Come enjoy the beaches of eastern FL!

Click here to learn more about this Traveling ICU Nurse Job in Florida.

Click here to see more ICU travel nursing jobs.

Click here to see more travel nursing jobs from one of the top ten travel nursing companies.

Watch this video to see all the exciting things there are to do in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

As I mentioned, this is the first time we’ve hosted anything like this, along with our partners in crime, Fibers.com. Fibers.com is a fairly new web-based custom clothing company that allows you to buy t-shirts, hoodies, shirts and other clothing. They have quite an extensive catalog featuring all types of designs for any occasion, occupation, subject, etc. Check out their nurse themed shirts here. There are so many unique designs on the site that it would be difficult to find one you didn’t like… But if that truly is the case, that you didn’t see a shirt you liked, well you can make your own custom t-shirt right then and there using their simple yet powerful design tool. It’s super easy!

I’ve seen similar types of design tools on other sites, but nothing that offers as much as Fibers.com. When you first enter the site, you are given two options, shop now or create now. You know how to shop, so let’s tell you how to become a fashion designer and get you on your way to becomming the next Coco Chanel. Again, Fibers has made this process so easy and user friendly, just about anybody with a slight knowledge of how to use the computer can do it. On the lefthand side of the design template you are given six different options. First go to the products section. Here you choose what article of clothing and its color, from onsie’s to sweatshirts. There can be a few choices for each type, so carefully pick the one you’d like best, prices will vary depending on the type of garment it is you’re picking.  Now that you know what you want to make, you can start designing.

Custom Shirt Creator at Fibers.com

Fibers.com design tool has so many templates to choose from in which you can customize to your liking or you could upload your own photos and yourself to use. They have a huge bank of images ranging from simple line drawings to ornate graphics. Place them on the template and make them as big or small as you’d like. There is a boundry that you must be aware of that will limit the placement of your design, but believe me, there’s plenty of space given that you’ll be able to fashion your masterpiece with precision, no problem.

Now that you’ve got your graphics set up, you can now add some text to complete the design. Words on a shirt. After that you can take it another step and polish it off with some distress. Give your garmet of choice that worn look, like all those vintage type shirts you see a lot of today and volia! There you have it, you’re very own custom designed piece of clothing. It’s that easy! Now register yourself, create an account and save your designs for a later date if you’re not ready to print it. Which by the way, Fibers.com uses a specialized technique in printing the shirts called, “direct to garment.” Here’s how they describe it, “To create the highest quality products, Fibers.com digital printing uses an advanced ink and printing method, which allows printing of the design directly onto the garment without using any form of iron-on’s or heat transfers.  Our printers use environmentally-friendly, water-based inks.”

Aren’t you tired of looking like everyone else who shops at the mall or wherever? Wear your custom designed clothing with pride, knowing you’re the only one who has it. Just wait and see, you’ll be getting asked over and over, “Where’d you get that? I must have it!” So there you have it and if you think you’re good enough, don’t forget to enter our Nurses Week T-shirt design contest I mentioned above. We’ll see you on the catwalk!

If you have know of any other great stories of compassion like that of the two nurses in the story, please share them with us. Also, there are still numerous ways you can make a difference in the recovery efforts for Haiti. Check out  these other articles for more information.

Ask a Travel Nurse: How can I do my part in Haiti as a travel nurse?

Nurses Respond to Call of Help in Haiti

This is what doctors and nurses have been waiting for… The Apple iPad. With its sleek, stylish design and sizable screen (10″ on the diagonal) – it’s basically a notepad on electronic steroids. Are you familiar with the revolution of smartphones, particularly the iPhone with all its capabilities and the thousands of applications available to it? If so, think of the Apple iPad as a extra large version, without the phone calling option. Doctors and nurses have already found the iPhone to be a great addition to helping with patient care and healthcare delivery and now the iPad is ready to take it a few steps further.

Here’s a brief scenario taken from the article, “Medicine is the Apple iPad Sweet Spot.” – “The nurse sets up the chart, the doctor walks in with a stylus and examines you, and when he’s done the chart goes into the file and the prescription is waiting at the desk for you, printed clearly, along with your Coordination of Care Record. Hand the nurse your credit card and you’re off. You can put a full day’s work in there and give one to every doctor. Or you can load charts remotely from the nursing station as each patient is admitted, and keep one in each exam room.”

It’s easy to see that this device is out to change the face of healthcare all the while saving the trees! The iPad is available in 3 different options starting at $499 with the high-end version going for around $900. Not a bad starting point and with the iPhone already at a low cost of $200 with a phone carrier subsidy – the iPad can be subsidized by an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) company so it should be very affordable. But with new technology comes bugs – sure the iPad sounds like the greatest mobile invention ever, but is it really?

Check out this article on bnet.com – The 5 Worst Things About the Apple iPad.

Here’s another argument about technology interference with healthcare – “Are Health IT Designers, Testers and Purchasers Trying to Harm Patients?”

I haven’t had a chance to see one of these things in person just yet, but when I do I’ll be sure and tell you what I think firsthand. I can tell you that I love all the products that I already do have from Apple, the iPhone and iMac computer. The look and functionality of Apple products are second to none in my opinion and the iPad is another fine addition to the Apple lineage.

I always encourage travelers to be signed up with more than one travel nursing company (I, myself, am signed up with about a half dozen). If you are in the same boat as me, you have probably received at least one email offering to send you to Haiti to help with the aid.

I have never been in the fortunate position of being able to go to a disaster zone (I was always on a travel assignment at the time), but given the chance, I would jump at the opportunity.

Most of us in the profession are by nature, “healers and helpers”. We derive satisfaction from being able to help others, but often realize early on that ours is mostly a thankless profession. But, when I have spoken with other nurses who have responded to natural disaster zones, they say it can be a very rewarding experience. However, despite the great opportunity to help your fellow man, you must know exactly what’s in store for you; they don’t call it a “disaster zone” for nothing.

Often, the facilities and the medical care will be nowhere near what you are accustomed. You might find yourself working in a tent or some other make-shift medical care station. You could also find yourself right in the thick of things and be delivering your medical care at the roadside using medical supplies fetched from the back of a truck. The living conditions may be primitive and even things we take for granted, such as running water, may not be available. It can be exhaustive work, both physically and mentally. It’s a wonderful opportunity, but if you get the feeling you might not be able to handle it, you might be right.

I have been told that many of the agencies that respond to disaster zones understand when the workers become overwhelmed or are not able to deal with the situation and need to return home. Obviously, they would prefer that those coming to help have done some soul searching beforehand, and once again, if you think it might be over your head, it might very well be. But, if you do need to leave, they will understand.

You will need strong skills in things such as dressing changes, starting IV’s, and basic medical care. However, this also means that you don’t need to be an ICU or an ER nurse to lend a helping hand. Nearly anyone with basic medical training can be utilized.

Most companies like you to make an initial commitment (the company that contacted me regarding Haiti asked for two weeks) and would probably welcome any extensions beyond that time if needed. The pay will vary, but the initial rate I was contacted with for Haiti would be $40 an hour with $60 an hour for overtime. You must also figure that you would pretty much be working the entire time you were not sleeping (this isn’t a travel assignment where you sight-see on your time off). But, that also means lots of overtime hours and that you could make a lot of money in a short time.

The costs you would be responsible for, for things such as travel, passports, immunizations, etc., would vary depending on the organization with whom you are associated. If you have an interest in helping with the situation in Haiti, contact your travel company to see if they are organizing any aid efforts. You can also contact me at david@travelnursesbible.com for more info

Yes, yes… I’m sure all of you male travel nurses out there have heard all the jokes over and over again. Remember in the movie, ‘Meet the Parents’ the poor character Gaylord Focker played by Ben Stiller was teased repeatedly about being a male nurse and granted the movie and those scenes were quite funny, it is no laughing matter when it comes to men as nurses. While there are a limited number of males in the nursing profession, according to a national registry, women outnumber men by a 16-to-1 ratio, men play a vital role in the day-to-day operations of nurses within a hospital.

Travel nursing or nursing in general has always been thought of as a woman’s job, but if there ever is a statement so wrong, it is that. There should never be any biases when it comes to the care, health and well being of our fellow man. Why can’t men provide care for another human without being thought of as effeminate or gay? The problem is obviously the way the media and other outlets portray men in these nursing roles and it has to stop. The only way to turn around these off the mark perceptions is obviously change the way male nurses are viewed in movies and television and start marketing the nursing profession towards men as a profession in which they can make differences in peoples lives everyday while earning themselves a great living. It’s not a male or female thing, it is a humankind thing. There’s a great article written by Jake, a male nurse who is a contributing writer at NurseConnect. Jake pretty much sums up what it is to be a male nurse and why he loves what he does.

So what is the perception of male traveling nurses among their peers, what do the female nurses and other medical staff think about having them on hand? The overall response is that they are lifesavers and a great benefit to the unit. Now let’s not get into, “I can do what you do but I can do it better…” discussion, let’s just stick with the facts. A man’s presence alone can often times be enough to quell an ugly situation in the ER or he can be of great assistance when it comes to lifting or helping move patients around. These are just basic, off the top of the mind situations and we all know that male nurses have an equal amount of training just as any other staff nurse out there and are an integral part to patient care no matter in what department. So with that being said, what are some disadvantages that come along with being a male nurse?

We’ve already discussed the stereotypes associated with being a male nurse and how it’s perceived as feminine and whatnot, but what else? Being a male nurse can be tough because a lot of guys are outspoken and can easily step on toes. To be a successful and an important part to a nursing unit, one must be able to scale back their masculine tendencies due to the fact that many they work with our indeed women and need to be treated in a different manner than that of other guys dealing with issues. So what it takes is for you guys to be more open, flexible and just go with the flow. It’s not just women though, there are other male nurses out there that can be just as territorial, if not more. Bottom line though is patient care, not egos. A nurse is a nurse. A person who cares for the sick, no matter what color, gender or creed.

Here’s a great article on a student group at the University of Minnesota whose aim is to change the perception of male nursing students and nurses.

So what does it take to work the night shift? Well for some it’s easy and this is exactly what they want to be doing with their lives. The hours work great for them and could be considered their dream job. But what about those who don’t have a choice in the matter like nurses who are new to the hospital or are just desperate to get the work? This transition from day to night can be troublesome to say the least. There are a number of health hazards that can affect your well being, with sleep deficiency being the obvious one. Other problem areas that can arise include weight gain, added stress to relationships and drug and alcohol abuse. So what are some things you can do to prepare yourself for this new schedule and way of life?

There’s a great article on the site, ahealthyme.com that suggests some great methods to get your mind and body acclimated to the new hours. Read about it here.

Another article to help you get through the night as a travel nurse can be found at NursingLink.com.

Finally, one more article at BellaOnline.com, Night Shift Challenges.

If you have any other suggestions or tips for other night shift nurses out there, please share them in the comment section.

Last week Jason Lander wrote that from what he was seeing, “…it doesn’t seem anything is getting better yet. At best, it has stopped getting worse – meaning, we seem to have hit the bottom and have stabilized.” Jason goes on to report that the travel nursing industry has taken a 44% hit this year. For those of us travelers who have sought an assignment this year, this number is not at all difficult to believe.

However, I do respectfully disagree with Jason on his view of the current state of the industry. From what I read in Jason’s online profile, he is the founder of a company that deals with healthcare vendor management. This certainly does not discredit his stance in any way, but it means that he is coming from a different viewpoint.

I write about things I see in the industry from the traveler’s perspective. Have I had trouble finding a travel assignment this year? Yes. Have I still found a travel assignment this year? Again, yes.

This summer was probably the slowest anyone of us has seen in decades. I have been traveling since 1995 and have never had the troubles finding an assignment as I have this year. However, I did still find an assignment and I also work with nurses who are just starting in the field of travel nursing who have also found assignments. Additionally, I work in a unit with many travelers. Some of them have continued contracts here, while others have gone on to work travel assignments elsewhere. In the past two months, I have worked with two travelers, one who took an assignment in Vegas, the other, Oahu. When a traveler can still get an assignment in Sin City or a lush tropical setting, I just don’t see things being all that bad.

I agree with Jason that the travel industry has taken a severe blow this year, but from what I am seeing on the “front lines”, thing are improving. Furthermore, we are heading into the busy season for snowbird states such as Arizona and Florida where needs will again spike over the winter.

I’m not saying that the travel industry is anywhere near what it was, but I do see it moving slowly in a positive direction.

When you first decided that the nursing profession was for you, did you ever think it would come to this? You obviously wanted to be a nurse for the simple fact that you have compassion for mankind. There are not many who can do your job day in and day out. I know for myself that I could never fathom being in your role. The sight of others bodily fluids does nothing for me other than make me want to turn around and run as fast as I can the other way. But you’re different. You have ability to put that out of mind and do your job and do it effectively. You’re able to make quick decisions in regards to a patients care and most days it seems like you couldn’t picture yourself doing anything but being a nurse. But what happens when you begin to question why?

There are a couple great articles out there to help put your life and job in perspective. Both are similar in vane but have their own unique points. You know why you wanted to do this in the first place, but sometimes we need to step back and remind ourselves. Read them for yourself and regain your focus. You’re good at what you do, heck you may even be the best, but even the best have the worst days…

Check out these articles and see for yourself what steps you can take to give yourself the reassurance that this is what you wanted to do from day one. If you have any other suggestions for travel nurses and nurses, please share.

Should Unhappy Nurses Quit the Profession?

Step Up or Step Down When You Want to Quit

Despite the mostly positive aspects of travel nursing, you will run into all kinds of personalities in your travels. While most staff members will be friendly and inviting, there will be instances when others have issues. Those issues might not even have anything to do with you, but you may still find yourself on the receiving end of their hostility. The sad truth is that many times, you might not find much that you can do about it as a traveler.

If you feel you are being mistreated as a traveler, the first person to speak to is your recruiter. It might seem logical to address the issue head-on with the person with whom you are having difficulty, but things can snowball quickly and I like the idea of having someone in my corner if the “fit hits the shan”.

Plus, when you speak with your recruiter, they can help you formulate a plan for addressing the situation. If you have a good recruiter, they are there to help you in these instances whether it be helping to develop a game plan, or even just listening to you vent. They can also be a barometer for the problem that you might be having; maybe you are overreacting a bit to the situation. We are ALL guilty of this from time to time and if you have a recruiter you trust, they can help set you straight if the issue is really not that big a deal. However, if they too feel that a resolution is needed, then you have validated your feelings and also hopefully gained an ally in getting the situation resolved.

When addressing an issue, work the chain of command. This means that you start at the bottom and work your way up the chain link by link. First, address the person with whom you have the issue. If that doesn’t work, who is their supervisor? If you don’t find resolution there, move up another link to their supervisor, and so on. If the issue is important enough, you could very well end up speaking with someone in administration that has a hand in running the entire hospital. However, this would be far up the chain and not the place where you should start.

I would say that it is seldom that confronting someone about the issue will be enough to warrant a change, but who knows, maybe you caught them on a bad day and it is something that can be resolved with a simple discussion. In my experience, it often requires moving up a link or two in the chain of command before anything is accomplished.

You must also remember that while conflict resolution should work the same for everyone, you might find resistance along the way if you are a traveler. Do you really think the same rules apply for a regular staff member as they do for a temporary employee that might only be there for thirteen weeks? They should, but most of us know that is not the way the “real” world functions.

In my book on travel nursing, I talk about the life of a traveler and how you sometimes need to keep your head down and “fly under the radar” while on assignment. When hospitals can let a traveler go at the drop of a hat, you really do need to choose your battles.

Travel nursing is all about adapting to your situation and occasionally that situation might not be all that ideal. You should NEVER stay in a situation where you are asked to practice nursing unsafely or feel physically “bullied”. However, some of the less drastic conditions might need to be endured until the end of your contract. Nursing is not always about figuring out how to deal with patients, it can be about figuring out how to interact with the people with whom you work and those in power that abuse that privilege.

Whatever the situation, get your recruiter in the loop. If it does come down to having to leave your assignment, you don’t want the situation to be a complete surprise to your travel company. You also want to understand all the consequences should you have to break your contract.

In my next post, we’ll take a look at some of those consequences and what happens if your contract is terminated.

Travel nursing is often a temporary position with most assignments lasting only thirteen weeks in duration. Many times there is the opportunity to extend or even take another thirteen week contract, but again, this is often a temporary fix for the facility.

Now I have seen some travel postings for positions as a charge nurse or even a nursing supervisor, but these are not the norm and to expect to travel extensively in such a position is not realistic. Most travel positions are for nurses at the bedside.

Once you get into a position like the aforementioned Director of ER, you are typically looking at a position that will be filled internally. Travelers are usually foreign workers to a facility. That is to say that the facility often has no idea what type of employee you will be. You might have a great work record and great experience, but as a traveler, you are often hired after a simple telephone interview and a few credentials on a piece of paper. For such an important position as the one we mentioned, I cannot see a hospital wanting to invest in someone without a face-to-face interview, and, someone who might only be there for a thirteen week duration. Can you imagine how chaotic your unit would be if you had a new manager every thirteen weeks?

Again, these positions are not impossible to come by, but they do take an effort to track them down. If you wished to try to travel exclusively in any position away from the bedside, make sure you are signed up with quite a few travel companies that will enable you to have many options when it comes time for a new assignment.

Your travel nursing agency will be contacting the hospital on your behalf trying to convince them that you are the best candidate to meet their needs. And sometimes this is not just based on years of experience alone. So don’t get too worried. Travel nursing is such a unique job and good travel nurse candidates have a few different characteristics than just what makes a good nurse. For instance a nurse with 5 years travel experience out of 8 years of nursing experience may have the edge over a first time travel nurse with 20 years nursing experience, or a nurse who has already worked in a particular part of the country may have an edge over a nurse who didn’t. It all just depends on the hospital’s needs.

Depending on how the hospital is set up and how many travel nursing companies they work with, two basic processes will be going on while you are waiting to hear from the hospital.  Either a staffing or HR manager will look over your profile, one among anywhere from 10 to 40 other candidates (less companies means less competition for you) and decide which ones meet the needs that the nurse unit manager has told her she has for the position. She will usually narrow this down to the top three or so and and them to the nursing manager to evaluate and/or interview. If the hospital is smaller the nurse unit manager is more likely to be in direct contact with the travel nursing agency eliminating the go between, but leaving her with more profiles to evaluate. Either of these situations means you will have to sit and wait a little until you get your travel nursing interview, but don’t take it as a time to veg, instead use it to prepare so that you can blow the hiring nurse manager away during your interview.

One of the first and obvious differences of a travel nursing interview versus a traditional interview is that it will be done over the phone. For some nurses that is a cause to breathe easy, for others it is a cause to panic.  If you are the latter don’t worry we have done several posts here at TravelNursingBlogs.com full of great travel nursing interview tips, so rather than rehash them all here are the links:

Travel Nursing Job Interview Tips
All the ingredients to a great interview
Are you ready for the five types of nursing interviews?

Overall when it comes to interviewing for a travel nursing job the key is to be confident of your skills and not to get nervous. Taking the time to prepare will help you a ton in this regard.

Keep an eye out for the next step in the Ultimate Travel Nursing Checklist installment; accepting the travel nursing job.

If you do have one site or two that isn’t mentioned, please list it in our comments section to share with our readers.

Just one year ago I would have said that there are enough travel positions and would have advised the first-time traveler to keep plugging away. Unfortunately, the economy has drastically changed and it has certainly affected those nurses looking to venture out on their first travel assignment.

I am a current traveler and have recently been looking for an assignment in ICU. While there are a few positions out there, they are filling fast. When my recruiters read the job descriptions of many of the assignment postings, the hospitals have now started stipulating, “No first-time travelers”.  The nurse seeking a first assignment ends up in a catch-22 situation where they have no experience, but also cannot gain any.

The economy has changed the way hospitals do business with many facilities trimming back on the number of outside agency staff they are using (including travelers). This has led to a large number of travelers with experience seeking jobs. Because there are so many qualified applicants out there, the hospitals can now demand the “cream of the crop” when it comes to travelers.

Some specialties are more in demand such as telemetry. While an ICU nurse used to be able to find a position virtually anywhere, I now know a few ICU nurses that have had to accept contracts for tele positions.

If you are still looking to take the plunge, see how many postings there are in your specialty. If you are only finding a handful of positions, it might be better to wait until things start to rebound a bit.

Lately the state of healthcare has been through some trying times and nurses and other medical staff are beginning to feel the effects. With the risk of patient care suffering and nurses experiencing fatigue and burnout, it is imperative that you give yourself a little “me” time. Vacations can work wonders for the soul and give your psyche a bit of an escape from the realities and repetition of our daily lives. Whether it’s just a “mental health” day or a weeks long vacation at some resort… You deserve a break and you deserve to make the most of every dollar you spend on it.

We all know where the economy stands today and it is probably a big factor in why you deserve to take a break. You may be leery to do anything extravagant because of your financial situation and that’s the smart thing to do. So here are a few ways to help you make the most of your time and money! Nurses and Vacation – 12 Ways to Stretch Your Budget

In most facilities when the unit census is low, the travelers will be the first nurses to float to other units. However, this is another one of those rules that will depend on the facility in which you work; the way this rule is applied will also differ.

Some hospitals will deem travelers as outside staff or agency employees, while others will consider travelers the same as their regular staff. However, it seems that when it comes to floating, a traveler will almost always be the first one called to do so.

If there are a large number of travelers in your unit, the charge nurses should keep a record of the floats. This way they can at least make sure that among the travelers, everyone has their turn. In some hospitals they might even put the travelers into the float rotation with the regular staff; however, in over a decade of travel, I believe I have only worked at one facility that did this. You can always try to negotiate a contract where you are not required to float, but this too will be a rarity.

Before you accept a position with a hospital, you should ask in the interview what their float policy is in regard to travelers. You should also ask which units you might be asked to cover. For example, on my current contract, as a critical care nurse, I am only asked to cover other critical care areas in the hospital, and not tele or med-surg.

If you are ever asked to float to an area that is outside your scope of practice, you must seriously consider what it is you are being asked to do. For example, if I was ever asked to float to OB, I would want to know what was required of me. If they told me they just needed someone to help out and possible start an IV or two, I would have no problem with that float. However, if they wanted me to take patients who were on fetal heart monitors or immediate post delivery, I would have to tell them that it was a float with which I would not be comfortable, and decline.

Never let a charge nurse or nursing supervisor pressure you into a float that is clearly outside your scope of practice. After all, it’s YOUR license and it’s doubtful that anyone else will take the responsibility to protect it.

No matter the length of your trip from point a to point b, there are sure to be many things to see, do and of course eat! While on the road you may want to try and stick to a certain schedule but as we all know, things can and will usually not happen as you so desire. It’s easy to want to try and keep your stops to a minimum and running through a drive-thru may seem like a good idea, but in reality it can really add up and have you reaching for your Tums. So instead of super-sizing value meal #4, why not head into town off the beaten path and find a locally owned and operated cafe or restaurant. They are sure to have some money saving specialties and your tummy will thank you. But if you must keep to a schedule, there are other means to save yourself some bucks while keeping your body fueled for the long haul ahead of you.

I admit I am not the greatest of bargain shoppers. Whenever we have to make a stop for gas or the more important potty break, I am guilty of always buying something, anything from that convenient store and for some reason I really like to sample the local flavors in the beef jerky department. So you buy a snack and a soda and already you’ve spent around $4. The best thing you can do to avoid these impulse purchases is one, stay away from stopping at a convenient store or gas stations (unless of course you need gas!), try and hold off for a state run rest stop. Second, buy all your snacks and beverages ahead of time and store them neatly in a cooler or other container. That will definitely save you some money, plus you get more for it!

Now no road trip is complete without spending the night in motel or for the rugged, a campsite. Nothing says stay here like “Free HBO.” Some motels even offer free breakfasts and that would be a great way to start your next day of traveling. For overnight stays I recommend you do your research prior to taking off. Try your hand at bidding on your own price at Priceline.com. See what hotel chains are available along the path you plan to take, seek out the deals via the internet or for the real cost effective method, try a night or two camping. If you’re a AAA member or AARP you can be assured some sort of discounted prices at participating motel chains and the like.

While researching places to stay along your planned route you should also check for the best gas prices. Here’s a site that does just that. GasBuddy.com. Now besides finding the cheapest gas, here are a few methods to help keep you on the road longer.

Follow these few simple gas-saving tips to save a lot of road trip money which you can use to buy more beef jerky. I know in the summer it can get hot, especially if you’re heading out west. If you can stand it, turn off the AC — it hogs the gas faster than you can say, “Four dollars a gallon?!” If you must use it, try just occasionally switching between AC and rolling down the windows.
Another method less thought of would be to ease off the gas pedal well before a stop sign and coast to a stop; take off in a mellow manner. Burning rubber burns gas needlessly. Also, make sure you inflate your tires close to max — carry a teeny tire gauge and read the tire’s side. Finally the biggest and most obvious expense to avoid is getting a speeding ticket. I know you want to get there, but why get there upset and with $200 less in your pocket.

Hopefully you can apply any and all of these tips on your next adventure on the road. Also, if you discover some great jerky out there, by all means tell me… I will plan accordingly!

Next Friday be sure to come back to TravelNursingBlogs.com when we will have a first-time surprise guest author. The topic will be sure to “move” you!

They may have gone a little overboard, with a forum, but they have a valuable mobile section that has options for Blackberry and iPhone users and a text messaging platform for those of us with just a basic cell phone. Imagine, texting “sitorsquat” and getting instructions to the nearest public restroom.

So far SitorSquat.com has over 58,000 rated public bathrooms. And if you are really interested you can follow them on Twitter. 

So next time you are on a travel nursing job and find yourself looking for a good public restroom check out SitorSquat.com. Actually, you may want to check it out ahead of time so you are prepared.

Now, travel nursing companies may differ here in how this process works. Some recruiters may also be contacting the hospital on your behalf while other companies may have these roles split out between two different departments. There are advantages to both systems, which I will be writing about in a later post, but basically one set up will be able to make the claim that the person selling you to the hospital will know you better, while the other will be able to promise that they will know the hospital better and their needs better and thus give you and the hospital a perfect fit. So if this difference is going to be important to you then you will want to find out how the travel nursing agency you choose to travel handles this.

Some companies are going to be very selective in where they submit you, while others may be more scatter-shot in where your profile is submitted. Good travel nurse companies will be the selective ones, I have heard of unhappy traveling nurses who have been called by hospitals they didn’t even know they were being submitted to in locations or hospital environments that they are not particularly interested in working in. Find out up front how the travel nursing company you are looking at handles this process, so you don’t have any surprises.

What you really need to do at this point in the travel nursing process is really just to prepare for the next step, the travel nursing interview.