With thousands seeking healthcare services and surgical procedures every day, the decision of which medical center to use is not taken lightly; this makes the U.S. News and World Report annual rankings of best hospitals in America an important tool for consumers and healthcare professionals alike.

Now in its 23^rd year, the USA Best Hospitals List has released its Honor Roll for 2012 – 2013 with a big surprise for R.N.s in Massachusetts nursing jobs.  The number 1 hospital in the nation has always been Johns Hopkins; this year, the spot belongs to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

U.S. News identifies the top hospitals in hundreds of regions, including all the major metropolitan areas by sifting through 5,000 hospitals nationwide. Once healthcare professionals get a look at the list of best hospitals, they will no doubt notice that the New York metro area is home to quite a few of the top 20 facilities to make the grade. To view which specialties these top hospitals are being recognized for, be sure to click on U.S. News Hospital Rankings.

Registered Nurses and Therapists Working in These Cities Get an “A+”

Peruse this list of exciting cities—all of which feature hospitals that made this year’s honor roll, and see what allied health and travel nurse jobs they have to offer.

• Boston, Massachusetts: Ear Nose and Throat, Diabetes & Endocrinology earn top ranking at Massachusetts General.
• Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins still ranks at the tippy top of the Honor Roll, with a distinction for cancer treatment, gastroentology and Urology, to name a few.
• Rochester, Minnesota: Cardiology & Heart Surgery, as well as Orthopedics, Urology and Gynecology are the top ranked in the nation at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
• Los Angeles, California: Geriatrics get top billing at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
• St. Louis, Missouri: Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University is ranked nationally in 15 adult specialties.
• Cornell, New York: New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell in New York, NY is ranked nationally in 14 adult and 9 pediatric specialties
• Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC is ranked nationally in 13 adult and 10 pediatric specialties
• Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers in Ann Arbor, MI is ranked nationally in 14 adult and 10 pediatric specialties.
• Indianapolis, Indiana: Indiana University Health in Indianapolis, IN is ranked nationally in 11 adult and 10 pediatric specialties.
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA is ranked nationally in 13 adult specialties

50 States Staffing is proud to work with Those Who Consistently Make the Honor Roll

Registered nurses and therapists know their patients choose hospitals based on two things: location and their specific needs. Patients want to be treated in the best medical facilities in the USA and healthcare professionals want to work there—if not for the prestige and edge it gives their resumes, then for the peace of mind in knowing their patients are receiving the highest quality of care. We offer high paying and rewarding therapy and nursing careers in all 50 states, in cities on that have seen a high concentration of award winning hospitals this year. Start your exciting travel nurse or therapist career when you call 1-800-996-2206 or apply online.

The founder of modern medicine, Florence Nightingale would be turning 193 this month. Her birthday is celebrated in nursing throughout the United States, as R.N.s are honored and recognized during National Nurses Week, beginning on May 6 and running through May 12. The American Nurses Association (ANA) has announced this year’s theme as “Delivering Quality and Innovation in Patient Care”, a feat registered nurses have always done and will continue to do—only with noted improvements as healthcare reform gets underway and more Americans than ever before seek medical treatment.

By spring of 2020, when the bicentennial of Ms. Nightingale’s birth comes around, the BLS predicts that nursing careers will be the top occupation in terms of job growth. BLS also predicts a massive nursing shortage, but being aware of that now, primes R.N.s both aspiring and practicing, to take the necessary steps in their education, training and professional choices.

ANA is a good place to start in promoting awareness for who your peers are and what they do. In addition to a media kit that provides template letters to send to your legislators and community organizers, and other ideas in promoting nursing, there is the Florence Nightingale pledge, written when she was living. The pledge resonates today.

It reminds us that, more than likely, a peer you encountered on the nursing career path was an amazing teacher, one who taught you not just the basic and technical skills you needed to know, but how to bring these skills to patients on a humanitarian level, in a highly organized way that let you comfort and educate patients of any age or background.  National Nurses Week is an opportunity to be cognizant of that person or moment that taught you how to see patients as individuals, and get to the root of their real problems and find the right solutions.

While every nurse knows that Florence Nightingale said “The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm,” there are still more quotes worth reminding nurses about during this special week for healthcare professionals. She also said, “I attribute my success to this. I never gave or took any excuse.” The projected nursing shortage, changes to Medicare and the aging baby boomer population outpacing R.N.s on hand, are no excuse to stop now.

50 States Staffing Is a Leader in Forwarding Nursing Careers. No excuses.

Nurses want many of the same things: a job that can be done in any state, in a part-time or full-time capacity—or maybe with overtime. R.N.s want flexibility, leading to exciting travel nurse jobs or more permanent ones, and they can find that kind of lifestyle at an experienced healthcare staffing agency. If you are looking for a career that lets you establish yourself as a role model, not just for a moment but for a lifetime, call 1-800-996-2206 or apply online.

When Nightingale added “How very little can be done in the spirit of fear” she was talking about R.N.s who make a real difference in patients’ lives because they understand that sentiment so well. Happy National Nurse’s Week to all the R.N.s out there; stay fearless and strong!

*BLS statistics and other percentages in nursing job growth came from a media relations fact sheet at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing

Choosing to smoke cigarettes will always be a personal preference, but for healthcare professionals inclined to smoke, it’s a choice that may cost them nursing jobs. More hospitals are ascribing to a culture of wellness that encourages nicotine free hiring. To date, 19 states in the U.S. have passed laws that prevent smokers from being hired in healthcare facilities and organizations; the most recent state to contemplate joining the fray is Nevada.

With support from a Nevada based healthcare company, Republican Senator, Joe Hardy is making headway in passing Bill 87; the amendment would repeal the law that makes it illegal for a healthcare employer to discriminate against applicants who use chemical products outside of work—even if use of tobacco, for example, does not affect job performance. If this anti-smoking legislation is successful, healthcare employers in Nevada, after June 30^th, will screen applicants for nicotine; those who test positive will not be hired.

While the concept of smoke free environments is contentious among those who value smoker’s rights, it’s hardly new. In 2007, Cleveland Clinic of both Ohio and Florida, stopped hiring smokers, and led the way in introducing a nationwide movement that culminated in the Great American Smokeout. The Center for Disease Control has posted statistics that speak to the positives behind these kinds of efforts. Tobacco use is responsible for approximately 440,000 deaths in the United States each year — about one death out of every five.  Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke costs the nation $193 billion in health bills and lost productivity. Efforts to reduce these grim numbers are really working, with the CDC reporting a significant drop in smokers: in 1965, 42.4% of the U.S. population smoked; now the figure is down to 19.3%.

Work in Travel Nurse Jobs that Perpetuate a Culture of Wellness

Looking for healthy careers? Call 1-800-996-2206 or apply online today. And don’t let the healthcare trend of nicotine screenings discourage you if you’re looking to kick the habit. While anti-smoking legislation would allow hospitals, nursing homes, and home health jobs to factor your smoking into whether or not you get the job, many healthcare employers allow you to reapply after six months, nicotine-free.  It’s worth the sacrifice—not just for your health and the health and morale of those around you, but for the positive impact your choices make on quality healthcare!

Footnote: Information about Bill 87 was taken from an article about a Proposed law in Nevada. The Center for Disease Control statistics can be found by clicking the following CDC link.

Chances are, if you’re living a travel nurse lifestyle, you feel pretty lucky already—but there’s the luck o’ the Irish to add to your good fortune this weekend, as you head into the city and discover its charms on St. Patrick’s Day. With nursing and therapy jobs in all 50 U.S. states, members of 50 States Staffing are sure to be close to their pick in parades, parties and other Emerald Isle events—so put on your green and get ready to enjoy yourself. We’ve also got a few ideas on celebrating a cozy St. Pat’s at home!

Attention New York, Boston and New Orleans travel nurses: This year St. Patrick’s Day falls on a Sunday, so the largest parades in the country (the ones on this list!) are all on Saturday, March 16th!

• Big Apple: If New York nurses can get anywhere near St. Patrick’s cathedral this Saturday around 11am, they’ll be able to see the parade make its way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where it finishes around 5.
• Bean Town: Sponsored by the Allied War Veteran’s Council and concentrated in the part of Boston made famous by its “Southie Hangouts”, this is something Massachusetts nurses won’t want to miss—but if they can’t get there, take heart. It’s on national TV!
• Big Easy: Most of New Orleans’ block parties and big parades are on Saturday, but for late-comers, there’s the Irish-Italian Parade in Metairie on March 24^th.
• Philly: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has one of the largest Irish-American populations in the U.S., and already held its legendary parade on March 10^th, but an encore performance will be broadcast on TV this Sunday.

While these are the biggies, there’s SO MUCH fun to be had in lots of other favorite travel nurse destinations. Just click on this link to see St. Patrick’s Day Parades and Events for 2013 in all 50 U.S. states!

Staying in? Every Travel Nurse Could Use a Little Irish Comfort Food to Soothe the Soul  

It’s a perfect night for healthy recipes with Irish flair. Check in at Healthy Careers to learn how to whip up a fresh loaf of Irish Brown Soda Bread that creates an amazing sandwich, when followed up with the recipe for Irish Salmon with Tangy Horseradish Sauce. Since you have to have buttermilk on hand to bake the bread—a simple recipe that requires no kneading—you may as well add it to your Irish Steel Cut Oats for a traditional Irish porridge; this Ireland made oatmeal is purportedly the best in the world and available at virtually every grocer! Irish coffee, Irish tea. Kiss me, I’m Irish. It’s a fun refrain for this colorful holiday, and one that 50 States Staffing hopes is full of joy for you!

8 Vital Things Regarding ACLS Training

These are several things to consider about ACLS training for R.N.s and therapists in the process of certification or re-certification.

• ACLS certification builds on what is learned in BLS (basic life support) training. Therefore, you must first master BLS (Basic Life Support) training before getting started.
• Current ACLS Skills reflect key changes set by AHA: the 2010 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care.
• ACLS Certification requires approximately 10-12 hours to complete, including skills practice and skills testing. Renewal Course requires approximately 5-6 hours, including skills practice and skills testing.
• Additional Certifications: If you work in a family practice or emergency department where patients of all ages are seen, certification in both ACLS and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) certification may be required.
• It’s possible to get ACLS certified and re-certified online; in addition to ACLS, many healthcare staffing agencies encourage members of their team to look to the American Heart Association (AHA) when it’s time to re-certify. The AHA has made it easier to maintain your certifications by making the re-certification class only 1 day, IF you re-certify before your current card expires.
• ACLS Most Basic Skills include airway management, effective chest compressions, use of a bag-mask device and use of an (AED).
• ACLS Early Management Skills: include recognition and early management of respiratory and cardiac arrest, and early management of peri-arrest conditions, acute coronary syndromes and stroke.
• ACLS is highly beneficial for critical care nurses because it helps them more effectively communicate as a member and leader of their resuscitation teams

50 States Staffing Fosters an Environment of Patient Safety and Higher Quality of Care

In healthcare, it’s essential that nurses and allied healthcare workers continue to broaden and deepen their knowledge; this is especially true when it comes to skills that improve patient safety, and stay in-line with Medicare initiatives set by recent healthcare reform.

Getting certified in ACLS shows motivation and the willingness to expand one’s expertise in their field, and comes highly recommended for recent nursing graduates looking to catch the eye of potential employers. Call 1-800-996-2206 or apply online today to find openings in nursing and therapy jobs in America’s best hospitals, where first responders, critical care and med/surg nurses continue to raise the bar for what’s possible in medicine.

Footnote: Information used in this blog post was gleaned from the American Heart Association and Health Education Solutions.

If you’re a registered nurse and reporting to work in a hospital or clinic every day, then you know how busy this year’s flu season is keeping you and your fellow staff.  With any luck, the majority of R.N.s have already been vaccinated during National Influenza Vaccination Week, the first week of December, 2012. But since the United States is currently experiencing the peak in people coming down with flu symptoms and will continue to see numbers of infections surge through February, everyone—especially healthcare professionals—is being urged to take precautions and help others keep from getting the flu this year.

Nurse’s Notes: You can pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

According to the CDC, adults may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. Children may pass the virus for longer than 7 days. Symptoms start 1 to 4 days after the virus enters the body. Some persons can be infected with the flu virus but have no symptoms. During this time, those persons may still spread the virus to others, so keep these key precautionary measures in mind.

• Stay away from sick people and stay home if sick.
• Wash hands often with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Thoroughly wash linens, eating utensils, and dishes belonging to those who are sick; do not share them!
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work and school, especially if someone is ill.

What Nurses Can Tell Concerned Patients

Advise patients seeking the flu vaccine on their options. They can get the flu shot or nasal spray and may be offered the regular, high dose or intradermal flu shot. The flu shot is recommended for anyone over 6 months in age.

• The intradermal shot is approved for people between the ages of 18 and 64.
• The high dose flu shot is given to elderly patients 65 and older.
• Nasal sprays are administered to people age 2 to 49, and are not recommended for pregnant women.

Find A Flu Shot Near You!

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is calling this the worst flu season in 10 years, and recorded a big spike in the baseline for office visits for influenza-like-illness in the U.S. this year.  In fact, Boston has declared a Public Health Emergency and seen its major hospitals swamped. Massachusetts is one of the 41 states battling widespread influenza right now. The good news is, that based on early testing of flu specimens, the composition of the 2012-2013 seasonal influenza vaccine is a 98 percent match for the flu viruses now circulating: Influenza A (H3N2), 2009 influenza A (H1N1), and influenza B viruses have all been identified; a flu shot is still everyone’s best weapon in staying healthy! Click on the flu shot health map to find a flu shot near you—and stay healthy and wealthy in your pick of travel nurse jobs this year!

Wouldn’t it be great to put your smart phone to work, letting it become your personal assistant? Today’s iPhone and Android apps can take care of lots of pesky tasks, like returning calls via automatic text message, motivating you to exercise, and providing peace of mind when it comes to your family and checking in. Take a look at this list, and consider downloading a little more organization into your travel nurse lifestyle!

• Don’t Drive Without it! Get the Safe Text Sender: When an R.N. packs up the car en route to a new travel nurse job, it’s not the time or place to do any calling or texting—that’s where this app comes in. It’s a mere 99 cents and helps busy people automatically alert people that they are driving or otherwise unavailable. Set up a variety of automatic responses if you want to be more specific. The app link has a 6 minute tutorial on how to use, and customize this lifesaving device!
• For You and Your Loved Ones, There’s The Help My Friend App: This is a handy thing for any travel nurse to have, so consider checking it out at the Google play store. The app sends out notifications with your exact location to specified friends or family if you have a breakdown, so they can easily come to your aid. The app will also contact emergency services such as the police and fire department, and lets you pre-record a SOS message for alerting your loved ones in an emergency.
• Get in Shape With GymPact: Wish you had a dime for every time you found an excuse not to go to the gym? Well, this Android and iPhone app is a reverse psychology on that; it holds you accountable! Skip the gym and lose a few dollars to other friends in your gym pool, or take home the reward yourself. This could be your chance to win some money and get in shape at the same time! Visit the app link to watch how it works and read the FAQs.
• Protect Your Stuff with Dropcam HD: Connect the camera to your Wi-Fi network and it will alert you when it detects motion or audio in your home. It even works in the dark! If you’ve got a houseguest and need to check in, Dropcam has a two-way audio function. The camera costs $149, but the app is free for Apple and Android devices.

50 States Staffing Organizes Your Travel Nursing Lifestyle  Better Than Any App

Smartphone apps are great, but when it comes to your nursing career, there’s nothing like the personal touch. Call 1-800-996-2206 or apply online today and one of our consultants will provide VIP customer care with the goal of finding you your dream nursing job.

**The apps mentioned in this article were taken from Phone Apps to Save Your Sanity, Life. Interested R.N.s can click the link to get a complete list of smartphone apps.

You don’t have to be a registered nurse to know that stress is bad, and finding ways to reduce it are good; still, it never hurts to consider proven antidotes for stress; the statistics behind some solutions (to stress) may even surprise you. For example, did you know that medical sources suggest that pet owners are 40% less likely to suffer a stroke or heart attack? Not a huge surprise considering that arterial flow problems are exacerbated by stress.

Commonalities among pet owners, like taking a walk every day and reaping the Vitamin D benefits of sunlight, help lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure. Plus, a dog is a natural conversation starter that could start a happy relationship—another way to check stress at the door.

More Stress Busters for Busy Healthcare Professionals

Here are a few other sources of stress and ways travel nurses can zap it into non-existence:

• Forgive and forget: Dwelling on how someone may have wronged you in the past is a detriment to our calm, while being forgiving helps us better understand a person’s actions and get on with our recovery and sense of peace.
• Pick some flowers: Vegetation was our primary sense of survival as caveman, so it makes sense that even now, millennia later, looking at nature improves our mood.
• Eat plenty of Omega 3 fatty acids so your nervous system benefits from the production of DHEA rather than cortisol; prepare healthy recipes from these easy to make recipes.
• Enjoy a 10 second kiss each day: Locking lips with a partner for this miniscule amount of time produces tons of results—like the production of endorphins that make us happier and more productive.

But back to the case for pets, who integrate easily into travel nursing and therapy jobs. R.N.s in home health nursing jobs have surely noticed that the presence of a pet cuts back on emotional outbursts for patients prone to them. Healthcare professionals are encouraged to point out to patients that pets—and this is the case when indulging in any enjoyable activity—can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine — nerve transmitters that are known to have calming properties. One study mentioned in How to Live Longer With Pets mentioned that stroking a dog for 18 minutes caused a significant increase in secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA), your body’s natural antibody against invading germs. Wow!

50 States Staffing Offers Stress Free Travel Nursing Jobs. Pets Welcome!

If you don’t achieve these natural chemical surges with a pet, hugging a friend or partner, taking in a sunset or communing with nature will do the same thing for you; all this and more is a part of the travel nursing lifestyle.  You can get tips on bringing your pets along on exciting allied health and nursing jobs that span the 50 states when you call 1-800-996-2206 or apply online. Please know that you and man’s best friend are more than welcome on the nursing career path. Happy trails!

Footnote: This entertaining WebMD slide show on the health benefits of pet ownership was used in this blog, as well as 16 Ways to Destress from Allure Magazine. Also, interested R.N.s can click here for how to get the best out of travel nursing housing.

What inspired the study? Like the United States, Japan has seen the consumption of soft drinks more than double over the last 30 years. A Nurse’s Health Study in the United States studied the effects of this surge and determined, much like Japan, that the consequences are a hard thing to swallow. The short-list of health problems found by multiple studies on the subject include obesity in both sexes and worsened osteoarthritis in men; not simply because these beverages may increase weight, thus taxing the joints more, but because sugary drinks reduce the body’s’ efficiency at absorbing calcium and other nutrients. Oncology R.N.s, physical therapists and registered nurses who specialize in bone health might share these studies with their patients!

While these studies haven’t proven that daily consumption of sugary juices and sodas are the direct cause of obesity and other ischemic problems, they have determined that sugary drinks worsen the effects of the 32 different obesity genes present in many of us. When the Harvard School of Public Health measured the effects among intake groups of low to high consumption of sugary drinks, as well as recorded everything study subjects ate each day, researchers determined that the group drinking one or more servings (of sugary drinks), were more than twice as likely to become obese.

50 States Staffing Wants to Hear Where Our Nurses Stand!

If you’re an R.N. working in New York nursing jobs than you’ve no doubt noticed the state’s crack down on super-size sodas which have recently been banned. Your colleagues and consulting experts—everyone in the healthcare community who is interested in this topic—are encouraged to share your thoughts on sugary drinks. Do you think it’s a dangerous trend? Do you agree with legislation that tries to curb consumption? We want to hear what’s on tap in your life, and urge you to lead Healthy Careers.

Footnote: The studies mentioned in this blog appeared in 2012 editions of Health News, USA Today, and Every Day Health.

Tip #1: Look to R.N. tailored social media for coupons and promo codes! Shopping online is a no hassle way to find fashionable and comfortable scrubs. Just check out the featured customer reviews and discount offers at Lydia’s Uniforms and Nursescrubs.com.

Tip #2: Stretch your dollar by knowing the best brands: Healthcare professionals want the latest in-style medical scrubs, ideal for those 12-hour shifts many R.N.s experience, especially during the Christmas holidays. For the R.N. who looks for comfort, try Dickies Gen Flex Scrubs; this is just one of many ideas that will come to you when you start following the Pinterest Boards of your favorite nurse uniform suppliers.

Tip #3: Join an online community of smartly dressed nursing professionals: While Scrubs Magazine provides a lot more than just fashion advice, their articles on finding medical scrubs for every body type, and the do’s and don’ts of putting together great scrub outfits come in handy. For the holidays, they’re offering a special article on how to choose scrubs that hide those extra holiday pounds—but one of the best resources they have when it comes to nurse uniforms is a store locater. Click the buy scrubs link and plug in your travel nursing zip code. Viola! A connection to both online nurse uniform stores and retailers you can walk to!

Tip # 4: Become a regular at Nurse Friendly couponing sites like these: A scrubs coupon site at Coupon Snapshot helps healthcare professionals find promotional codes with ease, save on shipping and many times get shipping for free. There’s also retailmenot.com that lets nurses share and download coupons for top rated uniforms at the purveyor of their choice.

Join 50 States Staffing: We’re a Great Outfit!

With over 25 years of experience in healthcare staffing, you could say we know how to “outfit” R.N.s and therapists with the best healthcare jobs! Part of being dressed for success, is access to top pay and benefits in travel nursing jobs spanning all 50 U.S. states. We hope to hear from you soon! You’re always en vogue when you call 1-800-996-2206 or apply online.