Archive for September, 2009

Nurse Practitioner Jobs

Posted in Nursing Jobs, Nursing Specialties

What is a Nurse Practitioner?

A nurse practitioner is a nurse who has completed an advanced level of training in diagnosis and disease management. Nurse practitioners work closely with a patient’s regular physician, and can even serve as a patient’s primary health care provider. Nurse practitioners can write prescriptions and are also often solely responsible for first line diagnoses. Nurse practitioners can order diagnostic tests, arrange treatment plans and provide counseling. Additionally, nurse practitioners focus on individualized patient care. Rather than merely treating the illness, nurse practitioners can also provide education and analysis of a patient’s home life in order to prevent further health issues. Nurse practitioners can practice almost anywhere, in all fifty states, in places varying from hospitals to private clinics to school nursing staffs. Many nursing homes have a nurse practitioner on staff, and nurse practitioners can even practice independently. Most nurse practitioners also have a specialty that they focus on in their training, for example, neonatal, pediatrics, or occupational health.

How can you become a Nurse Practitioner?

In order to become a nurse practitioner, you must first have a BS in nursing, and preferably be a registered nurse, although there are some training programs which take those who have the BS but are not registered. Most nurses work for about two years before beginning their training as nurse practitioners. After working as a registered nurse for several years, you can apply for a Masters of Science in Nursing, which also generally lasts about two academic years. While studying, most nurse practitioner candidates also choose an area of specialization, although some choose to remain general nurse practitioners. In addition to the Master’s degree, nurse practitioners must also be licensed in the state in which they want to practice. Each state has different requirements, so you should check your local nursing organizations for more information about practicing in your state.

Nurse Practitioner Jobs

While being a nurse practitioner is extremely rewarding, because of the nursing shortage, some are finding it difficult to get the training they need for certification. There is a shortage of nursing teachers, which limits the number of candidates accepted into training programs. However, once accepted, there are many different job opportunities for nurse practitioners. Because of the varied nature of the job and the degree, nurse practitioners have a lot of options when it comes to choosing how and where to practice. There are numerous web sites advertising nurse practitioner jobs, and it is always worth a try to look at your state board of nursing and local nurse practitioner association. When looking for a nurse practitioner job, be sure to check out the required credentials, as they do vary from state to state. It is also good to search for a nurse practitioner job by your specialty, as this will really narrow down your search, and help you find a job more quickly. Be sure to remember to check local nursing forums as well for the inside information on the job you’re considering.

Advance Nursing Reviews

Posted in Travel Nursing Company Reviews

Reviews of Advance Nursing – Post Yours!

Company Name: Advance Nursing

Company Description: Advance Nursing connects nursing and allied health professionals with select job assignments. Hundreds of health professionals take advantage of Advance Nursing’s choice assignments in attractive locations throughout the United States. We offer per diem, travel and permanent placements with excellent pay, free housing and utilities, comprehensive benefits and retirement plans, bonuses, and in-house training.

We are here for you with a reputation built on education, customer service and an expert knowledge of the field.

Experience the difference with Advance Nursing.

Discuss Advance Nursing in our Travel Nursing Forums

Please fill out our Request For Travel Nursing Information form if you’re looking for a job.

You can also follow the following link for information about Travel Nursing Jobs in every state.

Related Searches: Advance Nursing, nurse, nurses, nurse jobs, travel nurse, rn, lpn

You can find reviews for lots of other Travel Nurse Staffing Companies by visiting this link: Travel Nurse Staffing Company Reviews

Access Nurses Reviews

Posted in Travel Nursing Company Reviews

Reviews of Access Nurses – Post Yours!

Company Name: Access Nurses

Company Description: Access Nurses is the traveling nurses’ source for great travel nursing jobs cross country. We provide traveling nurses with the best travel
nurse assignments, high salaries, excellent benefits and exceptional fully furnished
housing. Your career is an important part of your life and we are here to help you
make the most of it.

Discuss Access Nurses in our Travel Nursing Forums

Please fill out our Request For Travel Nursing Information form if you’re looking for a job.

You can also follow the following link for information about Travel Nursing Jobs in every state.

Related Searches: Access Nurses, travel nurse, travel nursing, nurse,

You can find reviews for lots of other Travel Nurse Staffing Companies by visiting this link: Travel Nurse Staffing Company Reviews

Abetta Care Reviews

Posted in Travel Nursing Company Reviews

Reviews of Abetta Care – Post Yours!

Company Name: Abetta Care

Company Description: We specialize in coordinating Traveling Healthcare Professionals with the assignments they want, where they want. In essence, traveling with Abetta-Care is your bridge to the leading and most attractive healthcare assignments in the country.

The professionals you’ll be working with at Abetta-Care are experienced in the healthcare industry. In addition to qualifying you for an assignment, we go beyond the basics. We make it a point to get to know you as a person.

When you work with Abetta-Care, you’re more than just an employee, you’re part of our extended family.

Discuss Abetta Care in our Travel Nursing Forums

Please fill out our Request For Travel Nursing Information form if you’re looking for a job.

You can also follow the following link for information about Travel Nursing Jobs in every state.

Related Searches: Abetta Care, travel nursing, healthcare staffing, rn, lpn

You can find reviews for lots of other Travel Nurse Staffing Companies by visiting this link: Travel Nurse Staffing Company Reviews

AAA Medical Staffing Reviews

Posted in Travel Nursing Company Reviews

Reviews of AAA Medical Staffing – Post Yours!

Company Name: AAA Medical Staffing

Company Description: AAA Medical Staffing has nursing opportunities throughout the United States and Internationally. Travel RN, Staff RN, Nurse Management, Department Directors, and many other medical positions are available.

Benefits for our full time Licensed RN’s and others, depending on credentials

AAA Medical Staffing recognizes and values our permanent medical staff and travelers with excellent pay rates. We also offer special bonuses as a way of saying thank you.

Discuss AAA Medical Staffing in our Travel Nursing Forums

Please fill out our Request For Travel Nursing Information form if you’re looking for a job.

You can also follow the following link for information about Travel Nursing Jobs in every state.

Related Searches: AAA medical staffing, travel nursing, nurse jobs,lpn, nurse, nurse chat, nurse employment, nurse jobs, nurses, nursing

You can find reviews for lots of other Travel Nurse Staffing Companies by visiting this link: Travel Nurse Staffing Company Reviews

All Health Staffing Reviews

Posted in Travel Nursing Company Reviews

Reviews of All Health Staffing – Post Yours!

Company Name: All Health Staffing

Company Description: All Health Staffing is a national leader in supplementary healthcare staffing, specializing in travel and temporary-to-permanent placement of nurses and other healthcare professionals in a variety of settings throughout the United States.

As a traveling professional, you might live in many exciting places. Our job is to help make each of them a good place to call home.

Turn your dream career into a reality
At All Health Staffing, we want you to have the best career experience possible and will do whatever we can to turn your dream career into a reality.

Discuss All Health Staffing in our Travel Nursing Forums

Please fill out our Request For Travel Nursing Information form if you’re looking for a job.

You can also follow the following link for information about Travel Nursing Jobs in every state.

Related Searches:

You can find reviews for lots of other Travel Nurse Staffing Companies by visiting this link: Travel Nurse Staffing Company Reviews

Travel Nursing in a Faltering Economy

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Jobs, Permanent Placement, Travel Nursing, Travel Nursing

A couple of weeks ago, I spoke with a friend who works for a travel nursing company in southern California. He got into this field because he felt that the nursing field was going to be a sure bet in this faltering economy. Now he’s nervous and not so sure about the security of his job.

Many hospitals in southern California have apparently cut way back on their need for travel nurses at the present time. This is especially true for general med/surg nurses. Many specialty areas such as ICU, NICU, telemetry, etc., are still looking to fill positions, but too many of the applicants only want med/surg and are still demanding high salaries. They aren’t finding too many options here.

With the current economic downturn, nursing will remain more recession proof than most careers, but nurses have to be realistic in their goals today. Hospitals are looking at every possible way to cut costs. Paying high salaries for med/surg nurses is one place they have cut back, whereas they may still be willing to pay for specialty nurses they cannot recruit from their own local community.

In many communities, nurses who had left nursing to raise families or to retire early, have returned to work. Retirement funds such as 401Ks have been lost or significantly impacted, spouses may have lost jobs, and extended family members may be in dire need of financial assistance. For a nurse returning to work after a long hiatus, med/surg is probably the best place to start out and rebuild confidence and skills, so these jobs are scarcer.

One factor that is somewhat beyond the realm of economics is affecting hospitals. This has been a very slow flu season in most of the country. The flu shot for 2008-9 seems to have been effective, and cases are more widespread this year.

In recent days however, the news seems to indicate that this may change. There has been a mutation in the flu specimens of late that appear to be resistant to the Tamiflu antiviral medication. This may result in more complications as patients find that their symptoms are not weakened by this medication.

In a bad flu season, hospitals can become inundated with the elderly and chronically ill as well as the very young. In a slow flu season, censuses remain low and the need for nurses diminishes.

With few elective procedures being performed these days, hospital censuses are also lower as well. On the other hand, as more people put off health care for lack of insurance or funds to pay for medications or rising co-pays, patients who do need hospitalization are generally sicker and need more specialized care.

The need for nurses continues to vary across the country. Some areas will continue to have a strong demand while others may diminish somewhat. Travel nurses will continue to find work, but they may need to change their expectations about locale, perks and salaries. Those who have or attain more specialized experience and skills will have a better chance of being in demand.

By Kathy Quan RN BSN. Kathy is the author of four books including The Everything New Nurse Book and the recently published 150 Tips and Tricks for New Nurses. She is the author/owner of TheNursingSite.com.

© 2009 by UltimateNurse.com. All Rights Reserved.

The Fifty Mile Rule and Travel Nursing

Posted in Nursing, Nursing Jobs, Travel Nursing

The Fifty Mile Rule and Travel Nursing

Is there really a 50 mile rule for travel nurses or is this just something someone made up to keep the locals from benefiting from travel nurse perks?

The truth is there is no real rule. There are some qualifications that the IRS imposes on travel nurses regarding tax free benefits. Some travel nursing recruiters confuse these IRS rules with the so-called 50 mile rule and sometimes hospitals do impose an imaginary 50 mile rule to keep it’s community nurses happy. It’s really up to the travel nurse to know the difference and to discuss the issue with the recruiter.

In a large metropolitan area such as Los Angeles where the locals are used to driving long distances for everyday events such as shopping, entertainment, sporting events, school and religious worship, driving 50 miles to and from work is not an unusual task. For someone in a more rural area, this might seem to be unusual and taxing.

For a restless nurse living in Los Angeles, the opportunity to take on a traveling nurse assignment 50 miles from home may be just the spark s/he needs to renew the sense of why s/he became a nurse and loves this profession. It could serve the nurse and his/her patents well to bring this renewed sense of caring spirit to work each day.

How this nurse approaches the travel assignment is key to whether s/he qualifies for the tax free benefits of a travel nursing assignment. This is subjective data and will vary with each individual nurse. Assuming our restless nurse has a home in the Los Angeles area, how s/he approaches the IRS Sleep & Rest Test will determine the amount of tax free benefits s/he is entitled to.

If our nurse drives to and from the assignment each day, returning to his/her own home then s/he is not entitled to any tax free reimbursements for meals and housing.

If however, the particular drive takes significant time and the nurse feels that this drive would make him/her unfit to care for patients, s/he can accept the tax free temporary housing/meal package nearby the hospital as long as s/he does not return home during his/her travel assignment.

Another nurse may chose to work the 50 plus miles from home grouping his/her 12 hour shifts together each week. This nurse accepts temporary housing in a hotel for the 3 days each week that s/he works, and returns home for the 4 days s/he has off each week. Because she is staying in a hotel and returns home each week, 4/7ths of this housing and meal allowance is taxable (or must be returned).

If this same nurse took an apartment as part of her package deal, the rent would qualify for tax free status, but his/her meal allowances for the days off spent at his/her own home would not.

The Sleep & Rest Test applies if the individual nurse feels it necessary to stay nearby the assignment in order to be adequately rested to be fit to care for the patients. This is subjective and will vary from nurse to nurse. Some nurses would prefer to drive back and forth and use the time to for such things as to unwind, to listen to books on tape or to talk to family and friends on the cell phone (hands-free in CA of course), etc.

If you’re looking for a travel nursing assignment closer to your own home, and being told about a 50 mile rule, get some clarification from the recruiter. Also have a good understanding of the tax implications if you accept a housing and meals package.

By Kathy Quan RN BSN. Kathy is the author of The Everything New Nurse Book and the owner/author of TheNursingSite.com.

© 2008 by UltimateNurse.com All Rights Reserved