Travel Nurse Jobs Blog » Government

Nurses Could be the Key to a Winning Health Care System

twecker — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 20:18:26 +0000

The health care system in the United States has long been scrutinized for its lack of efficiency, patient access and overall equality. Even though the people of America spend much more than any other country on health care, they are not happy with their outcomes.

The Commonwealth Fund analyzes and compares the health systems of seven industrialized countries each year. Theses countries include Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. For the years of 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2010, the US came last in the rankings.

So what is different between the US and the other industrialized countries that ranked higher on this list regarding patient’s satisfaction? For one, these countries use more information technology to properly diagnose and treat patient’s symptoms. These countries also focus on a stronger relationship between the patient and a medical home base.

According to the New York Times, one particular insurance company has even tried to cut costs by hiring nurses as they felt it is the nurse’s job to keep the patients out of the hospital. Their plan seems to have been working as hospital admissions have dropped 18 percent. Nurses may just be the ticket to a winning Health Care system.

Sources: Jennifer Fink, RN, BSN | Scrubs Magazine, www.commonwealthfund.org, www.nytimes.com

Obama Awards $159.1 Million in Grants for Nurses

stephgay — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:51:41 +0000

The Obama Administration awarded $159.1 million in grants to schools for the training of nurses and geriatric specialists. These grants have been put into place to address the continuing shortage of primary care workers. The council on Physician and Nurse Supply did a 2008 report in which they stated that 30,000 nurses would need to graduate each year in order to offset the shortfall. The $159.1 million breaks down into the following:

$106 million for nursing education (including $42 million for primary-care providers and/or nursing faculty training)
$29.5 million to fund three geriatric education and training programs
$23.6 million to support Centers of Excellence programs designed to improve the recruitment of minority students preparing for careers in healthcare

A few states will receive additional funding, such as Minnesota that will receive $2 million as part of the grant package. Nine different Minnesota schools will be splitting that money for training and retention. Oklahoma will also be granted $2.1 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com, kaiserhealthnews.org

Healthcare and the Economy

twecker — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:20:21 +0000

On Thursday, President Barack Obama rallied House Democrats around the healthcare bill and an economy that he says will improve as they head into a midterm election campaign.

Obama said that the legislation Congress passed since he became president is moving the economy forward and that Republican opposition to the healthcare bill will buoy Democrats in November.

“Let me tell you something, if Republicans want to campaign against something by standing up for the status quo and for insurance companies over families and businesses, that is a fight I want to have,” Obama said.

“If their best idea is to return to the bad policies and the bad ideas of yesterday, they are going to lose that argument,” he added.

Obama spoke before the entire House Democratic Caucus in the Capitol as part of the Democrats’ jobs summit. The president and the caucus’s leaders said that the economy is in better shape than it was when Obama took office almost exactly a year ago, and that they’ll take more steps to create jobs with the unemployment rate now at 9.7 percent.

“Thanks to what you did, we can say now what we could not say a year ago,” Obama said. “America is moving forward again.”

The president’s speech launched several salvos at Republicans that Democrats will likely echo in the 2010 campaign. House Democrats are trying to buck historical trends in retaining a large House majority despite holding the White House at the same time.

Obama said that stimulus investments in education, new regulations on to protect consumers from credit card companies, a bill helping women seek for equal pay as male colleagues and other legislation passed in 2009 has helped the country move in a new direction after the Bush administration.

Image: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama

2010 MHS Tricare Conference National Harbor, MD

dmatus32 — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:00:39 +0000

Please join Cirrus Medical Staffing at this year’s 2010 Military Health System Conference at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center January 26 and 27th in National Harbor, Maryland. This year’s theme is “Sharing Knowledge”. The conference is a chance for us to embrace the challenge of evolving as a learning organization. We will focus on sharing knowledge and achieving breakthrough performance in healthcare delivery, research, education and training. MHS itself is a learning organization that promotes professionalism across the force, enhances partnerships within and focuses on the best ways to promote healthcare within the current population. The conference includes internal and external industry exhibitors whose mission is to focus on healthcare. We are expecting three-thousand military and civilian medical personnel from the MHS.

Commercial vs. Government Contracts

dmatus32 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:46:11 +0000

One option for those who choose a travel nurse career is to fulfill government contracts. Given the significant differences between government and commercial contracts, however, it is important to understand what you are getting into before you arrive on site.

Unlike commercial contracts, the vast majority of government opportunities do not require the traveler to hold a license in the state where the facility is located. As long as you have an unrestricted license in a state or territory, or commonwealth of the U.S., you are eligible to provide services at most government locations. Government contracts are the way to go if you love to travel. Where do you want to go…..Maine? Florida? Washington? Great. No problem. You name it, there are government contracts there.

Nursing Adventures on the Reservations.

dmatus32 — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:00:41 +0000

When choosing a travel nurse assignment several factors come into play besides location. One also looks at the kind of services one will be providing. For instance, take Navajo as an opportunity because you can treat both inpatients and outpatients when you work for Cirrus Medical Staffing. Plus, the area is very appealing. Even though most of the facilities are remote, it’s right in the middle of the four corners, so you can explore parts of AZ, CO, NM and UT.

After orientation, you get the chance to talk to the people of the Navajo Nation and administration and accounting offices and learning the policies and procedures from the chief of the dept. Everyone is really friendly. You will be delighted to see many of your colleagues and you will feel right at home. Though your schedule will more than vary from week to week. You will enjoy working side by side with other nurses in the nursing field. Best of all, you will get to rotate between inpatient and outpatient and will only take call one night a week.

You will enjoy your patients. The Navajo population is mostly adults. Many patients will come in with diabetes and alcoholism-related ailments, which seem to be prevalent in that population. Overall, the people are wonderful.

Find Government Traveler Jobs “On-Line”.

dmatus32 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:42:06 +0000

Back in the day, travelers use to job hunt searching in the classified section of the local newpaper or medical journals or even good ol fashion word of mouth. The advancement of the internet has changed the search criteria as we know it. Busy travelers have the convenience of job-hunting whenever they visit Web sites that introduce them to temporary traveler opportunities. However, this is not new.

Over the years, thousands of Web sites have popped up on the internet, each with it’s own niche or special feature. The way we search for jobs has grown and is much more complicated now.

Things to look for – types of traveler job boards. Every job is different but the goal is always the same: matching the traveler with the right position. Get to know your job boards.

A. General job boards – These sites are geared toward career minded professionals in major fields, including healthcare staffing. Traveler positions are a small part of the web site but you never know, you may find something interesting. Ask Cirrus Medical Staffing about a position that interests you.

B. General Healtcare job boards – These job boards include a wide range of healthcare job, including nursing and Travel allied jobs. Try Cirrus!

C. Government employer job boards. Travelers interested in practicing in government medical facilities have lots of options, IHS, DoD, VA, State and local. Come to Cirrus for an updated list of possible places for you to work as a traveler.

D. Professional job boards – Most major agencies have job postings on their site. Employment is not the main focus but there is usually a section devoted to permanent and travel. Cirrus can assist with those needs.

E. Recruiter job boards – Sites powered by recruiter firms that deal with the client. We all compete for the same jobs but Cirrus has dedicated people, management, leadership and the systems that get you on the job quickly.

Access to Industry Leader and Expert

dmatus32 — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:04:56 +0000

Ever wonder how to get placed in a government nursing job through a Travel Nurse Company? Wonder no more. Call on me as the industry leader in government Healthcare Staffing. I deal with the government so you don’t have to. Dealing with the inner workings of the government red tape world can often be challenging and cumbersome. I get very frustrated at times.

However, in an effort to promote knowledge and communication thoughout Cirrus Medical, the Traveling Nurse world and the travel allied world and the Government team of Cirrus has announced the creation of Government Blogging. A weekly blog intended to foster awareness of and involvement in the rewarding world of government contracting. This Blog will introduce you, our fellow team memebers, to the complexities of government facilities and provide tips on how to land that elusive government contract. We look forward to providing a consolidated source of information for your perusal and welcome all feedback regarding this blogging publication. Thank you.

Rural Indian Reservations Opportunities.

dmatus32 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:05:49 +0000

Ask yourself, “Do I really want to go to an Indian Reservation for an assignment?” I’ve been to these facilities in the past and I have been deeply moved. Many facilities sit on the end of the Navajo reservation with thousands of miles of empty land and right next to Monument Valley. When I was there back in January of 2008 I drove over a thousand miles in three days. The Navajo reservation is beautiful and the people live simple and are very soft spoken. It’s dark, they have no street lights, its wide open vistas, and hotels are few and far between. There’s no McDonald’s, Taco Bell’s or Subway. Although, some do have a Burger King. They work hard to keep their culture. They are very proud of their heritage and who they are. The Navajo land is larger then 10 of the 50 states. It covers UT, AZ and NM. They care for the health of their nation and they want to be proud of who they are. Unemployment is extremely high on the reservation. Most natives do not leave the reservation and the ones that do typically come back.

The RN population in the Indian Health Service is very low. They have a 14% short fall verses a 13% national average.

Why are Travel Nursing Jobs so popular? Well, first off, as mentioned the Registered Nurse census is very low. They need Registered Nurses to come to their reservations for much needed assistance. It can be viewed as a temporary lifestyle change. Working for IHS is a calling. If you strive for something different, then IHS, Government Travel Nursing is for you. Any state license will work. Malpx is covered. Great Travel Pay and a very simple lifestyle away from the everyday stresses of life. You get to work with a well established Travel Nurse Company which is dedicated to your well-being. Jump in and see what you’ve been missing.