Daily Archives: March 6, 2014

03.06.14
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Ask a Travel Nurse: How should I handle getting state licenses as a new Traveler?

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Ask a Travel Nurse: How should I handle getting state licenses as a new Traveler?

Ask a Travel Nurse: How should I handle getting state licenses as a new Traveler?

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

I am preparing to find my first travel job and have found that many of the jobs in the states we want to go request that you have your license in hand before applying. My recruiters have even suggested getting these state licenses (before I even know if I will get the job) so that I meet the qualifications for applying.

Some states have walk-thru options, and I’ve resorted to looking for openings in those states first. I unfortunately do not live in a compact state. I guess this roadblock is surprising to me and I am not sure if I should just get licenses in states I know I will eventually want to go or just keep looking? Any advice regarding licenses?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

I would personally not go to the expense of obtaining multiple licenses ahead of time — although some agencies will reimburse you these costs, so if you can afford them upfront that’s one possibility.

Otherwise, try to maybe narrow your choice to two states (one with a walk-thru option and one where you know you will eventually land). Then you could primarily focus your efforts on the state in which you already paid for the license, but keep the “walk-thru state” as a backup option.

Since I’m a “location” traveler, I simply know where I want to go next and am willing to wait for an assignment in that location. But after you have been doing this awhile, you will also accumulate many different state licenses that are pretty easy to renew even if you let them lapse.

Some companies will reimburse for licenses and offer other benefits that will help you get licensed. This is often based on experience, specialty, and likelihood of taking an assignment with the company. You should ask your recruiter if the agency offers any help in this regard.

David

david@travelnursesbible.com

03.06.14
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36 reasons why you should thank a union

Did you know that labor unions made the following 36 things possible?

Virtually ALL the benefits you have at work, whether you work in the public or private sector, all of the benefits and rights you enjoy everyday are there because unions fought hard and long for them against big business who did everything they could to prevent giving you your rights. Many union leaders and members even lost their lives for things we take for granted today.

And the nurses are adding an important one:

Safe RN-to-Patient Staffing Ratios

graphic on 36 ways to thank a union.

TEXT VERSION:

  1. Weekends (without work)
  2. All breaks at work, including your lunch breaks
  3. Paid vacation
  4. Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  5. Sick leave
  6. Social Security
  7. Minimum wage
  8. Civil Rights Act/Title VII
    prohibits employer discrimination
  9. 8-hour work day
  10. Overtime pay
  11. Child labor laws
  12. Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)
  13. 40-hour work week
  14. Workers’ compensation (workers’ comp)
  15. Unemployment insurance
  16. Pensions
  17. Workplace safety standards and regulations
  18. Employer health care insurance
  19. Collective bargaining rights for employees
  20. Wrongful termination laws
  21. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
  22. Whistleblower protection laws
  23. Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)
    prohibits employers from using a lie detector test on an employee
  24. Veteran’s Employment and Training Services (VETS)
  25. Compensation increases and evaluations (i.e. raises)
  26. Sexual harassment laws
  27. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
  28. Holiday pay
  29. Employer dental, life, and vision insurance
  30. Privacy rights
  31. Pregnancy and parental leave
  32. Military leave
  33. The right to strike
  34. Public education for children
  35. Equal Pay Acts of 1963 & 2011
    requires employers pay men and women equally for the same amount of work
  36. Laws ending sweatshops in the United States

PLEASE SHARE USING THE BUTTONS BELOW

03.06.14
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Senate HHS Committee Considers Board of Nursing/HPSP legislation

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Senate Health and Human Services committee discusses SF 1890.

The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services passed SF 1890 Wednesday afternoon, which would give the Board of Nursing (BoN) more information about health care professionals who are eligible for the Health Professionals Service Program (HPSP) for treatment.

MNA testified and sent a letter to committee members about the bill and concerns with three elements of the bill.  Specifically, the bill still contains measures that could result in a chilling effect on those who self-report to HPSP.

Senators Tony Lourey, John Marty, and Chris Eaton agreed that addiction is a disease, and nurses shouldn’t be disciplined for voluntarily seeking treatment.  Currently, the bill from Senator Kathy Sheran requires HPSP to report any instances of drug diversion or other violations related to a person’s impairment to the BoN.  Lourey said that gives a “chilling effect” to the program and to those professionals who want to get help before they endanger patient safety.  If nurses personal data is released to their Board, it’s logical to predict that they won’t want to get help.  Nurses who self-report are far more likely to keep their conditions away from patients and get help, which will foster an environment where people can be honest about their disease and move forward in the recovery process.

As the American Society of Addiction Medicine has found, “fear of disciplinary action and stigma are powerful disincentives to healthcare and other licensed professionals referring their colleagues or themselves to medically necessary addiction treatment.  Link to report here.

In addition, discharge from the HPSP program would require a licensee to be automatically suspended for a period of not more than 60 days, regardless of why they were discharged.  That’s too long said some lawmakers.  Other boards of licensed professionals agree.  The executive directors of the Board of Dentistry and the Board of Pharmacy testified that such a long suspension could effectively end a medical professional’s career.  They also argued that discharge shouldn’t automatically qualify a licensee for disciplinary action, such as license suspension.  Monica Feider, program manager with HPSP, reported to the committee that about 1 in 5 discharges from the program are not due to reasons such as failure to comply.  Some leave voluntarily.  Some are the result of paperwork that’s incomplete or incorrect.

MNA also testified to concerns with an exemption to what’s called “Chapter 364″ of Minnesota Law, which requires that licensing boards consider rehabilitation of criminal activity.

The committee did modify SF 1890 by adding a clause (in bold) to subdivision 6,  “Upon receiving a report from the program manager, based on allegations that the regulated person has engaged in conduct that might cause risk to the public, the participating board shall temporarily suspend the regulated person’s license, “  which allows the determination to come from HPSP.

While SF 1890 passed the Senate HHS Committee, legislators and other experts around the table agreed the issues remain and will have to be settled in the Senate Judiciary Committee or somewhere before a final bill goes to the Senate floor.   Even bill sponsors agreed more conversation of refining the HPSP program and the BoN are needed.