 75244
800-950-3415
http://www.intelistaf.com/

Top Ten Travel Nursing Companies For 2008 Has Been Released

2008-01-05T06:27:00.000-05:00

Once again the companies in the top ten have changed. New names were added while Cirrus Medical Staffing, Abetta Care, and Premier Healthcare hung on there for a fifth year in a row!

The companies were ranked first by the benefits they provided. After that, the Highway Hypodermics eZine subscribers voted at www.highwayhypodermics.com

Benefits that these companies provide include health insurance that is free for the nurse with a minimal fee for the family, first day medical coverage, professional insurance, reimbursement for nurse licensing, private housing, corporate housing option, basic utilities, salaries over $30, full CEU reimbursement for required continuing education, 401K with 50% vested, completion bonus’ on some assignments, JCAHO certification, weekly direct deposit, sick days without penalty, one month off between assignments without penalty, pre-employment screening, standard mileage reimbursement and rental car or stipend.

These companies have also shown great professionalism through integrity, honesty, and commitment by providing the best of service to traveling nurses. Once all the interviews for the year are scheduled for the year, the top ten company list is compiled. The rankings are strictly by the benefits and the Top Ten Poll.

To download this free document check out our website: www.highwayhypodermics.com/TopTenDownload.htm

Highway Hypodermics is a premier travel nursing informational website dedicated to bringing quality information to traveling nurses around the world. Epstein LaRue is not only a five time published author, but a current traveling registered nurse. Information provided to nurses include the Ultimate List of Travel Companies and their benefits, travel nursing company profiles, four eBooks on travel nursing, two paperback novels on travel nursing, and an evaluation of hospitals around the United States by traveling nurses.

Healthcare Seeker Named December Travel Company Of The Month

2007-12-09T11:28:00.000-05:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
We offer travel positions for both nursing and allied professionals.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
YES! Personal service is one of the top reasons our travelers stay on with us. When you are a traveler with us, you STAY with the recruiter you initially sign on with.

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

About professional insurance?
We have top notch professional and liability insurance, but we feel it is a good idea for a travel nurse to obtain her own as well.

What size is your company?
We are a medium sized, family owned company. You will definitely be treated as an individual - not a number.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
We have a 24 hour emergency number.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
Though I cannot stress enough how personal our service is and how well we work with the individual needs of a traveler, we do offer: FREE fully furnished, private housing, travel reimbursement, day one medical coverage, free direct deposit that starts for your first paycheck, and much more!

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
The average would be 1-2 weeks though we have had some instances of a 48 hour turnaround time!

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
We treat our travelers the way we'd want to be treated- with respect! We find them housing we'd be willing to stay in and pay them more than the rest of the industry.

For More Information Contact:
Christina Wormann
c/o Healthcare Seeker
612 Main Street
Boonton, NJ 07005
888-331-3431
www.healthcareseeker.com

The December HIGHWAY HAPPENINGS Has Been Released!

2007-12-03T18:45:00.000-05:00

This month’s edition includes:

Holidays While On The Road
Healthcare Seeker
Allied Health Shortage
Safe By Design
Holiday Pet Gifts
Healthy Salt & Laughter
Advancing Your Career
French Wine Guide
New Travel Tax Laws

To download a free copy go to: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm

Don’t forget, you have have 12 more days to vote for the Top Ten Travel Companies for 2008!!! http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/TopTenPoll.htm

I sincerely hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas, A Blessed Hanukkah, and a Very Happy New Year!!!

Sedona Medical Staffing

2007-12-01T09:43:00.000-05:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
We supply hospitals nationwide with qualified RN's, LPN's and all areas of Allied Health.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Working with Sedona Medical Staffing, you will be guaranteed one-on-one service. Our recruiters have developed an excellent rapport with their healthcare employees and every Friday, they will contact them to make sure that their assignment is going ok, is there anything they need and to just say hello.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
We cover the entire United States, including Alaska and Hawaii

About professional insurance, do you believe that the insurance that a company provides is good enough, or does the nurse also need to obtain her own professional insurance?
The company insurance is excellent to have, but as a health professional it is advisable to carry insurance on yourself as well. We have $1m/$6m within our agency

What size is your company (small, medium, large), and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
Medium and our recruiters will treat you as an individual with respect, honesty and will contact you every Friday to see how everything is going with you. They will become your friend and not just your employer.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night? Do you have someone I can talk to even in the middle of the night?
We have 24/7 customer service to assist our employees. We all know that issues do not come between the hours of 8-5p, so we have instilled this policy.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
We provide: - Day one health and dental insurance - Private furnished one bedroom apt. - $500.00 completion bonus - $500.00 referral bonus - $500.00 travel reimbursement - Direct Deposit - Weekly pay - Outstanding payroll department - 24 hour customer service.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
With one to two weeks. This will vary as we all know that each hospital has different protocols to their acceptance of an application and the placement of a position.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
We feel that each individual is unique, has different needs and should be treated with respect and honesty. We strive to make each health professional feel that they are being assisted on a one-to-one basis. Our benefits are excellent and we follow through with what we indicate we will do for each individual.

We believe the following: "See the United States with an agency that cares for you. Stop working for the agencies and let the agency work for you."

Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T11:05:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to take time out and wish everyone a Very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

THANK YOU for making Highway Hypodermics such a success this last year! We have educated more people than ever this year, and it's all due to the wonderful support from nurses and recruiters for this site!!!!

HIGHWAY HAPPENINGS: September 2007

2007-09-11T20:34:00.000-04:00

My how time flies! The first of September really got away from me. As you know, I am not only an author, but a working traveling nurse. Related to my work schedule and then my planned trip down the coast, this month's eZine is a little late. Thank you all, my wonderful monthly subscribers for your patience this month! Within this nextweek, I will have pictures up online from my trip!

The September 2007 edition has finally been released and includes the following subjects:
*Travel Nursing Goals
*Professional Health Care Services
*Medical Solutions Makes The Rank
*Help For Medical Professionals With Damaged Credit
*Mayo Clinic Provides Information For Cancer Survivors
*JCR Releases Two Books About National Patient Safety Goals
*The Basics Of Forensic Nursing
*Caribbean Basics

It can be downloaded at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm

Please take time out today and remember all the medical personnel who lost thier lives six years ago in the World Trade Center....

August 2007 Ezine Released

2007-08-03T21:33:00.000-04:00

The August edition of Highway Happenings is now available!!! Included in this month's ezine is:
*Travelers And Their Home Base
*RN Demand
*Bestaff Arcadia Awarded Certification
*JCR Releases Staffing Effectiveness
*Travel Nursing Agencies And The Nursing Shortage
*Don't Ruin Your Summer Fun
*Little Known Facts About Belly Fat
*New Travel Directory For Southern California

It can be downloaded at:http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm
Please note that books are on sale for the Amazon Price of $18.45!!!

July 2007 HIGHWAY HAPPENINGS eZine Released!

2007-07-03T18:59:00.000-04:00

The July edition of Highway Happenings has been released!!!

This issue includes:
*RTG Medical
*The Diverse Travel Nurse
*2008 Patient Safety Goals
*International Travel Destinations Off The Beaten Path
*American Sickness Hits The Big Screen
*Helping To Combat Obesity In Children

It can be downloaded at http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm

HAVE A GREAT AND SAFE FOURTH OF JULY!!!!

**please note that the Highway Hypodermics offices will be closed July 20 through 30th related to the fact that Epstein will be celebrating her 40th birthday in Cancun, Mexico :)

IPI Travel Named MAY 2007 Spotlighted Company

2007-06-14T13:45:00.000-04:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
IPI has unlimited career opportunities in 48 states, including HI and Alaska, we are JCAHO certified and very competitive benefits. IPI Allied is a division of Innovative Placements offering allied health travel assignments. This division gives us the opportunity to expand our markets.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Each travel assignment is customized to fit the travelers need, single housing, 2 bedroom, cats dogs, kids. I would like each of our employees to be treated like I would want to be treated. This is a golden rule taught while growing up. Personal service, high standards, and above and beyond expectations are items we strive for on a daily basis. You name it, we do it!

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
IPI Travel staffs all of the United States and Puerto Rico.

What about professional insurance?
Our insurance is 2 mill -4 mill in most of the country with the exception of VA, which has increased limits, we will offer an additional insurance coverage for each traveler for a small fee.

What size is your company, and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
IPI Travel is a mid-size company, you will always talk with your recruiter, and not an assistant. Returning phone calls is a big issue! I never want to hear of a recruiter not returning phone calls. Here is the deal, in order for us to be successful our staff has to be accessible, for all questions at any time. If a nurse goes through our system feeling like a number I need to know. I will call the nurse myself.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
IPI Travel provides 24 hour coverage, 7 days a week, 365 day a year. 1,2,3 am our on call reps have the pager next to the pillow. 30 minute lag time, your phone call will be returned.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
Our company provides all the standard benefits, Day one insurance to include medical, dental, vision Partner plans for medical 401-K, 3% match up to 3% of compensation (note this is fully vested in 3 years, the 5% matching noted in the travel benefits chart are usually fully vested in 5 years) Free private housing, family and pets AAA memberships Gifts during assignments Furniture packages with flexible options Per diem options with permanent address (per government guidelines) Car rentals Airfare Liability 2 mil/4 mil (Additional liability offered) Free CE's License reimbursement 1000.00 referral bonuses.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
2-5 days, depending on the unit manager and type of nurse. If all paperwork is complete, reference checks and qualifications are in order, turn around time could be 2 hours. This is totally situation dependent. We could have a job for a traveler in literally hours, however keep in mind we will verify and check all information provided with a fine tooth comb. Quality is very important to us.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
The heart and soul our staff puts into the company on a daily basis makes IPI Travel not just another "travel nurse" company. IPI Travel offers all the standard benefits and more. The difference, my recruiters are passionate, they live travel nursing on a daily basis, with its highs and lows. Customization, Innovative Placements believes your assignment should be not just good, but GREAT! We hope you will have a "WOW" factor with ever aspect of your assignment.

On a daily basis I interact with many different individuals, from the check out lady at Wal-Mart to the CEO of a major hospital corporation. With each person I speak with, the one thing that remains in my mind is how each person affected me. Did the service received or given go above and beyond expectations? These are the principles Innovative Placements has maintained since 1999. To this day we demand continued excellence from all of IPI’s internal staff as well as our travelers. Our goal is for each of our customers to have a feeling of “Wow” when interacting with the IPI team. IPI achieves the “Wow” factor with each placement by on-time delivery of completely detailed contracts, special thanks before and during the assignment, detailed housing packages, free CE’s and a knowledgeable staff to help with all traveling details! In addition to all the services IPI offers we also continue to develop client relationships throughout the United States, giving our travelers a huge network of resources and the flexibility for unlimited travel assignment choices. Each assignment is custom-designed around the traveler. IPI Travel understands healthcare professionals are in great demand; this is why we are committed to making your travel assignment rewarding and hassle-free. I will personally guarantee your assignment will be everything we promised. For questions regarding IP Travel or comments please feel free to call. Happy Traveling!

For more information contact:
Letha Engelman, President
14701 Cumberland Rd, Ste 350
Noblesville, IN 46060
800-322-9796
www.innovativeplacements.com

RN Checklist For Change

2007-05-03T15:51:00.000-04:00

Nurses at Center of Healthcare Reform Discussion; Kick-off Nurses Week with RN Checklist for Change

Hundreds of nurses to participate in national call hosted by U.S. Rep Jan Schakowsky on federal safe staffing legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As healthcare reform becomes the top priority for voters, national and local elected officials, employers, hospitals, and healthcare workers, registered nurses are rolling-out their Checklist for Change during Nurses Week (May 6-12) to highlight needed changes in our nation’s hospitals. On May 7 at 12:30 ET., Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky will brief nurses across the country on newly introduced federal legislation mandating safe nurse-to-patient ratios in every U.S. hospital and answer questions from nurses during the call.

WHAT: National Nurses Week Conference Call with U.S. Rep Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

WHEN: May 7, 12:30 ET, 30minutes

DIAL IN: (888) 428-4478 (media will be in listen-only mode)

Monday’s call coincides with dozens of Nurses Week events across the country, including state and federal lobby days, Nurses of Distinction awards, and nurse forums and workshops. On the heels of Nurses Week, Nurse Alliance RNs will be calling for increased funding of the state children’s health insurance program (SCHIP) at nationally coordinated Mother’s Day events

The Nurse Alliance of SEIU, the national organization by, for and of nurses, launched the Value Care, Value Nurses campaign to unite nurses in a national grassroots movement to turn our health care system around and improve the quality of care in our nation’s hospitals. For more information on the RN Checklist for Change, visit www.valuecarevaluenurses.org

April 2007 eZine

2007-04-09T05:26:00.001-04:00

I know I'm a little late getting this out, but last week my family from Oklahoma joined me in a trip to Canada. Now you can learn of some great places in Victoria Canada, and learn about the new passport rules!

This month's eZine has been posted and includes:*Traveling To Canada*Medical Solutions Launches New Rewards Program(Cross Country Staffing*Campaign Launched Highlighting the Risks of Enteral Tubing Misconnections*Innovative Healthcare Staffing Software Solutions*Free Online Search Directory for Travel Discounts*Stem Cell Therapy For Heart Failure Becomes A Family Affair

The ezine can be downloaded at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm

STORMing The Web

2007-03-24T16:47:00.000-04:00

Another author had a great idea of a blog tour; therefore, these are the questions what I thought would be most helpful to traveling nurses. A portion of the profits go to the Stop It Now program for abused children.

Tell us what inspired you to write a story about a prostitute, an abused child, a disillusioned minister, a Vietnam Vet and a homosexual?

These are just some of society's forgotten people--people who often are judged or overlooken before anyone gets a chance to know who they are inside. I started out writing Storm's story--and along the way these and others appeared, wanting to share their stories.

Tell us more about the organization that you are contributing part of your profits to....

StopItNow is a program that has been set up to address the issues of childhood sexual abuse. There approach is different than most programs in that they do not concentrate solely on dealing with abuse once it occurs. They aim to educate people on the root causes of childhood sexual abuse, help those who are involved to recognize the risks and prevent the abuse to start with. They also work with potential offenders--to help them prevent hurting a child. They believe fully that prevention is a much better thing than having to heal after abuse occurs.

What exactly is the book storm all about?

Storm is many stories interwoven into one. The main character, Storm, just appeared on an island one day and is in search of his identity, which he has no clue about. His journey takes him across the country and he meets many people. His presence in their lives changes them , gives their lives a different path (or in some cases, changes Storm and gives him a new perspective). Finally, he discovers who he is--and why he is on Earth and....well, people will have to read the book and see :-)

Why would a traveling nurse be interested in this book?

For much the same reason reason as others will--to experience the world, human nature from a different perspective. To learn about themselves and all they believe. A traveling nurse encounters so many people--this will help him/her understand human nature on a deeper and more fulfilling level.

I noticed in your biography that you are a homeschool you children, any advice for those traveling nurses who also homeschool their children?

Homeschooling is a wonderful opportunity for the child of a traveling nurse. Everyday is full of opportunities to learn by experiencing. I would suggest that the traveling nurse spend some time allowing the children to lead the schooling process, to view the world as a learning place instead of a teaching place. Children have a lot to teach us if given the opportunity.

Anything else you would like for us to know?

First, Epi, I'd like to thank you for having me here today. I'd like to invite your readers to explore my site http://joyceanthony.tripod.com/ and learn more about Storm. I'd also love to hear from them with questions and comments. They can contact me at rainbow@velocity.net I love hearing from readers.

March 2007 eZine released

2007-03-06T03:52:00.000-05:00

The March edition of Highway Happenings has been released!

This edition includes:
*Obtaining States' Licenses
*Curastat
*Personal Training: 5 Easy Steps to Sanity on the Road
*The Joint Commission Seeks Examples of Hand Hygiene MeasurementMethods
*Science Fair Projects Are No Longer Kid's Stuff
*National League for Nursing Calls on President Bush to Address Nursing Shortage in New Orleans

BIG THANKS to everyone who voted in the reader's poll!!! HighwayHappenings placed #5 out of 30+ professional ezines!http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/votenonfictpub06.htm

Also, please remember that I will be opening the boards for moderated chat, so please review your email settings!

The eZine can be downloaded at:http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htmHAPPY ST. PATTY'S DAY EARLY!

Nurses have a new source for quality information about travel nursing!

2007-01-21T12:47:00.000-05:00

(Pocatello, ID) - Epstein LaRue, RN, BS, travel nurse and published author is very pleased to announce that HIGHWAY HYPODERMICS: TRAVEL NURSING 2007 was released by Star Publish (www.starpublish.com) on January 1, 2007.

Whether snow skiing in Idaho, viewing the sunset from helicopter pad on the top of a hospital in Arizona, gazing at covered bridges in Vermont, or taking a long walk on the beach in Florida, travel nursing is an excellent way to get paid while exploring the United States.

Although HIGHWAY HYPODERMICS: YOUR ROAD MAP TO TRAVEL NURSING was written in 2005 with some great information about travel nursing, the next edition, HIGHWAY HYPODERMICS: TRAVEL NURSING 2007 brings expanded knowledge about the field of travel nursing.

Not only do you get the basics of travel nursing, but additional information is provided on the rewards and drawbacks of travel nursing and making the decision to travel, expanded knowledge on what travel companies are all about and how to choose the right one, all about JCAHO certification, which destinations are the best and how to choose a destination, information on traveling in a recreational vehicle, home-schooling your child while on the road, and additional information on licensing requirements, not to mention all you would ever need to know about travel nursing and your taxes. Stop dreaming about travel nursing, and step into reality with HIGHWAY HYPODERMICS: TRAVEL NURSING 2007.

CONTACT:
Epstein LaRue
Highway Hypodermics
775 Yellowstone Ave, PMB 175
Pocatello, ID 83201
Email: mailto:topten@highwayhypodermics.com
Web: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/

WHO IS 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 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” was published in one of nursing's most prestigious magazines, Nursing2004, and 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. She currently travels around the United States with her husband and home schooled child. Step into her world and shoot yourself down the road with Highway Hypodermics.

**Media Kit Available Upon Request

Travel Nursing Top Ten for 2007 Announced!

2007-01-16T03:23:00.000-05:00

Epstein LaRue, RN, BS, is proud to present the TOP TEN Travel Companies for 2007! After all the interviews for the year of 2007 were received, the companies were then ranked by the benefits they provided. After that the Highway Hypodermics eZine subscribers voted at http://www.highwayhyp odermics.com/TopTenPoll1.htm. The long awaited results can be found at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/TopTenDownload.htm

Update on Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2007

2006-12-21T03:45:00.000-05:00

Just to update you all on the fact that HIGHWAY HYPODERMICS: TRAVEL NURSING 2007 is off to the printer. NOT as 275 pages, but over 350 pages of travel nursing information.

Look for it soon at your bookstore!!!!

2006-09-11T20:22:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder...
LIMITED AMOUNT OF AUTOGRAPHED COPIES REMAIN!

Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map To Travel Nursing
Paperback: 148 pages
Publisher: Star Publish (January 30, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN: 1932993169
Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.88 ounces
average customer review: ****

http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/SpecialOffer.htm

Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2007

2006-09-06T00:45:00.000-04:00

YEAH!!! BABY!!! YEAH!!!

After 80,000 words and 247pages, I'm happy to announce that the roughdraft of "Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2007" is complete. Ido believe that we're going to be right on schedule for the January2007 release!

Epstein LaRue, RN, BS, Travel NurseAuthor of 2005 USABookNews Best Books Of 2005 Finalist: "HighwayHypodermics: Your Roadmap To Travel Nursing." and the soon to bereleased, "Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2007."

Comforce Obtains JCAHO Certification

2006-08-23T11:18:00.000-04:00

Irvine, August 22, 2006- Comforce Travel Nurses Unlimited today announced that it has earned the Gold Seal of Approval for Healthcare Staffing Services from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

Comforce Travel Nurses Unlimited is proud to be recognized by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) with the JCAHO Gold Seal of Approval for the Health Care Staffing Services program. JCAHO certification acknowledges compliance with the Joint Commissions national set of consensus-based quality standards and demonstrates a commitment to excellence in providing health care staffing.

Health care organizations that partner with Comforce can look to this certification as an assurance that they are working with a company that is committed to providing and continuously improving quality services.

The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. An independent, not-for-profit organization, the Joint Commission is the nation's predominant standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Since 1951, the Joint Commission has maintained state-of-the-art standards that focus on improving the quality and safety of care provided by health care organizations. The Joint Commission's Health Care Staffing Services Certification Program offers an independent evaluation of a staffing company’s ability to provide quality staffing services.

COMFORCE Corporation is a leading provider of Contingent Staffing, Information Technology Consulting and Human Resource Outsourcing Solutions. The Company has an over forty-year history of staffing innovation and service excellence in both the U.S. and internationally. COMFORCE is traded on the American Stock Exchange (symbol: "CFS"). Through its nationwide network of offices, COMFORCE provides staffing and staffing vendor management solutions for Fortune 500, emerging growth companies, hospitals and multiple government agencies.

Travel Nursing On MSN

2006-08-18T10:03:00.000-04:00

My husband logged into his "MyMsn" this morning and saw this article... thought that y'all might be interested in the "More Articles" at the bottom of the page :)

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/departments/careertraining/?article=TravelNursing&GT1=8434

Trustaff Named Travel Company Spotlight For July

2006-07-26T22:57:00.000-04:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
We offer Travel Contacts ranging in length from 13 weeks to one year. We also Staff Pharmacists for Permanent Positions. In some areas we also offer Per Diem/PRN shifts. We Currently staff 40 of the 50 States, including the American Virgin Islands.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
You can expect Top of the Line personal service with our company. We offer real 24/7 contact for all of our Health Care Professionals, not just an answering service.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
We currently have needs in 40 of the 50 states, and in the Virgin Islands.

About professional insurance, do you believe that the insurance that a company provides is good enough, or does the nurse also need to obtain her own professional insurance?
I believe our Professional Insurance is very good, but extra insurance is just that; added insurance and that is never bad.

What size is your company (small, medium, large), and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
I would say we are a middle sized company which is quickly moving into the large business division.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night?
We have actual 24/7 support for our Health Care Professionals, not an answering service. You will speak with someone that can get things done, whether it be.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
Trustaff offers: · Tax Advantage and All Inclusive Pay Plans · Health, Dental, and Vision coverage through Anthem BC/BS o 90/10 plan · Free Life Insurance · Bonuses! o Referrals bonuses up to $1500 o Sign-on Bonuses o Completion Bonuses o Extension Bonuses o Loyalty Bonuses · Paid Time off with Each Assignment · 24/7 support for all of our travelers · Customizable Benefit Packages · Weekly Direct Deposit with Online viewing · Licensure Assistance and Reimbursement

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
I would estimate the average at one week.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
We pride ourselves on offering all the benefits, great pay and locations that the biggest companies do, while still maintaining the support and service of a smaller company. We also offer some of the highest pay rates in the Industry, featuring several Pay and Benefit Packages for our Healthcare Professionals to choose from. We thank all of our Healthcare Professionals for their continuing service to our communities, families and friends.

For More Information Contact:
Steve Schlegel
c/o Trustaff
7767 Montgomery Rd, Suite 200
Cincinnati, OH 45236
877-880-0346

Best Way To Get Started

2006-07-14T13:54:00.000-04:00

I am thinking of traveling with our homeschool kids? What is the best way to start the process? There are so many traveling agencies, how do you know which is a good one?

Have in mind what are your priorities? Benefits? Money? Location?

The first thing you need to do is make a list of the benefits that you MUST have, and then go to the company chart at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/travel_nursing_companies.htm

Choose five of the ones that you think might fit you best, and send them an email to see if they have the location that you are looking for. Be careful about giving out your phone number to forty different companies like I did the first time. I did nothing but answer the phone for a month after applying to all those companies! This is especially true if you work nights.

You can also download the list of the top ten agencies at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/TopTenProfiles.htm

Of course the best thing that I think you need to do is purchase my book, "Higwhay Hypodermics: Your Road Map To Travel Nursing," which can be purchsed through PayPal or credit card for ONLY $10.00 (plus shipping) at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/SpecialOffer.htm

If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to let me know!

Epstein

Soliant Healthcare Spotlighted

2006-06-20T10:20:00.000-04:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
13 week assignment in nursing, respiratory and physical therapy.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Yes

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

About professional insurance, do you believe that the insurance that a company provides is good enough, or does the nurse also need to obtain her own professional insurance?
We have company insurance. We will reimburse monthly premium while on assignment.

What size is your company (small, medium, large), and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
Medium

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night? Do you have someone I can talk to even in the middle of the night?
Yes. We have an answering service that contacts manager if there is a problem after hours.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?
Weekly payroll, BCBS insurance, dental insurance and vision insurance.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
Around 10 days provided we are able to contact references.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
Personal service.

For More Information Contact:
Kim Fouche
c/o Soliant Health
1979 Lakeside Parkway, Suite 250
Tucker, GA 30084
800-866-0852
www.soliant.com

Worldwide Travel Staffing

2006-04-17T23:32:00.000-04:00

What kind of career opportunities does your company offer?
We offer 13 week travel nursing assignments in all specialties. Other durations are also available.

Can I expect personal service with your company?
Yes, because WTS is R.N., owned and operated, we understand the nuances of travel nursing.

Do you cover all the United States, parts of the U.S. or do you also offer international assignments?
We cover all areas of the us. We also place nurse in the UAE, Australia, New Zealand, London, and Ireland.

About professional insurance, do you believe that the insurance that a company provides is good enough, or does the nurse also need to obtain her own professional insurance?
Unlike most other companies, traditional Blue Cross / Blue Shield is available in our nurse's first assignment. Nurse have the option for a quality health insurance plan. You will not find better medical insurance coverage in the entire travel nurse industry.

What size is your company (small, medium, large), and can I expect to be treated as a number or a name?
Our company is rapidly growing, but is doing so from a small starting point. It is the friendly customer service that is causing nurse to refer their friends.

I work night shift, what if I have problems at night? Do you have someone I can talk to even in the middle of the night?

Yes, we have a 24 hour contact number.

What other type of benefits does your company provide?

Traditional Blue Cross / Blue Shield is available in your first assignment! Generous tax advantage plans are available. We will individually tailor our compensation to suit specific needs. Retirement vesting account with 3% company match with "Free Money." Free private housing is available. Full travel reimbursements. $1,000 to $5,000 completion bonuses are standard. Up to $2,000 referral bonuses, weekly paychecks, and weekly meals and lodging allowances.

What is your average time from acceptance of application to first day on the job for those nurses ready-to-go?
Less than 7 days.

What makes your company more than “just another” travel company?
R.N. owned and operated. Leo Blatz is a Masters prepared Psychiatric Nurse. Call and find out why we are the most caring company!

For More Information Contact:
Leo Blatz, RN, MSN, Owner
2829 Sheridan Drive
Tonawanda, NY 14150
866-633-3700
www.WorldwideTravelStaffing.com
LBlatz@WorldwideTravelStaffing.com

Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2007

2006-04-12T03:36:00.000-04:00

Progress is slow but sure on this rewrite.

Yes, that is what I said... rewrite. The next edition of Highway Hypodermics is just not added phrases or added information, but a total rewrite with more information. It promises NOT to be the same as the last book!

Just to let you know about my writing style. I found that I write better when I do it the "old fashion" way and write in my notebook. This may seem crazy to some, but the words seem to come much easier when I have paper and pencil in hand.

This week, I have completed the second chapter. This is a chapter all about the rewards and drawbacks of travel nursing. Although is it based on my article published in Nursing2004, "Top Ten Reasons To Love Travel Nursing," this edition is a much expanded version with about 15 reasons to love travel nursing with only about 5 drawbacks to doing what I do for a living. This will help a nurse decide if they really do want to become a traveling nurse... well, that is, if you make it through the first chapter titled, "Do You Have What It Takes To Be A Travling Nurse."

If you have suggestions on what you would like for me to include in this book, please send me an email! highwayhypo@yahoo.com

Thanks everyone for following my progress!

Epstein LaRue, RN, BS
Published Author and Travel Nurse
Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2007
Coming in January 2007

March / April Newsletter Released

2006-03-21T12:37:00.000-05:00

The March / April Highway Hypodermic eZine has been published and can be downloaded at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/ezine.htm

TRAVEL COMPANIES: Just a reminder also, I lack one more Travel Company interview until the 2006 schedule is filled out. After the last position is filled, then I will be releasing the 2006 TOP TEN TRAVEL COMPANIES. Over the last few years, thousands of this free publication has been given out to travelin nurses in search for a better travel company. Also, I am working on the next edition of the book, "Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2007" which is scheduled to be released January 2007. Even if you are not in time to get on the top ten list, your interview will be featured in the new book. To fill out the interview go to: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/travel_company_interview.htm

Also... RECRUITERS, ever wanted traveling nurses to know exactly what YOU look for in a nurse and what you expect from a nurse? I have created a new questionnaire for recruiters at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com/Questionnaire_Recruiter.htm

Tax Time Again!

2006-02-26T21:41:00.000-05:00

Just what are travel expenses? According to the IRS in publication 463 it is defined as, “the ordinary and necessary expenses of travelling away from home for your business, profession, or job. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your field of trade, business, or profession. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for your business. An expense does not have to be required to be considered necessary.”

First you need to establish a tax home. This is generally the place where you permanent house is, if you have a permanent house, or your permanent address, if you use a mail-forwarding system. Keep in mind also that if you do not have a regular place of doing business or a conventional home, then you are considered a transient and your tax home is wherever you work. This has a drawback also in the fact that you cannot declare travel costs as a deduction for the reason that you are never considered to be travelling away from home.

You are travelling away from home is your duties require you to be away from the general area of your tax home for longer than an ordinary day’s work (like three months) or that you are required to sleep or rest to full the requirements of your job.

You can also deduct the expense of meals if it is necessary for you to stop for substantial sleep, or that the meal is business related. These meals cannot be lavish or extravagant. A standard meal allowance is provided to you based on where your business away from your home is conducted. You are then paid back at 50% of the total cost of meals.

The standard meal allowance in the year of 2002 was anywhere from $30 to $40 per day in most metropolitan area of the United States. The standard meal allowance for your locality can be found at http://www.gsa.gov/

Transportation expenses can be taken on expenses related to getting from your home to a temporary workplace when you have one or more regular places of work. If you have one or more regular work locations away from you home and you commute to a temporary work location in the same profession, you can deduct the expenses of the daily round-trip transportation between your home and the temporary location, regardless of distance.

Remember also, that a temporary work assignment is considered an assignment that is expected to last less than one year, the employment is temporary unless there are facts that would indicate otherwise. As a travel nurse, all assignments are considered temporary, unless you decide to stay at the location that you “travelled” to.

You may also take out a mileage expense. The standard mileage rate for 2002 is 36.5 cents a mile. This rate is adjusted every one or two years to concur with the greater cost of living factor. Taken in account with the standard mileage rate is not only the amount that you spend on gas, but the upkeep and “wear and tear” on your vehicle.

As a travel nurse, you will soon be responsible for keeping track of all your expenditures related to your travel. Lack of organization throughout the year, in this business, is considered a medical emergency! You MUST keep track of things. You MUST plan atleast one day every week or two weeks to write everything down in a journal or enter it into a computer program such as QuickenTM or MoneyTM. You can also do things the “old fashion” way and log everything into a journal.

The program that I use allows me to keep track of everything taxable and non-taxable. It helps me keep track of all the money I have going in and coming out. I even have a table set up on a spreadsheet program that helps me keep track of my mileage, since I am travelling every two weeks to and from my assignment and my residence. In fact, the new version of Quicken 2004, report to also being able to keep track of your mileage!

Along with keeping track of receipts for everything is also very important. The best way to do this is to purchase one of those plastic hanging file folder storage systems. In fact, I have four of these that I travel with. One with my online business papers, one with my travel nursing papers, one with personal business papers, and one for all my craft and sewing patterns. Organization is the key to successful travel nursing!

Hopefully this article will help you answer some of your questions concerning travel taxes. I would also strongly suggest that you go to the IRS’ website and download the latest copy of Publication 463. This is your “Travel Tax Bible” and could save you thousands of dollars every year.

Another great resource is my friend Joseph Smith at www.traveltax.com For more information on travel taxes, a visit to his website is a definate must!

Written by Epstein LaRue, RN, BS, author of "Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map To Travel Nursing", "Love At First Type", and "Crazy Thoughts of Passion." http://www.epsteinlarue.com/

Tax Advantage

2006-02-18T09:10:00.000-05:00

Dear Epstein... What is the tax advantage?

Take advantage is when I company pays you a regular salary at a reduced rate, so $15/hour while giving you the other portion at a per diem rate that is determined by the state that you are in and what the rate is for that city... let's say that will be $5/hr for lodging and $5/hr for meals/incidentals. This would be that your total pay will be $25/hr, but only $15/hr is taxable. The other is non-taxable as the per diem rate.

To claim this, of course, you must have tax home. Which is a home that regularly return to, own, or pay rent on. If you rent a room in a relatives house, just remember that this room must remain ready for you to live in, and you must return to it for certain periods during the year.

Stay tuned for MORE information about tax items for travelers!!!

Hospitals Rated

2006-02-13T07:09:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what other traveling nurses think of a hospital that you are thinking about going to?

It was discussed on Delphi Travel Nurses and Therapist to make a list of hospitals that frequently hire traveling nurses and rate them; therefore, I have created this rating system for hospitals. This will be the accumulation of data from all forms filled out. The purpose of this list is for the travel nurse a better look at hospitals around the country. This is an accumulation of all nursing data acquired through our survey.

Here is the list of questions asked:

Hospital and unit size as stated.
Hospital was clean and well maintained.
Physicians treat the nurses with respect and are available when necessary.
Continuing Educational opportunities were made available.
Ancillary departments were helpful.
Dietary department was flexible in providing for special request.
Medications were available within a reasonable amount of time.
Equipment was available within a reasonable amount of time.
Nursing manager was good resource.
Other professional nurses were friendly and helpful.
Nursing assistants were readily available and adequately helped.
Effective communication between caregivers.
Patients were properly identified and the identifications were used.
Sterile procedure was effectively used as needed.
Isolation precautions were used effectively.
Nurses were floated only to areas of competency.
Facility perceived to be "traveler friendly."
Safe nurse to patient ratios are observed (close to California)
Concern for patient safety is top priority.
I never felt like my license was in danger.

If you have NOT filled out the questionnaire, please go HERE

To view the chart go HERE

Homeschooling While On The Road

2006-02-03T22:40:00.000-05:00

Dear Epstein...

Can I take my children with me on assignment?

Sure you can! There are several ways to do this. Some nurses will take a school year assignment for the school year and then take another assignment in the summer. There are even a few who change schools at Christmas break. The kids get to see alot of territory this way, you can be a traveling nurse, and school is taken care of by the professionals.

The option most travel nurses take is homeschooling. This is what I chose for my son. There are plenty of resources out there from Alpha Omega, Bob Jones, and Abeka book curriculums to several online schools. The best place to look for resources is on the internet. The first place you would want to find is the the Homeschool Legal Association. They have a lot of resources including the laws for each state regarding homeschool. You will need to find out the regulations for the state in which you are a resident of.

Take your kids on the road and have a blast!

Who Is The Evil Empire?

2006-01-31T03:41:00.000-05:00

Dear Epstein...

Who are the evil empire and why are they deemed to be so "evil"?

The "evil empire" is another name for companies such as AMN Healthcare, which includes: American Mobile Healthcare, Medical Express, NurseChoice In Demand, NursesRx, Preferred Healthcare Staffing, Thera Tech Staffing, MedTravelers, MTI Staffing, RN Demand, O’Grady-Peyton International, Merritt, Hawkins & Associates, and Staff Care, Inc. Sometimes you will also hear Cross Country Travel Corps also nicknamed this and that is because of their reputation for the lowest pay in the industry. They are the biggest companies out there because they have been in the business for quite a while and their advertising looks superb. When it gets right down to it though, the nurse makes less when traveling with these big companies, and the companies just keep on getting richer.

Part of the their reputation is related to their low rates, but it has been reported by other travel nurses that nurses starting out with the company are liable for such things as utilities, part of the rental furniture, and then they have shared housing.

The good thing about these companies is that usually their longevity benefits are better than some of the other companies, but you will have to go through some growing pains to get there.

Why do nurses choose these companies? Because their advertising is great, and they have alot of assignments because their bill rates for the hospitals are lower than some of the other companies; therefore, there are some hospitals who will only hire travelers from these companies.

Do I have first hand knowledge of all the rumored accusations? No unfortunately I don't, just second hand stories from what other nurses have told me. All travel companies usually have some good and some bad about them, but these companies just seem to have a lot more of a bad reputation than a good reputation. Personally, they have consistently refused to answer my questions or interviews, so I can not refer anyone to these companies. But, there are nurses who have been working for them for years and are very satisfied with their surface.

My suggestion is to anyone looking at one of these companies, is to weigh out what you really want... If you're looking for a location and only they have that location, then yes, I would consider it, but the truth is, there are lot better and more personal companies out there.

Does The Recruiters REALLY Need My Phone Number?

2006-01-25T09:57:00.000-05:00

I recently had this question asked of me, and I thought it would be great to answer it here.

Dear Epstein....

I am e-mailing some recruiters, I refuse to get on the phone w/ them until I figure out what I want & what I can ask for. I'm not going to be manipulated on the phone & agree to something I really don't want.

No, you do not have to give recruiters your phone number when doing your initial research. In fact, I made the mistake of giving about 25 different companies my phone number. Not only did my phone ring off of the wall the next few DAYS, but the next few Months although I had already accepted an assignment in Phoenix. Then, I kept on getting phone calls every month from all 24 recruiters that I hadn't chosen.

Through email, you can find out if they have any jobs where you want to go, what the rates are for those places, and what hospital they are offering. If they push for a resume, I will send them one, but this resume will NOT have my contact information on it. Believe me, they have your email address, they WILL contact you through that.

After I am satisfied that they have a position that I'm sincerely interested in, only then do I give out my phone number to further discuss the position.

Yes, most recruiters don't like this form of communication, but if they are truly interested in you, they will communicate this way. If not, I just tell them that I'm not interested in their company. Mainly because I usually work nights, and I don't want people calling me during the middle of the day; therefore, I require a recruiter to do most communication through email that doesn't wake me up during the day. If you start out by communicating mostly with a recruiter online, this is a good indication that this form of communication will continue.

Great question!

Accepting Criticism At Work

2006-01-13T05:49:00.000-05:00

In travel nursing, you must be able to accept criticism. You are going into a jungle of many different animals and if you are the meek little domestic tabby then you are going to be eaten alive. You are the one making the big bucks, and some will have the expectation that you have to be perfect and you have to work harder than the others. When you aren’t perfect, someone will tell you about it.

When someone approaches you with something that you have done that makes them angry enough for them to tell you about it, you first need to ask them to talk to you about it when the time and place is appropriate. In other words, don’t let them criticize you in front of patients or other co-workers. Invite them to set down with you at lunch and discuss their problem with you.

After they voice their opinion about why they are upset at you, then ask for specific examples of what exactly you have done to cause the problem.
Actively listen to what they are saying. Are they putting you down to lift themselves up, or is it actually something that you could improve on? Are they rambling on just to hear themselves talk or are they actually making sense? What is their motive? You must consider the source. There are people who will argue with anyone and will gripe about anything just too see your reaction. The gripers usually are not hard to find either. Usually they have something to say everyday about how they think that things should be run.

There are also those people who target you, as the traveler. They don’t like travelers and they won’t let up on you until they think they have won. These people are more of a challenge and may have to be reported to the recruiter or the nurse manager. This kind of conflict will affect the whole unit by bringing down morale.

After you have heard what they have to say, then you need to separate the fact from fiction and the important from the trivial. Is what they are saying going to matter in a week or in a month? Will it make a change in your nursing professionalism? Keep all the useful information and discard the information that may be used to crush your self-esteem and work ethic. +

Discard all the negative feelings also. Ever worked with a charge nurse who all they ever did was charge? Although these people may seem to be bossy and griping all the time about you not getting things done the way they think it should be done. You must discard the negative feeling that all they ever does is set around and boss people. Tell the charge that you are doing the best job that you can. Think of it as she is just attempting to guide you and help you remember what you need to do. Sometimes reminders are great, but sometimes they can give you bogged down feeling… just don’t let the negative feelings take over the situation.

After you have listened to what they have said, take that information home and digest it. What did they really say? What did they really mean? How can you change to make things better at the work place. Remember that we can’t change how other feel, but we can change our WE feel about others.

Written by Epstein LaRue, RN, BS, author of "Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map To Travel Nursing", "Love At First Type", and "Crazy Thoughts of Passion." http://www.epsteinlarue.com/

Epstein Receives Award For Top Travel Nurses Of The Year

2006-01-09T08:36:00.000-05:00

Epstein was recently named to the Healthcare Traveler Magazine's Top Travel Nurses for the year of 2005. Only 78 nurses were chose to receive this prestigious award out of the thousands of nurses who call travel nursing their full time occupation. Although you won't find her under her pen name, Epstein LaRue, you will find her under her legal name of Kay Slane, RN. Check It Out Here!

Was Your Nursing Recruiter A Car Salesman?

2006-01-03T05:35:00.000-05:00

“Picking a nursing travel company reminded me so much of when I went to purchase my last car,” exclaimed a registered nurse new to the field of travel nursing. With so many companies out there now, it seems like there really isn’t much of a difference between picking out a car and picking out a travel company.

To prove my point, I did some research on what makes a successful car salesman. After visiting just a few websites on the characteristics of a good car salesman, I was astonished at how much the recruiters that I have met had these same qualities.

A recruiter must be personable. What do I mean by personable? They must be pleasant in appearance and personality. No, you probably will never SEE your recruiter, but what about their telephone appearance? Good telephone skills are a must with any recruiter. They must have a pleasant voice, and be someone that you WANT to talk to, not someone that you HAVE to talk to.

A recruiter must be knowledgeable. It is not a crime not to know the answer to your question, but your recruiter must know where to find the answer. In some research on travel nursing companies that I have done, several times I was referred to the human resources director who promptly answered my questions about benefits.

How much does your recruiter know about the nursing field? He might be able to sell you a car, but does (s)he know more about an oil change or a blood transfusion? I am a nurse because I care about people. I want to help others in their time of need to feel better. Sure I could give someone blood, but what kind of ethics would I have if I just gave the person any ole blood without double checking the patients type and the blood type and double checking the name band before giving that patient the blood. Lots easier to replace the oil in your car, than to fix a mistake with a blood transfusion.

I’m not saying that the recruiter has to be a nurse, just that (s)he must have extended knowledge of the nursing field. How can a recruiter help you out when/if you get into a bind if they can’t understand what is happening at the time. I just don’t see how a recruiter can “go to bat” for you, if they don’t know what they are talking about. These hospitals are hiring travelers because they are short staffed. Under these conditions several things can go wrong. I would absolutely refuse to take a position if I didn’t feel like I had support from my recruiter.

They must know their product and the competitions. In order to acquire new nurses, you have to offer the nurse something better than the other companies. The only way that you can do that is if you know what the other companies are offering. Little things, like just a few more dollars an hour or better insurance benefits can make a big difference. So what if every assignment has a completion bonus, if you are making only $20/hour. Attempt to find out what other companies are giving their employees at the same or a near location, then make the deal just a little sweeter, which brings me to my next point of knowing your “customer.”

The first thing out of a recruiters mouth should be, “How can I help you?” So many times, what the recruiter says is translated into, “How can you help us?” These “headhunters” are out there to rope you in no matter what it takes, they NEED you… they don’t have a company without the nurse, but so many think that the nurse needs them worse. New cars look very nice on the lot, but a lot of good they are doing the salesperson if they stay on the lot.

The recruiter that is going to get my attention is the one that says, “How can I help you fulfill your needs in your nursing career?” Nurses travel for so many reasons. The needs for a nurse who is fighting bankruptcy is so much different than the nurse who just bought a new car, and has a burning desire to see the world.

Above all, a recruiter must have a great personality. I have yet to see a rude, crude, and socially unacceptable nursing recruiter have very many nurses who work for them. Yes, there are some out there, and unfortunately some of the nurses that I network with have had to work with them, but I have yet to meet a person who will stay with a recruiter who is always on the down and depressed side.

Great personality also means a nursing recruiter who is not only concerned about his/her benefits of having you work for them, but what is in your best interest. Like the company that I work for presently… everyone shares the benefits of the nurses, there is no “fighting” for nurses because of that great commission.

Great personality also means that when you need someone to lean on, when the tough times come, you should be able to pick up the phone and discuss the problems you are having. We aren’t going to get along with everyone, and everything isn’t going to be perfect. I want a recruiter who I can call and tell that I really don’t feel comfortable in my current situation because of even such a simple thing as a personality conflict. I want a recruiter who will weather out the storm with me, not jump ship and let me feel like I have been stranded in the middle of the desert begging for water.

Know what you want in a company and go out there and get it. Through perseverance and patient you WILL find the travel company that can meet your travel nursing goals, and not one that will sell you a lemon of a car and then leave you on the side of the road drinking lemonade.

Written by Epstein LaRue, RN, BS, author of "Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map To Travel Nursing", "Love At First Type", and "Crazy Thoughts of Passion." http://www.epsteinlarue.com/

Using Laughter On Your Travel Nursing Assignment

2005-12-29T05:55:00.000-05:00

We’ve all heard the saying, “laughter is the best medicine,” but just how can it help you through your day as a traveling nurse?

Our first two weeks at a new assignment has to be the toughest. It is at this time that I am trying to adjust to my new surroundings, and make an impression that I really do know what I am are talking about. In the first weeks, I have to prove that I am not into travel nursing just go to from company to company to see how much I can get away with. It is only after establishing that professional relationship that I start mixing in a little humor.

A little humor can go a long ways in making an assignment the best that it can be. Even with my worst assignment, humor is what made my day worth getting up for. Not humor with the other staff members, but humor with my patients. Staff was under a lot of stress and anxiety, but my patients were well taken care of and smiling because I was busy taking care of them with a little bit of everyday humor.

On the second day that I have a patient, I can usually gain a smile by asking, “Can I listen to see if your heart is beating today?”
This simple attempt at humor will give me a feel about how well the patient is going to accept humor. With some patients that is the start of a wonderful humor relationship, and with others they let me know right quick, that they are not in the mood for my little antics.

Some of my most memorable patients haven’t been those that are grumpy, but those patients that I have laughed with through their many days at the hospital. Not only does this elevate my patient’s mood, but it also has been proven to make a difference in muscle relaxation, neuropeptide release which effects depression, vasodilatation which reduces hypertension and it also has the most effect on the hardening of attitudes.

Many of the places I have been to want me to extend not only because I’m there to work and do my job, but because of the humor and positive attitude that I bring to the unit.

Someone was fumbling with the foil surrounding a suppository the other day, and I just calmly walked over and asked, “You know why they put on the directions to take off the foil… because you KNOW that someone did NOT.” That little chuckle took away some of the stress that she was having opening that silly packaging.

You don’t have to be a comedian to be a humorist. Just keep your eyes open to everyday occurrences. You ever wonder why they put the instructions on the hemorrhoid cream, “Do not take PO.” Yes! Because someone, somewhere, was eating the hemorrhoid cream and complaining to the company that it wasn’t helping their hemorrhoids, and that they couldn’t eat anything larger than a jelly bean. And what ever possessed the hospital to contract Seymour Butts to design hospital gowns?

Now that you’re smiling… take that smile to work and make your co-workers and patients smile.

Written by Epstein LaRue, RN, BS, author of "Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map To Travel Nursing", "Love At First Type", and "Crazy Thoughts of Passion." http://www.epsteinlarue.com/

Eating a Health Diet During Pregnancy

2005-12-19T06:56:00.000-05:00

It's more important than ever for a woman to eat properlyand take care of her body during pregnancy than at any othertime in her life. Eating properly is necessary for thehealth of not only the mother, but the growth and health ofthe unborn baby. It's also important to exercise regularlyso that the nine months of pregnancy are physically as easyas possible.If you're pregnant there are many things that you can do tomake sure that your pregnancy is as full of health aspossible.

One of the most important things that you can dois make sure that you get the vitamins and nutrition thatyou need in the amounts recommended for a pregnant woman.Make sure that you get enough iron and folium. If you lack adiet that has adequate amounts of iron you may want to talkto your doctor about taking a supplement. You'll also needto make sure that you get enough calcium during your pregnancy. One of the ways that you can ensure that you'reeating enough to include all the nutrients that you need inone day, is too make sure that you eat a well balancedbreakfast each day.

Another problem that most women face during pregnancy isthat of constipation. Pregnant women can tackler thisproblem by exercising regularly and taking more fibrousfoods in their diet. Water is also beneficial and a minimumof 8 glasses should be taken each day.

Pregnancy also requires you to avoid particular foods ortake them in moderation due to their bad repercussions. Forexample alcohol is to be completely stopped. This is becauseit is bad for the development of the unborn baby. Otherthings in your diet could be fish as it is high in mercury.Soft cheeses is another, being high on taste and low innutrition and calciumAll this good nutritive food can lead to excessive weightgain in most ladies, which they should refrain from.

Allpregnant ladies would do well to remember that they requireonly 300 more calories in their diet and therefore 1,900 to2,500 calories is good enough each day. Excessive weight isalways difficult to loose and also makes your pregnancydifficult.Also the extra 300 calories that you have to take moreshould comprise wholly of fatty foods but rather wellbalanced food. You should take foods like non fat yogurt,wholegrain toast and peanut butter, fruit salads topped withyogurt, or low fat granola with skim milk.

Every pregnancy is different and you have to take doctorsadvice to make sure that what all you are doing is good foryou. Not everything suits everybody. For a good and healthypregnancy right from day one to the final delivery of thebaby, you have to have the right combination of healthyfood, exercises and stretches.

Another aspect which sometimes is left ignored is the mentalwell being of the mother to be. Mental health of the motheris also reflected on the baby therefore it is important forher to remain in good spirits always. Nowadays there is alsoa host of guidance available for would be mothers in theform of books. You can make use of such books to find outwhat to do and what not to do.

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Written by Debra Evant, the owner of Pregnancy Reference, for more information visit: http://www.pregnancyref.com/articles

Research at the National Institutes of Health

2005-12-06T09:13:00.000-05:00

Research at the National Institutes of Health Were you aware that part of your federal tax dollars goes to pay for research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH)? NIH, which employs about 18,000, is a branch of the Department of Health and Human Services, operated by the federal government.

NIH conducts a wide variety of research studies for federal research agencies and supplies grants to medical centers and universities. NIH’s research is mainly the health issues that affect the American public. This research is coordinated through its 27 institutes, which are individually devoted to the research of a particular health area. Other offices and centers also are under NIH’s jurisdiction.

Most people are familiar with the National Cancer Institute. The goals of the National Cancer Institute are to develop techniques for curing cancers with valid treatments and managing those cancers that cannot be cured at the current time. Of course, research on the prevention of cancer is most important as well. Another prominent research branch of NIH is the National Institute of Mental Health which is charged with research into mental illnesses and basic research on both the brain and human behavior.

An institute of NIH that has received significant coverage by the press lately about its studies is The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Not too long ago, when the race to examine the structure of human DNA was all out, NHGRI was established in the U.S. in 1989 to organize genetic research on the structure of DNA and genetic diseases. The Office of AIDS Research is another more recent addition to this research genre. Although this research office is not yet its own institute, the Office of the Director manages it, along with the Office of Research on Women’s Health.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has been active in research into communicable diseases since 1948. This institute is the primary research arm for combating AIDS as well as other viral agents that occur throughout the world, performing basic research into vaccines that may be effective against bacteria and viruses. This institute is active in developing effective drug therapies as well. A great deal of research is being done into asthma, its causes, and effective treatments, especially for children.

The new institute National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering was formed in 2000. This institute promotes research in the areas of physics, computer sciences, mathematics and chemistry, along with engineering disciplines for the creations of new technologies that improve health.

Another recent addition to the NIH family, but not an institute, is the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine that was established in 1999. Its goals are to explore the alternative therapies with controlled studies and to train researchers in evaluating these techniques. Another NIH center is the John E. Fogarty International Center that supports international research and health training.

These are just a sampling of the many NIH institutes, offices and centers. For a vast amount of interesting information about all of NIH’s programs, go online to http://www.nih.gov.

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This article written and copyrighted by Kirsten Grenfell is the webmaster and operator of Full Research a premier resource for research information on the web. Be sure to visit her archive of articles for more information: http://www.fullresearch.com/. Used by permission.

A Sailing Vacation

2005-12-02T10:14:00.001-05:00

A great idea for the vacation of your life is to go sailing. Think of the possibilities. The earth is made up primarily of water, so the opportunities are practically endless. One destination is the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Washington state and British Columbia. If you're a novice, you can learn and holiday at the same time. The views off the San Juan and Gulf Islands are truly spectacular. From May to October you can learn to sail with a qualified instructor for as little as $950. When you've completed your course, you'll be ready to make your next vacation a sailing one.

The San Juan and Gulf Islands are amazingly beautiful and the many sheltered coves will greet you with their stunning geography. This area of the Pacific is often referred to as the Pacific Northwest’s banana belt and for a good reason. The climate is mild and the scenery resplendent of a more tropical area of the world.

While you are learning to sail you can enjoy several activities on shore such as visits to small villages, a beer at a local inn, stops at remote islands, and a luxurious massage at a local spa. If you keep your eyes open while you are sailing along you may be able to spot an Orca whale that is passing by since this area of the world is home to these amazing whales. Other wildlife that you should keep your eyes open for are otters, bald eagles, seals, porpoises, and other birds of the ocean.

Most sailing vacations offer great accommodation while you are onboard. This sailing vacation in Washington and British Columbia won’t disappoint you. One sailing ship will accommodate four guests in the two double guest cabins. You’ll enjoy meals prepared by an onboard chef when you’re not stopping at one of the many onshore restaurants. This vacation is great for the first time sailor who is trying to get his feet wet before traveling to wilder waters and far away ports.

If you want foreign waters and more sun, consider taking a sailing vacation in the British Virgin Islands, located in the Caribbean Ocean. It's a perfect place for a romantic vacation, whether you're a newlywed or a couple seeking a memorable getaway. The air is warm from the continually sunny days and the waters are clear and soothing. You can take a swim followed by a lovely on-deck nap. Your chef will serve you a delectable lunch as well. For the time of your life, take one of these magical sailing vacations in the British Virgin Islands.

Written by Mac Harrison, the chief editor for Sailing Etc. For more articles on Sailing why not visit: http://www.sailinge.com/articles

Digital Cameras

2005-11-29T05:46:00.000-05:00

Before you buy a new camera, think about some of the features. Most people in the market for a digital camera have at least one computer at home. It isn't a necessity, as many of the camera companies also sell special printers that interface with the camera. In that situation you can print your pictures without using a separate computer. If you have a computer, then you're in luck. You can load the pictures from the camera to your PC and manipulate them with the aid of photo software. When they look like you want them to, then upload them to a picture sharing program or website and share them with family and friends. All of you will have the option of printing the pictures as well.

Cameras are unique because of their various specifications. The first thing to consider is mega-pixels. This term refers to the number of pixels a camera can take when set at its highest resolution. You can buy a camera ranging from 2.0 mega-pixels, clear up to 12 mega-pixels. Most average consumers wouldn't need to waste money on models featuring more than 4.0 mega-pixels. The higher resolutions are for professional photographers or someone who wanted to blow their pictures up to an extra large size. A camera with 3.0 to 4.0 mega-pixels will allow you to take and print beautiful, clear pictures.

You also want to decide on the type of zoom you want your camera to have. You can find digital or optical zoom. Of the two, optical is far superior. With digital zoom, you often get pictures that are grainy. Since optical zoom is more expensive, don't buy it unless you know you will use it.

You may want to purchase extra memory by getting a memory card. Often the internal memory isn't enough, especially if you're taking a trip. Without the card, you may end up with only 30 pictures or so. Memory cards aren't prohibitive in cost, and with it you will be able to store hundreds of pictures.

Most digital cameras feature software to let you play with the appearance of your pictures. For example you can change a color photo to black and white or sepia. If you buy a higher end camera the software will allow you to do things like editing people or objects out of the shot.

Hopefully, this information helped you understand digital photography better. Often we are intimidated by new technology, but these cameras are great! They really are easy to use and you deserve to treat yourself.

Written be Joshua Beecham, the webmaster for FREY Photography, For more articles on Photography why not visit: http://www.freyphotography.com/articles