Monday, November 30, 2009

How to Pack for Your Travel Nursing Job

After you’ve accepted your first travel nursing job through a healthcare staffing agency you’re going to have to decide what to bring. Before you try to stuff your favorite ottoman into a suitcase, remember that your healthcare staffing agency is providing you with an apartment that is already furnished and contains the basic necessities including:

Living Room Group:

o Sofa

o Chair or Loveseat

o Coffee Table

o 1 End Table

o 1 Lamp

o TV Stand


Dining Room:

o Dining Table or Dinette Table

o 4 Chairs


Bedroom:

o Queen or Full Bed

o Headboard

o Dresser with Mirror

o 1 Nightstand

o 1 Lamp

o Bedding

This is just a short list of the things your healthcare staffing agency provides you with. For a complete list, visit the Clinical One website where you can get more detailed information on what to expect when you arrive. Have a talk with your healthcare staffing agency recruitment specialist to find out what kind of climate you can expect when you arrive. You’ll need to know what kind of clothing to pack. Bring a few “comfort” objects from home (photographs, books, collectibles, etc.) to personalize your apartment. You’ll need personal toiletries, but you can buy them when you arrive. Don’t panic! Just make sure to pack your professional attire, clothing for casual wear/exercise/recreation, and a couple of nice outfits for nights out. The major stuff will already be there and if you do forget to bring something, you can always have a friend send it to you later.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.clinicalone.com/.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Seven Surefire Ways to Ace Your Phone Interview!

Once you have chosen an assignment for consideration, your Recruitment Specialist, will arrange a telephone interview for you. Today’s market is very competitive! Often times, there are many candidates applying for the same position, so it is critical that you outshine your competition and ace your interview. The following seven suggestions will help you do just that!
1. Research the Position Before the Interview

Talk with your Recruitment Specialist to see if there is a unit description for the position. Research the facility on the Internet. The more educated you are on the position, the more prepared you will be during the interview.

Be sure to ask your Recruitment Specialist about the pay-rate and any other information on bonuses, benefits, etc. before you submit your profile for an interview. You want to make sure that you know the details about the job in advance. That way there will be no un-answered questions after you have landed the interview.

2. Be Prepared for the Phone Call

Always let your Recruitment Specialist know your ideal timeframes for interviewing. This will limit the chances of missing the Manager's phone call and possibly missing out on the position.

Managers may conduct interviews on their own timeframe. You must be prepared for their call at any time of the day. If you are caught at a bad time, ask them to give you a moment so that you may get yourself together. You do not want to interview when you are half asleep, driving, etc. Take a moment to get situated. This will ensure that the interview starts off on the right foot!

3. Adjust Your Attitude

Treat the phone interview just as you would a face-to-face interview. You start to make an impression immediately. So be sure to exude an upbeat image through the sound of your voice. Talk with a smile on your face. This helps portray a positive attitude.

4. Listen

By listening to the Manager, you can get a feeling for their personality, while also obtaining information on the hospital and the unit. This is a good time for you to take notes about the position.

5. Ask Questions

Asking questions during the phone interview demonstrates to the Manager that you have a definite interest in the position. It is also the best way to find out if the job is right for you. If you are unclear on specific questions to ask, consult your Recruitment Specialist. He/She can help you make a list of pertinent questions for you to ask during your telephone interview.

6. Be Confident

Discuss your skills and achievements. Remember, you are interviewing because your profile fits the requirements needed for the position. Now is the time to sell yourself! Share your strengths with the Manager to show them why you should be offered the position over another candidate vying for the same job.

7. Closing

As the interview comes to a close, state your interest in the position. Let your excitement show! Ask about the next step in the process. When will you know if you have gotten the position? Be sure to get the name and the phone number of the interviewing Manager and don't forget to thank them for their time!

After the interview, call your Recruitment Specialist immediately. He/She will follow up with the facility to find out if you have been offered the position. Hopefully our seven interview suggestions will lead to a surefire job offer! Good luck!

For more information visit our website at http://www.clinicalone.com/

Friday, November 13, 2009

National Nursing News | Joint Commission, Eight Hospitals Target Patient Safety Failures

Quoted from http://news.nurse.com/article/20091009/NATIONAL02/310090001:

National Nursing News | Joint Commission, Eight Hospitals Target Patient Safety Failures

"The Joint Commission and eight hospitals and health systems from around the country have joined together to fight dangerous breakdowns in patient care by launching the Center for Transforming Healthcare. The first initiative of the group will be targeting hand-washing failures, which cause infections that kill nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. annually and cost hospitals as much as $29 billion."

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Travel Nursing: A Great way to Advance your Nursing Career

Travel and per diem nursing offers the undeniable benefit of developing a wide range of experience including exposure to many different cultures and healthcare environments especially since no two assignments are alike. Each new assignment provides nurses with the opportunity to learn and grow from each new experience. If you are not developing your critical thinking skills, expanding your knowledge, and understanding of pathophysiology, or sharpening your technical skills, then the following tips might help you to get more value out of each assignment....

Visit www.clinicalone.com/travel_nursing_blog.aspx for the complete blog post.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Travel Nursing Safety Tips

Traveling and moving to a new place is a stressful and exciting event for anyone. As a travel healthcare professional, you will experience this much more than the average person. While you may love your new surroundings, even the smallest towns can have its hazards. Here are a few common sense tips to help keep you and your belongings safe so you can enjoy your travel assignment to the fullest.

• Be aware of who is around you at all times. Pay close mind to anyone lurking if you are at an ATM or giving out personal information, especially your name and address.

• Research the area before you leave. Browse the local newspapers, most of which are posted online. Read the crime log, if there is one, and notice where most of the crimes happen.

• Get to know your new neighborhood. During the day, go for a walk and take note of any landmarks, main roads, street names and where the local police station is located. A pocket map can also be helpful.

• Always secure doors and windows in your new residence, especially at night or if you are out. Keeping your doors locked, even while home, is never a bad idea. When someone knocks on your door, always check to see who’s there.

• Travel on well-lit streets and park in well-lit areas near your destination.

• Know when the sun rises and sets in the area. This is especially true for professionals doing early morning and night shifts.

• You may be carrying around lots of personal information with you, especially in the beginning of your assignment. Make sure important documents like your licenses and housing information as well as any money and personal identification are secure, safe and, not visible.

• Become friendly with your new co-workers, including the permanent staff and even some of your neighbors. They are a valuable resource when it comes to knowing what areas or people to avoid. Plus, they make great “buddies” while walking to your car or jogging through the neighborhood.

• Always make sure your cell phone is charged and buy a car charger.

• Hospital security will always walk you to your car, but if you are walking alone, especially in a dark, disserted area like a parking lot, carry your cell and have 911 already dialed so all you will have to do is hit the send button if you are attacked.

• Invest in a good portable GPS system for your car or sign up for GPS service offered by most cell phone companies. This will keep you from getting lost in a place you do not know.

• Keep your car doors and windows locked, even while driving. Furthermore, never leave items such as your cell phone, GPS, Ipod or anything of any value including backpacks and purses exposed in your car. Take them with you or hide them under your seats or in the trunk even if it’s a quick trip into a convenience store. Never leave valuables in your car overnight, take everything in the house with you.

• While driving, never stop for anyone who needs help by the road. If you want to help someone, call the local police and let them take care of it. Never, ever pick up a hitchhiker.

• Renter’s insurance in affordable and very easy to obtain. This will protect your belongings in case of robbery, flood and fire.

• Take a self-defense class. Knowing what to do if you ever get into a sticky situation will save your life. It will also give you more confidence and in turn help you stand tall. If you look like a victim, you will become one.

• Trust your instincts. When you have a “gut feeling” something isn’t right, get out of there!

If you use common sense and intuition, traveling to new destinations can be one of the most rewarding, fun and educational experiences you will ever have.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.clinicalone.com/.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Better Communication Reduces Hostility in the Workplace

Nurses thrive in environments that support collaboration among physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals, and as a result, patient outcomes are improved. According to the Joint Commission, 60% of the 3000 sentinel events reported were attributed to poor communication. Hierarchy differences, conflicting roles, ambiguity in responsibilities, and power struggles can all lead to communication failures that compromise patient safety and quality of care. Communication is not just about what a person says but how he or she says it. In fact, as much as 60% of your communication is through nonverbal cues including tone of voice, attitude, and body language.

Disruptive and intimidating behaviors, which include rude language and hostile behavior among healthcare professionals, can foster medical errors, contribute to poor patient satisfaction and to preventable adverse outcomes, increase the cost of care, and cause qualified nurses and other clinicians, administrators, and managers to seek new positions in more professional environments. Problems associated with working relationships in the healthcare environment can be attributed to communication breakdowns, lack of courtesy, disrespect for another's knowledge and expertise, or other elements within the culture of the work environment. If we are truly honest with ourselves, each one of us has probably been guilty of these behaviors at one time or another. Certainly other factors that can contribute to a hostile environment include staffing shortages, floating to unfamiliar environments, and emergency situations all of which significantly increase the already stressful roles we play.

Healthcare leaders and caregivers have known for years that disruptive and intimidating behavior is a serious problem. Intimidation, verbal outbursts, condescending attitudes, and refusing to take part in assigned duties all stifle communication and can lead to breakdowns in care processes. One example includes a sentinel event that was directly related to a nurses failure to verify a physician order. This was due to the fact that when attempting to verify the order, the physician's hostility at being called after hours and abruptness at ending the call, intimidated the nurse to the point that a follow up call was not made. The patient received over ten times the normal dose of the medication.

Unfortunately, this hostile behavior is not exclusive to physicians. The old adage that nurses eat their young still holds true. As we become more experienced and knowledgeable, our expectations of our peers (nurses and allied health professionals) increases and we can become intolerant of those with less experience or those not yet fully competent in their role. For these individuals, there is a critical need for the seasoned professional to act in the role of mentor and to guide the novice caregiver successfully into the expert role. It is also important to remember that ours is not the only department/unit within the facility that has challenges. There is a tendency to forget that other allied health departments and other units also may be facing staffing shortages, increased responsibilities, and/or emergency situations.

As part of the new Joint Commission standards and the National Patient Safety Goals surrounding improving communication, accredited organizations are encouraged to create a code of conduct that defines acceptable and unacceptable behaviors and to establish a formal process for managing unacceptable behavior. The intent is also to create an atmosphere in which nurses and all members of the care team are empowered to speak up if they think something is wrong.

Among the strategies encouraged by the Joint Commission that are particularly relevant to promoting effective communication are the following:

Educate all healthcare team members about professional behavior, including training in basics such as being courteous during telephone interactions, business etiquette, and general people skills.

Hold all team members accountable for modeling desirable behaviors and enforce the code of conduct consistently and equitably.

Establish a comprehensive approach to disruptive and intimidating behavior that includes a zero-tolerance policy, strong involvement and support from physician leadership, reducing fears of retribution against those who report disruptive and intimidating behavior, and determining how and when disciplinary actions should begin.

Develop a system to detect and receive reports of unprofessional, disruptive, and intimidating behavior.

Put very simply, treat others as you would want to be treated. Take accountability when your professionalism falters or you lose your cool (we all do sometimes) and apologize. Seek and be open to feedback regarding your communication. When that feedback is given, don't get defensive; recognize that it is a result of the perception of reality you created for that individual and is not open for debate. Effective communication is a fundamental component of patient safety. As the frontline providers of patient care, nurses and all caregivers have the opportunity to make effective and lasting improvements in communication.

Read more of Clinical One's current travel nursing and healthcare staffing newsletter at http://www.clinicalone.com/c1/c2c.asp

Monday, November 9, 2009

Three Truths and One Big Fat Myth About NPs

Quoted from http://scrubsmag.com/2009/11/02/three-truths-and-one-big-fat-myth-about-nps/:

Three Truths and One Big Fat Myth About NPs

"There’s no doubt about it: Nurse practitioners are poised to become the next generation’s primary care providers in this country.

After years of practicing as an NP and being a nurse educator, here are three other truths I foresee for the field of NPs, plus one big fat myth I would love to dispel!..."

Nursing: Mentoring new nurses - by D. P. Noe - Helium

Quoted from http://www.helium.com/items/1597120-mentoring-new-rns-in-the-workplace:

Nursing: Mentoring new nurses - by D. P. Noe - Helium

" Mentors in nursing are nurses who have more experience and knowledge and they guide, support and nurture the less experienced nurses. A wise mentor makes sure the newer nurses are getting job assignments that challenge them, test their limits and make sure they have opportunities for learning. Mentoring instills self confidence and build self esteem. This is one of the top strategies for retaining nursing staff...."

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Top Ten Reasons to Work with Clinical One

The benefits of accepting travel nursing employment go far beyond the paycheck. If you’ve been contemplating becoming a travel nurse or seeking nurse practitioner or physician assistant employment through a healthcare recruitment agency, consider the following benefits:

1) You’ll get to make new friends in different parts of the country. Just think…when vacation time rolls around, you’ll have a place to go!

2) The benefits of working with Clinical One in your quest for a travel nursing job includes health & dental benefits from day one, a free, completely furnished apartment to live in while you’re on assignment, and free continuing education.

3) Save money! Without having to put your hard-earned cash into rent, you can put that money aside for a rainy day.

4) Earn more money! Clinical One will give you bonuses for referring your friends and family. As long as that person qualifies and successfully completes their first assignment, you’ll get your bonus.

5) Working in travel nursing gives you the opportunity to branch out on your own, exploring your own independence and freedom.

6) Pump up your resume! Every travel nursing assignment you complete is one more line of experience to add to your resume.

7) Work in prestigious teaching hospitals, with some of the best doctors and nurses around.

8) Work in some of the country’s most exciting cities, or most picturesque towns.

9) If you’re looking for travel nursing employment, go to Clinical One for assistance and we'll do all the job and housing searching for you.

10) Travel the country and abroad without worrying about how you will get there.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Ten Dos & Don’ts a Travel Nurse Knows

Quoted from http://scrubsmag.com/2009/04/05/ten-dos-don%e2%80%99ts-a-travel-nurse-knows/comment-page-1/#comment-770:

Ten Dos & Don’ts a Travel Nurse Knows

Six Tips to Survive Your First Year as a Hospital RN - AllHealthcare.com

Quoted from http://allhealthcare.monster.com/benefits/articles/3846-six-tips-to-survive-your-first-year-as-a-hospital-rn:

Six Tips to Survive Your First Year as a Hospital RN - AllHealthcare.com

Six Tips to Survive Your First Year as a Hospital RN

Considerations When Staffing the Cath Lab | CathLab Digest

Quoted from http://www.cathlabdigest.com/articles/Considerations-When-Staffing-Cath-Lab:

Considerations When Staffing the Cath Lab | CathLab Digest

Considerations When Staffing the Cath Lab