Travel Nurse Krista D’Agostino met Bostom bombing victim James Costello while on assignment.

Last December, Travel Nursing Blogs shared the story of Travel Nurse Krista D’Agostino and Boston Marathon bombing victim James Costello.

In a touching silver lining of the tragic Boston attack, D’Agostino and Costello met when he was in the hospital recovering from several surgeries and skin grafts needed due to severe burns and shrapnel wounds he suffered near the Boston Marathon finish line in April 2013 when the attack occurred. She was working as a Travel Nurse, in a six-week assignment at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, when the pair met there.

To add happy ending status to that silver lining, Costello and D’Agostino were married Saturday, August 23, at the Hyatt Regency in Boston. The venue, along with the majority of other wedding expenses, was donated to the couple.

Rachael Gross, the pair’s wedding planner, told ABC News it was “the most rewarding event” she’d ever been involved with.

“I hit the jackpot with them because they’re really the most wonderful couple,” Gross said.

When announcing the engagement, Costello wrote on his Facebook page: “After sharing a handful of conversations, I realized not only how beautiful she was but also what a kind heart she had. I somehow convinced her to attend a benefit with me, which turned into a few dates, which turned into a few inseparable months.”

And, which has now turned into sharing their lives forever! Congrats, to the happy couple.

Costello also shared on social media that he believed he knew why he was involved in the tragedy. “It was to meet my best friend, and the love of my life,” he wrote.

Despite the tragic reason for Costello’s hospitalization, it’s pretty amazing that D’Agostino’s brief, six-week assignment overlapped with his time there — allowing both the opportunity to meet their soul mate. It just goes to show that you truly never know what wonderful surprises might await you on your next assignment!

Ask a Travel Nurse: What do I need to make sure is in my contract?

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

What do I need to make sure is in my contract? I am going to be working with a Travel Nurse company for the first time and I want to make sure that I get everything that’s been promised to me.

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

I think you may have answered your own question

ANYTHING that is promised to you should be in your contract. You also need to decide that if certain things are promised, and not delivered, is it enough to cause you to “walk” on your contract. If you believe that you would ever consider doing this, then you need to also make sure certain things are NOT in your contract.

First, you should have the conditions of your work assignment. Things like the location of the hospital, unit in which you will be working, shift, hours per week, rate for base time, rate for OT and holidays.

Next you will want to look for the things that the travel company I providing for you, like medical/dental, housing or a stipend, and any reimbursements for things like state licensure or travel. Stipends or reimbursements should have a dollar amount attached to them and housing should specify a one-bedroom apartment (if that is what you agreed upon).

I mention the one-bedroom apartment because this is probably the thing most promised, and then not delivered. I have heard from many travelers that were promised a one-bedroom only to have their recruiter tell them they couldn’t find one, but would move them (from an extended stay hotel) to a one-bedroom as soon as one became available (which usually ends up being never).

To combat this, I always have the address of where I am staying at least a few days prior to arrival. If I were just starting with a new company, and they promised a one-bedroom apartment as part of my package, I would first make VERY clear to my recruiter that if I did not have the address prior to leaving, that I would NOT be leaving.

I would then hang up the phone and immediately call the company’s housing department and ask which apartment complexes they use in the area in which I would be traveling. Rarely, you may get to choose from a few complexes, but this is not the reason for my call.

If I am traveling to Ft Lauderdale for an assignment and they cannot even give me the names of a few of the complexes they have used in the past, what does that tell you about how many of their travelers actually see the inside of a one-bedroom apartment?

I also like to have my address so that I can start to arrange for things like my cable and Internet provider.

Along with the aforementioned items, your contract may also include things like your expectations while on assignment (act professionally, follow the facility’s rules and regulations, etc). However, sometimes these are signed in a separate yearly document that is labeled something like “professional practice agreement” or such.

One thing you also want to note is the terms and conditions of your contract as far as cancellations. This is one area in which you do NOT want to see certain things.

If a company puts too much of the risk on you (regarding hospital cancellations) then you may want to consider carefully whether you are willing to assume that risk. While cancellations are not common, they are also not unheard of and some contracts I have seen will possibly have YOU paying for a remaining lease, or other “fees and penalties” for not completing your assignment, whether it was by any fault of your own, or the facility just canceled your contract because they no longer had a need.

There will also likely be wording in there about what may happen should you decide to cancel your contract and what “fees or penalties” they may impose in that situation.

Every company will word this differently, so look out for these clauses and see if you feel it places too much risk upon you in the event of a contract cancellation.

While I am not an attorney and cannot under any circumstance give you (or anyone) a legal interpretation of a travel contract, I do enjoy reading them to see how the different companies operate.

If you (or anyone) would ever like my “opinion”, merely as a travel nurse, please feel free to email me at david@travelnursesbible.com and attach a copy of your contract and I’ll be happy to look at it and give my opinion about any areas that would concern me.

I hope this helps.

David

david@travelnursesbible.com

Chris Pratt lets a patient at Los Angeles’ Children’s Hospital try on his Star-Lord jacket from Guardians of the Galaxy.

If you don’t already have Chris Pratt fever, you’re about to come down hard with it!

He’s charmed audiences in NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” blown up the big screen in this summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy, proven he RULES at interviews (whether rapping like a pro or French braiding like one), and done one of the better ALS ice bucket challenges out there.

Now he’s making a difference and melting hearts with his recent visit to Los Angeles’ Children’s Hospital. Pratt arrived as Peter Quill aka Star-Lord — dressed in his Guardians of the Galaxy costume — and hung out with some of the patients, no doubt brightening their worlds in a major way.

As nurses, you know very well how important state of mind can be to recovery. Pratt seems to understand that too in an interview posted on YouTube in which he talks about being a kid obsessed with Han Solo and also about wanting to use his star(-Lord)dom to visit kids in the hospital to lift their spirits.

The whole interview is pretty great — as is everything Pratt — but skip to 4:20 to hear Pratt confess that he “stole” the jacket and other wardrobe pieces in anticipation of making pint-sized patients’ days.

“If it [becomes] a big enough movie to where it would mean something to a kid who’s sick in a hospital for Peter Quill or Star-Lord to come visit them, I’ll do that. I think that’s awesome. That would give me real meaning for this movie,” says Pratt.

Bravo, Star-Lord! Here are a couple more of our favorite Chris Pratt moments. Enjoy!

Ask a Travel Nurse: What are the qualifications for Travel Nursing?

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

I want to try Travel Nursing because I am young, want to explore the U.S., and make higher wages, so I am considering going to nursing school next year at a community college and getting my RN. I currently have a Bachelors of Science in Medical Laboratory Science and am a licensed Medical Technologist. I’m wondering: Can I become a Travel Nurse without a BSN? I am not totally clear on the qualifications for Travel Nursing. What are they?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

To become a travel nurse, you simply need to be a licensed RN (having passed the NCLEX exam) and have at least a year of clinical experience (preferably hospital based). However, many facilities are now mandating two years of experience to start traveling (but I cannot say what the state of travel nursing will be dictating when you graduate).

But you do not have to have your BSN. I have a Diploma of Nursing (3 year program) and have been traveling, without issue, for close to twenty years.

Hope this answers your question.

David

david@travelnursesbible.com

Save the Date: Travel Nurses Day 2014 will be Friday October 10th!

Travel Nurses are so special, so hard-working, so amazing that of course they deserve to have their very own day of celebration … and this year’s will be here before we know it.

Friday, October 10, 2014 will be the second annual Travel Nurses Day. A day for Travel Nurses to feel celebrated and for the rest of us to say huge “THANK YOU” for:

• Everything you do as a nurse to ensure quality patient care.
• Your unique zest for adventure.
• Your adaptability and flexibility in facilities throughout the nation.
• And the countless other amazing things you do as a Travel Nurse!

Visit TravelNursesDay.com now to sign up for email Travel Nurses Day updates. Then, beginning Monday, October 6, you’ll be able to visit the site to play games, win prizes, and more! This year will feature a Photo Find, Travel-Libs (make your own travel story), and a Where Should I Travel Next? quiz.

In the meantime, be sure to mark your calendar and spread the word to all of your fellow Travel Nurses.

Just 59 days to go — as of this post — let the countdown begin!

Have some fun while you learn important tips for Travel Nursing with a new series of How “Not” to Travel Nursing videos.

If you’re just starting out as a Travel Nurse, there are a lot of ins and outs that you should learn to help you better succeed in the Travel Nursing industry.

Travel Nursing is an amazing opportunity, but there are many variables and can be potential speed bumps if one is not properly prepared. But don’t worry and don’t panic, there are plenty of excellent resources out there to help you navigate the industry!

One of the latest — as entertaining as it is educational — is Medical Solutions’ series of How Not to Travel Nursing Videos. The series showcases short, funny videos showing how a Travel Nurse should not attempt to handle a specific aspect of Travel Nursing, paired with a resource article that offers tips on what a Traveler can do to succeed in the same situation. Veteran Travelers should also get a kick out the series.

For example, one video addresses one of the most important things you can do to succeed as a Travel Nurse: How to build a great relationship with your recruiter!

First, check out the video showing how not to achieve a good relationship with your recruiter, then click here to read lots of great tips on how to build a great relationship with your recruiter.

Pretty funny stuff, following up with some pretty crucial information, considering that having a trusted recruiter that you get along well with is a huge advantage to any Travel Nurse.

Other video and article pairs currently available in the series address:

• How to Travel to an Assignment
• How to Make the Most out of Travel Nurse Orientation
• How to Choose a Travel Company
• How to Make Housing Requests

To check out more Travel Nursing resources from Medical Solutions, click here.

Ask a Travel Nurse: Do I have to buy new scrubs for each Travel Nursing assignment?

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

Came across your site today and find it to be a most excellent resource. I am researching Travel Nursing options so I can begin my next career phase. The hospital I work for requires RNs to wear navy blue scrubs. Does a Traveler have to buy new scrubs with each assignment?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

Unfortunately, buying the uniforms that the facilities require is part of Travel Nursing. However, I’ve worked in probably seven different hospitals in the past two years and ALL of them had their nursing staff wearing navy blue scrubs. While it may be more of a universal color here on the west coast, hopefully the east coast will also catch up and “universalize” so that navy blue may be the last color you have to buy.

David
david@travelnursesbible.com

Travel Nursing makes you feel on top of the world!

Happy Friday, Travel Nurses!

I came across a BuzzFeed listicle (one of the site’s popular list-based articles) this week that made me think of you. “24 Signs You Are Completely Addicted To Travel” had several points that match the attitudes of most Travel Nurses, such as:

#7 — You can’t imagine staying in the same city your entire life.

#8 — In fact, you can barely imagine staying in the same city for a whole year.   

#13 — Nothing makes you happier than the feeling toy get when embarking on a new adventure.   

#23 — You believe that home is wherever you want it to be.

Several people in the comments remark that they identify with the list, but that for them it’s all fantasy due to a lack of finances to fund their travels. That’s what’s so awesome about Travel Nursing! You get to have your travel and get paid for it too.

Sure, it’s the passion for nursing that gets you started in the industry, but often it’s the passion for new locations and adventure that steer RNs towards Travel Nursing. And, honestly, it’s an amazing opportunity that’s pretty unique to nurses. (Trust me, I’m jealous!)

So, travel addicts, where have you been that really got you hooked and made you want to travel more? Let us know in the comments.

Ask a Travel Nurse: Do I need recent hospital experience for Travel Nursing?

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

I have several years of RN experience locally and in Travel Nursing, but I have not worked in five years. What do you suggest I do to get back into Travel Nursing? Is there a travel company who would offer me about six months to reorient and brush up on my skills while I work?

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

Unfortunately, the travel companies are not offering you a contract to go work for them; they are offering you a contract to go and work for a facility … that expects you to be able to hit the ground running and fill their staffing need.

While you may be able to find a travel company that would put you on file and attempt to find you a contract, I believe that the only recruiters that would do this are those that are overzealous and inexperienced in what the facilities are demanding from their travelers these days.

I honestly cannot imagine you being able to find a contract with anyone and even if you should, do you really want to resume your career in such a way that involves such stress? The potential is putting your license, or even worse, a patient’s life, in your hands while trying to reestablish the skills needed at the bedside.

My best advice is to get back to the bedside, in a hospital setting, and hopefully in the specialty in which you wish to travel. You do not want to try to come “up to speed” on the things that have changed in the past five years in healthcare while also trying to deal with the rigors of a travel assignment. Reestablishing yourself first is the safest way and I believe the best way to offer you a successful start in travel nursing.

Get comfortable again in nursing first and then pursue travel nursing. It will still be here when you are ready

Hope this helps.

David

david@travelnursesbible.com

Putting Patients First: Do you have enough time for patient care on the job as a Travel Nurse?

Travel Nurses exist not just so you can build an awesome career and have great adventures throughout the country (although these sure are amazing perks!). Travel Nursing helps facilities provide better patient care and obtain better patient results, all the while taking some of the burden off of their perm nurses.

But even with the benefits of Travelers to help sustain hospital staffing levels, are you and your colleagues — whether perm staff or Travel Nurses — getting enough time to devote to patient care?

A recent Wall Street Journal, “Nurses Shift, Aiming for More Time With Patients,” tackles just that issue, detailing facilities that are working to allow nurses more time for paperwork and less time for administrative and other tasks.

The article states that some studies show that between “hunting for supplies, tracking down medications, filling out paperwork at the nursing station and looking for missing test results,” nurses can spend as few as less than two hours of a 12-hour shift engaged in direct patient care. Conversely, the article says, citing additional research, the more time nurses are able to spend at the bedside, the more satisfied patients are. With more direct patient care from nurses, patients are also less likely to suffer falls, infections, and errors in medication.

The WSJ piece discusses how some hospitals are working to shift extraneous and administrative tasks to CNAs and other staff members, freeing nurses to provide more engaged patient care as well as being there to comfort and educate family members.

“We shouldn’t be using expensive professional nursing time doing unnecessary and inefficient things when that time could be reinvested in direct patient care,” Patricia Rutherford, a nurse and vice president at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement told the WSJ.

My favorite part of the article is when a nurse, Corinne White, is quoted talking about how when she is able to be more present with patients they are more likely to open up to her and, in turn, more likely to efficiently and openly communicate their needs, which all leads to a superior patient outcome. It was Nurse White’s commentary on the importance of nurse-patient bonding that really hits home as to why this issue is so important.

Whether in past perm positions or at various facilities during your career as a Traveler, what have you noticed about Travel Nurses and patient care time available? Have you seen major fluctuations between different facilities in how much time you are spending on patient care?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments — on Travel Nurses and patient care, or anything else regarding this interesting WSJ article.