Travel Nurse: Four Reasons to Consider Travel Nursing

I found this picture of a lady lounging around in a hammock and decided to put it in a post because that is one of mis pasatiempos favoritos (to recall one of the only phrases I remember from Spanish I in high school). The main reason I decided to become a travel nurse was the opportunity to see new places and experience new things. But there are certainly other reasons to consider travel nursing.

Reason No. 2
Travel nursing has given me an opportunity to see how different facilities work in different parts of the United States. Most of the facilities I have worked in have been hospitals. I have noticed that many of the hospitals I have worked in are primarily about the "bottom line." How many patients can we put in how many beds to turn a profit? I would go to work like every other nurse, do my job and go home. Not much fun. However, I have worked in one hospital that was clearly more concerned about patient care and employee well being than turning a profit. At least that is how it seemed to me. Employees had access to onsite recreation facilities and patients had large, well furnished rooms and "gourmet" meals. If and when I decide to take another assignment in St. Louis that is the facility I would want to work in again.

Reason No. 3
Higher pay. I know that it is kinda' taboo to discuss pay at work, but everywhere I have worked it doesn't take long for me to find out how much everyone is making. Usually lunchtime conversation. It has been my experience that I make on average $10.00 to $20.00 more than regular nurses because I am a travel nurse.

Reason No. 4
If the job stinks, I usually only have to endure it for 3 months. And, if it is too bad, I just need to request that my agency find someone to replace me. I have not had to do this yet, but I have been told that it usually doesn't take very long.

Former Governor Supports HR 4903

Pictured: Barbara Roberts, Governor of Oregon 1990-1994

I am proud to support the grassroots efforts of nurses who are working to establish an Office of the National Nurse and teams of dedicated nurses throughout the country who will deliver much needed educational programs to every community, including those who live in underserved areas.

Having a National Nurse address the nation each week on ways to live healthy will not only improve public health by using plain spoken language that every American can understand, but will also serve as a beacon of inspiration to attract others to the nursing profession at a time when our country is facing a critical shortage of nurses.

HR 4903, the National Nurse Act of 2006, introduced by the Honorable Lois Capps (CA) on March 8, 2006 into the 109th session of Congress, has the potential to save many lives, reduce needless suffering, and save dollars in a healthcare system that is already bursting at the seams. HR 4903 also encourages nurses to become educators in order to increase student enrollment in nursing programs and to help ease the shortage.

As former Governor of the state of Oregon, I know we are capable of working together in a bipartisan fashion to deliver health care to all Americans and to keep the nursing profession strong. All five members of the US Congressional delegation from Oregon have signed on to HR 4903 as cosponsors, and it is my hope that every US Representative will join them in this worthwhile effort.

Supporter Visits Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA)

Pictured: Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA) with Public Health Nurse Susan Sullivan

The National Nurse Team recently received a report from Susan Sullivan RN MSN, staff educator of the Public Health Nursing Division of Orange County. Susan has been an avid advocate for an Office of the National Nurse for over a year, so making an appointment to seek the support of her US Representative was a logical next step. Susan brought a packet of information with her, including recent articles about the National Nurse proposal, a copy of HR 4903, and a list of talking points.

The visit with Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez went very well and it seems certain that she will be signing on to the National Nurse Act of 2006 as a cosponsor once Congress resumes session in September.

Susan also learned that on May 10, 2006 Congresswoman Sanchz joined with Congressman Thomas G. Tancredo to introduce legislation for a nursing student loan forgiveness program. HR 5349 is presently in the Subcommittee On 21st Century Competitiveness.

Travel Nurse: Travel Nursing Career - A Dream Come True?

A number of my articles somehow got deleted. Once I get the chance to look through my backup files I will put them back up.

Meet the Staff of Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA)

Pictured from left to right: Christine Elliott, District Representative; Marcos Lazaro, Caseworker; Sharon Seigel, District Director; Katie Miersemann, Caseworker; Karin Quimby, Scheduler; and Teri Mills, President of the National Nursing Network Organization

Pictured: Teri outside of Representative Capps San Luis Obispo office

As many of you know, The National Nurse Act of 2006 was introduced into the House of Representatives by the Honorable Lois Capps on March 8, 2006. Congresswoman Capps is also a registered nurse and she co-chairs the House Nursing Caucus.

While on vacation, Teri decided to stop by the offices of Congresswoman Capps located in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara to meet and greet her extraordinarily supportive and knowledgeable staff.

The National Nurse Act of 2006 is red, hot, and rolling and has seen remarkable progress in California. This past month the California School Nurses Organization endorsed the bill. Four US Representatives from the state have signed on to HR 4903 over the course of four weeks. Students from all corners of the state continue to inquire about the bill and to integrate it into their school projects and presentations.

Nursing Administration Quarterly issue devoted to Evidence-based Practice

Nursing Administration Quarterly v 30(3) July-Sept 2006 devotes the entire issue to Evidence-based Practice: impact on nursing administration. Saint Joseph Hospital of Orange,California and Children's Hospital of Orange can access this issue full text via Burlew Medical Library's website. Find out whether your library has access to this important issue.

Table of Contents
Evidence-based Practice: Impact on Nursing Administration.
Brown, Barbara J. EdD, RN, CNAA, FAAN, FNAP, Editor-in-Chief[From the Editor]


2
pg. 191-192Evidencing the Value of Nursing Practice.
Porter-O'Grady, Tim EdD, APRN, FAAN[Guest Editorial]

3
pg. 193-202Quantifying Patient Care Intensity: An Evidence-based Approach to Determining Staffing Requirements.
Beglinger, Joan Ellis MSN, MBA, RN, FACHE, FAAN[Article]

4
pg. 203-210Using Diffusion of Innovation Concepts to Enhance Implementation of an Electronic Health Record to Support Evidence-based Practice.
Geibert, Robert C. EdD, RN[Article]

5
pg. 211-220Constructing a Team Model: Creating a Foundation for Evidence-based Teams.
Porter-O'Grady, Tim EdD, APRN, FAAN; Alexander, Daniel R. MS; Blaylock, Jo MS; Minkara, Nazem MS; Surel, Dominique MBA[Article]

6
pg. 221-227Patient Care Transformation: The Plan and the Reality.
Drexler, Diane RN, MBA, CNO; Malloch, Kathy PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN[Article]

7
pg. 228-235On the Scene at Banner Estrella Medical Center, the Hospital of the Future.
Dobson, Christina MSN, RN, FNP-C; Meythaler, Denise BSN, RN; Wong, Paul BSN, RN, CCRN, CEN, CPAN; Ramirez, Chuck BA, RRT[Article]

8
pg. 236-242Diffusion of Innovation: The Leaders' Role in Creating the Organizational Context for Evidence-based Practice.
Crow, Gregory EdD, RN[Article]

9
pg. 243-251What Goes Around Comes Around: Evidence-based Management.
Williams, Lauren L. EDM, RN[Article]

10
pg. 252-265Evidence-based Practice: How Nurse Leaders can Facilitate Innovation.
Shirey, Maria R. MS, MBA, RN, FACHE, CNAA, BC[Article]

11
pg. 266-272Perceptions and Characteristics of Registered Nurses' Involvement in Decision Making.
Mangold, Kara L. MS, RN; Pearson, Kristina K. MS, RN, OCN; Schmitz, Julie R. MS, RN; Scherb, Cindy A. PhD, RN; Specht, Janet P. PhD, RN, FAAN; Loes, Jean L. MS, RN[Article]

12
pg. 273-284Perceptions, Knowledge, and Commitment of Clinical Staff to Shared Governance.
Frith, Karen PhD, RN; Montgomery, Meryl MSN, RN[Article]

13
pg. 285-290Comparison of Native Versus Nonnative English-speaking Nurses on Critical Thinking Assessments at Entry and Exit.
Whitehead, Tanya D. PhD[Article]

14
pg. 291-294Evidence-based Practice: How Nursing Administration Makes IT Happen.
Simpson, Roy L. RN, C, CCMA, FNAP, FAAN[Nursing Informatics]

15
pg. 295-299SBAR and Nurse-Physician Communication: Pilot Testing an Educational Intervention.
Hamilton, Patti PhD, RN; Gemeinhardt, Gretchen PhD; Mancuso, Peggy PhD, RN, CNM; Sahlin, Claire L. PhD; Ivy, Lea MA, RN[Research Abstracts]

16
pg. 300Handbook of Diabetes Management.
Falter, Betty MS, RN, CNAA, BC[Book Review: Books for Nursing Administrators]

Resources for Evidence-Based Nursing from McMaster University

McMaster University has created a terrific Resources for Evidence-Based Nursing which is based on the Haynes model.