This report updates the 2013 recommendations by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) regarding use of seasonal influenza vaccines. Updated information for the 2014–15 influenza season includes 1) antigenic composition of U.S. seasonal influenza vaccines; 2) vaccine dose considerations for children aged 6 months through 8 years; and 3) a preference for the use, when immediately available, of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) for healthy children aged 2 through 8 years, to be implemented as feasible for the 2014–15 season but not later than the 2015–16 season. Information regarding issues related to influenza vaccination not addressed in this report is available in the 2013 ACIP seasonal influenza recommendations. Read article here.

The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) announces the launch of its interactive job board, the PSNA careerCENTER. With its focus on nurse professionals, the PSNA careerCENTER offers its members — and the nursing industry at large — an easy-to-use and highly targeted resource for online employment connections.

“We’re very excited about the PSNA careerCENTER because we know how critical it is for employers in the nursing profession to attract first-rate talent with a minimum expenditure of time and resources,” said PSNA Chief Executive Officer Betsy M. Snook, MEd, RN, BSN.  “It is important for us help enable smooth career transitions for those seeking industry jobs.”

Both members and non-members can use the PSNA careerCENTER to reach qualified candidates.  Employers can post jobs online, search for qualified candidates based on specific job criteria and create an online resume agent to e-mail qualified candidates daily.  They also benefit from online reporting that provides job activity statistics.

For job seekers, the PSNA careerCENTER is a free service that provides access to employers and jobs in the nursing profession.  In addition to posting their resumes, job seekers can browse and view available jobs based on their criteria and save those jobs for later review. Job seekers can also create a search agent to provide e-mail notifications of jobs that match their criteria.

An added benefit for both employers and job seekers is access to the National Healthcare Career Network, a group of over 290 top healthcare associations and professional organizations, including the American Hospital Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) is the non-profit voice for nurses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Representing more than 215,000 nurses, the Association works to be essential in advancing, promoting and supporting the profession of nursing to improve health for all in the Commonwealth. PSNA is a constituent member of the American Nurses Association (www.psna.org).

PSNA developed the careerCENTER in partnership with Boxwood Technology, Inc., the leading provider of career center services for the association industry, and the only such provider endorsed by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).  In addition to hosting full-featured online career centers, Boxwood also provides technical support, customer service, accounting, content management and ongoing product development.  For more information about Boxwood’s products and services, visit www.boxwoodtech.com or call 800-331-2177.