There are a lot of wacky and very specific holidays in the world. For example, there’s Don’t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day (February 11), World Sauntering Day (June 19), Lost Sock Memorial Day (May 9), and Lumpy Rug Day (May 3) — just to name a few choice day designations.

So don’t you think it’s about time there was a Travel Nurses Day?! Medical Solutions agrees that travel nurses deserve their own day and has appointed October 11 as Travel Nurses Day. The pet friendly travel nurse staffing company will celebrate the first annual Travel Nurses Day this Friday, October 11, 2013.

In order to get maximum fun out of this new holiday, they will not only honor all Travel Nurses on the 11th, but also host a week of contests and giveaways throughout the week leading up to the big day.

Visit TravelNursesDay.com so that you can sign up for email updates on this year’s inaugural Travel Nurses Day and get in on all the fun, games, giveaways, and prizes.

So, this new holiday of Travel Nurses Day got me wondering: What’s the weirdest, wackiest, strangest, or most awesome holiday you have ever heard of and/or celebrated? As a Star Wars fan, I think mine is May the Fourth

Let us know yours in the comments!

Thumbs up for travel nurse rights!

At Travel Nursing Blogs, we love hearing from readers and travel nurses. We recently received an email from a travel nurse that dealt with travel nurse rights, according to both the American Nurses Association and to herself.

Travel nurse, Lacresha Hearn, RN, wrote:

“I have noticed a trend in the healthcare community as it relates to Travel Nurses. My feeling is that not only have the facilities forgotten, and the travel companies, but also we as Travel Nurses have forgotten that we have rights.”

Her concern is that the industry is not properly valuing all that travel nurses do for the healthcare field, and even that they may be considered “disposable” by some, rather than the high-value workforce they are.

Lacresha wanted to send out a big reminder to all the “Travel Jewels” out there, that they have important rights, and she invokes the ANA’s Bill of Rights:

1. Nurses have the right to practice in a manner that fulfills their obligations to society and to those who receive nursing care.
2. Nurses have the right to practice in environments that allow them to act in accordance with professional standards and legally authorized scopes of practice.
3. Nurses have the right to a work environment that supports and facilitates ethical practice, in accordance with the Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements.
4. Nurses have the right to freely and openly advocate for themselves and their patients, without fear of retribution.
5. Nurses have the right to fair compensation for their work, consistent with their knowledge, experience and professional responsibilities.
6. Nurses have the right to a work environment that is safe for themselves and for their patients.
7. Nurses have the right to negotiate the conditions of their employment, either as individuals or collectively, in all practice settings.

Lacresha wrote that “we as nurses should carry [these rights] close to our hearts.” She adds that having the right to “freely and openly advocate for ourselves” is a right that she wants all travel nurses to always remember.

She closed her letter with a bit of gratitude for her fellow travel nurses, writing, “Lastly, thank you for all you do and all of the sacrifices you make for this honorable profession. Your Fellow Travel Nurse, Lacresha Hearn, RN”

What’s your take on travel nurse rights? Would you add any special travel nurse rights to the ANA’s list?

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:  

I am a second-career nurse — before nursing I was in airfreight sales. I am 63 years old I look younger than my years (or so I am told many times) I am in great shape physically I have been a travel nurse for three years and so far the majority of my assignments last nine months. I mostly get PCU, Med-Surg, Telemetry assignments. How long can I expect to work as a travel nurse? 

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

Hey Patricia, has someone given you an expiration date?

I imagine that you can do this as long as you wish. With baby boomers retiring and then consequently needing healthcare, I see no end to the shortage of nurses needed throughout the country. As long as you are able to meet the physical demands of the position, I have never heard from any travelers that they were declined an assignment with age as a possible factor.

Besides, if you look younger, keep telling them you’re in your fifties; I doubt anyone would even catch it!

David

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:  

As a travel nurse, is it fairly easy to work full time continuously without long breaks in assignments? I have an Associate’s Degree in Nursing but am willing to work on a Bachelor’s degree. Do you think a BSN could help me secure more continuous work?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

Although a BSN seems to be the way nursing might be headed, it is not mandatory for travel. But, there are several schools of thought in regard to obtaining your BSN.

Not having a BSN may prevent you from accepting some travel assignments if the facility requires BSN nurses (as some Magnet status hospitals do). However, not all Magnet hospitals will require their travelers to have a BSN. BSN is actually not a requirement in Magnet hospitals, but they prefer that the staff nurses either have their BSN or are working toward it. But with staffing shortages, many Magnet hospitals would rather open themselves up to finding help and not requiring every nurse that walks through their door must possess a BSN.

I have a Diploma of Nursing (3 yr), but really do not wish to return to school. I am still on the fence about whether or not I will, but I am not convinced that with the nurses that are baby boomers retiring, and the addition of the aging baby boomers requiring care, that I will be hard pressed to find a job should I not go back for my BSN. So I suppose it depends on where you fall in your belief of needing one in the future.

As far as the current market, NOT having your BSN will likely have little effect on being able to secure continuous assignments. It may be more about the specialty in which you wish to travel. I know that one of my recruiters mentioned having a very hard time placing med-surg nurses in the entire state of CA at one point this summer. So I would say that increasing the acuity of your nursing specialty would take you further in travel than obtaining a BSN.

I hope this helps.

David

david@travelnursesbible.com

Well, summertime is almost over, but it doesn’t mean you have to start wearing black! One of the most popular scrubs colors is blue — ciel blue, navy blue, royal blue, galaxy blue …  You name the blue and you can probably find some scrubs to match. In fact, there are some great off-the-beaten-path blues that are not as recognized as the staples I just mentioned that let you wear the stylish color without blending in to those around you.

Cherokee

Cherokee offers scrubs in a sunny and cheery blue, called Mali-Blu that is sure to brighten any scrub wardrobe. Many of their classic styles of tops and pants come in the color it often coordinates with their prints as well. Lighter than Royal blue and brighter than ciel, Mali- Blu is a great any-day option!

If you’re into something a little toned-down and a little mellower, Grey’s Anatomy Scrubs offers this awesome Teal option. With all the grace and professionalism that Grey’s is known for, this color adds sophistication to your scrub wardrobe without falling back on the old classics.

Grey’s Anatomy

Peaches takes blue to a new level by adding cute, contrasting, accent colors. OK, so this one might be the classic Royal Blue, but the funky pink accents give it just a little extra flare and a unique look. Plus you can wear contrasting t’s underneath — like the one shown here! The blue options Peaches offers come with a variety of contrasting colors including purple and orange.

Peaches

The end of the summer does not have to be an end of the “Summertime Blues”! Keep them going all year long and don’t feel afraid to branch off from the timeless ciel blue.

Update! MTV’s travel nurse reality show has gone from the working title Nurse Nation to its official title, Scrubbing In.

(Click here to check out the trailer!)

MTV is billing the new show as a “docu-series,” and has announced that Scrubbing In premieres October 24 on MTV, at 9 p.m. Central.

A couple other things have changed and more details have emerged since Travel Nursing Blogs originally covered the show back in August (click here to read that original post), but for the most part, the show is shaping up as expected.

According to MTV, Scrubbing In will be set in an understaffed Orange County, California hospital, with the nurses working a 12-week contract — and working overtime to explore their new city.

The cast is split between vets and newbies. For cast members Tyrice, Chris, Fernando, and Adrian, this is not their first travel nursing rodeo. But Chelsey, Michelle, Crystal, Nikki, and Heather “are looking for a change from their nursing jobs in Pittsburgh, PA” and are on this journey — their first with travel nursing — together.

Some of the show’s content appears to be very true to what travel nurses encounter, such as the everyday challenges of hospital work and the intense, important job of nursing. Also mentioned in the show bio, and relevant to many other travel nurses, is being out of your comfort zone, working to make new friends (and keep the old), dating while on assignment, and feeling the need to constantly prove oneself to the perm staff.

As far as these on-the-job elements go, it seems this show could be one that travel nurses relate to. But, then there’s the after-hours world that will be portrayed by MTV, which is something many travel nurses are nervous about.

The show’s bio concludes, “But it’s not all work and no play — this group loves to blow off some steam during their days off. It’s a lot for these twenty-something’s to take on but this dynamic, fearless and fun-loving group of young nurses are determined to have it all — a rewarding career and personal life.”

Will you be watching when Scrubbing In premieres October 24 on MTV?

Healthcare industry strikes are a bit different than when other industries strike, considering that sick patients cannot wait out a job action and the stakes are people’s health. These patients need care when they need it, and not receiving it can literally mean life or death. Nurse strike staffing is crucial to helping them!

Nurses are such an integral piece of a health system that when they strike they must be subbed for immediately in order to maintain patient care. In theater they say “The show must go on.” Similarly in healthcare, the nursing must go on! And, it must go on with skilled, trained, certified travel nurses. Those already familiar with the hit-the-ground-running nature of travel nursing are especially suited for nurse strike staffing.

Nurse strikes may occur due to a number of factors: concerns regarding hospital/workplace safety (of nurses and/or patients), work environment in terms of stress, benefits and/or pay disagreements, and other reasons. As a fellow nurse, you may be unsure if you want to become a strike worker. But most nurses value patient care so highly they feel strongly the need to step in and maintain patient care while the perm staff and their administration work out whatever dispute is on the table. Travel nurses are very helpful when it comes to nurse strike staffing. They are used to adapting quickly to new environments and can easily come right in and cover patient needs while the job action comes to its conclusion. Then, when perm staff is ready to return, the positions have only been temporarily filled and may still be available for them.

There are several travel nurse staffing companies, but when it comes to nurse strike staffing there are a few companies who directly specialize in this area:

Healthsource Global Staffing

Nursebridge (a division of Medical Solutions)

U.S. Nursing Corporation

Huffmaster Healthcare Strikes

Nurse strike staffing companies don’t just put any nurse in any position, but work carefully to match nurses to jobs keeping in mind the needs of the hospitals and their patients, as well as the travel staff.

In your travel nurse career, have you ever worked a strike? What was your experience?

As a travel nurse, you spend A LOT of time in your scrubs. A good pair of scrubs can be like a faithful friend on the job, and most nurses do have their favorites. Maybe you’d like to show them off outside the unit? The “Show Us Your Scrubs” Instagram contest asks you to do just that — and by doing so you could win one of four $100 gift cards to Scrubadoo.com.

Medical Solutions is hosting this simple, fun contest beginning today and continuing through September 9, 2013. To enter, just put on your best/favorite/funniest/zaniest scrubs, strike a pose and snap a picture of yourself, and post it to Instagram with the hashtags #medicalsolutions and #showusyourscrubs.

One winner will be chosen in each of the following scrubs categories: Best Themed (such as sports, holiday, etc.), Craziest Print, Most Creative, and Best Character. That means that four winners will each receive a $100 gift card to Scrubadoo.com!

Make sure to send your entry by 12:01 a.m. CST on September 9 to be eligible to win. Medical Solutions will announce the winners by Friday, September 13, via Facebook, the contest page (linked above), and on Instagram. Don’t forget to follow Medical Solutions at Instagram.com/MedicalSolutions.

Even if you are not on Instagram you can still join in on the scrubalicious fun and be eligible to win a $100 gift card to Scrubadoo. Just email your pic to jeannie.holmes@medicalsolutions.com, and she will post it on your behalf.

You can also follow the photo feed here on Facebook to see everyone else’s cute/crazy/funny scrubs styles. Good luck to everyone — I expect to see some really funny pics and poses out of this “Show Us Your Scrubs” Contest!

The contest also got me wondering: What are your favorite pair of scrubs of all time? Describe them in the comments.

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:  

If you have your own car do you generally receive compensation for transportation while under contract? If you don’t bring your car with you is a transportation stipend given?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:  

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but transportation while you are on assignment is just not something that is paid for by your travel company. If you keep track of your mileage, you may be able to deduct this on your taxes at the end of the year. But, it is not something that is compensated while on assignment.

If you have a reliable automobile, I always encourage nurses to consider driving to their assignment. I take my truck with me on every assignment, even to Hawaii. It’s just nice to have your own car and not to mention, you can’t really pack golf clubs, a mountain bike, snow skis, and five large totes full of dishes and linens, and expect to be able to take them on the plane.

If you do fly to your assignment, there are companies that offer to arrange a rental car for you, but nothing in life is free. You will earn a lower hourly rate to compensate for the rental car. A travel company is allotted a certain amount for your travel contract. In most instances, companies are all allotted the same amount at that facility no matter with which company you might travel. The difference in companies is how they distribute those funds.

Some companies will have better healthcare benefits, some may have higher hourly rates, or some will advertise “rental car reimbursements.” But make no mistake, if you are receiving something “extra” somewhere, then it will affect the amount you are compensated somewhere else on your contract.

So, let me backtrack from my original statement and say that you might find a company that claims to compensate you for your transportation while on assignment. But rest assured, that compensation is being taken from another portion of your contract.

Thank you for writing, and good luck!

David Morrison

David@travelnursesbible.com