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Archive for December, 2010

A good nurse doesn’t pursue a nursing because they are lured by the promise of huge paychecks. Good nurses don’t work towards a career in nursing because they are convinced that they will be able to work short shifts that will leave them lots of time to spend with their families. Good nurses don’t become nurses because they are looking for careers that require a limited amount of manual labor. Good nurses don’t become nurses because they feel that nursing will be easier then becoming a doctor. Nurses become nurses because they are compelled to help sick and injured patients.

There are several things that need to happen before a person can become a nurse. The first thing they have to do is become enrolled in a educational program that specializes in nursing. There is currently a shortage of educational nursing programs which can make it difficult for potential nurses to get in. If you are somebody who is interested in pursuing a career in nursing you will want to apply to enroll in a nursing program as early as possible. Once the student has been accepted into an educational nursing program the student can choose to pursue a variety of degrees including; an associates degree, a bachelors degree, a masters degree, or even a nursing doctorate.

Registered nurses are nurses that access and record patients reactions and symptoms, and reactions. Once they become registered, nurses are free to pursue careers in the hospital, home or office. Nurses who are interested in becoming travel nurses are required to be RN’s

Office nurses are nurses who work in a doctor’s office. Most office nurses are responsible for administering medications to patients, prepping the patient for their examine, and helping to dress wounds. Because office nurses generally work in doctor’s offices, they tend to have a fairly routine work schedule, that seldom changes from one day

Another type of nurse is a home nurse. A home nurse is a nurse who goes into someone who needs medical attention (often the elderly) and sees to their medical needs. In some cases a home nurse will even move into their patients home, until the patient no longer needs their services. Some home nurses work as midwifes, and will help parents deliver their children in the comfort of their own home.

Hospital nurses are, by definition, nurses who work in hospitals. Although some hospital nurses work a rotating shift that lets them work in several different departments, but a majority of hospital nurses decide to go into specialized areas of medicine such as pediatrics, surgery, or emergency.

Registered nurses are nurses that access and record patients reactions and symptoms, and reactions. Once they become registered, nurses are free to pursue careers in the hospital, home or office. Nurses who are interested in becoming travel nurses are required to be RN’s. Travel nurses have to spend one year working at a hospital before most agencies will accept their application. The year they spend working should be in their chooen field.

To anyone who has spent weeks and even months combing the classified section of their local newspapers looking for jobs, or the person working out of a temp agency who can only find employment that lasts for a couple of days or a few weeks it seems incomprehensible that a travel nurse is able to finish working on one assignment, pack their bags, and move seamlessly onto a new assignment in a different state. A good travel nurse doesn’t have to return to their home town if they time their assignments right. It might sound incomprehensible but that is what happens.

If you stop to consider the situation travel nurses aren’t really employed by the hospitals and medical facilities where they are working. Travel nurses are technically employed by the nursing agency. The agency gives each travel nurse a travel allowance. They find and in some cases fund the travel nurse’s housing. They make sure that the travel nurse is legally able to work in each state. Most importantly the travel nurse’s agency is the place where the paychecks come from.

The nurse’s agency is where the travel nurse gets their latest work assignment. Each agency has their own policy for matching travel nurses with work assignments. Some agency’s match new assignments with nurses who qualify for the position and are available to take it. Other agency’s post a job board on their agencies website. When it is time for a travel nurse to find a new assignment they simply have to go to the agency’s job board and search available jobs until they find one that sounds suitable for them, they then contact the agency, requesting the assignment.

Once a travel nurse makes a request for an assignment the agency double checks that travel nurse is qualified for the position. Once the agency determines that the travel nurse is qualified for the position they make sure that the nurse is also legally allowed to practice medicine in the state where the assignment is located. If the travel nurse needs to have paperwork filed in order to obtain a license in the state, the agency starts working to make sure it happens as expediently as possible

Once the travel nurse has been approved for the assignment, the agency starts looking for available housing. While the agency is looking for a place for the nurse to live the nurse needs to think about their travel arrangements. Most travel nurses drive to each assignment but some prefer to fly, especially if their new assignment is located in a large city where public transportation is provided and it is difficult to keep a car.

It is imperative the travel nurse’s agency make sure that their nurses have plenty of assignments and that the travel nurses they employ are happy with their assignments. The agency’s only make money if the travel nurses they hire are taking lots and lots of assignments. The smoother each assignment goes the more likely the travel nurse is to take on more assignments.

Travel nurses travel all over the country working in various hospitals and medical facility’s for short periods of time before they move onto a different job. Working as a travel nurse lets them see various parts of the country, provides them with an opportunity to gain valuable work experience, introduces them to new friends. Many travel nurses claim that working as a travel nurse gives them a renewed sense of patient focused nursing.

One concern nurses have when they are considering perusing a career in travel nursing is housing. They want to know where they will live while they are working in an unfamiliar part of the country. They want to know how they are going to be paying for their housing. They also want to know if the housing will be safe and clean.

Normally the agency the travel nurse works for is responsible for finding the travel nurses housing. They try to make sure that the housing is close to the facility that the travel nurse will be working at. They should make an effort to find housing that is comfortably furnished and is clean. The type of housing that most nursing agencies look for is furnished apartments that are available for a short term lease.

Financing the travel nurse’s housing can vary from one agency to the next. Some nursing agencies give the travel nurse a living allowance while other agencies expect the nurses to pay for their housing themselves. Travel nurses need to read their contract carefully so that they will know whether or not they have to add housing into their budget.

Before a travel nurse enters into an agreement with a nursing agency they need to talk to other travel nurses that the agency already employs. Ask the travel nurses if the agency does a good job at locating housing for their nurses. Find out if the housing is normally convenient to the work site. Is the housing normally in a nice neighborhood or do the other travel nurses sometimes fear for their lives when they return to their temporary home. Does the nursing agency find housing that comes with maid service or will the travel nurse have to clean house in addition to their work duties.

Although it is not advisable for travel nurses to bring pets with them because the pets become stressed and disoriented by the constant moving around, if the nurse absolutely cannot live without their dog or cat they are going to have to make sure that their temporary housing allows them to keep pets. Also, if you are traveling with a pet, bear in mind that a majority of the time your new living quarters will be a small one bedroom apartment. The living quarters might be tight if they include you and a large dog.

Before you accept a position as a travel nurse consider the location and what you will require in the way of amenities. If it is summer time and you will be working at a medical facility in the south you will want to make sure that your apartment has a working air conditioner. Winters in the country’s northern regions are cold. Make sure your northern housing has heat, also remember that cold winter climates mean you will have to wear extra clothing, including heavy boots and bulky coats, try to request that the nursing agency finds housing that has enough space so will have a place to store your outer garments.

A traveling nurse has much control over their life. They choose where they want to work and what assignment they want to work for, but do not let that fool you. There is a process to being accepted for the assignment you want to obtain.
Once you have joined with an agency that you feel suits you best and have been hired by the agency you will be assigned a personal recruiter who will help you obtain the assignments that you wish to be employed for. Discuss with your recruiter exactly what you are looking for in an assignment and the destination where you want to be employed. It is your recruiter’s job to help you obtain those assignments. She will then match you with the best assignments suitable for the skills you have already obtained and the choices that you have stated.

When choosing your destination your possibilities are endless. If you are looking for warmth and beaches you can ask for destinations to be along the west coast or if you are looking for snow, skiing and the mountains you can request specifically by state and request that your assignment be in say Colorado. If you are more of a country girl at heart you can ask for assignments in rural communities and small towns or if you want nightlife, glitz and glam your choices are endless with the
top biggest cities that our country has to offer.

After your recruiter has found you an assignment that you feel will suit yours wants and desires you will then do a telephone interview with the hiring facility. Your recruiter should help you prepare for your telephone interview to help you obtain the assignment that you have chosen. Your recruiter will help you so that you will be prepared and have the best chance to obtain this assignment.

Once the facility has accepted you for the assignment the fun begins! The next step will be for you to obtain any of the licensure process or credentialing requirements that you may need for your assignments state. Most states offer a temporary license that is fairly easy to obtain quickly. Remember your travel nurse agency has been working with nurses, facilities and different states for as long as they have been in a business and the top agencies will know exactly what you need to do and how to go about getting the work done so that you will have no problems in obtaining your license in the state of your assignment.

After your acceptance your housing will start to be worked out so that when the times comes for you to go on to your new assignment your utilities will already be on and your new home during the assignment will be ready for your occupancy. Your travel nurse agency will help you with any details or problems that you will have a long the way to make sure your move into your new assignment goes as smoothly as it possibly can.

Along the way your private recruiter or someone from your agency will be keeping in touch with you to make sure everything is working out smoothly for you. Remember you are not a long and your agency is always a phone call away.

When its time to choose the right agency to which you will become employed with what exactly do you look for? First look for an agency that has the values you want to instill in your nursing career. It’s most important to make sure the agency you are working for treats there employees good and is there for their employees when there employees need guidance. Look for an agency that offers 24 hour support for any of your possible needs that may arise.

You will also want to make sure the agency you choose is well known and respected and those they have a viable databank of jobs available for you to choose your assignments from. You want to make sure the benefit packages that the agency offer are competitive to what other agencies are offering.

Does the agency offer medical malpractice insurance? Is it free? Do they offer you sign on bonuses, medical benefits, travel reimbursement? Travel reimbursement is one of the top things you will want to look for since this can be come costly to pick up and move when your assignment is over and move on to the next one.

First you need to ask yourself what exactly are you looking for the agency to offer you as an employee from there you can
make a list and then start to research into different agencies and find the one that best suits your needs and desires.
When contacting agencies never be afraid to ask them certain question you feel may be important. If an agency is not willing to respond to your questions or give you the time of day before you are hired that is a big indicator that you could have trouble down the line with this agency when you may truly need guidance and help. You may at that point want to keep looking into other agencies.

Choosing the right agency is essential as you plan for successful and fruitful career in becoming a traveling nurse. You can also ask an agency if they would be willing to put you into touch with other nurses who work with their agency to see if travel nursing is the way for you to go. Then you can talk to other nurses and see if they are comfortable working for the agency and ask them how any problems have been handled.

If an agency acts in a professional helpful manor the whole time this is a good indication the agency cares about their employees and will do what is necessary for you.

Other important information is to find out how long the agency has been in business, do they carry any awards or licenses?
How do the facilities that use them regard the agency? Ask to view a contract before you agree to any hiring process. You may also want to find out how your personal information is treated and will you be dealing with a team of people or will you have more interaction with say just a few people. Sometimes the more individual treatment is more important to some then to others.

When you feel fully comfortable that you have found the right agency for you then comes the time to sign up and begin your rewarding journey into becoming a traveling nurse.

Depending on the assignment a traveling nurse accepts her day can be filled with the hustle and bustle of a busy emergency room or the laid back floor of people on the mend. The choice of course as to what assignment a traveling nurse will be doing is up to the traveling nurse themselves!

Usually a traveling nurse’s assignment is only temporary and s/he will work in a variety of clinical settings. Jobs can last from a week or to as long as the employed nurse is willing to work. As a traveling nurse you can work anywhere in the country and you are able to expand on your skills. By expending on your skills you will be able to further your nursing career.

As a traveling nurse the nurse gets to decide which assignment they wish to accept. They are given the opportunities to not only help where needed but to travel the world and tackle various jobs in the nursing field. As a traveling nurse though sometimes the job is a little more detailed, a traveling nurse is required to fill out paperwork, move around from assignment to assignment, negotiate their contract provisions to name a few.

Traveling nurses are need for various jobs, Have you ever wanted to cruise around the world? Well did you know a cruise ship could not leave a port unless there is a doctor or nurse on board? This is an excellent opportunity for a nurse would loves cruises and wishes to take their passion for cruising and their passion for nursing and blend them into a career and lifestyle.

Hospitals are also hurriedly erected in areas of disaster. These places are always looking for nurses to travel to the area and help in times of crisis. Think of the Katrina hurricane, medical attention was needed in the area and many traveling nurses where employed for this medical disaster.

A traveling nurse’s job can sometimes be more rewarding and challenging then day to day nursing jobs. You are learning new skills, sometimes under pressure in emergency situations. You are going to foreign areas that you are not familiar with and learning new techniques and styles of doing things. Procedures may not be the same from area to area so as a traveling nurse you are constantly learning. It’s not only a job but a full time education.

Depending on the length of some assignments and the need some agencies will pay a traveling nurse up to 3,000 to take an assignment, they include these bonuses as an incentive to pull in nurses where they are highly needed. Some agencies even pay for the traveling nurses traveling expensive for their relocation, housing and basic utilities. Some agencies will even offer you other incentives while you are employed with their agency. When you are searching for the right place of employment its best to search out agencies and become aware of exactly what an agency offers and get everything in writing.
A traveling nurse experiences the excitement of working in various areas of nursing, the fun and excitement of traveling to new and exotic area while she aids in the treatment of helping people medically.

Variety is Everything: Stage Types of the Tour de France

One of the things that makes the Tour de France a great spectacle is the wide variety of stages that riders must endure to win the yellow jersey for once and for all. The Tour de France requires versatility from its cyclists, as each year the stages are made of a good mix of climbs, sprints, and other stage types. If youre lost as to what the different type of stage types are, and what strategies they require, read on! Youll enjoy the race much more if you understand what challenges are presented by the different types of stages.

The prologue is a relatively new type of stage that has been introduced to get the race off to a fast start and determine a first stage leader for the Tour de France. This stage is much shorter than other stage types, usually clocking in at under 8 kilometers! This means that the fastest riders can usually complete the prologue in around 7 minutes. However, even with the short stage time, the prologue is a nice appetizer for the stages to come, and provides race fans with a quick look at the years competitors. Winning the prologue is not exactly essential for winning the entire race, and its more a formality than anything. Not every years edition of the Tour de France even contains a prologue.

Sprint stages are often very flat, and allow each teams sprint specialists to zoom down the road at top speed towards the finish line. Sprint stages often have a large peloten (or pack) of riders, as there is no real climb or descent to divide them or separate them. As such, sprint stages often seem like the less demanding stage type, but are often quite the opposite. After all, when racing in a thick pack at high speeds, the slightest slip up can lead to a huge crash that can end ones bid at the Tour de Frances yellow jersey.

The climbing, or mountain, stages of the Tour de France give the race much of its unique flavor. Climbing stages are often extremely demanding, as riders struggle to push the pace, or simply keep up with it, while enduring long inclines that are categorized by their steepness and length. Of course, the ascent of such mountain roads also lead to spectacular descents at high speeds which can lead to some of the most dangerous and exciting moments of the entire race. Many champions of the Tour de France have been excellent climbers, such as the great Lance Armstrong, or former champion Lucien van Impe. Its important to be a good all-around cyclist, but being a tenacious climber can allow you to put valuable distance between yourself and the pack in the Tour de France.

Individual time trials can be the difference between rousing success and disappointing failure at the Tour de France. During an individual time trial, riders compete by themselves against the clock to achieve the fastest time possible, usually in a distance of around fifty kilometers. With the shorter stage distance, the competition to shave every millisecond possible is pretty heated, and the emphasis is on proper race strategy, pacing, and technique. Unlike other stages, where a riders team can assist them, there is no one to help cut down wind resistance, push the pace, or provide other help in an individual time trial. The distance of a time trial is too far for a cyclist to start out at their highest possible pace, but not far enough that they cant push themselves throughout. Therefore, the strategy of a rider is one of the major factors that determines where they finish in an individual time trial.

These are the main stage types of the Tour de France. As you can see, riders must be ready for everything, and work hard to overcome any weaknesses when they race in the Tour de France. The variety of stage types works to demand that each years winner be a versatile cyclist who can persevere against all kinds of challenges. After all, thats what makes the Tour de France so great.

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To the uninitiated, the world of cycing and specifically, the Tour de France can be a bit confusing. With all the talk of yellow jerseys, time trials, race leaders and feed zones, the Tour de France is sometimes a bit intimidating to new fans. And what in the world is with the teams? Its an individual sport, right? Well, have no fear, cycling newbies: your initiation is here!

First, lets discuss the whole team thing. Riders group up in teams as a part of their strategy, more than anything else. You might wonder how much strategy can be involved in riding a bike as fast as you can to a finish line, but youd be surprised! Each team member usually has their own objective and role in the overall team strategy. The goal is for a member of the team to win the overall classification, or first place, in the Tour de France.

Teams must adhere to rules, just like individuals. First of all, team members all wear matching outfits. However, the jerseys can deviate from that of the team designation if a rider of a team has earned an honor that gives them a special jersey. These honors include being the overall leader of the race (yellow jersey), the best rider on climbing, or mountain stages (polka dot jersey), the best sprint rider (green jersey) and the best young rider of 25 years or younger (white jersey). These jerseys are updated as the race continues, and can change hands several times during the race, or even with every new stage.

Stage, you ask? Whats a stage? Well, long races such as the Tour de France, which typically lasts over three weeks, are divided into one-day portions called stages. The stages themselves are usually based upon a certain theme or type, of which there are a few. There are climbing, or mountain stages, sprint stages on flatter ground, individual time trials, where riders race alone for a great time, and others.

The stages are generally mixed up and spread out throughout the overall race, and are balanced so no one type of rider can dominate the race. Since most riders specialize in a certain type of racing (for instance, climbing), you can understand how important it is to balance the stage types within the race.

One of the newer requirements, or at least a requirement that is stricter than before, is the required use of a helmet in all stages of the Tour de France. Its hard to believe, but there was a time when helmets werent required at all, even during 50 mile per hour descents down steep mountains! With injuries and even a rare death contributing to concern over rider safety, helmet requirements have stiffened over recent years.

The feed zone may sound like it’s from the world of cattle raising rather than cycling, but the eating and drinking of Tour de France cyclists is actually serious business. Tour officials closely monitor what goes into their competitors, and things like water bottles have to be approved by them before they can be used. The feed zone is just what it sounds like, an area where riders can grab some quick nourishment as they roll by on their bicycles. Sometimes, cyclists can also be handed water or snacks on other areas of the course by team officials in vehicles or motorcycles (no, seriously), but thats also closely monitored by Tour de France officials.

One relatively sad, but necessary, evolution of Tour de France rules is reflected in the mandatory drug testing that takes place at every stage in the race. Every participant is tested before the race, and once the race starts, random cyclists are selected at each stage to be tested as well. The stage and race leaders are given a drug test at each stage automatically.

The Tour de France is a simple, yet complicated affair. In essence, it is simply a bicycle race, with riders trying to finish as fast as they can. However, the level of competition has made many rules and policies necessary to ensure fair and efficient competition. Knowing the rules can help you enjoy the Tour de France much more. Make sure to learn all you can before this years Tour de France kicks off!

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Fabio Casartelli, like many young cyclists, dreamed of achieving infamy in the Tour de France. Unfortunately, in an unprecedented bike crash, Casartelli lost his life and remains only the third rider to ever die during the Tour de France race.

Fabio Casartelli was born in Como, Italy in August of 1970. Throughout his amateur cycling career, he showed a lot of potential, most notably with his win of a gold medal in the road race event of the 1992 Olympic Games. He finished one second ahead of the Netherlands Erik Dekker, who went on to win four stages of the Tour de France in his own career.

The first Tour de France Casartelli competed in was in 1993, although Casartelli didnt accomplish much in his debut. For the 1995 Tour de France, Team Motorola selected Casartelli to competed in the race, and Casartelli was hoping to improve upon his first appearance in the legendary race.

Casartelli was in the 15th stage of the 1995 Tour de France when he was suddenly involved in a crash with several other riders. The crash occurred during the descent on the Col de Portet dAspet in the Pyrenees. During the crash, Casartelli struck his head on the concrete blocks that lined the roadway, immediately causing him to lose consciousness. Sadly, Casartelli didnt make it to the hospital, as he stopped breathing during the helicopter flight and couldnt be resuscitated.

After Casartellis tragic death, there was some speculation that his life could have been saved, had he been wearing a bicycle helmet at the time of the accident. However, the senior doctor of the Tour de France, Gerard Porte, refuted such claims, as he said that the helmet would not have covered the area of Casartellis head where he received the damage that led to his death.

If anything positive could be taken from Casartellis untimely death, it was the way the riders participating in the 1995 Tour de France came together after the tragic crash. In tribute to Fabio Casartelli, his comrades in Team Motorola finished the next stage as a unit, crossing the finish line together. The rest of the pack finished right after, riding slowly in a show of respect to their fallen peer.

Fabio Casartelli left behind a wife and an infant son, and cyclists and the Tour de France officials themselves made sure they werent forgotten. A fund was established for Casartellis family, and all of the riders who received money for their participation and performances in the tribute stage donated their prize money to the fund. The Tour de France organizers matched the amount donated to the fund, and many individuals also pitched in to help do their part and help Casartellis family.

Fabio Casartellis death also helped to accomplish stricter helmet regulations for Tour de France riders. Over time, helmet rules have consistently been strengthened, and now riders can be fined for not wearing their helmets during any portion of the Tour de France. Even if Casartellis death couldnt have been prevented by the use of a helmet, the fact that helmet use has become more widespread and required by race organizations means that his death was not in vain.

The thought of a sportsman like Fabio Casartelli losing his life in the midst of a competition is a dreadful one indeed. While theres no guarantee that a tragedy like what happened to Casartelli wont ever happen again, its important to know that precautions are being taken to keep such things from happening, and that Casartelli has not and will not be forgotten.

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When you think of the most iconic trophies in all of sport, you may think of the Stanley Cup, or the World Cup trophy, or the Vince Lombardi trophy. However, its hard to imagine an honor more distinctive than the Tour de Frances yellow jersey.

While not exactly a trophy, the jersey is awarded to the winner of each years Tour de France. What sets it apart from other awards involves two major differences from the rest: that it is worn by competitors, and that it is actually awarded (and re-awarded) during the competition itself, not just at the end of the competition.

One has to wonder exactly how a tradition like the awarding of the famed yellow jersey got started. If you talked to Philippe Thys, he would have told you that in 1913, Henri Desgrange (the original race organizer) asked him to wear a brightly colored jersey so observers would distinquish him from the field. Thys was not exactly into the idea of becoming a moving target for other riders, but later conceded.

However, the first official awarding of the yellow jersey wasnt until six years later, in 1919. Eugne Christophe, a French rider, was the first to wear it during the course. Supposedly the distinctive color was either decided upon because of the yellow newsprint of LAuto, which is the newspaper that created and organized the Tour de France, or because yellow was an unpopular color choice for riders and therefore would stand out and be readily available from manufacturers. It all depends on who youd rather believe.

Although wearing the yellow jersey today makes one the subject of admiration and praise, Christophe didnt receive that kind of reaction. Instead, he claimed that spectators would make canary noises as he rode by, as well as just generally heckling his choice of attire.

The yellow jersey has gone on to have a history rivaling that of the Tour de France itself. One of the more memorable yellow jersey problems has always been when more than one rider ties for the right to wear the jersey. In years past, it was decided that tie breakers would be utilized to keep from having to have more than one yellow jersey-donning rider at a time.

At times, there have also been a lack of riders wearing the yellow jersey.
Switzerlands Ferdi Kubler was the first to pass up the chance to wear the yellow jersey, doing so because the previous race leader (Fiorenze Magni) had left the race as a result of alleged threats made to him and his Italian teammates by spectators.

In 1971, the great Eddy Merckx, widely considered as perhaps the best cyclist of all time, started a tradition of sorts by declining to wear the jersey when the previous leader crashed. Luis Ocaa was in the lead when he crashed on the col de Mente, and Merckx wanted no part of the yellow jersey when he was able to take the lead as a result.

This new tradition was followed by Joop Zoetemelk, who opted out of the yellow jersey in 1980 when Bernard Hinault withdrew from a knee injury, Greg LeMond, who did the same after Denmarks Rolf Sorenson was eliminated from the race by a crash, and most recently Lance Armstrong in 2005. Armstrong wouldnt start with the yellow jersey on because the previous wearer, David Zabriskie, was taken out of the race by a crash. Armstrong later reconsidered at the urging of Tour de France organizers.

The only rider who refused the yellow jersey based upon its actual composition was Louison Bobet. Bobet, an eventual multiple time champion of the Tour de France, did not want to wear the yellow jersey because it contained synthetic fabrics. It seemed that Bobet was a wool man through and through, and he would not budge from his position. Finally, another jersey had to be rushed out (this one was pure wool) to avoid the lack of a yellow jersey wearer in the next stage.

Although the yellow jersey has evolved into one of the most recognizable honors in all of sport, it had its growing pains, probably more so than any other sports award. As you can see, the yellow jersey didnt become a prestigious symbol of accomplishment overnight!

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