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5 Reasons to Consider Travel Therapy

Travel therapy jobs come with unique advantages that you just plain cannot find at your neighborhood clinic or SNF. Here are five of them.

If you are a new graduate, or even a seasoned therapy professional with a sense of adventure, now might be the time to consider the unique opportunity available to you that is travel therapy. Often 13-week contract jobs, located more than 50 miles from your home, travel therapy positions typically include benefits that you cannot find in at home. Here are five reasons consider signing on the dotted line and packing your bags.

  1. Travel the Country: Travel is an obvious perk. Taking on travel assignments allows you to get out and see the world—or at least far corners of the United States—all while getting paid for it.
  2. Enjoy Variety: As a travel therapist, you can work in a variety of settings, with all kinds of populations, and really find your career sweet spot, while not looking like you’re just aimlessly bouncing from job to job.
  3. Get Paid More: Travel therapists, on average, have the opportunity to earn 20% more than their counterparts who do not travel.
  4. Avoid Burnout: One of the keys to staving off burnout is avoiding repetition, the daily grind, and you can do so by changing the scenery 13 weeks at a time.
  5. Get Truly Beneficial Benefits: Travel assignments often come with benefits you cannot find at your local SNF or clinic, including tuition reimbursement, license reimbursements, travel reimbursements, free housing, medical, vision, dental, and more.

Ready to see what’s out there? We have hundreds of travel therapy jobs available on our site in Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

5 Questions to Ask at Your Job Interview

When you are interviewing for a position, traditionally, you will be the one answering the questions, not asking them—but you should definitely ask some.

When you are interviewing for a position, traditionally, you will be the one answering the questions, not asking them. However, your interview should be just as much about whether the company a good fit for you, as it is about whether or not you are a good fit for the company.

At the end of the interview, you will likely be asked, “Are there any questions you have for me?” or some variation of that. Saying that you have no questions could make you look too passive and uninterested, and asking the wrong questions, such as only inquiring about compensation or benefits, could indicate to the interviewer that you are interested in the position for the “wrong” reasons. Instead, ask the following to ensure the job you’re interviewing for is the one, while positioning you to come across as a truly interested candidate looking to add value to the organization.

  • What can you tell me about the company’s culture?
  • What would your current employees say are the best and worst things about working here?
  • What challenges could I expect to encounter in this role?
  • How would you expect someone as myself to do better in this role than its previous occupant?
  • How do you see this company advancing or evolving over the next three to five years?

These questions allow you to get a feel for not only how the company aligns with your day to day life, by asking about culture, challenges, and expectations, but also how it fits into your larger career goals, by inquiring about the future of the company—and you’ll seem interested in more than just the salary.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Six Reasons to Love Millennial Nurses

The Millennial generation are the new majority in the 21st-century workforce, and Millennial nurses are on their way to dominating the nursing profession. Here are some reasons to love them.

From Nurse Keith’s Digital Doorway

The Millennial generation (those born between approximately 1980 and 2000) are the new majority in the 21st-century workforce (see this Pew research study identifying this cohort as 35% of the overall workforce), and Millennial nurses are on their way to dominating the nursing profession.

As one generation wanes and the other rises, power changes hands, and this is happening at this very moment as Generation X and the Baby Boomers reach retirement age and leave the workforce in droves.

Every generation is disparaged and criticized by the generations that came before, and Millennials are no exception. However, I hypothesize that the Millennial generation is going to positively transform nursing, medicine, and healthcare for the better, not to mention society at large.

(Please note: writing about any generation as a whole is potentially problematic due to the fact that generalizations must be made. My apologies in advance for any statements that don’t quite apply to everyone — this is simply an attempt to capture observations of the power and potential that this enormously influential generation holds in its collective hands.)

1. Minds Wide Open

Millennials grew up as the 20th century came to a close and the 21st century was getting underway. In my opinion, one of the greatest attributes of Millennials is the fact that they came of age at a time when the tolerance for so-called “alternative lifestyles” peaked.

Homosexuality, bisexuality, same-sex marriage, and new forms of family are now widely accepted in many segments of society and are thus reflected in popular culture. Millennials don’t seem to think twice about two people of the same gender falling in love, getting married, and raising a family — it’s a lifestyle choice worthy of equality and respect.

In terms of gender identity, Millennials are heartily accepting of “the new normal” in contemporary culture. Gender fluidity is seen as a positive attribute, and anyone living a lifestyle on the continuum of transgender identity are equally recognized as having a legitimate right to live any way they choose. Rigid definitions of what it means to be masculine or feminine are breaking down, and Millennials appear to see any means of safe and non-violent self-expression as positive.

In healthcare, medicine, and nursing, this translates into a growing percentage of the workforce being accepting of whatever gender expression, family structure, or lifestyle is practiced by their patients. For patients and their families, this opens the door to a decreased need for defensiveness, the reluctance to seek care, and fear of judgment by healthcare providers. And if patients feel this level of personal safety in the healthcare space, this scores a goal in the interest of reaching more people and families in need, especially those living in the shadows of society.

2. They’re Our New Leaders

While many may automatically picture Millennials as being in their 20s, at the time of this writing the oldest Millennials are actually pushing 40. As mentioned above, a full 35% of the workforce are Millennials, and as the largest segment of that workforce, they are emerging as leaders in every industry.

Regarding healthcare, medicine, and nursing, Millennials are poised to become administrators, Directors of Nursing, executives (CEOs, CNOs, CFOs), and leaders at every level. In nursing, we see Millennials emerging as nurse theorists, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, inventors, innovators, and influencers.

New leaders bring new ideas, and while they may encounter some resistance from any corner of the individual workplace or the industry/profession at large, the force of change related to a generational shift in leadership is inevitable.

This generation is approximately the same size as the Baby Boom (80 million is a common number thrown around), while Generation X is sandwiched between the two at approximately 60 million.

I personally feel great optimism when it comes to the manifestation of Millennial leadership at all levels. From the ICU and the operating room to the realms of politics and economics, Millennials will continue to assume power and have influence over every aspect of society for a number of decades to come.

3. Tech Savviness Abounds

“They’re always on their devices” is a common complaint about young people these days (but I see just as many older people glued to their iPads and smart phones). At any rate, the members of the Baby Boom and Generation X are the people who created these technologies, thus we cannot realistically hold Millennials accountable for using the devices they were raised with.

The oldest Millennials were in high school when the Internet came into popular use in the mid- to late-1990s. Cell phones also emerged around this time, followed by smart phones run by Android and iOS. Meanwhile, the youngest Millennials born around 2000 have always known these technologies as normal aspects of everyday 21st-century life.

In terms of the healthcare sphere, Millennials generally have a relatively high degree of comfort and facility when faced with new software, apps, and novel digital platforms. Whereas the majority of Gen X’ers and Boomers had to work hard to adapt to life in the Information Age, most Millennials have an intuitive understanding of computers and tech, and they’re very savvy. This bodes well for a healthcare infrastructure being increasingly impacted by artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and other technological developments. No doubt that the next decades will see even greater acceleration of technology vis-a-vis healthcare, medicine, and nursing.

This video offers a glimpse of some of the potential changes being predicted for the coming decade:

4. Entrepreneurship is Mainstream

The option of becoming an entrepreneur is not anathema to Millennials; in fact, anecdotal evidence points to the notion that this new generation embraces entrepreneurship as a valid way to make a mark on the world. According to a frequently cited study by Bentley University, 66% of Millennials would like to start a business and 37% want to work “on their own”, whatever that means.

Creative business opportunities, new ways of thinking about work, and general optimism about the power and potential of individual accomplishment all underscore the Millennial belief that self-employment is a very viable workstyle/lifestyle option.

In the nursing sphere, Millennial nurse entrepreneurs like Brittney Wilson, Kati Kleber, and Lacey Magen are forging new paths for those who want to follow in their positive (and extremely savvy) footsteps.

5. Flexibility, Boundaries, and Self-Care

The general understanding is that Millennial workers have come into the workplace demanding increased flexibility in relation to time spent at work. This can be perceived as laziness and a less than stellar work ethic, but many argue that the 21st century calls for flexibility on all levels.

For Millennial nurses, working in the mainstream medical milieu does not allow for much flexibility: rigid work hours, issues around continuity of patient care, and organizational needs rule the day.

However, anecdotal evidence so far shows us that Millennial nurses are much more self-aware when it comes to their own needs for self-care and time away from work. Mandatory overtime? Not a Millennial construct. Boundaries are important to this younger generation, and emotional and relational intelligence are key ideas that are widely embraced.

Ask a Millennial if she’ll work a double in her wedding anniversary or birthday, and she may say something akin to, “Sorry, but I have plans to do something fun with my husband that day. My marriage is important to me and I deserve the time off”. There’s nothing wrong in my book with such clarity around personal needs and the practice of setting firm personal boundaries.

Millennial workers aren’t shy about asking for flexible work schedules, and they aren’t afraid to say no when asked to work shifts they don’t want. Gone are the days (well, not altogether) when nurses would bend over backwards for the team in spite of their own need to rest and take time off. They don’t necessarily teach nursing students how to have personal boundaries and say no, so the younger generation of nurses is learning to do that for themselves.

Can Millennial leaders successfully disrupt healthcare from the inside and do away with outmoded labor practices that don’t prioritize worker well-being? Granted, more conservative Millennial leaders will adhere to older generations’ standards, and this will no doubt cause rifts and disagreements in relation to how to best provide consistently high-quality care while paying attention to staff wellness.

6. Mission, Ethics, and Being “Woke”

Another thing I love about the Millennial generation is that social change, ethics, and morality are very important to this enormous cohort. Having witnessed the aforementioned popular acceptance of same sex marriage, gender fluidity, and other new social constructs, many Millennials identify as being “woke”, meaning they’re hyper aware of progressive social issues in line with their way of seeing the world.

Police brutality, homophobia, environmental degradation, gender equity, transgender equality, and other societal issues of the day are important to Millennials.

In the workplace — whether healthcare or otherwise — Millennials want employers and organizations with clearly defined missions. They also want to know that the place they work and the work they do are aligned with their personal values; after all, part of being “woke” is knowing that you’re walking your talk in as many aspects of your life as possible. Basically, hypocrisy is simply not an option.

There’s a lot more to love about this younger generation, including those who are nurses. I’m personally highly optimistic about the overall idealism, values, “wokeness”, and moral/ethical concerns of Millennials. I also believe that the new nurse leaders who will be gaining influence and power within the profession will bring sorely needed new life and breath into nursing at a time when critical changes continue apace within medicine and healthcare.

Meanwhile, generational differences can be overcome and positively exploited if we pay attention to our thoughts, fears, and attitudes, and try our best to get to know and understand our colleagues. Millennials and Boomers may have different philosophies about work, loyalty, and careers, but we’re all human beings and we can find common ground if we try. Our employers and managers can also assist us in bridging the gaps and finding ways that our different areas of strength can synergistically work together and complement one another.

I also hold out hope that this generation will continue to be highly engaged in the important political and cultural debates of our time, and I’d eventually love to see Millennial nurses taking over the leadership of the ANA and other notable nursing organizations. And if more nurses choose a life of public service by running for office in state and national government, all the better — we absolutely need more woke nurses in state houses, governors’ mansions, Congress, and yes, even the White House some day.

Pay attention to this powerful generation of Millennial nurses; they’re coming soon to a workplace near you, and their individual and collective influence will make them many friends and some significant enemies. Millennial nurses are the new backbone of healthcare and the nursing profession, and they will leave a powerful, positive, and indelible mark on healthcare, nursing, medicine, and society at large in the decades to come.

Keith Carlson, RN, BSN, NC-BC, is the Board Certified Nurse Coach behind NurseKeith.com and the well-known nursing blog, Digital Doorway. Please visit his online platforms and reach out for his support when you need it most.

Keith is co-host of RNFMRadio.com, a wildly popular nursing podcast; he also hosts The Nurse Keith Show, his own podcast focused on career advice and inspiration for nurses.

A widely published nurse writer, Keith is the author of “Savvy Networking For Nurses: Getting Connected and Staying Connected in the 21st Century,” and has contributed chapters to a number of books related to the nursing profession. Keith has written for Nurse.com, Nurse.org, MultiViews News Service, LPNtoBSNOnline, StaffGarden, AusMed, American Sentinel University, the ANA blog, Working Nurse Magazine, and other online publications.

Mr. Carlson brings a plethora of experience as a nurse thought leader, online nurse personality, podcaster, holistic career coach, writer, and well-known successful nurse entrepreneur. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his lovely and talented wife, Mary Rives.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

How Nurses Can Help after a Hurricane

As a nurse, a healer at heart, you may have watched with wide eyes as people were pulled from the floodwaters of Hurricane Florence on the news, and felt just a little bit helpless. There are ways you can help.

Last week, the whole east coast of the United States closely monitored the path of Hurricane Florence, before she settled over the Carolinas and dropped monumental amounts of rain, displacing, trapping, injuring, and, sadly, claiming the lives of the people in her path. As a nurse, you may have sat there, watching with wide eyes as people were pulled from the floodwaters on the news, and felt just a little bit helpless, itching to be on the “front lines.” After all, it is in your nature to help people. You wouldn’t be a nurse, otherwise.

There are ways for you to help, if you want to.

While in most cases, it may be too late to volunteer in the face of this particular natural disaster, as a medical professional with invaluable skills and expertise, your help will be needed in the future. There are multiple organizations you can register with to volunteer to support medical preparedness and response for future public health emergencies or disasters.

Emergency System for Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals

The Emergency System for Advanced Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals (ESAR-VHP) is a federal program that was created to support states in establishing volunteer programs for disasters and public health and medical emergencies. By registering with ESAR-VHP, your credentials and qualifications will be verified in advance, so you will be cleared to serve at a moment’s notice, wherever the next catastrophe strikes. Registration is free, and by registering, you are by no means obligated to help in any disaster—it solely gives you the ability to do so quickly, if you so choose. For more information or to register, please visit https://www.phe.gov/esarvhp/Pages/about.aspx.

The American Red Cross

In the event of a domestic or international disaster, the American Red Cross is quick to the scene, providing health and mental health support, as well as food and shelter, to those affected. On average, they respond to 64,000 disasters per year, and 90% of their humanitarian efforts are done by volunteers, including 15,000 nurses and nursing students. Licensed RNs, LPNs, LVNs, PAs, NPs, and APRNs are all in demand and are encouraged to volunteer. To learn more about the relief efforts of the American Red Cross, as well as their eligibility requirements, please visit https://www.redcross.org/volunteer/become-a-volunteer.html.

Medical Reserve Corps

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is comprised of volunteer medical and public health professionals, such as physicians, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and more, who assist with emergency medical response and public health initiatives. The MRC was formed after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when it became clear that medical professionals had no organized way to volunteer for emergency relief efforts and many were turned away, as a result. The MRC now exists due to the willingness of volunteer medical and public health professionals to serve their communities in times of need. To learn more and sign up to volunteer, please visit: https://mrc.hhs.gov/HomePage.

No matter which organization you choose to volunteer with, be it listed above or another, be sure to do your research to ensure sure you will be partnering with an organization that is a good fit for you. The American College of Emergency Physicians has compiled a list of questions all health professionals should ask and/or consider when joining a disaster relief agency, which can be viewed here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Primary Care Physician Salaries Up 10+% in 5 Years

New findings indicate the increase in compensation is, in part, due to the ongoing primary care physician shortage across the country.

Primary care physicians, which account for nearly a third of practicing physicians, are now seeing salaries more than 10% higher they were five years ago, outpacing the salary growth rate of specialists by nearly double.

The report, released by the Medical Management Association (MGMA), compared data collected from over 136,000 providers in more than 5,800 organizations, including physician-owned, academic and hospital practices. Findings indicate the current average total compensation for primary care physicians varies by state, with Washington, D.C. paying the least ($205,776) and Nevada paying the most ($309,431).

The report ties the increase in compensation, in part, to the ongoing primary care physician shortage.

“MGMA’s latest survey has put strong data behind a concerning trend we’ve seen in the American healthcare system for some time—we are experiencing a real shortage of primary care physicians,” Dr. Halee Fischer-Wright, MGMA’s President and CEO, is quoted as saying.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

First National Physician Suicide Awareness Day

The day places a priority on mental health awareness in an effort to allow physicians to better care for themselves and their patients

Today is the first ever National Physician Suicide Awareness Day. Founded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to suicide prevention, the day places a priority on mental health awareness in an effort to allow healthcare professionals to better care for themselves and their patients.

It has been found that, on average, one doctor per day will take their own life in the United States, making it the highest suicide rate of any profession and more than twice that of the general population. According to resources provided by the AFSP, suicide generally is caused by the convergence of multiple risk factors — the most common being untreated or inadequately managed mental health conditions.

Suicide is preventable. Help is possible. We encourage any physician that may be struggling with their mental health to seek help.

If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.

To learn more about National Physician Suicide Awareness Day, including facts, figures, and scores of resources for physicians, please visit afsp.org/physician.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Using Medical Survey Panels to Grow Your Clinical Income

Explore the benefits, as well as the downsides, of participating in medical market research survey panels as a way to supplement your income.

By Jordan G Roberts, PA-C

Taking medical surveys online seems like the ideal way to supplement your clinical income. The ability to work from home is very attractive, not to mention the freedom to participate only when you want. Plus, these surveys cover new developments in your area of expertise, so they don’t require a lot of extra brain-power.

In addition to showing you the seven best medical survey panels for clinicians, we will look into the benefits, as well as the downsides, of participating in these panels. I guess there really is nothing in this life that doesn’t have a catch.

Reasons NOT to join:

  • Uncertainty: You’ll never really know how much you’ll make from these panels. The volume of requests you’ll receive depends on the needs of the client and your own specialty and years of experience. They certainly won’t be replacing your full-time clinical income anytime soon
  • Taxes: You are responsible for your own taxes here, just like with any independent contractor set-up. For some, the supplemental income is not worth the headache at tax time.

Reasons to join:

  • Supplemental income: This is self-explanatory. It’s the reason you are here reading this article.
  • Shape the direction of industry: This is the lesser-known benefit of these panels. These companies are asking for your help and insight. Sure, they’ll use it to try to make a profit, but that’s why they are paying you for your service. Why not help out by pointing them in the right direction from the start?

Where can you sign up?

Read the entire article here to find links to the specific panels and join today.

Jordan G Roberts, PA-C helps medical education companies create and distribute the best medical education around. He helps students and clinicians improve their clinical game by using his background in neuroscience to teach simple ways to learn complex medical topics. He is a published researcher, national speaker, and medical writer. He can be found at Modern MedEd where he promotes clinical updates, medical writing, and medical education.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

44 Million Reasons to Expand Scope of Practice

13% of the population of the U.S. now lives in a county that is experiencing a primary care physician shortage. Advanced practitioners could very well be the answer.

Forty-four million Americans, or 13% of the total population, now live in a county in the United States that is undergoing a primary care physician shortage, according to a new report from UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation’s largest insurers.

When considering the findings of the report, entitled Addressing the Nation’s Primary Care Shortage: Advanced Practice Clinicians and Innovative Care Delivery Models, expanding scope of practice laws in the 28 states still restricting NPs from full practice authority is one clear answer to the shortage, which is only expected to get worse over time.

As cited in the report, the U.S. population is expected to increase 8%, from 328 million to 355 million, by 2030. Meanwhile, the number of primary care physicians is expected to only increase 6% from 288,000 to 306,000 by 2025, leaving a significant gap in care that could be filled by the scores of NPs practicing primary care, which will increase 47% from 204,000 to 299,000 during the same time.

By removing barriers to practice and allowing NPs to practice at the full capacity of their training and education, the report finds that the number of U.S. residents living in a county with a primary care shortage would decline 70%, from 44 million to less than 13 million.

To read the full findings of the report, please click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

New Guidances Issued to Promote Generic Drug Access and Drug Price Competition

The guidances issued today by the FDA are part of a larger initiative by the administration to increase patient access to high-quality generics.

By Lyndsay Meyer

“One of the key ways the FDA can increase patient access to high-quality generics is by providing guidance to encourage and foster development of these cost-saving medicines, especially when it comes to complex drugs that can be hard to copy,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “By explaining our current thinking and expectations on how to develop specific generic drug products that are therapeutically equivalent to the brand name drug products, we provide an efficient path for these products to receive regulatory approval to enter the market, especially when they don’t currently have any generic competition. Today, we’re releasing detailed guidance on recommendations regarding how to develop generic versions of 15 drugs that don’t currently face any generic competition. With this new batch of guidance documents, we’re not only providing recommendations for some new generic drugs, but the FDA is also modernizing some of its previously-issued guidance to make sure they reflect the most efficient path for developing generics.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced a new set of product-specific guidances to support industry in identifying appropriate science-based methodologies and evidence for developing generic drugs. The batch contains 54 product-specific guidances, including 42 new guidances and 12 revised guidances that, when finalized, will describe the FDA’s current thinking and expectations on how to develop generic drugs that are therapeutically equivalent to their respective reference-listed drugs.

Of the guidances issued today, 12 are new draft guidances and six are revised guidances for complex drug products, including 14 products that, to date, do not have generic competition.

The FDA believes that increased transparency on product-specific guidances gives manufacturers seeking to develop generic copies of medicines, including complex drugs, a better opportunity to efficiently allocate drug development resources. The agency aims to make sure that its policies and regulations – and scientific standards – keep pace with the evolving science around developing generic versions of these complex products so that patients have access to affordable medicines.

Greater access to high quality generic drugs is one way the FDA is working to improve competition and promote access to important medicines and advance the public health.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Healthcare Jobs Grow for the 95th Month in a Row

When it comes to jobs, the healthcare sector remains strong, accounting for 16.5% of the total jobs added in the U.S. in August.

The latest jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has been released, and the good news continues for the 95th straight month for the healthcare sector. Healthcare jobs have grown, yet again, adding 33,200 jobs in August, accounting for 16.5% of the total jobs added in the U.S. in August. A robust number all its own, the growth seen in August is downright staggering when compared to July’s 16,700 new jobs, of which it is nearly double.

Ambulatory healthcare services accounted for the most employment growth within healthcare last month, adding 21,100 jobs. Other notable gains included hospitals, which added 8,200 jobs in August, as well as nursing and residential care facilities, which accounted for an additional 3,900 jobs.

In total, healthcare employment has increased by 301,000 jobs over the year, according to the BLS.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.