Tips for Cold-Weather Location Travel Assignments

Posted on November 1, 2022 by Amber Pickler

As a travel nurse, you have the opportunity to take assignments around the country. This can sometimes mean going to a location where the weather conditions are new to you. The biggest adjustment seems to be going from the warmer states to the colder states. Especially in winter. We have put together some tips to help you make it through your cold-weather assignment.

Appropriate Snow boots

Snow boots are a must in cold-weather assignment locations. Insulated winter boots are best. Ugg boots are cute in theory, but your feet will not be protected when the slush gets them wet. There are many great options as far as brands. LL Bean, Columbia, Sorel, and North Face are all great options. I would suggest getting boots that go higher than your ankle, the snow is most likely going to be higher than your ankle, and you don’t want the snow going into your boots, trust me!

A Warm Coat

Winters can be brutal. You have not only snow and ice but the wind. You will need a nice warm coat. Many people go for longer coats because they cover more. Down coats are great for cold-weather assignment locations as they provide more warmth than other fillers. Northface, Nautica, Columbia, and many other name brands offer great options. You could even purchase a skiing or snowboarding jacket as they are made to wear outdoors while doing either activity and will provide great warmth.

Earmuffs or a Winter Hat

Along with your warm winter coat, you may want to consider a nice warm hat. With the cold winds, your ears can and most likely will get cold. If you aren’t a fan of hats, you can consider some earmuffs. They won’t cover your hair, but they will protect your ears from the harsh winter wind.

Warm Winter Gloves

Gloves are also a must. Your hands will be freezing by the time you get from the facility to your car; then, you may have to clean your car off. Make sure you get good warm gloves, not the one-dollar ones at Walmart or Target. I would suggest getting thick Wool gloves or insulated ones. They will keep the melted snow from getting to your hands longer.

Jumper Cables and Ice Scraper in your car

Winter weather is brutal on your car’s battery, so you can find yourself stranded with a dead battery at any point. Having a pair of jumper cables in your car is a must in colder weather locations, especially in the winter. This way, you aren’t relying on others to have a pair.

An ice scraper in your car is also a must. You may go into your shift, and your car is completely free of snow or ice, and finish your shift with a car covered in either of both. Depending on the size of your car, a long handle may be beneficial to scrape the snow off the top of your vehicle as well.

Emergency Kit for your car

Getting stranded in your car in the snow and/or ice can happen. It is important to have an emergency kit if the situation happens. While you may tweak the list to include things you may need like daily medication or if you travel with pets, extra food for them, here is a list of things to include for emergency situations.

A blanket or two
Granola bars, trail mix, beef jerky, or any non-perishable easy-to-eat foods
kitty litter, to put under your tires for traction
a small or foldable shovel
first aid kit
gallon of water
change of warm clothes

Great Cold Weather Assignment Locations

These are just a few great options for colder weather locations to think about.

Massachusetts:

If you plan your assignment right you can be in Massachusetts for Halloween and Thanksgiving. For Halloween, you can visit the historic Salem area and then spend time at Pilgrim Rock around Thanksgiving.

New York:

New York is a busy and beautiful city to visit, especially around Christmas. They have so much going on and it just makes for a great travel nurse assignment location.

Alaska:

Alaska is beautiful, any time of the year, and will make for a cold assignment location year-round. It is dark from November 18th to January 24th as the sun does not rise during that time. Just something to be aware of.

We hope you found these tips for cold-weather assignment locations helpful. Did we miss any tips you think others should know? Comment them below.

When Do Social Media Posts Go Too Far and Violate HIPAA?

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Amber Pickler

Social media platforms are great ways to interact with other travel nurses and make friends with nurses on the other side of the world. It’s also a great tool to keep in touch with family and friends while away on an assignment.

Social media continues to grow. The number of social media users in 2018 was 3.196 billion, up 13 percent from the previous year. Social media has become a place to “vent” or share experiences for many travel nurses. But, at what point does “venting” or sharing become HIPAA violations?

The HIPAA Privacy Rule prohibits the use of PHI on social media networks. That includes; any text about specific patients and images or videos that could result in a patient being identified. It is easy to think you aren’t doing any harm because you aren’t mentioning names; however, certain details could give away who is being discussed. There have been instances where only slight details were given in the post, but that was enough for others and even the media to pick up on who was being discussed.

Some of the things you witness are hard to keep to yourself.

Wanting to share these experiences is understandable. With social media at our fingertips, it is typically the place we turn to first, thanks to our phones. Even if it is a “private” post, it isn’t always private. People often screenshot posts and share them on their own.

While you may not mention where the experience happened, if you have your place of employment listed on your profile or shared your most recent assignment, it won’t be hard to figure out where it happened. All it takes is one person to tip that hospital or facility off that you posted something. That could put your assignment and license in jeopardy, but you could also face fines.

Know the difference between personal and professional use.

Personal use of social media is often referred to as social media use on an account that is registered to an individual that is not used for business purposes.

Professional use is generally using social media for approved business purposes on behalf of an account registered to an organization, practice, or provider. You may have language in place in a social medial policy that states if personal use of social media is or is not permitted during business hours. Your policy may also explain the professional use of social media on behalf of the organization, practice, or provider; in other words, who should post, who should update, what should be posted, etc.

Understand if there are any risks involved with what you are about to post.

Whether posting on your personal account or a professional account, it is important to understand any risks. For example, if you post something, there may be a risk of receiving negative feedback from the public. There may be a risk of sharing proprietary information or content that could get into the hands of someone with malicious intent. Some tips to mitigate risk include: posting accurate information, respectfully disagreeing with negative comments, etc.

Just recently, the power of social media has been on full display. Social media allows information to be communicated almost instantly to a broad audience and maybe communicated worldwide. Understand when you work for a professional organization, what you post on your personal social media sites may potentially have an impact on your professional reputation. Before you post, consider if anything you are sharing could impact you, your patients’ privacy, or your organization in any way.

Social media can be a great way to improve patient care and the coordination of it. However, if it isn’t used with caution, HIPAA violations can happen. As a federal mandate, all healthcare facilities have HIPAA Privacy and HIPAA Security policies in place. Familiarize yourself with these. These will tell you what you should or should not be posting about on social media.

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing offers some advice on posting on social media as well.

Ways to Maintain Goals While Travel Nursing

Posted on July 14, 2021 by TNC

2019 is here, and for most, it’s an annual tradition to make new years resolutions and goals at the beginning year that most of us can’t keep. Add traveling into the mix, and your goals have already reached a lower survival rate than most. Your lifestyle and travel nursing shouldn’t get in the way of your goals and aspirations. That’s why we have 5 tips to help you stay on track with your goals all year long.

1.) Tell People Your Goals

There’s no better way to stay on track than having someone constantly remind you that you are working towards a goal. Tell friends, family members, or co-workers about your goals and ask them to get on you when you’re slacking, or ask them to ask you how your goals are coming along every once in a while. It’s easier to stay on track when you know people are watching.

2.) Find A Buddy

Find someone who has the same goals as you and hold each other accountable. It’s much easier to achieve them when you have someone else doing it with you. Can’t find a buddy nearby? You can always have a long-distance goal buddy and check-in via phone or social media!

3.) Make A Bullet Journal

A fun way to stay organized and express creativity easy is to start a Bullet Journal. These are easy to carry around and won’t take up too much space when you move from place to place.

4.) Utilize Apps On Your Smartphone

There are hundreds of apps out there that will keep you on track. Thanks to technology, there is literally an app for almost any goal you have, such as calorie counters for fitness and weight loss, meditation apps for relaxation, gratitude apps to keep you in check, and so much more! Some may cost a dollar or two, but it’s well worth the cost in the long run. What’s also great about these apps is sending you a notification to your phone daily to remind you to keep up with your goals!

5.) Be Flexible

One of the first things you learn as a travel nurse is to be flexible. This goes the same for goals. Achieving them does not have a cookie-cutter path. If it did, we’d all have 6 packs and a million dollars in our savings accounts. There will be setbacks, there will be discouragement, there will be a lack of time, but if you stay determined on your goals and flexible with your methods, there will be huge wins!

Nurses Week 2016!

Posted on May 4, 2016 by TNC

Celebrate Nurses Week 2016 in style with fun stuff and freebies from industry organizations! Click here to check out WeLoveOurNurses.com.

It’s almost time for Nurses Week 2016! Travel Nursing Central would like to wish all of the awesome travel nurses out there an amazing celebration!

Here are a few cool things going on this Nurses Week that we wanted to share with you:

Over at WeLoveOurNurses.com, you can enter two contests, win a scholarship, watch a world record be set, and send out eCards to your friends and co-workers. Medical Solutions is sharing its We Heart RNs World Record Video featuring Miss Colorado, Nurse Kelley Johnson. There’s also the #NurseLaughLove Instagram Contest, Show ’em the Love Mentor Contest, and free, shareable Nurses Week eCards. Gift cards from Amazon, Ulta, and Tafford Uniforms ranging from $50-$250 are the prizes up for grabs. Students will want to enter the 5th Annual Nurses of Tomorrow Scholarship Contest, which awards three $2,000 scholarships to future nurses.

The Gypsy Nurse is known for having created an amazing community for travel nurses. She will honor a 2016 Gypsy Florence Nightingale with a total prize package of approximately $600 in value that includes free admission to the 2016 Travelers Conference in Las Vegas. Nurses can nominate fellow travelers who they think positively represent travel nursing and inspires others in their travel nursing journeys. The Gypsy Nurse is accepting submissions through May 10!

Cinnabon is celebrating Nurses Week again this year with some sweet treats for nurses. May 6-12, 2016, nurses can visit participating Cinnabons, present their healthcare ID badge, and receive a free Cinnabon Classic Roll or MiniBon!

The Right Solutions is hosting a Nurses Week contest that will give away an Apple iPad Air2 and cash prizes to lucky travelers.

Fastaff is celebrating with a Nurse Family giveaway, based on the idea that nurses collect a family of colleagues as they band together to get their challenging work accomplished. Entrants can honor a member of their “nurse family” for the chance to win a $500 Southwest Airlines gift card for both parties.

At DiscoverNursing.com, Johnson & Johnson’s Campaign for Nursing’s Future has free nurse-themed magnets, coloring books, a “Nurses Heal” pin, and many other great and free resources for nurses and nurse educators like videos and software, brochures, posters, and more.

Lippincott Nursing Center is offering discounts on some CE activities and books, free games and articles, an opportunity to share your nursing story and win a FitBit Alta, and more!

So, that’s a good start, but what other Nurses Week fun, contests, free stuff, and other festivities do you know about? Please feel free to share yours in the comments!

Happy Nurses Week 2016, everybody!

New Reflection Study Guide for The American Nurse Documentary

Posted on November 20, 2015 by TNC

There is a new reflection study guide for The American Nurse documentary.

The American Nurses Foundation (ANF), which is the philanthropic arm of the American Nurses Association (ANA), recently released a guide which accompanies the amazing 2014 documentary, The American Nurse: Healing America.

The guide is titled The American Nurse: Healing America – A Reflection Guide – The Power of You – The RN for Registered Nurses (Staff RNs and APRNs) and Nurse Leaders.

It was developed in partnership with the ANF and several nurses leaders from New York Presbyterian Hospital, including:

Alice Corbett, FNP, MS, CPEN, NEA-BC
Bertha Ku, MPH, RN
Germaine C. Nelson, MBA, MSN, RN, CEN
Mary E. Quinn, MSN, RN
Deborah J. Stilgenbauer, MA, RN, NEA-BC
Lovelyamma Varghese, MSN, FNP, RN, BC

According to an ANF release:

“The American Nurse explores some of the biggest health care issues facing America — aging, war, poverty, prisons — through the work and lives of five nurses. The reflection guide, which complements the 2014 academic and the filmmakers’ guides for the film, aims to facilitate and guide group discussion about the film, inspire personal reflections while viewing the film, and engage viewers in reflection on important nursing aspects, such as caring, compassion, patient advocacy and the changing health care environment.”

Click here to download the new reflection guide, as well as the academic/clinical nursing guide and the filmmaker’s guide.

If you’re unfamiliar with The American Nurse, check out the trailer below.

2016 ANA Conference Focus is on Quality, Safety, and Staffing

Posted on November 6, 2015 by TNC

2016 ANA Conference Focus is on Quality, Safety, and Staffing

Travel nurses do a lot to improve nurse to patient ratios, thus improving quality and safety at facilities nationwide.

That’s why this year’s American Nurses Association conference topic is particularly relevant for travelers and other healthcare professionals.

The 2016 ANA Conference focus is on quality, safety, and staffing — “Connecting Quality, Safety and Staffing to Improve Outcomes” is the official title.

The 2016 conference will be held in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, March 9-11.

According to the ANA, the conference will explore new innovations in nursing and examine the factors that “affect nurses’ ability to deliver high-quality care.”

“Conference sessions will bring you the latest strategies, research, and best practices to improve outcomes through quality, safety and staffing. Attendees will learn from evidence-based research and discover innovations they can start using immediately. Join your peers at the only conference for nurses focusing on quality outcomes,” they continue on their website.

They are offering early bird registration through November 20, 2015.

Click here to learn more about the 2016 ANA Conference, its speakers, CEs, agenda and more.

Nurses Week 2015 Freebies and Fun

Posted on May 6, 2015 by TNC

Happy Nurses Week! Travel Nursing Central has put together a roundup of Nurses Week 2015 freebies and fun to help you and your fellow nurses celebrate YOUR week in style!

Here are some fun, free, festive happenings this Nurses Week:

Cinnabon is giving away a free Cinnabon Classic Roll or MiniBon® roll May 6-12 to nurses who show their healthcare ID badge.
Amazon.com has free eBook downloads of The White Linen Nurse.
Medical Solutions is celebrating over at WeLoveOurNurses.com with The Real Nurses of Nurses Week photo gallery (including prizes such as Amazon and Tafford Uniforms gift cards from $25-$100), their Annual Nurses of Tomorrow Scholarship Contest (which awards three $2000 scholarships), Nurses Week eCards, and a team fundraising effort for Nurses House, a national fund for nurses in need.
NurseEyeRoll.com is giving away Nabee socks, Nurse Watches, and signed copies of two books — The Nurses and Becoming Nursey.
Fazoli’s, is offering nurses wearing scrubs who show their healthcare ID badge a free Twisted Trio entrée with the purchase of a drink at participating locations, from May 6-12. The fast Italian chain will also surprise more than 1,000 nurses with meals at various children’s hospitals.
The Right Solutions is hosting a Nurses Month Luau with prizes including an Apple iPad Air 2. Amazon Fire TV, and Visa gift cards.
Discovery Life Channel is taking nominations for the chance to win a walk-on role in “Untold Stories of the ER,” plus a trip for two to Vancouver, British Columbia and $500 spending cash.
Diversity Nursing is doing its annual $5,000 Education Award. There is no essay required, but hurry — registration closes May 7th!
Lippincott Nursing Center has several of discounts, daily deals, and giveaways.
Johnson & Jonson’s Campaign for Nursing Future is offering free pins, magnets, and activity books you can find here.

We hope you’ll enjoy these Nurses Week 2015 freebies and fun! If you know of any opportunities that we did not include, please be sure to share them in the comments.

New Nurse Blog: Fighting Dinosaurs

Posted on March 20, 2015 by TNC

New nurse blog, Fighting Dinosaurs, aims to empowers nurses ro make their voices heard.

A new nurse blog, Fighting Dinosaurs, launched recently with the tagline “Evolving Nursing Through Grassroots Voices.”

Founded by Alene Nitzky, Ph.D., RN, OCN, the site says it will offer “a safe and engaging place for working nurse narrative.”

According to the Fighting Dinosaurs website, “The voice of the bedside nurse is crucial to our healthcare system’s success, but it is currently excluded from modern dialogue. This blog aims to amplify dynamic nursing voices, help nurses infiltrate media outlets with flawless, safe copy, and fight together to establish a prominent foothold in the changing world of healthcare and to support our profession’s future.”

So far, the site’s mission seems to be squared on advocating for empowering nurses to speak out on their own behalf (and on behalf of the profession as a whole) about workers’ right and protections. The challenge laid out in one blog post, The Courage to Look in the Mirror, is for nurses to look at their own ways of dealing with things and challenge themselves to take action.

Other current posts cover nurses’ rights, reform within the nursing world, being authentic in your voice, understanding that your voice counts, workplace conditions, healthcare executives and corporations, and more.

Fighting Dinosaurs also accepts submissions and makes a call for nurses to contribute ideas and topics for the site to cover.

While invoking dinosaurs seems to symbolically suggest that the way things are and have been in nursing is archaic, there are also literally dinosaurs everywhere in the images, which is just kind of fun.

Any entity or platform that encourages nurses to make their voices heard and their professional lives better is a good step in empowering nurses. Nurses are integral to healthcare and listening to their needs, opinions, and any other feedback they can contribute is hugely important to the overall system.

Click here to check out Fighting Dinosaurs.

6 Famous African American Nurses

Posted on February 24, 2015 by TNC

In honor of African American History Month, Travel Nursing Central would like to recognize a handful of the amazing African American nurses from throughout history.

According to a Department for Professional Employees 2012 fact sheet, African American RNs make up just 10.4% of the nursing population. That leaves a lot of untapped talent out there, and we’d love to see greater diversity in nurse and travel nurse demographics.

Here’s a little bit about 6 famous African American nurses, who will hopefully be an inspiration for future generations of nurses and travel nurses:

Mary Seacole

Mary Seacole

Although she encountered discrimination, Jamaican-born Seacole was instrumental to pioneering nursing and medical care in the 1800s. She traveled on her own dime to treat wounded soldiers from both sides during the Crimean War, and also established a boarding house where injured patients could recover and rehabilitate.

Mary Eliza Mahoney

Mary Eliza Mahoney

There were many who functioned as nurses before her, but Mahoney was the first African American licensed registered nurse. After graduating in 1879 and practicing, she went on to cofound the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses and was also one of the original members of an early incarnation of the American Nurses Association.

Harriet Tubman

Harriet Tubman

Her name is synonymous with the Underground Railroad and women’s rights activism, but Tubman was also a nurse who served the Union Army. In 1908 she also created the Harriet Tubman Home for the Aged, which specialized in caring for elderly African Americans.

Sojourner Truth

Sojourner Truth

Born into slavery in 1797, she’s known mostly as an abolitionist and women’s rights activist, but Truth was originally a nurse for the family she served. Later in life she was instrumental in advocating for funding for essential nurse training programs.

Hazel W. Johnson-Brown

Hazel W. Johnson-Brown

Twice named the Army Nurse of the Year, Johnson-Brown faced down racial discrimination to become a nurse (eventually with a Master’s and PhD. Her skill led her to become the first African American woman to lead the US Army Nurse Corps and also the first to be promoted to brigadier general.

Estelle Massey Osborne

Estelle Massey Osborne

The first African American woman to earn a Master’s degree in Nursing, she fought throughout her life for visibility and educational equality for all nurses.

There are SO many more great examples, but we hope this list of 6 famous African American nurses is inspirational.

As for the present day we invite you to check out the National Black Nurses Association (founded by another great African American nurse leader, Betty Smith Williams). Their mission is “To represent and provide a forum for black nurses to advocate for and implement strategies to ensure access to the highest quality of healthcare for persons of color.” Click here to learn more about the NBNA.

Travel Nurse Contests: Furnished Finder and Tafford Uniforms

Posted on February 13, 2015 by TNC

What do these two contests have in common? Coffee!

I recently came across a couple of great travel nurse contests: Furnished Finder and Tafford Uniforms are both hosting some fun ones right now! Here’s a little bit of information on them. Get your game on!

Furnished Finder Property Review Contest

Furnished Finder wants you to share reviews of the three most recent properties you’ve stayed in while on assignment. The first 50 qualified folks will each win a $20 Starbucks gift card. Free coffee!

Click here to learn more about how you can win!

Tafford Uniforms American Heart Month Celebration and Contest

In honor of American Heart Month, Tafford Uniforms and Travel Nursing Blogs have teamed up to offer the chance to win a Littman Classic II Stethoscope. Three runner-ups will also win a Travel Nursing Blogs coffee mug with a $5 Starbucks gift card.

Click here to learn more about how you can win as well as 10 tips you can share for a heart healthy lifestyle!

Thanks for hosting these fun travel nurse contests, Furnished Finder and Tafford Uniforms!

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