tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34833832563380992472026-04-10T13:10:16.164-07:00Ask questions, get answers and find out all you need to know about this fascinating career alternative for nurses. Shalon Weddington, RN, MSN, a former travel nurse and published author on the topic, answers your questions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-45692982143511674012016-03-15T15:30:00.007-07:002016-03-15T16:48:25.399-07:00

By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert I’ve recently gone through some big changes in my life. These changes where not by choice but things that were out of my control. Any time things get “out of control” we tend to freak out, but I’m here to tell you there is a huge difference between “out of control” and “out of our control.” Detaching ourselves from things that are out of our

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-7355512471710352402016-02-19T13:03:00.002-08:002016-02-19T13:08:06.708-08:00

By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert Over the Presidents Day weekend, I was reminded about all of the amazing monuments I have seen throughout my travels. My travel nurse career opened up all kinds of opportunities: from restaurant exploration and “bizarre food” nights, to different sports viewing experiences, my wife and I saw and did all the things we loved. And this wonderful

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-31666234127594336132016-01-20T22:55:00.002-08:002016-01-20T22:55:46.459-08:00

By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert At the start of a new year, we often aspire for great new things. We want to improve ourselves in any number of ways: earning a promotion, eating better, advancing our education and the ever-so-popular “I’m going to work out more.” The latter resolution is typically kept up for about a month or less before being dropped. It’s hard! But as nurses

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-5766160235527175082015-12-08T17:01:00.000-08:002016-01-20T22:53:24.839-08:00

By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert I read today that as we get older, our Christmas lists get smaller but the items get larger and more expensive. I would have to agree, wouldn’t you? But sometimes they are more practical, too. So, here I go with a list of this year’s top items for travel nurses. Feel free to share this list with your friends, parents, rich uncle Dean or any other

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-31026281899280703692015-10-14T10:55:00.000-07:002015-10-14T11:10:23.136-07:00

By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert I don’t know about you, but I could never get a travel nursing contract that would allow me to go home over the holidays. This challenged me in my first year, as I was away for the winter holiday months. But after spending my first Christmas on assignment, I realized that celebrating the holidays as a travel nurse can be just as fun as one at home.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-81716466264058264712015-09-09T16:23:00.001-07:002016-02-19T13:04:49.868-08:00

By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert With September 11th approaching, one can’t help but think about two things. First, where were you when the towers fell? And second, a look at what the day stands for—a day that is now formally called Patriot’s Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance. I remember I was in nursing school and they almost cancelled classes, but held them

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-87638153650227330832015-08-10T15:12:00.001-07:002015-08-10T15:22:35.562-07:00

It’s never been easier to work in multiple states than it is right now in travel nursing By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert I get asked all the time about crossing state lines and I’m here to ease any trepidations about that process – it’s easy and extremely important for a travel nurse to factor into decision-making. If you are like me, you look back on your initial NCLEX exam

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-7496847517007140042015-07-14T21:38:00.001-07:002015-07-15T10:26:50.067-07:00

By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert Exercise and fitness are experiencing a huge resurgence in popular culture. Thanks to technology breakthroughs and the expansion of gyms and fitness programs, we find ourselves exposed to it every day. And I think that’s a good thing. Obesity is a major problem in our society, after all, and as nurses we see and deal with the consequences of it on a

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-43840088258250529002015-06-08T19:44:00.000-07:002015-07-14T21:38:47.022-07:00

By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert I am not usually a word-of-the-day type of person, but I recently discovered “equanimity” and have since loved to use it. To me, this word can really apply to the life of a nurse. Equanimity comes from the Latin word aequanimitas, meaning even-minded. The definition I like best is “a habit of mind that is only rarely disturbed under great strain.

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-45338622079273642612015-04-13T21:58:00.001-07:002015-06-08T19:44:51.906-07:00

By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert In this technological age we want apps for everything, and our smartphones are filled with single-tap solutions to everyday problems and interests. While app stores have many things that could potentially be helpful to travel nurses, I’ve developed my own list of favorites, based on my travel experiences. Below, and in no particular order, are my

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-18144057922801896502015-02-10T01:39:00.000-08:002015-02-10T01:42:41.953-08:00

By Aaron Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert Did you know that there are more than 10 companies that make IV infusion pumps? Just think how many pumps you might have to figure out how to use if you work as a travel nurse for a while--especially if you go across the country like I did. In the modern healthcare setting, we have electronic equipment for everything from peritoneal dialysis to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-78022846282587054132014-12-04T10:57:00.000-08:002014-12-04T11:50:20.078-08:00

By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert Staff nurses have it hard enough, keeping up with all of the protocols, guidelines and best practices required by their facility. Travel nurses have the added pressure of having to deal with many changing protocols every 13 weeks or so, as they move from one facility to the next. Some of these protocols can be tough to deal with, such as

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-11227687024730866132014-09-13T21:55:00.000-07:002014-09-13T21:56:08.189-07:00

By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert As nurses we know we have the overall best uniforms when it comes to jobs. I have heard them referred to as suits or pajamas. To me they’re just simple and comfortable. But in this day and age, even a simple thing like scrubs can be made complex with different colors and styles. Especially for non-style experts like myself; most non-work days I

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-88698010807349148752014-05-29T12:30:00.001-07:002014-09-13T21:56:51.427-07:00

By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert Every state has different requirements for getting a nursing license.  This can be frustrating for all nurses, especially travel nurses who work in multiple states.  But the one thing that binds us together--besides the RN behind our name-- is the fact that we all need to get continuing education units (CEUs) to keep that license

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-7956547209173368672014-03-10T12:11:00.003-07:002014-09-13T21:55:50.379-07:00

By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert I get many questions about what to look forward to when it comes to the housing provided by most travel nurse companies.  It can vary from location to location and you always want to double-check; don’t assume too much based on past assignments or what other travelers may tell you.  But if you choose the company-paid housing over the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-26146466098379471392013-12-18T11:44:00.001-08:002014-03-10T12:13:36.072-07:00

By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert Tis the season, as they say, so I thought I would lighten the mood with a short wish list of things that travel nurses are most likely to want and need -- and not just during the holidays.  I divided the things into five “must-have” items and five bonus gifts you might consider getting before beginning your travel nursing adventure. Five

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-6163422313107306632013-11-14T18:42:00.000-08:002013-12-18T11:45:18.195-08:00

By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert After many years of travel nursing I’ve met all types of nursing personalities.  There are the outgoing nurses, the shy nurses, the confident nurses, the hesitant new grads, and many more that I can’t even name here.  In my opinion, nursing needs all of these personalities to keep our world/unit happy. Too many outgoing people could

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-76218421542401938842013-09-10T14:25:00.000-07:002013-11-14T18:46:55.654-08:00

By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN-BC, travel nurse expert I recently got certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).  The test was long and I had to study a bit, but I passed and now get to put BC (board certified) behind my name.  Now this may seem like I’m bragging myself up, but as I walked out of the testing center I was kicking myself more than celebrating. Why

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-33735435893538946512013-08-04T22:15:00.000-07:002013-09-10T14:25:47.411-07:00

By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN, travel nursing expert There are so many awesome parts to travel nursing.  You get to work in the best hospitals around, live in awesome cities, and stay in great apartments.  But we all know work isn't everything, and where you sleep is just, well, where you sleep.  It's what you can do when you're not working or sleeping--during your time off--that is

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-73567839985262450302013-07-16T09:59:00.002-07:002013-09-10T14:26:36.803-07:00

By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN, travel nurse expert One of the biggest problems I faced in travel nursing was not one of my own fault. As a travel nurse, I found that you take on the persona of all travel nurses. If staff nurses had a bad impression of previous travelers, that could color their thinking of you before you ever showed up on assignment. Now you may say that judging a book by its

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074229749997443858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-1080163013483025922013-06-06T18:27:00.001-07:002013-08-04T23:39:21.561-07:00

By Aaron J. Moore, MSN, RN, travel nurse expert Q. What kind of housing can I expect as a travel nurse? Do I have choices? A. One of the big benefits of travel nursing is the premier, furnished housing you get to stay in for, get this, no cost!!  While traveling I have stayed in all different kinds of housing, from lofts to hotel rooms, apartments on the beach, and even one place that

Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12074229749997443858noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-9746191562120654202013-04-19T12:01:00.002-07:002013-08-04T23:39:40.779-07:00

By Aaron Moore, RN, MSN, travel nurse expert Recently I had the privilege of being involved in interviews for a new staff member on the unit where I work.  It was an eye-opening process, and one that I would encourage others to experience.  As we prepared questions and talked with candidates, I found myself thinking about travel nurse interviews and what a nurse manager must be

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-30991484713814120322013-03-27T11:37:00.001-07:002013-08-04T23:40:14.337-07:00

By Aaron Moore, RN, MSN, travel nursing expert As I was thumbing through my high school yearbook recently, I was reminded that our class song was “Time of Your Life” by Green Day.  I thought about the lyrics of this song and couldn’t help but ask myself: what was the time of my life?  Of course the song was chosen by my classmates to help us remember 1996-1999 as the best time of our

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-77660615774103204152013-03-12T09:04:00.002-07:002013-03-12T09:09:43.480-07:00

By Aaron Moore, RN, MSN, travel nursing expert Q:  I am about to start my first travel nurse assignment in a big city.  Do you have any recommendations as to whether I should drive to work or risk public transportation? A:  I have to admit that I am a little biased on this topic:  I love public transportation, not only because I’m a little “green”―yes, I even divide my

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3483383256338099247.post-11340371671360015332013-02-26T11:08:00.004-08:002013-02-26T11:08:37.413-08:00

By Aaron Moore, RN, MSN, contributor Q:  I’m getting ready for my first interview as a travel nurse.  How do I impress the manager even though I have never traveled before? A:  This is an awesome question, and your desire to be prepared is a great sign.  There are definitely a few things you can do to impress that potential employer over the phone. Even though it was a few

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0