Grace, ID March 14, 2012
Epstein LaRue is very thrilled to announce that Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2012, has been released by Star Publish, LLC (http://www.starpublishllc.com).

Since 2003, the Highway Hypodermics series has brought the most up-to-date information to traveling nurses, staffing recruiters, and travel nursing company executives.

This edition not only takes you down the path of finding a great travel company and an awesome assignment, but delves into the finer things of travel nursing, including steps to becoming a travel nurse for foreign trained nurses, traveling in an RV, traveling as an OT, PT, SLP, or LPN, homeschooling while traveling, independent contracting, and what the nursing license compact really means. New topics in this edition include new testing (PBDS & BKAT), standards groups (JCAHO & NATHO), and traveling with a pet, plus there are over forty new stories from other nurses.

Epstein met her husband online in 1996 using the nickname of Epi. Their story prompted her first book, Love At First Type: An Online Romance, which was published under the pen name of Epstein LaRue in January of 2001. Since then, she has published Crazy Thoughts of Passion (January 2003), Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map To Travel Nursing (January 2005), Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2007 (January 2007), Crazy Thoughts of an Online Romance (January 2008), and Highway Hypodermics: On The Road Again (January 2009).

Her travel nursing books have received top awards. The 2005 version was a finalist in the USABooksNews’ annual awards; the 2007 version reached Number One on Amazon’s best seller list in Nursing Trends, Issues, and Roles. The 2009 version was a winner in the USABookNews’ annual awards in 2010. This edition has been on the “Hot New Releases” for Nursing Reference on Amazon since it’s publication date.

Other recent accomplishments include having her article, “Top 10 Reasons To Love Travel Nursing” published in one of nursing’s most prestigious magazines, Nursing2004. She has also had several articles published in ORNurse2008 and ElectroPhysical Lab Digest. She was named as a Traveler of the Year by Healthcare Traveler magazine in December 2005, and in May 2007, her website, http://www.highwayhypodermics.com was featured on Dr. Phil.com.

Currently she is taking a break from traveling, and works full time at a critical access hospital. She keeps in touch with the growing field by constantly updating her travel nursing website, visiting travel nurse companies with a program on retaining nurses, and giving presentations at the yearly Traveling Medical Professionals Conference. “Highway Hypodermics” the website is her way of keeping traveling nurses updated about travel nursing happenings between the two or three years of publishing the book series.

For more information about travel nursing, visit her website at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com. Her author website can be found at http://www.epsteinlarue.com. Her books can be purchased from either website, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, or personally autographed version from the author. The eBook version is also available for Kindle, Nook, http://www.SmashWords.com and other major eBook formats.

Epstein Larue
Highway Hypodermics
208-580-9583
Email Information

April 16, 2012

Medical Solutions, a leading national healthcare staffing and travel nursing company has teamed up with Fibers.com, an innovative custom t-shirt website, and Scrubadoo.com, an online healthcare apparel retailer to launch the ‘3rd annual Nurses Week Humerus T-shirt Design Contest.’ Entrants are challenged to design their own t-shirts focused on the humor in nursing as part of the celebration for National Nurses Week

Entrants can submit as many designs as they like, using the extremely simple and user friendly design interface at Fibers.com or they can submit their own designs created by using any number of design programs. The winning designs will be chosen through a combination of a judging panel as well as an online voting system at Fibers.com. Entries are being accepted now through May 12th, 2012 at 11:59pm; registered users can vote for three total entries. Contestants are strongly encouraged to post their entries on as many social networking sites they may belong to, in hopes to get the most votes.

“We really enjoy making Nurses Week something special for our Traveling Nurses and Nurses everywhere, and this t-shirt design contest is definitely one of our favorite things we do to celebrate National Nurses Week,” said Craig Meier, Senior Vice President. “The whole point of our celebration is to bring a little fun to our Nurses who work so hard day in and day out. This year I think will be even better since we’re having the Nurses design the funniest t-shirt that represents their profession. I’m really looking forward to seeing all the great designs as they come in!

The three winning designers will have their t-shirt design available for purchase at Fibers.com while the grand prize winner receives and iPad 3, second place will receive an iPod Nano and third prize receives an iTunes gift card. All winners will also get vouchers to use at Scrubadoo.com and Fibers.com online stores and t-shirts of their winning design.

“We’ve had so much fun with the Nurses Week t-shirt design contests in the past we couldn’t wait to host this year’s contest,” said Melody Stone, Fibers.com marketing manager. “It’s always so exciting to see the entries start rolling in and everyone’s creativity and passion for Nursing.”

The ‘3rd Annual Nurses Week Humerus T-shirt Design Contest’ will run on Fibers.com from April 16th and ending on May 12th, the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing and the last day of National Nurses Week, which officially begins on May 6th.

For more information, including rules, about the Medical Solutions and Fibers.com ‘3rd Annual Nurses Week Humerus T-shirt Design Contest,’ please visit Medical Solutions 3rd Annual T-shirt Contest.

Grand Prize

iPad 3 – 16G – WiFi

$100 Voucher to Fibers.com

$100 Voucher to Scrubadoo.com

Three T-shirts printed with 1st place design ($90 value)

Second Prize

iPod Nano – 16G

$75 Voucher to Fibers.com

$50 Voucher to Scrubadoo.com

Two T-shirts printed of 2nd place design ($60 value)

Third Prize

$100 iTunes gift card

$50 Voucher to Fibers.com

$25 Voucher to Scrubadoo.com

One T-shirt of 3rd place design ($30 value)

About Medical Solutions, Inc.

Medical Solutions, Inc. was one of the first travel nurse and allied healthcare staffing companies to be certified by the Joint Commission and has been continuously certified since 2004. Its focus is on meeting the urgent and short-term staffing needs of its clients with highly skilled allied health professionals, nurses and technologists. A nationwide network of travelers allows Medical Solutions to help its client hospitals continue to provide excellent patient care amidst a nursing and allied health shortage. Medical Solutions has contracts with nearly 1100 client hospitals nationwide and is one of the fastest growing companies in the travel nursing and allied health industry. Visit MedicalSolutions.com to learn more.

“The second week of May has been set aside as a special time for expressing our appreciation to thousands of home healthcare clinicians and homecare providers who tirelessly care for millions of patients across the country,” stated Andy Carter, VNAA President and CEO. “We join Visiting Nurse Agencies across the country in saying thank you for the compassionate care provided by visiting nurses and home health providers.”

“Nonprofit Visiting Nurse Agencies treat patients where it matters most…in the home.  There is no better time than now to recognize their contributions to healthcare and to express appreciation for the service and added value they offer society and our healthcare system,” added Carter.

For more information on VNA Week, go to www.VNAWeek.org.

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About VNAA
The Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) is a national association that supports, promotes and advocates for community-based, nonprofit home health and hospice providers that care for all individuals regardless of complexity of condition or ability to pay. For more information on the VNAA go to: www.VNAA.org.

Many healthcare workers view their careers as more than just a job. But even the most motivated nurses can become bored with the daily routine and frustrated by hospital bureaucracy. Research from the Mayo Clinic advises individuals coping with stress-related job burn out to set new challenges for themselves. Successful strategies include improving job skills, taking on new projects, and breaking up the monotony by exploring new scenery, meeting new co-workers or volunteering for new assignments. Travel nursing jobs are an ideal way to accomplish just that, besides increased earning power.

“Travel nurses enjoy more time with family and friends, earn up to 20 percent more and receive free private housing and free first day health insurance,” said Vice President of Recruitment, Mark Kay Hull, for The Joint Commission certified American Traveler. “Travel nursing is an ideal profession for career nurses suffering from burnout.” [Travel nurse video].

While staffing trends at American Traveler show a significant increase in the number of travel nurses age 40 and up, travelers 55 and older comprise nearly ten percent of the travel nurse workforce. Pat, a Registered Nurse for 37 years and mother of six, says travel nursing has reignited her spirit.

“Travel nursing is a wonderful way to use your profession to see the country,” she says. “My kids tell me they’re glad the hippie finally came out of me and that I’m traveling and enjoying life to the fullest.”

Travel nursing jobs provide a unique opportunity to live in desirable locations and work in world renowned teaching hospitals. Travel nurses have a chance to really get to know their new locale and meet the people who live there. In addition, travel jobs enhance nursing skills by providing exposure to career-enhancing techniques and procedures. Travel nurses are highly regarded by co-workers due to their ability to quickly adapt and become valuable team members.

For more information regarding travel nursing jobs with American Traveler call 800-884-8788, view their travel nursing video, or apply online today.

About American Traveler:

From world-renowned university teaching hospitals to rural medical facilities, The Joint Commission certified American Traveler specializes in short-term, per diem, and permanent positions for RNs, Physical Therapists, RTs, STs, and other allied health professionals.

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Contact:
Diane C. Bok
800-884-8788
diane@americantraveler.com

BOCA RATON, FL (PRWeb), Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:30:01 EST -

“Employers are blending more experienced Travel Nurses with permanent workers in an effort to decrease expenses and improve patient care,” said Clinical Resource Manager, Deborah, Bacurin, RN, with American Traveler. A recent study published by professional services firm KPMG reveals how labor costs can be curbed by leveraging nurse travelers. Non-productivity costs are eating up nurse staff payroll, report analysts, and exhaustive time-to-fill rates are making the quality and immediate access of travel nurses attractive to hospitals. Facilities surveyed by KPMG reported an average 12 percent increase in nurse staffing costs in 2010. Most expect the trend to continue.”

The cost of hiring permanent nurse staff is trending upward. It now takes an average 37 days or seven work weeks to fill a permanent RN position and another 28 days for orientation and training, KPMG reported* last week. Though the ideal ratio of permanent nurses to travelers is 90:10, hospitals are planning to increase the use of supplemental labor as a means of filling critical RN jobs with travel nurses, boosting nurse quality and reducing nurse staffing costs. Healthcare employers report the rapid hire rates of travel nurses trim overall labor costs while saving organizations time and money.

Report findings attach a 22 percent non-productivity cost to the hiring of a full-time RN. Costs include recruiting, training, education, insurance and personal Internet use, all of which can be assuaged by contracting with travel nurses through a nurse staffing agency, said Corporate Clinical Resource Manager, Deborah Bacurin, RN, of travel nurse staffing agency American Traveler.

“These somewhat hidden costs are associated with on-boarding every full-time RN,” Bacurin said. “By supplementing permanent staff with traveling nurses, the cost of acquiring nurses is nearly eliminated and training and orientation is reduced from weeks to days.”

In contrast to new Registered Nurse hires that can consume up 233 training hours, travel nurses assimilate to new hospital environments quickly and orientation takes little more than a day or two. This potentially saves hospitals thousands of dollars a year when supplanting just one permanent RN with a traveling nurse.

Moreover, slow time to fill rates can drain a hiring budget, Bacurin said. With an average attrition rate of 14 percent among permanent staff and an impact of almost 65 work days on productivity related to unfilled positions; travel nurses close gaps in patient care quickly and provide a short and long-term solution to erratic supply and demand forces, nurse overtime and high nurse staff turnover. All factors contributing to rising labor costs.

“Shortly after contracting with American Traveler, client hospitals experienced up to a 60 percent improvement with rapid hires to fill the critical needs in RN jobs,” Bacurin said.

Though more than two-thirds of hospitals surveyed by KPMG employ travel nurses, most say cost isn’t the number one reason why they do. Nurse quality is.

“The knowledge and experience of a travel nurse is an asset to hospital employers,” said Bacurin. “They practice in multiple healthcare environments, think quickly on their feet and are more likely to possess knowledge of healthcare information technologies.”

Hospitals surveyed by KPMG reported using three to five healthcare staffing agencies to fill travel nurse jobs. Some indicated scaling back to one or two top performers in an effort to boost quality assurance.

“Nurse staffing agencies vary significantly in experience, size, resources, capabilities and scope of services. Joint Commission certified American Traveler has more than 25 years travel nurse staffing experience and places nurses in top hospitals and outpatient centers nationwide,” Bacurin said.

About American Traveler

The Joint Commissioned certified American Traveler staffs the most prestigious hospitals and outpatient facilities in the U.S. From world-renowned university teaching hospitals to rural medical facilities, American Traveler specializes in short-term travel nursing jobs, per diem, and permanent positions for RNs, Physical Therapists, RTs, STs, and other allied health professionals.
*Source  KPMG’s 2011 U.S. Hospital Nursing Labor Costs Study

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Contact
Diane C. Bok
800-884-8788
diane@americantraveler.com

[Newton, MA] – Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation announced today that it has been chosen as one of eleven foundations nationwide to receive funding from Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future (PIN). The program is a multi-year, multi-million dollar national investment in America’s nursing workforce to prepare them with the skills needed to serve an older and more diverse population.

Led by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Northwest Health Foundation, PIN invests in local partnerships that create innovative model projects that can be tested and, if successful, shared nationally. Now in its sixth year of funding, PIN leverages $14 million in grants by RWJF with more than $14 million in matching funding.

Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation (the Foundation) is a statewide nonprofit organization committed to promoting quality care for older adults and people with disabilities through research, innovation and education. As a founding member of the Western Massachusetts Nursing Collaborative, the Foundation forged local partnerships in the Pioneer Valley with nurse leaders and the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County to tackle the area’s nursing workforce needs.

The newly funded Care Transitions Education Project (CTEP) supports the recommendations of the recent Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, suggesting that nurses at all levels must actively engage in care transitions for patients and their families and lead quality improvement efforts. Care transitions, where patients are transferred from one care provider or care setting to another, have been associated with high rates of adverse patient outcomes and avoidable re-hospitalizations.

“The rapidly changing health care systems in Western Massachusetts demand that our nursing workforce gain the knowledge and experience necessary to fulfill new roles and responsibilities. This project will enable nurses to collaborate across care settings and lead system improvement efforts in partnership with physicians and other health professionals,” states Kelly L. Aiken, Director of Healthcare Workforce Initiatives at the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County and CTEP Project Director.

While Massachusetts leads the nation in providing universal access to health care insurance, the Commonwealth Fund ranks the state 33rd on avoidable hospital use and costs. “Over the past two years, Massachusetts skilled nursing facilities have been actively engaged in projects to reduce readmissions, and we have seen nurses in every setting rise to the top in these efforts,” said Carolyn Blanks, Mass Senior Care Foundation’s executive director. “Our project will create a standardized curriculum to prepare and empower working nurses and nursing students to be more effective care transition leaders.” The curriculum will be piloted in Western Massachusetts and then disseminated statewide.

The three year grant of $225,000 will be matched by regional and state funders, including Irene E. and George A. Davis Foundation, Commonwealth Corporation, the Healthcare Workforce Partnership of Western MA, the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County, the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation. “All health care is local, and nurses are the cornerstone of our health care system. We need solutions that address the challenges facing a changing health care system and that utilize local and regional experience,” said Judith Woodruff, J.D., Director of workforce development at the Northwest Health Foundation and program director for Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future. “With this partnership, Massachusetts is in the forefront of communities nationwide helping to create a well-prepared nursing workforce.”

For more information about Partners Investing in Nursing’s Future, visit
www.partnersinnursing.org.

For more information about the Massachusetts Senior Care Foundation and a full list of project
partners, visit www.maseniorcarefoundation.org.

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Nursing is a booming profession that is thriving despite the current economic crisis, fueled by a nursing shortage and rising demand for qualified nurses. To help students take advantage of the growing opportunities and find their nursing career specialty, All Nursing Schools offers a new in-depth look into eighteen different nursing specialties , featuring nursing career overviews, education, salary and career outlook information.

These nursing career overviews help students not only to decide their best nursing career fit, but also to choose the appropriate education path and select the best available school. For example, most nursing specialties require a registered nursing (RN) degree, but some require specific nursing expertise training, such as forensic nursing and neonatal nursing–careers that require specialized credentials and certifications.

The new career guide covers the following nursing career specialties:

acute care nursing
adult nursing
cardiovascular nursing
forensic nursing
geriatric nursing
home health nursing
infectious disease nursing
legal nurse consulting
neonatal nursing
nurse educating
nursing informatics
oncology nursing
parish nursing
pediatric nursing
public health nursing
psychiatric nursing
school nursing
women’s health nursing

Once students learn about these nursing careers, they can refer to All Nursing Schools’ comprehensive database to research and compare nursing schools, empowering them to find the best education choices for their chosen nursing specialties. Product Manager Herman Chiang comments: “Our nursing specialization articles are intended to help narrow the many choices and paths a nurse can take. Each nursing specialty has different educational and training requirements, and many offer diverse career lifestyles. As such, it’s really important for prospective nursing students to be aware of existing and emerging specializations to help them make the best career choice.”

Students can learn about each of these fascinating nursing professions by visiting All Nursing School’s Nursing School Education Resource Center.

About All Nursing Schools
All Nursing Schools is a comprehensive online publisher of accredited nursing degree programs and nursing career resources. Since 2001, All Nursing Schools has been helping match millions of highly qualified prospective students with the schools that best meet their educational needs. All Nursing Schools strives to be the finest resource available to prospective students and nurses, and is one of several unique Web sites owned by All Star Directories, Inc.

About All Star Directories
All Star Directories, Inc. is one of the Internet’s fastest growing publishers of online and career school directories, matching millions of highly qualified prospective students with the schools that best meet their education needs. Recently, Inc. Magazine ranked All Star among the fastest growing companies in the country, and the Puget Sound Business Journal has recognized the company as one of Washington State’s fastest growing companies for five consecutive years. From leading research institutions to fast-growing online and for-profit schools, nearly 6,000 featured schools trust All Star Directories as the authority in online student recruitment. The All Star network of sites focuses on a wide range of fields, including All Allied Health Schools, All Art Schools, All Business Schools, All Education Schools, All Psychology Schools, All Criminal Justice Schools, All Computer Schools and All Nursing Schools. Please visit http://www.allstardirectories.com or call 1-888-404-8043 for more information.

What began as a small bib overall company in 1922 Dickies has grown into the largest workwear manufacturer in the world. Featuring durable, rugged and comfortable work pants, shirts, coats, shorts and backpacks the Dickies brand has attained a loyal following among workers worldwide and now the high quality scrub line is available at Scribbidyscrubs.com.

Even with a lingering recession keeping many economies in a freeze the healthcare industries continue to grow and with it comes the need for flexible, breathable and fashionable medical uniforms and nursing scrubs. Nurses are in demand across the nation and as the profession continues to attract more applicants each year for schools, hospitals and care facilities, scrub uniforms are being bought in large numbers to outfit the tireless, compassionate staffs who tend to the sick and elderly.

In addition to the rapid growth of hospitals and emergency departments, experts predict that as the baby boomer generation nears retirement the need for nurses and healthcare facility staff will only increase. While debate still continues regarding universal healthcare coverage and insurance, there is no doubt that the American population is aging and with it comes the need for skilled and trained nursing professionals who can properly care for this segment of the population.

Just in time for the 2010 holiday season, Scribbidy Scrubs is proud to announce the addition of the famous Dickies brand to its stock of nursing scrubs. From stylish and colorful unisex v-neck tops and men’s raglan sleeve tops to utility scrub pants and 9-pocket drawstring pants Dickies has a full selection of affordable and fashionable discount medical uniforms to outfit hospital nurses, home care visiting nurses and managed healthcare facility staff.

Scribbidyscrubs.com is an independently owned and operated retail uniform business launched in 2006 to serve the medical industry with high quality medical scrub uniforms, footwear, stethoscopes and medical accessories both online and in its retail storefront locations. Scribbidyscrubs.com is also attracting popularity through its Facebook page that allows the company to reach out to a younger generation of nursing professionals.
Featuring a wide selection of name brand nursing scrubs including Cherokee and Baby Phat, Scribbidy Scrubs is now a trusted source for nurses, doctors, healthcare and emergency staff who need comfortable, durable and flexible medical uniforms that can handle the rigors of double shifts and intensive care trauma centers.

Press Release service provided by Keyword Performance, a leading Search Engine Optimization Company located in Wallingford, CT.

The 33-credit, three semester program is designed for nurses who have completed an associate degree in nursing and are licensed in the state of South Carolina. Students who complete the program will earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree from CCU and will be eligible to apply for graduate study in nursing.

“This was initiated as a collaborative project with HGTC in response to an urgent need in the region,” said Pat A. Bohannan, associate professor and director of nursing, who was hired in January to develop the program. “The hospitals want it, and the nurses want it.”

Classes begin in January 2011 with an expected enrollment of 20 to 30 students.

Already more than 50 prospective students have inquired about the program, nearly all of them graduates of the nursing program at HGTC. Saturday classes are planned to accommodate working nurses. Through a collaborative agreement, classes will be held in tihe Spier Building on HGTC’s Grand Strand campus.

The program has received approval from the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education and the Southern Association of College and Schools (SACS). National accreditation is being sought from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.

For more information on the program, call Bohannan at 843-349-4112 or e-mail her at pbohanna@coastal.edu.

Nov 12, 2010 – As part of the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board’s (WOCNCB(R)) mission to promote the highest standard of consumer care and safety, the WOCNCB announces its second annual scholarship to the 2011 Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI).

The scholarship is open to any current WOCNCB-certified nurse who is not currently serving on the WOCNCB board of directors.

“Health care reform has become of paramount importance to this board, our certificants and the entire nation,” says Diana Gallagher, MS, RN, CWOCN, CFCN and president of the WOCNCB board of directors. “By sponsoring a NIWI scholarship, we empower the scholarship winner to participate in important dialogs about patient care and healthcare reform.” The WOCNCB scholarship includes internship registration, travel to Washington, D.C., lodging expenses, and a stipend for meals.

The WOCNCB NIWI scholarship application process is open now and will conclude at 11:59 p.m. Central Time on December 20, 2010.  The application and more information are available at www.wocncb.org/NIWI.

The Nurse in Washington Internship is an annual project of the Nursing Organizations Alliance (www.nursing-alliance.org) designed to inform nurses about the legislative process. The 2011 program takes place March 13 through 15, 2011.

About the WOCNCB
The Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board is a professional organization dedicated to providing consumer safety and protection by offering credentialing in the areas of wound, ostomy, continence and foot care nursing to registered nurses who meet WOCNCB’s stringent qualifications and pass its certification examination. WOCNCB certified nurses provide quality care to patients in a variety of settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, and home healthcare. The WOCNCB has certified more than 6,000 Registered Nurses worldwide. The WOCNCB
is accredited  by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies and the Accreditation Board for Specialty Nursing Certification, formerly the accreditation committee of the American Board of Specialty Nursing (ABNS). For more information, contact the WOCNCB at (888) 496-2622, e-mail marketingmanager@wocncb.org, or visit www.wocncb.org.

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Since 1978, over 6,000 nurses have chosen to certify in wound, ostomy, continence (WOC) and foot care nursing through the WOCNCB. The WOCNCB credentials are recognized throughout the world as The Gold Standard for Certification(R) in WOC and foot care.