Decorate

If you are spending Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years away from home you can still celebrate while on your travel nursing assignment. Just think of the fun activities you can do. For starters, decorate your house for each of the holidays. This is just a little thing to do that will help you feel better about the holiday season and less homesick. Don’t forget to put up a Christmas tree and lights.

Home Decorating

If you are not feeling like the usual turkey or ham dinner, go out to a great restaurant or make your favorite meal.

Holiday Dinner

The holiday dinner is an important subject since you are making it for yourself. If you are not feeling like the usual turkey or ham dinner, go out to a great restaurant or make your favorite meal. You can even go to the Whole Foods website and have them make a holiday dinner for you to pick up. Check restaurants in the area for any holiday dinner specials. You are the only one you need to please this year so eat whatever you want. How often can you have lasagna on Thanksgiving or lobster on Christmas?

Whole Foods

Celebrate with a New Friend

When you are working on your travel nursing assignment, wrap yourself up in holiday festivities by celebrating with patients and other staff members. After you get off your shift on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Years, ask new friends who need someone to celebrate the holiday with to join you for a holiday get together. Have a holiday dinner together and then check out the local theater for a movie or watch a holiday movie marathon.

Keeping in Touch

To help keep in contact with family and friends during the holidays there are a few things you can do. Email your family and friends to catch up individually or send them all a Christmas newsletter. Have a conversation on instant messaging using a webcam making you feel closer to your family and friends. You can even set up your own website to have people be able to check-up on what you are doing and make a family blog that everybody can write on. Social networking is really huge in the community right now. Find out which one most of your family members are on and use it. This way it is easy to share pictures and videos back and forth between your family and friends. And of course don’t forget to send them presents in mail for the holidays.

5 Ways to Keep in Touch with Family and Friends Online

Elf Yourself

WordPress

Facebook

Twitter

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the time of giving, so give back to the community by volunteering your time. Volunteering is a great way to spend your free time this holiday season while on your travel nursing assignment. Do your part by helping out at a local soup kitchen or ringing a Salvation Army bell. If you do have to work Thanksgiving make the best of it. Be the one to get patients excited about the holidays. Plus the hospitals always serve better food on Thanksgiving, so take advantage of it.

Thanksgiving Fun and Games

Christmas

When December comes rolling in possibly look into going caroling at a local church or attending a local holiday parade. You can also continue volunteering after Thanksgiving in your community for the Christmas season.

New Year’s

Every New Year motivates people to make their own New Year resolutions. However, many people end up not being able to keep them. Make one that you know is reachable and if you do falter one day forget about it and get back on track.

To celebrate the New Year, find out information about the community your doing your travel nursing assignment at. Every place has their own festivities so why not join them in the fun. If you are a huge college football fan you can watch the bowl games and the Rose Parade.

New Year’s Info

New Year’s Resolution Tips

While you are on your travel nursing assignment away from family, always make the best of the situation. The holiday season can be as enjoyable as you make it. Your family is only a phone call away, and remember that you have the ability to make a patient and their family have a great holiday season.

Celebrate Alone

Festivals and Events

Donate and Volunteer for Charity

With a very catchy and memorable name Beauty and Bandaids is a great new blog written by a new travel nurse. She writes about, you guessed it, her experiences as she makes the transition to a travel nursing career and beauty tips.

Melissa, the author, is married as she embarks on her travel nursing journey so if you are interested on how to be a travel nurse while married then you should definitely check her blog out.

The blog is designed beuatifully and is easy to find your way around. Without a doubt worth subscribing to.

She is off to a great start so lets hope she keeps it going.

Perhaps chief among the perks of working as a traveling nurse is the opportunity to explore new and exciting US cities. As a traveling nurse, you enjoy a constant mobility that most 9-5ers stuck in their day jobs can only dream of. What’s more, the small period of time that most travel nurses reside in their assigned areas allows for just enough time to get acquainted with a new city without tiring of it. On your off days you could educate yourself about your temporary home, discovering see what it has to offer instead of staying inside your apartment. In short, it’s a chance to become more cultured about your country without needing to spend money on travel expenses.  But exploring a new city, especially one that you’re completely unfamiliar with, can be a daunting task. How can you make the best of your time?

Read local publications about free and interesting events

My first suggestion would be to find a local publication that appeals to you and look through it for events in the area that may catch your interest. Most major cities have multiple publications that appeal to a variety of demographics; you need only find the right one for you. For instance, if you’re a person intrigued by local art, you might want to check out coffee shops and independent bookstores for flyers that advertise events in the local art scene. Or if you’re interested in the food scene, you could pick investigate the dining section of the major newspaper or online new source for the city for reliable restaurant reviews and stories on local food culture. The key is that you search out events in the right publication; otherwise you might find yourself discouraged that you can’t find any fun activities in the city.

Use Twitter to search out and follow people in the know

If you’re not keen on looking through newspapers on a daily basis, you could take the social media approach to find out the latest happenings in your city. Twitter is probably your best bet for finding useful sources that dispense local events to those who really know the city. You could follow local food critics for insider details on the best bars and restaurants to frequent, or local sports analysts who have the inside scoop on the latest sporting events around town. Begin your searches by looking through tweets marked with a hashtag followed by the city’s name. Oftentimes local Twitter celebrities will assign a hashtag to their city so as to spread awareness for local events.

Additionally you could use Twitter to search out other traveling nurses (or general tourists) in your area looking for a partner in exploring the city!

Subscribe to deal sites pertaining to your city

You can also arrange to be updated on events throughout your city without actively searching any resources at all. Simply set up a subscription with daily deal sites like LivingSocial or Groupon, designate your current city in your profile, and watch as you get 2 to 3 deals a day in your email inbox from each service. These services tend to advertise deals on local social events like concerts, museum exhibits, classes at various instructional courses, and the general local nightlife. You may not get events off the beaten path that you might otherwise find through personal research, but you’ll never be without knowledge of at least a few things happening around you.

Why you should meet new people

Because you are a dedicated travel nurse we know it can be difficult for you to find time for yourself, let alone meeting others. However, whether you have one minute or one hour, you should take some time to say hello and introduce yourself to new people. Doing this is the first step towards feeling connected to your new community and co-workers. Meeting new people helps you enjoy activities, can bring positive opportunities into your personal and professional life, gives you the sense of support through difficult times, and contributes to your experience when you have something to celebrate. Meeting new people also helps you get involved, share things with others, and connect with people at work.

How to meet new people

Whether you have one minute or one hour, you should take some time to say hello and introduce yourself to new people.

Everyone has different personalities with different strengths and weaknesses, and you may feel comfortable or uncomfortable taking the initiative towards meeting new people. Keep in mind that the other person probably feels the same way you do. While at work it may be a challenge to converse with co-workers while taking on an important role attending to others and fulfilling your role as a nurse, but asking others for their opinion or letting them know you are new to the workplace is a great way to break the ice. During your lunch break, try having lunch with a group of people; this will help increase your opportunity to meet people through others and connect with your co-workers in a non-working environment. It may be tough at first meeting a group of new people, but half the battle is having enough confidence. It will help to just be you. By taking the first step you could be beginning a new lifelong friendship. Here are some sites giving you more ideas on how to meet new people:

Five Friends Every Woman Should Have
SoYouWanna meet people in your neighborhood?
Making And Keeping Friends: A Self-Help Guide

Where to meet new people

When you have time to spare outside of work, try attending a variety of events such as: sporting events, concerts, art shows, theatrical productions, special interest groups, or joining a book club. Letting your new neighbors know that you are new to the area is a good way to strike up a conversation with the people in your neighborhood. Other ways to meet new people include: going to a coffee shop where the environment is relaxing and friendly; going to a bookstore where you can meet new people with the same interests; and shopping where you can interact with others with similar hobbies. Here are some sites that will give you more ideas on where to meet new people:

Friends wanted
No plans? Meet New People via Activities
6 Tips for Meeting New People When You Move

A few last tips to help you meet new people

• When you meet someone for the first time it is important to be yourself. Being true to who you are is the most important thing and will show others your true character.
• Have a positive attitude. When you have an attitude that is accepting and you behave like you believe you will find you’ll get a better response from those that are around you.
• Be natural. When you force a smile it looks unnatural, but when you act natural it is more comfortable and inviting to others.

There are so many (better) ways to keep in contact with those you care about.

Embarking on your travel nursing assignment is an opportunity to travel and experience the country, but being away from loved ones, family and friends can be hard at times. To help you capture and share memorable moments whether across the state or across the country we have some easy solutions to keep your friends and family in the distance even closer.

Your loved ones, family and friends are the most important people in your life. By staying in touch while traveling, you give the important people in your life an opportunity to observe what you are doing as a travel nurse and allow others to connect with your experiences as well. With the boom of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc., it can seem as though you never left… But alas, below are some old fashioned ways to do the same.

All of the ideas we have for you can be altered for anyone regardless if they are a loved one, family or friend.

Staying close with your significant other:

Being far from your significant other may be hard at times. These easy tips are ways for you both to stay connected and share memories even miles away.

• Before taking off on your traveling nurse assignment sit down with your significant other and create a playlist of your favorite songs and songs that bring back special memories. Have as many songs as you both would like with a variety of music that you can put in any time of the day to bring back memories and put a smile on your face. If you choose, tailor the music to different memories and different genres to play during different times of the day.
• When you are away create your own personal stationary of memories and pictures of your experience being a traveling nurse. Alter each letter to be different so each time your loved one receives it they will have a different letter of your experience and they can be a part of it. At the end of your assignment when you return home you will be able to gather all your letters and create a collage or scrap book of your experiences. Each letter will be different and will summarize your experience.
• If you both have access to a computer and are able to purchase webcams this is an easy and fun way to communicate face to face over a personal video conference. Webcams are an inexpensive way to stay connected and communicate across the country and see your significant other on the computer. By interacting online you are able to see each other every day and stay close even when you are miles apart.

Connecting with your family:

Staying close to your family when miles apart should be something that is fun and gives your family an idea of what you have been up to while on your travel nursing assignment.

• Creating a scrapbook of your adventure is a great way to share with any family members. Individualizing your scrapbook lets your family know you were thinking of them when away and you want them to experience what you did. Over the course of your assignment collect brochures and pictures of the places you have visited to make it personal and allow them to see where you have been and what you saw.
• If some of your family has access to a computer, create an online album that is easy to update so family members can check it at their convenience. Online albums such as Kodak gallery and Picasa are two of the many online albums available and are easy to use. Albums online gives you the capability to add photos and captions to personalize your experience.
• When you are away from home nothing is better than having your favorite meals that remind you of your family. Gather your favorite recipes before you leave and create a family cookbook of all your favorite meals. While on your travel nursing assignment plan out your meals to cook and the aroma and taste will remind you of home.

Staying close with friends:

Many times throughout your career close friends move away or relocate due to a job, especially as a travel nurse. Staying in touch with friends should be something easy and something you look forward to.

• If you have a group of friends that are spread out create a friends group to send each other gifts or pictures of your experiences. Rotate your group of friends to send each other memoires of your new town and scenery. Keeping in touch with friends and sharing your and adventures is what being friends are all about.
• Sharing similar interests, books and movies with friends is great ways to stay connected when miles apart. After finishing a good book or favorite movie send it to a friend with similar interests. Staying close to friends by sharing some of your favorite things shows them you haven’t forgotten about them and that you where thinking of them while reading or watching a movie.

With your career as a travel nurse, maintaining relationships and staying in touch with family and friends in your life can be difficult. With these simple tips nothing should be a hassle or take long for you to do. When staying close with your spouse, family and friends any one of these tips can be altered. Adding your own inspiration and making it personal is the best way to include a part of yourself in each project.

If you have some unique and other thoughtful ways of staying close to those you love and care for, please leave them in our comment section below.

Everyday Life

Make life easier with companies and services that are available across the US.

Open a checking account at a bank that is located nationwide. This will make it easier to deposit checks and get cash out of the ATM without any charges. This is much more convenient than having to worry about finding your bank in a new city every 13 weeks.

Bank of America

U.S. Bank

Wells Fargo

These days less and less people are using landline home phones. Some travel nursing companies do set up a landline for you in your new home, but changing your number every 13 weeks can be difficult for people to keep up with. Get a cell phone with nationwide coverage allows you to have one number that doesn’t change, and you don’t to have to worry about calling cards and long distance fees. It will also make it easier for your family and friends to keep contact with you.

Verizon

Sprint

Alltel

AT&T

On the Road

AAA is best known for its roadside assistance, but it offers more than just that. You can also receive different types of discounts from hotels to dining. Some of the perks are prepaid 24-hour emergency towing, locksmith, tire change, fuel delivery and maps. With AAA, you can travel without the fear of being stranded.

AAA

Nobody wants to be lost on the road and GPS is a way to help you get avoid that situation. It can be used for local help or even for a road trip cross country, and assist you in learning your way around your new home without getting lost. Just imagine finding the stores you need to without driving around wasting gas. Another option instead of GPS is navigation on your cell phone. Companies are now offering GPS on your phone for about $10 a month. These services come with auto-rerouting, mapping, local searches by name or category, and place messaging.

GPS Reviews

Garmin

Dell

Circuit City

Health

Everyone always wants to keep in shape, so it is a good thing 24-Hour Fitness, Bally’s and Life Time Fitness offer nationwide memberships. Make it easy to get your workout in, get a membership that can be used in multiple states. Keep in mind that these gyms aren’t in every state, but try to pick the one that will be in most of the states you work as travel nurse in. Each club has their own types of memberships. You just need to find the right one for you.

24-Hour Fitness

Bally Total Fitness

Life Time Fitness

Sometimes after working the floor all day, making dinner is the last thing you want to do. Well you are in luck. There are websites where you can order meals online. Order in advance to be able to get the meal on a certain day, or if you are planning on having people over then you can order an appetizer for your guests.

Home Bistro

Dine Wise

Schwan’s

Entertainment

To help relax when on assignment after a long day of working the floor, watching a movie is always a good way to clear the mind. Netflix and Blockbuster both offer movie rentals by the mail. There are no late fees, so you can have the DVD for as long as you want. With no late fees, you don’t have to watch the movie in two to seven days. You can wait to find a convenient time for you. Depending on your plan, you can have one to three DVDs at a time. This makes it easier than driving around in a new place trying to find a store while on assignment. Plus with the gas prices rising, it is a good way to save money.

Netflix

Blockbuster

Another thing to think about is possibly spending some money on a XM or Sirius radio. This way when you are driving across the country you will always have a radio station you enjoy to listening to. You will also be able to listen to the radio at home, online and on the go. It offers commercial free music, sports coverage, breaking news reports, a traffic navigator and weather updates.

XM

Sirius

Remember, keep your life simple. These few nationwide memberships can make your travel nursing experience that much more enjoyable. There is no need to worry or stress, when traveling is becoming easier every day.

Ask a Travel Nurse Question:

I just signed a 3 month contract at Maui Memorial. Wondering if you have traveled to Hawaii and could give me some tips. Like what to bring and cheap rental car places. Thanks.

Ask a Travel Nurse Answer:

If you are working in ICU or see anyone from the unit, please tell them I said hello. There is not a lot of turn -over in regular staff and I have spent three assignments and a little over two years in total living on the island.

Bring whatever you can fit into what they will allow you to take on the plane. If you have something special like SCUBA gear or golf clubs, that stuff can always be mailed to you.

You need to find out where you will be staying. Most likely Kihei (closer) or Lahaina (further). You probably do not want to stay over in Wailuku (where the hospital is located), because that is the industrial side of the island and not very touristy.

However, that will mean that you need a car. You can try the big names at the airport like Enterprise or Hertz and ask what they can offer you for monthly rates. Be prepared for something like $600/month or more (Maui is beautiful, but NOT cheap). Or you can try looking up smaller rental car companies on the island and see what they can offer you.

The first time I was there, I actually bought a car for $1000 and sold it for $400 when I left. You can also consider shipping your vehicle which is about $1000 each way from California (the best option if you stay for 6+ months at a time like I do). You can also rent a car only on days that you need one (to get to work or go sight seeing), but that is a hassle.

First, find out where you are staying (to determine how often you must have a car) and then make some calls to rental car places. Research the island a bit to see what things you want to experience while you are there.

Feel free to contact me again when you have some more info or other questions along the way.

David
TravelNursesBible.com
david@travelnursesbible.com

The sweepstakes which started last week is open to any and all traveling healthcare professionals, specifically traveling nurses like yourself and will continue through October 31st. It’s easy to enter and even easier to win! Each week, twenty travelers will be chosen and the winners will receive a Mobile Phone Accessory Kit ($74.99 value) complete with portable battery, car charger and other connection devices made for smartphones like the Android and iPhones. Also, all entrants are eligible to win the Grand Prize of an Apple iPad 2 at the end of the sweepstakes. Enter as often as once per day to increase your chances of winning… If you don’t win this week, you certainly can win in the following weeks.

Visit MedicalSolutions.com on your phone, click the "contest" button and enter for your chance to win!

One important part of the sweepstakes is that you’re only able to participate through your mobile device or smartphone. Medical Solutions recently went through a brand change and has added a mobile friendly website to its arsenal. The sweepstakes was launched to help bring attention to its newest tool, one which will undoubtedly change the way a nurse can seek employment, on the go. So if you like winning and you have an iPhone, Blackberry or any of the Android based phones, take a look at the Room 2 Roam Mobile Sweepstakes and get yourself in the mix. Your chances of winning are great and the possibility of finding your next assignment with Medical Solutions is even greater!

Here’s the link to the page that will help you with how and where to enter Medical Solutions Room 2 Roam Mobile Sweepstakes.

Why you should meet new people

Because you are a dedicated travel nurse we know it can be difficult for you to find time for yourself, let alone meeting others. However, whether you have one minute or one hour, you should take some time to say hello and introduce yourself to new people. Doing this is the first step towards feeling connected to your new community and co-workers. Meeting new people helps you enjoy activities, can bring positive opportunities into your personal and professional life, gives you the sense of support through difficult times, and contributes to your experience when you have something to celebrate. Meeting new people also helps you get involved, share things with others, and connect with people at work.

How to meet new people

When you force a smile it looks unnatural, but when you act natural it is more comfortable and inviting to others.

Everyone has different personalities with different strengths and weaknesses, and you may feel comfortable or uncomfortable taking the initiative towards meeting new people. Keep in mind that the other person probably feels the same way you do. While at work it may be a challenge to converse with co-workers while taking on an important role attending to others and fulfilling your role as a nurse, but asking others for their opinion or letting them know you are new to the workplace is a great way to break the ice. During your lunch break, try having lunch with a group of people; this will help increase your opportunity to meet people through others and connect with your co-workers in a non-working environment. It may be tough at first meeting a group of new people, but half the battle is having enough confidence. It will help to just be you. By taking the first step you could be beginning a new lifelong friendship. Here are some sites giving you more ideas on how to meet new people:

Five Friends Every Woman Should Have
SoYouWanna meet people in your neighborhood?
Making And Keeping Friends: A Self-Help Guide

Where to meet new people

When you have time to spare outside of work, try attending a variety of events such as: sporting events, concerts, art shows, theatrical productions, special interest groups, or joining a book club. Letting your new neighbors know that you are new to the area is a good way to strike up a conversation with the people in your neighborhood. Other ways to meet new people include: going to a coffee shop where the environment is relaxing and friendly; going to a bookstore where you can meet new people with the same interests; and shopping where you can interact with others with similar hobbies. Here are some sites that will give you more ideas on where to meet new people:

Friends wanted
No plans? Meet New People via Activities
6 Tips for Meeting New People When You Move

A few last tips to help you meet new people

• When you meet someone for the first time it is important to be yourself. Being true to who you are is the most important thing and will show others your true character.
• Have a positive attitude. When you have an attitude that is accepting and you behave like you believe you will find you’ll get a better response from those that are around you.
• Be natural. When you force a smile it looks unnatural, but when you act natural it is more comfortable and inviting to others.

These ideas are fit for hot and muggy summer days or mild summer nights in all states and are fun for everyone, young or old. Engaging in these activities is not only a good way to bring back the inner child in you but allows you to venture out and enjoy the last of summer.

1. Attend a County Fair: Take a walk through the fair and enjoy the activities, grab some authentic fair food and play some midway games for a fun evening or a laidback day. Check out event dates for either the local fairgrounds or a close by County.

BreedersWorld.com – Listing of State & County Fairs
WeekendEvents.com – Listing of State & County Fairs
Yahoo! State Fair Directory

Ride your bike to the park and have yourself a nice picnic with friends and family.

2. Go for a bike ride: Taking a bike ride on a cool summer night is not only relaxing, but a great way to spend time with friends or find some quiet alone time while doing something healthy for you. Intermediate or advanced, there are conditions and locations for all levels of biking in the summer in all locations.

Pedaling.com
TrailSource.com
Trails.com

3. Throw a BBQ or Picnic: On a cool summer evening or toasty afternoon get together with a group of friends and family, enjoy the day and the essence of summer with the people you enjoy. By making it a potluck event you will reduce the stress of being responsible for all the food, freeing yourself up to enjoy great company and of course food!

Barbecue’n On The Internet
Fiesta Barbecues
Evite.com – Picnic Party Ideas

4. Pick fresh fruit: Before the trees are done bearing fruit and the berries are all picked, go out one last time and pick some fresh fruit and enjoy the summer day. Make some homemade jams and pies and if you have leftovers freeze them, it is always a good way to bring back the summer treats in the winter.

PickYourOwn.org
Tips on Picking and Using Strawberries

5. Go fishing: Lake, river, or ocean, take some time to relax, catch some fish and get a tan before the days become too cold. Enjoy the great outdoors, it does not matter if you catch ten fish or any fish at all, enjoying this hobby or trying it for the first time is always a good experience and a great way to spend time with friends.

Best Fishing Tips
TakeMeFishing.org

6. Watch the sunrise/sunset: On a weekend morning, try getting up earlier than normal to watch the sunrise from a local park or lake, bring a cup of your favorite coffee and savor the moment. It is a great reminder of how wonderful life really is and a chance to appreciate summer.

SunriseSunset.com
U.S. Naval – Observatory Complete Sun and Moon Data for One Day

7. Attend a concert in the park: Attending a summer concert at many parks is free. You are able to bring your own food and drinks and have the freedom to come and go as you please while enjoying the relaxing music. Many cities and towns also offer free movies at dusk in the park showing classic movies from Casablanca to Grease.

TiBConcerts.com
AOL – local city guide

8. Go to the zoo: The zoo is fit for all ages and is a great way to get some exercise walking around before the warm days come to an end. Check out the times at your local zoo for animal shows and gather up some friends and family to enjoy the wildlife and have a “wild” day together.

Smithsonian – National Zoological Park
Association of Zoos & Museums
Zoos Worldwide

9. Shop at your local Farmers Market: Most places all over the United States offer free to the public Farmers Markets with locally grown fruits and vegetables. Most have many other wonderful products only available at these markets. Fresh foods inspire most people to cook and experiment with new recipes or to make old time favorites, another great way to do something you enjoy and it’s good for you.

Find your state’s local farmers market
LocalHarvest.org

10. Go to a baseball game: Whether a college, minor or major league baseball game attending a game is a great way for family bonding or going out with close friends. Enjoy the loud and enthusiastic atmosphere and make sure to grab hotdog and peanuts to complete the nostalgic feel of a baseball game.

Baseball.com
MLB.com
MILB.com

• When was the last time you all went on a picnic? Pack up your favorite lunch, grab some refreshing beverages and head to your nearest park or even better take a quick drive outside the city and visit a state park, the beach, just about anywhere! Take this time to relax, enjoy the outside, throw the frisbee and eat some good food and drink.

• Camping in the late summer and early fall are the best times to enjoy the great outdoors. Again, you don’t have to make a big fuss over it. You can simply head to your nearest state or city park (as long as they allow camping) and pitch a tent, build a fire and start cooking up some s’mores! Most state parks will charge a minimal fee or some won’t charge at all. If you don’t own any camping equipment, just ask your friends and family. Often times you’ll find that their gear hasn’t been used is quite some time and they’ll gladly lend it to you for the weekend.

• Build something. Depending on the age of your children and your level of expertise, try your hand at building something or just fixing something up around the house. Whether it be for the kids to enjoy or something that the whole family can make use of. Keeping your kids involved in the project will give them the sense that they are really helping and when it’s all done you can all look back and say we did this together as a family. Painting is always a good start… I wouldn’t suggest giving the kids any power tools or anything like that.

• Hit the local library. When was the last time you all spent time at the library? Nowadays the library has so much more to offer than just books. You can now listen to music, use computers/internet, watch a movie and of course read a book. Libraries are constantly hosting events for children and the entire family, so check out what your neighborhood library is doing in the coming weeks and make a plan to drop in on one of those days.

• Go for a bike ride. This is a great activity the whole family can enjoy. There’s nothing better than pedaling around your neighborhood as a family or better yet, packing the bikes up and heading out to a park with trails. A quick search on the internet will garner many results with family friendly bike routes and so forth. Strap on the helmets, fill those water bottles and pedal your way to fun!

Head out to your neighborhood park or local State park and have a picnic with your family

Summer is coming to a close, the fall is quickly arriving. Don’t let the kids sleep in and sit in front of the Xstation or PlayBox all day. Get out and get going, because before you know it… Dare I say? School, sports, the holidays, and your next travel nursing job will once again make life busy.

If you have any other great ideas for family fun in summer’s end, please leave a comment below:

I’m sure you’ve seen at least one of these online coupon sites, like LivingSocial or Groupon, or even these invite only discount retailers like Gilt.com, selling everything for your house and home to shoes for your feet and even vacation packages. There’s pretty much a discount available for anything you so desire.

As a traveling nurse, you may find yourself in some remote locations where there may not be access to big shopping centers and malls, but thankfully there’s the internet. At sites like Valpak.com, plug in a zip code and get a list of stores in the zip code with printable coupons. There may be a chance stores in your area are participating within the online market. It’s worth a shot to save you some valuable bucks! If not, there’s always the online shopping experience, which is basically an electronic mall, full of everything you could ever want to buy…Ever.

Sign up today to start receiving discounts and deals to thousands of businesses, on and off line.

Digital coupons typically work in two ways. On Coupons.com, store owners create coupons, with unique serial numbers, that can be printed and redeemed in stores. Coupons can also have unique promotional codes that shoppers can use on e-commerce Web sites to receive discounts on online purchases. RetailMeNot lets users post and share such digital coupons on its site.

“No matter how much money you make, you always love a great deal,” says Doug Clinton, a research analyst who tracks the daily-deal industry for Piper Jaffray, an investment bank. “There’s not a stigma attached to pulling out a Groupon vs. pulling out a coupon you clipped from the newspaper. That makes you look totally out of touch.”

The landscape for couponing is changing daily and soon you’ll see more integration within your social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. It could lead to a coupon overload and you may start to ignore them simply because it’s too much to take in, but for now, it’s pretty easy to find deals to whatever you desire. So say goodbye to the Wednesday and Sunday papers full of pages and pages of coupons you have to snip out and say hello to your email inbox!

Here’s a wonderful list of coupon sites compiled from the thebudgetfashionista.com

RetailMeNot.com. With an easy search function, a shopping forum and, oh yeah, loads of coupons to great stores we love, RetailMeNot.com is one of our go-to bookmarked sites.

Rather Be Shopping.com. This site gives you several options to find what you’re looking for, including alphabetical listing of stores, the most current deals, and a section for free shipping (which, especially this time of year, is our favorite).

Yahoo!Deals Coupons. Totally easy to navigate (and totally uncluttered by all those annoying ads), click under “clothing” for current fashion-related deals. You can also check out storewide sales, weekly ads, and save coupons to use later.

CouponMountain.com. We like this site because they feature some of our favorite stores, and gives you lots of different options to find what you’re looking for. You can also submit deals you’ve found to share the wealth . . .

Anycoupons.com. It’s a little overwhelming at first glance, but clicking around we find lots of great deals. Our favorite part is that when we select the store we want, Anycoupons.com frequently lists multiple deals for that store, so we can pick the one (or more) that suits our needs.

Fatwallet.com. Browse for coupons by store for multiple current deals, or by most recent, expiring, free shipping, and right now, holiday deals. There’s also a “compare prices” feature so you can know if you’re getting the best bargain, and a forum where folks post a whole host of other deals as well.

DealCatcher.com. Features both online and printable coupons (which we love) and rebate notices. Subscribe to the RSS Feed to keep abreast of the latest coupons available without overloading your inbox with another newsletter.

CouponWinner.com. We like this site because it’s well-organized and the coupon codes are prominantly displayed in red (so we don’t have to pull out the magnifying glass to locate them). Also, specific categories like “Handbags & Accessories” and “Plus Size Apparel” makes narrowing down our search so much easier. Finally, the CouponScout tool is fab—compare up to five retailers to see who’s got the best deal, in a click or two. Nice.

CouponAlbum.com. Our favorite part of this site is that we can click sub-categories under our main choice (meaning when we’re in women’s apparel, we can narrow down to coupons, then to free shipping. Quick and easy with tons of great stores we shop at anyway.

You’ve probably walked past people who are living on the streets or know someone or some family who struggles due to unemployment or an unforeseen illness or catastrophe. Perhaps you’ve seen images from the recent devastation tornadoes left behind in Missouri and Alabama. Or, maybe you want to protect forests from development or rivers from pollution.

Volunteering gives you an opportunity to change lives, including your own. If you’re feeling frustrated or overwhelmed by the news of a disaster, volunteering to help can be a great way to cope. If you’d like to support a cause but can’t afford to donate money, you can donate your time instead.

Helping others in need is such an important part of the American way of life and unfortunately there are countless opportunities for volunteering in your own communities as well as abroad and being a Nurse means you have a certain skill set that is needed the world over.  So how can decide which cause you’d like to volunteer for?

Obviously, your talents are needed everywhere, but that doesn’t mean you have volunteer in a position that is similar to your daily life. Maybe you could put your other talents to use and volunteer for something completely different.

• Help kids learn and grow.
  
• Give back over the holidays.
• Play with pets at a local animal shelter.
• Volunteer for a political campaign.
• Help the environment.
• Support a health-related cause.

Suppose you have more than one thing that you truly would love to do…So find a way to combine the two.  For example, if you love kids and are great at arts and crafts, visit your local children’s hospital and offer to lead art activities for young patients. This is just one of many examples you could put your spare time to.

Here are a few great volunteering resources that will take you far and wide, or keep it local.

A Broader View – A Broader View community-based projects in Countries in development allow volunteers to live and work side by side with local people in a range of fields such as orphanage work, day care, community development, teaching and much more.

VolunteerMatch – VolunteerMatch strengthens communities by making it easier for good people and good causes to connect. The organization offers a variety of online services to support a community of nonprofit, volunteer and business leaders committed to civic engagement.

Serve.org – Serve.gov is your online resource for not only finding volunteer opportunities in your community, but also creating your own. Use Serve.gov to help you do your part. America’s foundation will be built one community at a time –- and it starts with you.

It is available for free download on iTunes and can also be played on your PC (which is where I played it because it is not available for Android phones yet). If you play it on your computer you may need to install Unity Web Player on your PC to play, but that only takes a few seconds

It is a simple game where you are running through your floor trying to avoid hitting any obstacles like IV pumps, wheelchairs and gurneys. The longer you go without hitting any of them the faster the nurse runs. Which is good because you get point bonuses for speed and not hitting obstacles.

You go through different scenarios on each level like being late for a Med/Surg staff meeting or trying to help the ED that is flooded with patients thanks to a disaster.

You have 1:20 to finish each level, but don’t run out of time or your game is done and you have to start over. And of course every level gets more difficult as more and more obstacles are placed in your way (I got to level 8).

Oh, and don’t forget to click the hand sanitizer with your mouse at the end of each round.

The first 5 people who beat my score of 19567 (53 overall) and send me a screenshot to prove it, I will send a free copy of Chicken Soup for the Nurse’s Soul 2nd Edition. Just submit it using the Travel Nursing Blogs.com Contact Form.

You’d be surprised what all there is to do right in your backyard and surrounding areas if you just do a little research. Taking time to step outdoors to enjoy the ideal summer weather to attending a local festival or fair, there are plenty of ways to make the most of summer—without spending a lot of time or money!

The Great Outdoors

Wherever it is that you live you can find a multitude of activities to get you outside and moving this summer. Make the most of the sunny days ahead cool off by visiting your local pool or waterpark, or, if you want to be a little more active check out a State or National Park that may be nearby and hike some trails or maybe do a little horseback riding.

This time of year is perfect for trying out a new activity or sport. Depending on where you’re located, maybe try your hand at some water sports like water skiing or surfing. You could even look to rent a canoe or kayak too. If you’re land-locked, why not get yourself a bicycle and hit some local trails, couple that with a few friends and a picnic and you’ve got yourself one fun day!

If you’re more inclined to observe than partake, then see if there are any local sports teams to catch. The summer is chock full of Major League Baseball games as well as Major League Soccer, so see if any teams are close-by and perhaps make a little roadtrip of it. If sports isn’t your bag, check out some local festivals or farmer’s markets. This time of year is also a great time for music lovers as there are a wealth of music festivals and concerts coming up. Check out Pollstar.com to see if any of your favorites are coming through your town or to a nearby locale.

If you’d rather keep outdoor activities to a minimum, why not set up lounge chair in the backyard and start a new book. Maybe fire up the grill and have an impromptu BBQ with some close friends. This is what summer is all about!

Staycation

Check out local campgrounds in your area for summer fun.

There’s much to do during the summer months and you’d be surprised at just how much your own town has to offer. With gas prices on the rise, staying close home makes more sense than ever and who knows, you just may discover a new love for your hometown. I know when people ask me about the city I live in and what there is to do, I haven’t done probably half of them…So check out the museums and parks and peruse your local rags for weekend events as there seems to be some sort of celebration going on all the time.

Maybe you want to get away, but really can’t afford the time so why not hole up in a local bed & breakfast for the weekend, or check in to a local hotel and enjoy all the amenities it has to offer that you normally wouldn’t have a chance to otherwise. There’s nothing better than being waited on hand and foot. Did somebody order room service?

I know from experience I do not like camping, but will do it if need be, I mean if it’s really, really necessary. I don’t want to explain, but I had an experience as a 5 year old that has stuck with me since. I hear camping with friends is a good time and there are many State and National Parks all around, each offering something unique. If sleeping in a tent doesn’t sound like fun, check out the availability of cabins for rent. While traveling is a big part of summer, you can even look to get a summer rental home. Gather some of your closest friends, pick a good location and voila, you have yourself a summer activity that’s sure to be fun!

Summer is a part of the year I think many people look forward to and it’s the best time to get outside and enjoy yourself. With some careful planning and research, you can keep yourself and your friends busy, all the while having the time of your lives! So get out there and soak up those rays!

The contest is already under way and users may submit as many designs as they’d like using the simple yet powerful Fibers.com design tool, or upload your own using any number of design programs like Adobe Illustrator and so forth. You don’t have to be a graphic designer, you just have to have a good idea! Fibers.com has everything you need to create your own contest entry with over 500 fonts and 10,000 images.

Your t-shirt idea can win you an iPad 2 or one of the other great prizes!

All entrants will receive a $10 gift card towards their next purchase at Scrubadoo.com (Limit one per person). The contest ends May 12, the birthday of the founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale. Three winners will be chosen to win over $1000 in prizes, including an Apple iPad 2. Winners are selected through a panel of judges and a combination of votes and comments. It is encouraged to promote your entry using any number of social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

It’s pretty easy to enter, so get your creative caps on and design the next best Nursing t-shirt, ever!

Visit the following link to view, participate, and vote in the contest: http://www.fibers.com/contests/nurses-week-2011

When you take a chance and try some tasty new foods, you also get the chance to experience the authentic restaurants that serve them and expand your view of the world. So whether it is discovering you love clam chowder or finding out that fish tacos aren’t your thing, take some time to try all the different foods you will encounter while on your assignments.

To get you started here is a checklist of famous American regional foods. See how many you can check off during your travels.

East

• Boston’s Clam Chowder
• Maryland’s Crab Cakes
• New York City’s Bagels
• New York Beef on Weck
• New York-Style Pizza
• Philadelphia’s Philly Cheesesteak
• Washington, D.C. Half Smoke
• Rhode Island Coffee Milk

Midwest

• Cincinnati’s Chili
• Chicago’s Hot Dogs
• Chicago-Style Pizza
• Illinois Horseshoe Sandwich
• Illinois Jibarito
• Iowa Loose Meat Sandwich
• Ohio Polish Boy  

South

• Carolina-Style Barbecue
• Kansas City-Style Barbecue
• Kentucky Hot Brown
• Memphis-Style Barbecue
• Missouri Gooey Butter Cake
• New Orleans’ Gumbo
• New Orleans’ Po’ Boys
• St. Louis-Style Barbecue
• South Carolina Benne Wafers
• Texas’ Tex-Mex Cuisine
• Texas’ Chicken-Fried Steak
• Texas-Style Barbecue

West

• Arizona Sonoran Hot Dog
• California Cioppino
• L.A.’s California Burrito
• San Diego’s Fish Tacos
• Seattle’s Coffee

Way West

• Hawaii Spam Musubi
• Honolulu, Hawaii’s Poke

Here are some links that describe these tasty foods:

• Tasting America’s Regional Foods Coast To Coast
• U.S. Regional Foods You Might Not Know About
• More U.S. Regional Foods You Might Not Know About

Have you ever woken up in a cold sweat after having a nightmarish dream about your job? Maybe you show up naked at the hospital or you’ve missed a career-changing deadline, each of these dreams could have a deeper meaning about how you feel about your job? So what are your work dreams telling you about your relationship with your job? Here are a few examples of what your dreams may be telling you, or you’re telling yourself.

Being late for work: Dreaming about being late can represent a lack of control over your career. It can manifest as a fear of change in your work life, a feeling of unworthiness of your job or an upcoming promotion, or something as simple as a vague feeling of disorganization. It can also symbolize a feeling of needing to impress the management and falling short when trying to do so, or a disdain for your hospital or facility.

Missing a deadline: One of the most common work dreams, missing a deadline can mean you feel unprepared and almost lost at work, and can even represent a feeling of worthlessness or inability to do your job. It can also mean that you feel disorganized and scattered at work. It speaks to the core of your work place self-esteem.

Going to work naked: Showing up in a public place naked is a pretty common dream for most people, but the interpretation can differ from person to person. Clothes symbolize a need to cover up. If you are embarrassed about being naked at work, it may mean you are attempting to mask a secret from your personal life or something you don’t want your coworkers to know about.

Many dreamers describe the ability to fly in their dreams as an exhilarating, joyful, and liberating experience.

These are just a few examples of dreams/nightmares one might have about their jobs. According to a Staples Small-Business Survey: …more than half of small-business professionals said that work has actually become part of their dreams. Fifty-one percent of those surveyed said that they “sleepwork” (i.e. dream about work), and nearly 70 percent of those “sleepworkers” report they wake up and put their “work dreams” to action.

The survey says our work-related dream/nightmares are most frequently about, in order of frequency:

1. Arguing with the boss.
2. Being late for an important meeting.
3. Lusting after a colleague.
4. Having to make an unexpected presentation.
5. Going to work naked.
6. Losing all their files in a fatal computer crash.
7. Getting fired.
8. Killing the boss.

While these kinds of dreams may highlight your subconscious emotional reactions to situations at work, they can also present solutions to these situations — or, at the very least, provide you an outlet through which you can vent these frustrations. In other words, your dreams are exaggerated. So, for instance, the fact that you imagined yourself failing miserably on a project doesn’t predict that you will fail — nor does it mean that you are inept or crazy — even if you did show up naked, lose all your files and lust after a colleague.

Being a travel nurse is similar to taking a vacation, with the many wonderful locations and time off. But it’s all not quite fun and games. So why not escape it all, just for few days and give your batteries that well needed recharge? Taking time for one’s self may be difficult for some, but it’s something you should strongly consider given the magnitude of your occupation. Dealing with sick patients, their families, long hours, etc., I’d say you deserve a vacation.

Picture yourself here.

So where should you go, what should you do? Your options are endless, but let me point you in the direction of a few ideas geared towards Traveling Nurses like yourself. The website GreatNurses.com which describes itself as, “your home for career enhancement. Our products, seminars and vacations are all focused on helping nurses get the professional information they need in a fun and entertaining way. There’s no better place to further your nursing career!” GreatNurses.com hosts a couple vacation getaways a year and each is coupled with continuing education classes, worth up to 6 credit hours. Now I know it’s not all fun and games, but this year the locales for each are pretty sweet. Check them out… The next trip is scheduled for May 16-20 in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, so hurry up and claim your fun in the sun!

Here’s another combination vacation and continuing education idea. Check out CruiseAcademySeminars.com, here they offer Travel Nurses and other healthcare professionals the opportunity to earn CE credits while on vacation. Again, it’s not all play, but the perspectives you’ll have will definitely beat any classroom you could think of.

Of course, you don’t have to go where there are more nurses around you at all times. Like I said, you need a break from it all so check out these other sites for a getaway you won’t soon forget. Bon voyage!

Disney Vacation Packages – Nurses & Military personnel receive discounted rates at either the Swan or Dolphin resort hotels.

Travelocity Last Minute Getaways- Big Savings. You can get away this weekend and save up to 70%!

MyScenicDrives.com is built specifically for finding great drives. Each drive comes with a detailed overview, an interactive map, weather forecasts plus GPS directions.

Using it is as easy as entering your location and clicking “Find a Drive” or you can go deeper and create an account that lets you keep track of your drives and tag them to save them as drives you want to take or mark them as an adventure completed.

Right now it looks like most of their drives are based in the western part of the U.S., but they are always releasing new drives so make sure to check back regularly to see the new ones. And of course you can suggest a new drive for them to add.

You can sign up for their newsletter and read their blog for the latest updates too. Although this site is small right now it looks like it has potential to grow so be sure to add it your list of websites you use when planning your next travel nursing job.

MyScenicDrives.com also offers the ability to make online reservations, making it a great place to plan your drive.

So if you have an assignment in the western part of the U.S. check out MyScenicDrives.com to see some gret road trips you can take.