Is it Worth Pivoting Your Career to Travel Nursing?

As a professional working in the healthcare industry, there is no shortage of routes you can take as a medical worker. This is especially true for those in the nursing profession. For nurses, there is a multitude of advanced nursing careers you can pursue such as becoming a nurse educator or a privately practicing nurse practitioner. One nursing career that has begun to gain popularity is that of travel nursing.

Travel nurses enjoy a slew of benefits that make the role enticing and increasingly sought after. If you’ve found yourself wondering whether or not pursuing a career as a travel nurse is a good idea, you’re not alone.

Understanding the pros and cons of becoming a travel nurse can help you decide whether pursuing the role is right for you. Here are some key aspects of nursing that can help you determine if it’s worth pivoting your career to travel nursing.

What Is Travel Nursing and How Does it Work?

Before committing to changing the course of your career to become a travel nurse, it’s important to have a thorough understanding of what travel nursing is and how travel nursing works. In many ways, travel nurses’ function in the same way that their registered nurse counterparts do. They are both trained to do the same types of tasks in the same types of facilities.

What differentiates travel nurses from registered nurses is the fact that travel nurses do not live in the same area in which they work. Instead, travel nurses will travel to various locations to work in a facility for a certain period of time.

Travel nurses always work on a contractual basis with the facilities they travel to. Typically, these contracts will be for at least three months. During the duration a travel nurse works at a facility, they will not only be paid a salary but will also have their accommodation provided and be given a weekly stipend. In many cases, travel nurses will also be given a signing bonus for agreeing to a contract at a new facility.

While the traveling and compensation differ significantly between travel nurses and registered nurses, in terms of day-to-day duties, they function in the same capacity.

The Pros of Becoming a Travel Nurse

If you’re contemplating shifting gears and pursuing a career as a travel nurse, it can be useful to understand the benefits that come with the role. Having a clear understanding of the positive aspects of becoming a travel nurse can help make it easier to decide if pivoting into the new career is right for you. Here are some of the pros of becoming a travel nurse.

Higher Salaries

One of the biggest perks of being a travel nurse is the lucrative salaries that travel nurses can receive. On average, travel nurses make close to $20,000 more than their registered nurse counterparts. While this is an estimate for the average travel nurse, it must be kept in mind that the wages of travel nurses can vary widely.

In fact, some facilities are willing to pay travel nurses $10,000 a week during times when they are short-staffed. In addition, given that travel nurses have higher salaries, the overtime pay that they receive is far more substantial than their registered nurse counterparts.

More Autonomy

Travel nurses, unlike their registered nurse counterparts, have the freedom to choose which contracts they accept. This allows them to only have to work in locations and facilities where they feel comfortable working. Having this increased autonomy is a big draw that attracts many nurses to the profession of travel nursing.

Seeing New Places

For those who love to travel, becoming a travel nurse can be an amazing way to see new places. On top of having the opportunity to travel without it interfering with one’s work schedule, travel nurses typically have their travel and lodging expenses covered. As such, travel nurses have the opportunity to explore new places without having to foot the bill.

The Cons of Becoming a Travel Nurse

While there are many attractive aspects of being a travel nurse, it’s important to be aware of the negative aspects of the role as well. Before committing to pursuing the role, it’s important to be fully aware of the negative aspects that travel nurses must face. Here are the cons of becoming a travel nurse.

Having to Frequently Leave Home

While traveling can be exciting and enjoyable for some, for those with families, it can be quite difficult. Travel nurses are required to frequently leave home for months at a time in order to earn a living.

For those with families and other responsibilities that require them to stay in one place, being a travel nurse and constantly leaving home can cause an enormous amount of strain. This being the case, it’s important to be honest with yourself about whether the schedule of a travel nurse would be conducive to the time of life you envision yourself having in the future.

Not Being Able to Make Deep Bonds with Coworkers

While it is more than possible for travel workers to be on good terms with their coworkers, it is far harder for them to forge deeper bonds. While this isn’t a huge deal for some, for others this lack of deep workplace friendship can be incredibly taxing. As such, it’s important to understand that as a travel nurse, you wouldn’t be able to craft deep relationships with your coworkers.

Feeling Lonely

For travel nurses, spending time alone and away from friends and loved ones is a normal part of life. While some can handle being alone well, others can experience anxiety and feelings of depression as a result of it. If you find that being alone isn’t your strong suit, you may not be the type of person who would thrive as a travel nurse.

Pursuing Life as a Travel Nurse

Travel nurses are important medical professionals who help facilities function smoothly when they are short-staffed. While these professionals enjoy higher pay and more perks than their registered nurse counterparts, traveling is not for everyone and can take a toll on one’s personal life.

By having a deeper understanding of the role of a traveling nurse, you’re in a better position to weigh your options and decide whether or not becoming a travel nurse is right for you.

.With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.

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.

What It Takes to Be a Crisis Nurse

Nothing is quite right beneath the granite sky. Here, the remnants of a family home splashed onto the curb with utter indifference. There, a business, shuttered before the storm but now only barely standing anyway. Sirens flash. The wind licks up moodily, an eerie remnant perhaps, of the storm that passed through and just as quickly moved on to another place. The world looks as though it’s been put in a blender and spit out again.

This is the office of a crisis nurse, whose job has them going into the situations everyone else is fleeing from. Like Batman. Their job is to provide medical attention to communities impacted by disasters.

In this article, we look at what it takes to become a crisis nurse, and what the job entails.

 Background

The first step to becoming a crisis nurse is to receive the proper nursing education. Most RN certification programs take four years to complete and are part of a standard undergraduate curriculum. You can also apply for accelerated programs, which take place over the course of 12-18 months.

Naturally, these programs are very fast-paced. Because of how demanding they are, it can be very difficult to take them on while working a job or raising a family.

Once the educational requirements are satisfied and the testing and background verification procedures are complete you are eligible to begin acquiring professional nursing experience.

 Gaining Experience

The usual background requirement for becoming a crisis nurse is two years. While you can satisfy this requirement with any type of nursing experience, it’s a good idea to look for positions that will prepare you for providing emergency care.

This accomplishes several things. As a crisis nurse, you may find yourself working almost exclusively in emergencies. By logging lots of time in these scenarios, you can get a good idea if this career path is really right for you, while also developing valuable skills that can be applied directly to the new job.

Emergency experience will also help your resume stand out. The number of these positions available may be overshadowed by the number of applicants, so it’s good to accumulate a resume that stands out.

 Be Adaptable

It’s not so much that there aren’t many crisis nursing jobs in circulation. More that the number of local positions can vary tremendously. It’s a good idea to go into the job hunting process with an open mind, and a willingness to relocate for the position.

 A Traveling Job

Unless you happen to live someplace that naturally comes into contact with enough disasters to keep a healthcare professional busy three hundred or so days out of the year (Gothom City, perhaps) you’ll need to travel for this job.

The idea, of course, is to go into whatever community is being impacted by a disaster that is larger than the local healthcare system can handle on its own. For example, during hurricane seasons, crisis nurses may be hired in the aftermath of the storm to provide additional assistance to the community. When their time there is done, they move on to the next town.

Crisis nurses were also vital in responding to high-need areas during the height of the pandemic.

 A Dangerous Job?

Crisis nurses are typically working in the relatively controlled environment of a hospital. The position is not intended to be dangerous. However, there is always an element of risk to the nursing profession. Any emergency room nurse will be all too happy to share with you stories of overly aggressive patients, or belligerent visitors.

Crisis nurses are not supposed to come into contact with danger, but the capacity for risk is certainly there. During the height of Covid-19, for example, nurses specifically responding to the pandemic experienced a much higher risk of infection than those who were working on non-covid floors.

 An Emotionally Difficult Task

It is worth noting that working as a crisis nurse can be an emotionally challenging job. Most nurses at least run the risk of encountering difficult situations at work, but for crisis nurses, emotional challenges are baked right into the job description.

Crisis nurses should go into the job with the understanding that they will often be interacting with communities in their most desperate moments.

 Self-Care

Crisis nurses need to know how to take care of themselves just as well as they take care of their patients. Stress, anxiety, and even depression are common burdens experienced by people working in the medical profession. The job is difficult. The things you experience are often emotionally challenging.

People who don’t prioritize their mental and emotional health experience a significant risk of burnout. Practice self-care and be willing to speak up and advocate for yourself at home and at work.

 The Perks

There are benefits to being a crisis nurse that sweetens the pot for those considering this line of work. For one thing, the job tends to stay fresh. Rather than returning to the same floor of the same hospital day after day, you will be traveling to new places, always responding to the unique circumstances of the disaster that brought you there.

For many crisis nurses, this alone is an exciting way to break up the monotony of working life.
There is also the pay. According to ZipRecruiter, crisis nurses can expect to make up to $100,000, significantly higher than the average nursing salary.

 Conclusion

Crisis nursing is a difficult profession, not for the faint of heart. The right candidate will be ready and willing to regularly encounter desperate medical situations while working in recently devastated communities.

They will need to be able to travel often and adapt to changing circumstances at the drop of a hat. Perhaps most important of all, they need to know how to take care of themselves.

The work is difficult. The situations are long, hard, and often emotionally devastating. For the right candidate, however, crisis nursing is a great way to make a living while applying their trade in a way that literally saves lives

.With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.

 

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.

Join the Nutrition Revolution: 4 Reasons for Getting an Advanced Degree in Nutrition

By Christina Meyer-Jax, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT, RYT

As we understand more and more about the critical relationship between food choices and individual health, the field of nutrition continues to expand. If you’re a healthcare professional, this also makes it an exciting time to strengthen your credentials with an advanced degree in nutrition. 

Registered dietitians, registered nurses, chiropractors, medical doctors, and other healthcare practitioners can all benefit from an advanced degree in nutrition.  

I’ve been a professional in the field of nutrition for 25 years. I’m also the chair for the Master of Health Science in Functional and Integrative Nutrition program at Northwestern Health Sciences University. In the following, I’ll describe four reasons for attaining an advanced degree in nutrition. 

1. Create New Directions for Your Career 

Are you content in your current professional role? Are you looking for a possible change? 

Depending on your education, credentials, and profession, as well as the state in which you practice, gaining an advanced degree in nutrition could open up avenues like the following. 

Do any of these fit with your professional ambitions?

Healthcare. Possibilities include being a health coach or having a nutrition-based clinical practice within a concierge or boutique clinic, medical center, hospital, chiropractic office, long-term care facility, or other clinical care setting.

Wellness. Examples include health coaching in fitness centers or wellness retreats. There’s also the possibility of being a nutrition expert in the natural products or dietary supplements industries.

Public health, policy, and organizational leadership. Your nutrition credentials can create opportunities in research and development, community health and wellness education programs, and corporate employee wellness programs.

Food-related industry. There are numerous potential roles for people with nutrition expertise in the food and beverage industry, the restaurant industry, culinary institutes, and corporate food service establishments.

Higher education. With that advanced degree in nutrition, you could also pursue teaching positions in higher education as well as the expanding opportunities for doctoral-level studies in nutrition-related areas. 

2. Strengthen Your Current Practice to Be a More Effective Practitioner

For some healthcare practitioners, an advanced degree in nutrition can empower them to add nutrition-based care to their scope of practice. 

More people today are consciously seeking alternatives to prescription drugs and invasive medical procedures. 

Healthcare professionals with nutrition expertise can help people identify possible ways to address health problems — or prevent them — through diet. 

Plus, you could also gain a new segment of clients or patients with your added expertise.

3. Deepen Your Expertise with the Latest Evidence-Based Approaches to Nutrition

Are you already a practicing dietitian with an undergraduate in nutrition? With an advanced degree, you can add valuable knowledge to what you learned in college. More specifically, you can gain insights that improve your ability to implement personalized nutritional interventions and recommendations.  

This is especially true if the advanced degree you attain emphasizes functional nutrition. Functional nutrition represents a progressive, highly individualized approach to improving people’s health and wellness through diet. 

Practitioners of functional nutrition see food as medicine. They bring an evidence-based perspective to how specific dietary choices can alleviate current health issues, prevent others, and enhance overall health.

4. Stay More Competitive in the Job Market 

According to the Commission on Dietetic Registration, “Effective January 1, 2024, the minimum degree requirement for eligibility to take the registration examination for dietitians will change from a bachelor’s degree to a graduate degree.”

If you’re currently a registered dietician, yes, you’ll be exempted from the new requirement. 

However, earning an advanced degree in nutrition can help strengthen your qualifications and make you a more attractive job candidate. This is an important factor as nutrition-related positions grow more competitive and employers state that a master’s degree is “preferred” or in some cases “required.” 

There’s also the fact that earning an advanced degree in nutrition can increase your earning potential and enable you to be more effective as a nutrition-based healthcare practitioner (see No. 3).

Take the next step and start exploring graduate programs in nutrition

If you’d like to make a positive change in your current role as a healthcare professional, you now can see how an advanced degree in nutrition could help.  

Do any of the reasons above resonate with you?  If so, then I suggest you take the next step and start exploring graduate programs in nutrition. 

____________________________________________________________________________

Christina Meyer-Jax, MS, RDN, LDN, CLT, RYT, is a passionate believer that good food matters for everyone. She is the Program Chair for the Master of Health Science in Functional and Integrative Nutrition at Northwestern Health Sciences University.

 

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 Healthcare Professionals Can Deconstruct Mental Health Stigmas

Mental health concerns have become more normalized and accepted over the years, but stigmas surrounding mental illnesses remain a barrier to accessing quality care. Despite the process our society has made, many patients and providers are still uncomfortable discussing mental health struggles, which affects the outcomes of their treatment. Without a complete understanding of your patient’s overall wellness, it’s difficult to provide the best assistance and referrals possible.

Eliminating many of the challenges in healthcare starts with deconstructing mental health stigmas. In this article, we’ll discuss four ways that healthcare providers can express empathy and encourage more discussion surrounding mental health to provide better care.

Educate Providers About Mental Illnesses

Mental health concerns aren’t always caused by factors your patient can control. For example, your environment — which people of most income levels can’t easily control — can greatly influence your mental well-being. People who live in food deserts, which are communities with limited access to nutritious and affordable foods, are more likely to experience chronic illnesses that lead to a high risk for depression. Not knowing when or where you are going to get your next meal can also increase the likelihood of chronic anxiety.

As a healthcare professional, it’s important for you to understand common factors that can affect a patient’s mental health — including living environments and chemical imbalances in the brain — and encourage your peers to learn more, too. While your practice may focus on physical health, you can consider taking supplementary education courses that boost your understanding of mental illnesses, how it affects the body, and how they can occur or worsen.

Encourage Patients to Open Up About Their Mental Health

Because of the stigmas associated with mental health, patients often don’t bring up their mental health struggles to healthcare professionals from the start. For example, deteriorating teeth may appear to be the result of laziness, when the root cause of their poor maintenance may be depression. Great healthcare providers identify potential signs of mental illness and encourage patients to open up about their struggles.

Getting patients to discuss their mental health requires plenty of trust. Put your empathy on display — perhaps by explaining how you understand the difficulties of self-care when facing struggles in life — and show that your office is a place where your patients won’t be judged. You can even offer examples of how you’ve helped patients work through their physical illnesses by understanding their mental health in the past (keeping their identities anonymous, of course).

Support Self-Compassion

When patients are going through something difficult, self-compassion can go a long way in improving mental and physical health. Studies have shown that higher levels of self-compassion correspond to less depression, anxiety, and shame in those with chronic illnesses. Plus, it can lead to measurable improvements in their blood sugar levels and other indicators of physical health.

As your patients start to open up to you about their mental health, it’s important to practice active listening and offer assistance when needed. Provide examples of how they can practice self-compassion — for instance, by letting oneself rest instead of work when experiencing pain. You can also offer tips for building a lifestyle that supports physical and mental health, like developing an exercise routine and increasing Vitamin B and C intake. Make sure you show encouragement, rather than judgment, if your patient initially fails to improve their lifestyle.

Of course, healthcare providers aren’t always qualified to deal with serious cases of mental illness. Don’t be afraid to offer referrals to mental health specialists for patients who can greatly benefit from the support of psychotherapy and other professional treatments.

Recognize How Mental Health Affects Providers

Patients aren’t the only people who face mental health struggles in their lives. More physicians die by suicide than people in any other profession. When healthcare teams begin to show symptoms of depression, burnout, and other mental health concerns, it can lead to greater nursing shortages and a lack of empathy in care. Naturally, deconstructing mental health stigmas for patients starts with caring for the healthcare professionals on your team.

While healthcare professionals may feel the need to emotionally remove themselves from their careers — in which many regularly hear difficult stories or even witness death — it’s important to create a culture of care on your team. Be there for your peers and employees, and encourage them to express their needs to keep their mental health in tip-top shape.

Combat the Stigmas Facing Mental Health

Mental illness isn’t something to be ashamed of. The more healthcare providers build their understanding of mental health and the factors involved in it, the better they can encourage their patients to discuss the big picture of their well-being. Put your empathy on display and encourage self-compassion and positive lifestyle changes in patients to provide more well-rounded and high-quality care — and don’t forget to check in on your colleagues along the way.

Image Source: Unsplash

      Katie Brenneman is a passionate writer specializing in lifestyle, mental health, activism-related content. When she isn’t writing, you can find her with her nose buried in a book or hiking with her dog, Charlie. To connect with Katie, you can follow her on Twitter. 

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 to Run a Family Pharmacy

Opening a pharmacy is a complex and challenging process, but it can be extremely rewarding. Not only will you be able to serve your community and help people in need, but you’ll also be able to build a business that can be passed down from generation to generation. Here are some of the key considerations for opening and running a family pharmacy.

Location is Key

When choosing a location for your pharmacy, you’ll want to consider the demographics of the surrounding area. Are there a lot of families? What is the median income? What is the healthcare infrastructure like? These are all important factors to consider, as they will impact your business in a variety of ways.

The Right Licenses and Permits

Before you can open your doors, you’ll need to make sure that you have all of the necessary licenses and permits in place. Depending on your state, this process can be fairly complex. You might want to consider working with an experienced attorney to ensure that everything is in order. Before you start investing, you need to make sure you understand all that is involved in this process.   

Good Suppliers
In order to run a successful pharmacy, you’ll need to find reliable suppliers for all of your pharmaceutical needs. This can be a challenge, as there are many variables to consider (cost, quality, delivery time, etc.). However, it’s essential that you take the time to find suppliers who can meet your needs and who you can build a long-term relationship with. You can find suppliers online, like RxRise, which can provide details on their inventory.

A Strong Marketing Plan

Marketing is one of the most important aspects of running a successful family pharmacy. You’ll need to find creative ways to reach your target audience and let them know about your business. Traditional marketing methods (such as print ads and direct mail) can be effective, but don’t forget about digital marketing tactics as well (such as social media marketing and email marketing). Consider offering discounts and sales to draw new customers to your pharmacy. 

Opening and running a family pharmacy can be a complex and challenging process, but it can also be extremely rewarding. By following the tips outlined in this blog post, you can set yourself up for success! Make sure to have a good location, proper permits, trustworthy suppliers, and a strong marketing plan. With these in place, you can’t go wrong! 

Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her three-year-old husky, Snowball. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @LizzieWeakley; https://www.facebook.com/lizzie.weakley

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.

The Intricacies of Kickstarting Your Independent Nursing Practice

Establishing your own business — particularly in the field of medicine is at once an exciting and fear-inducing proposition. You want to serve the community with your knowledge and expertise. But you’re also nervous.

Without a hospital, all the cost, all the risk, and all of the uncertainty fall solely on your shoulders. In this article, we take a look at all of the intricacies of kickstarting your independent nursing practice.

Policy Restrictions

While nurse practitioners receive much of the same training that family medicine doctors do, they are held back legislatively in many parts of the country. Though not the case everywhere, some states prohibit nurse practitioners from issuing prescriptions and diagnoses without the supervision of a licensed doctor. 

Naturally, this can make it very difficult to run an independent practice. Before you get too far into your entrepreneurial journey, survey the local laws. If they favor you, great. If not, you may consider finding a state that is more nurse practitioner friendly. 

Legal Accountability

Before you kickstart a medical practice, it’s important to keep in mind that doing so will open you up to a degree of legal accountability. The United States has staggeringly high levels of civil action relating to medical treatment. 

If a patient decides that your behavior resulted in a negative healthcare outcome, you could be held financially responsible. You may subvert this risk with specialized business insurance. However, even in the best of circumstances lawsuits are a stressful and unpleasant experience. 

When something goes poorly in the hospital setting it is usually the hospital that will assume the financial and reputational repercussions. When you’re out on your own, there is no such support.

Of course, this shouldn’t be a dealbreaker for the ambitious nurse practitioner. It is, however, something to be aware of. 

Securing Infrastructure

To launch a successful practice you will need a building out of which to operate. Your office building will require patient rooms, a reception area, a waiting room, and enough space for basic medical equipment. Locating all of these infrastructural requirements can be a bit of a challenge. The easiest option may be to take over the practice of a retiring doctor or nurse practitioner. 

Not only will this give you all the infrastructure you require, but it may also set you up with a reliable roster of patients. Short of this, you will just need to bide your time and be willing to take on a building that could require extensive renovation. 

Consider the Cost

The cost of starting a medical practice is estimated to fall between $70 — 100,000. This figure accounts for the cost of procuring a building, the necessary supplies, and any licensing fees you might incur. Your startup costs will also need to cover at least a small staff — someone to answer the phones, schedule appointments, take care of billing, etc. 

Much of this cost can be covered by a small business loan. However, you will probably need at least some startup cash to get the ball rolling. 

The psychology of Entrepreneurship

Since we just discussed all of the hardships that come with starting your own business, it should be no surprise that there is a strong association between entrepreneurship and anxiety. Some of this anxiety is reasonable and even productive. A significant amount of time, effort, and money are on the line. By appreciating the gravity of the situation, you increase your chances of making decisions that will lead to success down the road. 

Some of the anxiety isn’t so reasonable. Imposter syndrome is a condition common to entrepreneurship, but particularly prevalent in people working within the field of medicine. 

People experiencing imposter syndrome are essentially plagued with the feeling that they aren’t qualified to do their job. Everyone around them belongs where they are, while the sufferer themselves has arrived there by accident. 

No amount of training or education is enough to completely lift someone out of imposter syndrome. The condition is usually relieved by mindfulness activities. Review:

  • You are a vetted and certified professional. One cannot become a nurse practitioner without rigorous training and education. You have completed these qualifications. 
  • Business will come your way. You are a talented professional. People want to receive healthcare from talented professionals. 
  • The fear you experience is normal. Every new physician feels uncertain and underqualified. 

It’s also important to avoid making unjust comparisons. If you take an established nurse practitioner as your baseline for success, you will inevitably fall short. Try to make personal comparisons instead. You know more today than you did yesterday.

When in doubt, talk to people who are in a similar position. By speaking with other nurse practitioners, you will surely learn that they have had the same experiences of anxiety as you. 

With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Her expertise in scaling and identifying ways tech can improve the lives of others has led Sarah to be a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry, wearable technology and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.

 
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.

Therapists Among the Top 10 Highest Paid Healthcare Pros

Ask most people what the highest paying career in healthcare is and the most likely response will be physician. That’s the right response. Physicians have traditionally been the highest paid in the healthcare industry. But in the most recent MedPage Today list of top ten highest paying healthcare gigs, there are some surprises. For instance, the last two positions on that list go to therapists.

Physical therapists come in at number ten while radiation therapists take the number nine position. Both types of therapy are widely utilized throughout American healthcare to help patients dealing with a variety of health problems. If you were looking to get into healthcare but didn’t want to go the doctor or nurse route, therapy would certainly be an option.

Physical Therapists

Getting back to the MedPage Today list, physical therapists round out the top ten list with an average salary of $91,000 annually. Based on a standard 40-hour work week, physical therapists make about $44 per hour. That’s not bad.

Physical therapists help patients improve their overall health and quality of life by improving mobility, managing pain, and strengthening muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They treat patients suffering from chronic conditions and illnesses. They also help patients recover from injuries and surgeries.

Radiation Therapists

The radiation therapy career is not as well-known. Radiation therapists work alongside oncologists and other members of a patient’s healthcare team to treat cancer. It is the radiation therapist who operates radiation treatment equipment.

This is a highly skilled position that demands appropriate education and training. Radiation therapists work at hospitals or independent cancer treatment clinics, earning a salary of $94,000 annually. They make about $45 per hour based on a 40-hour work week.

If you are in one of these positions, none of this information is new. You are well acquainted with physical and radiation therapists. You also know that the demand for their services is never-ending. The question is this where will you find your next opportunity?

It Starts with the Search

Whether you are looking to change employers or get an extra gig, it all starts with the job search. As we say time and again, our organization can help you find what you are looking for. Healthjobsnationwide.com, presently, has 9k therapist jobs on the site.

Worth the Money

Physical and radiation therapists take the final two spots on the MedPage Today list of the top ten highest paid healthcare professions. They make good money, and they are worth every penny. The same goes for occupational therapists, speech therapists, and so forth.

The employers on our job board know the value of a highly skilled therapists. We know the value of quality jobs. We want to help. Check us out and see. 

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.

8 Reasons for Pursuing a Radiation Therapist Career

By Jessica Donahue, R.T. (R) (T) (ARRT)

Radiation therapists play a critical role in cancer treatment by administering radiation to specific areas of a patient’s body. But more than that, they can enjoy an incredibly rewarding career in healthcare.

I’ve been in the radiation therapy community for more than 20 years and have had the privilege of teaching hundreds of students to become radiation therapists. I’m also chair of the Radiation Therapy Degree Program at Northwestern Health Sciences University. In the following, I’d like to share insights on why you should consider this profession.

1. Become a highly valued healthcare professional within a shorter amount of time

If you’re concerned about the amount of education (and money) it can take to become a healthcare professional, radiation therapy could be an excellent career choice. 

In fact, BusinessInsider.com has radiation therapist on its list of the highest paying jobs not requiring a bachelor’s degree. (Also, U.S. News & World Report puts the profession on two of its Best Jobs lists.)

Depending on the education option you choose — and on your current education level — becoming a radiation therapist can take somewhere between one and four years. 

Here are four possible paths to becoming a radiation therapist:

  • If you’ve already graduated from an associate degree program in the related field of radiologic technology, you can complete a certificate program in radiation therapy in about a year.
  • If you already have a bachelor’s degree in any subject, you may be able to complete a certificate program in radiation therapy in about a year.
  • There are also bachelor degree programs specifically in radiation therapy, which will typically take at least four years to finish.

(See How to Become a Radiation Therapist for more information.)

2. Join a healthcare profession with a promising future

The need for radiation therapists won’t be disappearing anytime soon. For example, cancer risk generally goes up with age. And as the current Baby Boomer generation ages, there will likely be an increased demand for radiation therapists. 

Along with an aging population, this increased demand can also be attributed to improved cancer detection methods and evolving treatments that require a radiation therapist’s expertise.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates a positive growth rate (6%) for the radiation therapist profession over the next decade.

3. Enjoy a great work schedule 

The typical work schedule for radiation therapists is an attractive feature of the profession. You usually work in healthcare facilities that operate during daytime hours, Monday through Friday. That also means you usually have weekends, evenings, and holidays off. 

This aspect of the profession makes it an especially good career choice for parents trying to accommodate the needs of their family.

Note that radiation therapists are often needed for full- and part-time positions as well as for traveling therapist positions.

4. Choose a professional path with lots of flexibility

Career flexibility is another appealing feature of this profession. Once you finish a radiation therapy program and take the steps to become registered as a radiation therapist, you’ve completed what the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) calls a “primary eligibility pathway.”

If you’d like, you can then expand your knowledge and credentials through the ARRT’s “postprimary pathways,” which allow you to gain additional certifications in medical imaging procedures like the following:

  • Bone densitometry
  • Computed tomography (CT)
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Vascular sonography

And with more qualifications, you can become a more competitive job candidate, have more control over your career direction, and potentially earn more income. 

It’s also worth noting that a background in radiation therapy can also be a valuable foundation for pursuing options such as:

  • Medical device sales and training 
  • Healthcare management roles (which may require a minimum of a bachelor’s degree)
  • Other healthcare professions such as a physician assistant (which would require a professional degree)
  • Directly related professions such as a medical dosimetrist (which would require a professional degree)

6. Make a deeper connection with your patients

Depending on the treatment plan and the nature of the cancer, a patient typically receives radiation treatment five days a week for several weeks in a row. Because of this, radiation therapists are able to become much closer with patients compared to other healthcare professions, and even compared to other members of the cancer treatment team. 

The familiarity you can develop with patients involves more than just delivering treatment. You’re in a position to listen, show compassion, and offer emotional support. You’re often getting to know family members as well.

For many radiation therapists, the daily patient interaction is the single biggest reason why they love their work.

Then there’s the general rhythm of each day. You stay busy and focused with a steady stream of daily patients.

7. Be part of a multidisciplinary cancer treatment team

If you engage with individuals easily and enjoy the atmosphere of being part of a team, then you should definitely explore the field of radiation therapy. 

As a radiation therapist, you work with other team members, prepare patients for their treatments, practice safe protocols by working in pairs, and interact with additional department staff such as nurses, dosimetrists, nutritionists, and radiation oncologists.

Then, of course, there are the patients you have the privilege of helping every day.

8. Work with advanced technology in an environment that fits with your preferences

As a radiation therapist, you’ll be on the front lines of cancer treatment as you work daily with cutting-edge medical technology. And as that technology advances, it also creates opportunities for you to continually learn something new. 

In fact, you’ll have opportunities for life-long learning with continuing education courses through meetings, hands-on training, and directed readings provided through the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. 

Make the next move and start exploring programs

In a relatively short amount of time, you could be delivering potentially life-saving treatment and enjoying an extremely rewarding career. Could joining the profession of radiation therapy be right for you?  

If you’re intrigued by the information you’ve just read, I recommend that you take the next important step and start exploring radiation therapy programs today! 

Jessica Donahue, B.S. R.T. (R) (T) (ARRT) is an experienced radiation therapist and is also Program Chair for the Radiation Therapy Degree Program at Northwestern Health Sciences University. 

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.

When Bureaucracy Prevents Nurses from Working – It’s Not Pretty

America’s nursing shortage is so profound that one would think recent graduates could start in their new registered nurse jobs the day after graduation. But that is not how it works. Thanks to bureaucracy, graduates in some states need to wait weeks – or even months – before they can start working.

Bureaucratic delays are both unnecessary and illogical. But they are commonplace in any industry that requires workers to be licensed. From nursing to cosmetology and selling real estate, bureaucracy fouls everything up. The strange thing when it comes to nursing is that bureaucrats have not learned their lesson. How much worse does the nursing shortage have to get before something changes?

Waiting Months for a Permit

The Erie Times-News recently told the story of a nursing school graduate who was already working for a local hospital at the time she finished her education. She was employed as a patient care technician. Ready to begin working as a registered nurse, she only needed a temporary state permit to get her through until she passed the nursing boards and got a permanent license.

Getting a permit should be simple enough, right? Not in Pennsylvania. This particular young lady waited for months and still didn’t get it. And she is not alone. Both Pennsylvania’s Department of State and nursing board are overwhelmed with permit and license applications. They have processed some 4,800 applications since April 2022. The Department of State operates on a staff of just twenty.

You cannot fault state workers themselves. The system is not designed for efficiency. Rather, it is designed to be slow and tedious. The fact that aspiring nurses even need to make application is proof of that.

Licensing Is Largely Meaningless

What is so frustrating about this sort of thing is that licensing is largely meaningless. While hospitals and clinics are desperate to fill growing numbers of open registered nurse jobs, permit and license applications languish on government desks. Yet a license is little more than a piece of paper a nurse needs to pay to get. It doesn’t do anything.

A licensed nurse has undergone years of education and training. They have put in clinical hours. By the time they have earned their degree and finished their clinical rotations, they are ready to begin caring for patients. Obtaining a state license doesn’t make them a better nurse. It does not improve the quality of care they provide.

The Bureaucracy Persists

One of the hospitals the Erie Times-News spoke to told them they had plans to start four dozen new nurses in mid-July. When the time came, they could only start twenty. The remaining eighteen were waiting on licenses or scores from the nursing board. The hospital is looking at some of them not being available for another month.

The bureaucracy persists even in the face of desperate need. Meanwhile, the bureaucrats and politicians continue to promote licensing and accreditation as a way to guarantee only properly trained people can enter the nursing profession. But isn’t that what a college education is for?

Incidentally, bureaucratic licensing and accreditation are becoming increasingly more prevalent in the American workplace. It is getting to be that some states will not allow people to do anything without being licensed. And why? Is it about money? Is it about control?

There are few answers to the question of why. There is also a very little hope that the bureaucracy will go away. The one thing we can say for sure is that registered nurse jobs are available in spades. If you are looking for a career with an insatiable demand for workers, try nursing.

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.

What Are Informatics Nurses & How Will They Shape the Future of Healthcare?

The healthcare system has access to more data than ever before. Thanks to wearable health technology and digital patient records, it is very easy to receive granular insights both into induvial patients’ health and wellness and the well-being of entire communities. 

Hospitals have the tech, but many lack the ability to process and interpret the information they are getting. Informatics nurses can change this. 

In this article, we look at how informatics nurses will shape the future of health care. 

What Are Informatics Nurses?

Informatics is the study of computational systems that are designed to store, manage and process data. It is a broad discipline used in industries across the business sector. In healthcare, informatics are used to observe trends and recognize patterns, both as they relate to individuals, and communities at large. 

In the world of healthcare, data has recently become more important than ever. The desire for data implementation is there, but the skill set to take advantage of it may not be in many places. Informatics nurses have been educated to handle data, AI, and other technologies that are key modern medicine. They are there to bridge the skill gap, allowing hospitals and healthcare systems to reap the full benefits of data processing and implementation.

Bridging disciplines

Historically, nurses have met their patient’s needs with a combination of compassion and medical understanding. These qualities still have their role in the healthcare system, but they don’t necessarily naturally include more modern healthcare skill sets such as technological fluency and data comprehension. 

Informatic nurses bridge the skill gap between healthcare practices of the past and future. Currently, many healthcare systems across the country are handicapped by staff that were educated well before modern data analysis principles even existed. They don’t have the background knowledge, nor the availability to learn new skills that would be required to take full advantage of healthcare data processing. 

By hiring informatics nurses, healthcare systems can provide their patients with the best of all worlds, giving them high-quality care that is backed up by sophisticated data sets. 

Better Patient Outcomes

Data improves patient outcomes by allowing physicians to take a granular look at the individual’s information, and then cross-reference it with information from people in their demographic. 

Instead of looking simply at a patient’s height, weight, and age, informatics nurses will be able to examine health trends based on more specific considerations, like heart rate, blood pressure, and more. 

Better intel breeds better outcomes. Data interpretation can help care providers select the course of treatment most likely to produce success for the individual being cared for. 

Treating Hard-to-Reach Patients

Data can also improve care for people who might otherwise find it difficult to access the healthcare system. Rural communities are often a good example of this. Several towns may share one hospital, putting some people many miles away from high-quality care. 

While these people may not be able to get to the doctor’s office routinely, they can still produce important health data through wearables. Infomatic nurses can then access this information remotely, monitoring patients’ health even from a great distance. 

This means patients’ can receive lifestyle recommendations without ever going to the doctor. They may even be able to catch health conditions early, despite their limited access to conventional medicine. 

With a Bachelor’s in Health Science along with an MBA, Sarah Daren has a wealth of knowledge within both the health and business sectors. Sarah has been a consultant for a number of startup businesses, most prominently in the wellness industry and health education. She implements her health knowledge into every aspect of her life with a focus on making America a healthier and safer place for future generations to come.

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.