Texas Travel Nursing

Travel nursing is kind of a temporary work for experienced nursing professionals especially for the United States. It is kind of an arrangement for filling up the required nursing professionals from outside locations. Smaller towns and places usually face shortages of nurses, and on account of any sudden necessity like that of natural or man-made disaster, needs to be aided by nurses from outside of the locality. Travel nurse come to great help in restoring the normalcy of an area after an event of great loss and misfortune.

Nurses who are passionate towards their work and enjoy exploring different locations are especially taking up such assignments. A travel nurse moves out to another area to take benefit of enjoy working in a different environment.

It has emerged as one of the preferred and lucrative job options in the medicine world. Working in different environment help nurses to gain better experiences for their career. Besides good experience, travel nurses can enjoy free benefits and allowance. In fact, salary remuneration of travel nurses is very high and often they are awarded with lucrative bonuses for their efforts.

How to Apply for a Travel Nursing Jobs?

Apply for different travel nursing assignments is not that difficult. Become smart by applying online and enjoy its outcome. There are many online travel agencies that provide option to fill up a simple form for nurses. Nurses can fill up the necessary documents and attach their bio-data with it.

After accessing a nurse's requirement and qualification details, these agencies will further contact to hospitals and medical institute who have openings for nursing professionals. These agencies will help in conducting interviews and negotiating the deal between a nurse and the health facility.

The role of travel nurse agencies does not end with signing of deal between a nurse and a hospital. They further look into matters related to the relocation of a nurse to her new workplace.

Looking for quality travel nurse information? Search through internet and get the desired results.

A survey carried out by the Community District Nursing Association (CDNA) has found that Nurses are being routinely left out of pocket when using their own cars to visit patients. Almost every Nurse questioned, 96.1%, expressed their concern about the cost of using their own vehicle for work and the short-fall between the cost of fuel and the amount they are reimbursed.

In the survey of members across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Nurses claimed to be more concerned about their car costs than their workload.

Fuel costs have increased by an average of 14% each year between January 2006 and January 2008, and this month saw petrol prices rise to 104p. The majority of CDNA members use their own cars to visit patients and have no realistic alternative open to them. Many are funding their employment out of their own pocket by hundreds of pounds each year and are effectively subsidising the running of the National Health Service.

The situation could be set to get even worse, when Chancellor Alastair Darling announces changes to the way in which any employee can claim back their expenses for running a car for work in his Budget on 12th March.

The HMRC's Authorised Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) are under review and may be reduced in a misguided effort to encourage staff to driver fewer miles. The CDNA is concerned that members will be penalised even further just because of where their patients live and that the AMAPs rates, set back in April 2002 when petrol was 75p a litre, are long overdue for an increase.

Chair of the CDNA, Rowena Smith, comments: "Our members have been concerned for some time that their motoring costs are not being met by their expenses. This survey shows just how bad the situation has become. While we support any reasonable effort to reduce carbon emissions, it must not be done at the expense of nurses or their patients. Nurses along with many other British workers cannot simply change the way they use their cars for work - it is built into their contract and penalising them for not having a company car is nothing short of a stealth tax on employment."

- Approved Mileage Allowance Payments (AMAPs) allow employees to reclaim the costs of business travel in their own vehicles. The current rates were set in 2002 at 40 pence per mile for the first 10,000 business miles per year and 25 pence per mile thereafter. The AA estimates that between 3 and 5 million employees use their own cars for work.

- The 2007 Budget Report announced that 'ahead of the Pre-Budget Report, the Government will consider the case for changing the structure of AMAPs to align the tax/NICs treatment and to ensure that rates and thresholds are set at an appropriate level to promote environmentally friendly business travel'. The October Pre-Budget Report however did not contain any changes to AMAPs, instead it announced 'In advance of the Budget, the Government will continue to consider the representations received from industry'.

- The Community and District Nursing Association (CDNA) is a TUC & STUC affiliated union representing thousands of members, UK wide. The CDNA is the only specialised independent union and association that solely represents community and district nurses.

- Individual nurse case studies relating to personal car use for work are available from the CDNA.

Community & District Nursing Association

Nancy Jo Reedy, CNM, MPH, FACNM, a certified nurse-midwife from Arlington, Texas, is the recipient of the 2007 Hattie Hemschemeyer Award from the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). The "Hattie" is the College's most prestigious award and was presented to Ms. Reedy on May 26, 2007 at the ACNM 52nd Annual Meeting & Exhibit in Chicago, IL.

A 1973 graduate of the Mississippi Medical Center Nurse-Midwifery Education Program, Reedy has spent over 30 years contributing to midwifery and women's health. Reedy founded four midwifery practices, including the practice at Parkland Memorial Hospital, which is the largest midwifery practice in the United States. Reedy is currently the Director of Nurse-Midwifery Services at Texas Health Care, PLLC in Fort Worth, Texas. Reedy received an MPH from the University of Illinois in 1977 and has exemplified dedication to midwifery, in clinical practice, policy, advocacy, mentorship, education, leadership, and service.

"Over the years this midwife's dedication to midwifery, in all its aspects, including practice, policy, advocacy, mentorship, education, leadership and service, has been outstanding," said Katherine Camacho Carr, CNM, PhD, former ACNM President, during the award presentation. "I would venture to say that she even has celebrity status among us, not only because of her legendary midwifery contributions, but also because of her wit, her sense of humor and her honest, if not opinionated approach to everything."

Reedy has had a long standing commitment to underserved women. She currently has plans to move to a new women's hospital supported in part by an endowment to ensure care for vulnerable populations.

Reedy has played key roles in ACNM. She served on the ACNM Board of Directors as Region V Representative from 1994-1997 and as Region IV Representative from 1980-1984. She served on the ACNM Nominating Committee, the Bylaws Committee, the Political & Economic Affairs Committee, the ACNM Summit on Nurse-Midwifery Education, the ad hoc Committee to Revise the Ethical Code for Midwives, and the National Commission on Nurse-Midwifery Education, in addition to playing many roles in her local chapters. Currently, Reedy serves as an ACNM Division of Accreditation site visitor.

Reedy supported the development of the service Directors Network, and the A.C.N.M. Foundation. Her wisdom and guidance as the President of the A.C.N.M. Foundation turned the Foundation into a dynamic, fiscally sound, and successful fund-raising endeavor. She has tirelessly worked for sister organizations, including the March of Dimes, the National Certification Corporation for Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing Specialties and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (formerly NAACOG).

The Hattie Hemschemeyer Award, named in honor of ACNM's first president and a pioneer of the profession, is given annually to an ACNM member who has been certified for at least ten years, has not previously been selected for the award, and has fulfilled one of the following categories: continuous outstanding contributions or distinguished service to midwifery and/or maternal child health; or, has made contributions of historical significance to the development and advancement of midwifery, ACNM, or maternal-child health.

http://www.midwife.org

Selecting Assignments Where You Desire

No one else can tell you where to go as a travel nurse--well, not unless you're married. You are free to fly with the wind to the most exotic and out-of-the-way places like the rural areas of Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska or Iowa, or enjoy an assignment in the metropolis of New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, or Phoenix. Travel to the beaches of Southern California, Atlantic City or Hawaii. Assignments can also be found ranging in areas from the Virgin Islands to the great state of Alaska.

You might have to change companies, but so far I have gone every place that I have wanted to visit. This is easier done if you have more than one specialty, like medical intensive care, surgical intensive care, cardiovascular intensive care, and emergency room, or telemetry, medical, surgical, step-down and rehab.

What other career will allow you to be a snowbird when you are thirty-five years old instead of sixty-five years old? When it comes time to make a move, my husband selects what state he would like to go to, then I put my state into the mixture and we submit to those hospitals and see who gives us the best deal. My son would have a choice, but he just wants to go to Washington, where his girlfriend is. For the summer, I wanted Nebraska and hubby wanted Iowa; we went to Iowa. For the winter, I wanted Florida, hubby wanted southern Texas: I'm writing this chapter in Florida. And yes, next summer we plan on spending it in Washington State.

 

Miniature Vacations

One of my favorite aspects of travel nursing is the mini-vacations. These are little two nights away to some place a little farther than you could go on a day trip.

When I was in Central California, my family and I went to San Francisco one day then up the Pacific coast highway to the Redwoods. The first night we stayed at a small motel on the outskirts of San Francisco in an older fishing village.

The second night we stayed in the Redwoods. The trees were gorgeous, with their red and green colors. The Redwood Trail is also the site of the road picture on my first travel nursing book, Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map to Travel Nursing.

While on assignment in Iowa, we toured the bridges of Madison County and John Wayne's birthplace on one road trip, and later made a trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota to watch the Twins play baseball and visit the Mall of America.

One assignment in Tupelo, Mississippi not only took us to the site of Elvis's birthplace, but a day adventure took us to the place where he lived and died, at Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee. On a bigger adventure, we spent some time a week before Christmas at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville and had the extraordinary experience of Christmas in Nashville. While in Nashville we explored many sites, such as the Ryman Auditorium, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and took in a show at the Grand Ole Opry.

 

See The United States

When I started out as a traveling nurse, I had been east of the Mississippi River once, and that was for less than twenty-four hours. Now I can say that I have not only crossed the mighty Mississip, but I have even made it to the Eastern Time Zone. In the last two years alone I have been from the beaches of Pismo, California to Southern Miami Beach, and from the swamps of Louisiana to the lakes of Minnesota.

If water and beaches are not your thing, then how about an amazing sunset in the Arizona sky? Or you can take in the breath-taking view from the top of the Colorado mountains.

How about a goal of seeing all the National Parks that the United States has to offer? You can visit the Everglades, the Appalachians, The Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone, The Grand Canyon, and Yosemite.

Are you into history? How about a trip through the history of the United States, from Washington D.C. to the Battle of New Orleans, the Battle of Shiloh, or the Alamo. Don't forget to visit the many military museums, including the Smithsonian, the Air Force Museum in Pensacola, FL, and there are several battleships to visit.

Travel nursing in California has been such an amazing experience.  I love the weather, the people, and everything is just so beautiful and beachy.  The facility I worked out of Hoag Memorial is one of the nicest looking facilities I’ve ever seen.

Here is a run down of my little travel nursing awards in Orange County:

Best meal in town for the traveling nurse: Javiers -its fantastic Mexican food in Laguna Beach and Irvine

Top travel nursing choice for grocery store: Whole Foods & Trader Joes-healthy selections for travel nurses who are always on the go

Top travel nurse choice for fun activity: Surfing & Disneyland-every travel nurse needs to hit the beach once and make a trip to the happiest place on earth

Top travel nurse choice for mini getaway trip: Catalina Island-there are no cars-but enjoy the go carts

Top travel nurse choice for beach: Laguna Beach-no wonder there was a reality show, there are so many beautiful beaches, shops, and restaurants

Top choice for travel nurses who want to enjoy their artistic side: Sawdust Festival and Pageant of the Arts-watch people turn into paintings and make crafts and buy pottery at the festical

Favorite travel nursing job assignment: Hoag Memorial-truly one of the most beautiful hospitals I’ve worked at.

Favorite travel nurse shopping area: Irvine Spectrum-great shopping, top restaurants, amazing 24-hour fitness gym, there is even a ferris wheel

Favorite travel nurse night out: Newport Beach bars

Favorite travel nurse lounge scene: Kimera in Irvine-it’s a classy place so don’t go crazy on drinks.

About Me:

My name is Thalia Farah, and I have 2 careers!  First and foremost I am a traveling nurse.  Travel nursing allows me to travel all around the country and meet new people and experience different things. Travel nurses only have to work three days out of the week, leaving four days to explore and experience the area they are living in. And while I absolutely love being a travel nurse, I love travel nursing even more because it allows me to enjoy my other passion oriental dance (belly dancing). Please feel free to “shimmy” through my site and see some of the things that I love in life!

Dancing:

I have been a belly dancer for the last 15 years now, and my career has been going better than ever!  I have built a highly extensive network of restaurants and clubs that I have performed at, and it is still growing.  Not only do I get to perform at some of the coolest Middle Eastern, Moroccan, and Greek restaurants but the food is excellent (one of my other passions)! 

Travel Nursing in the US:

I have traveled to New York, California, New Mexico and I am currently in Arizona.  California and New York are some of the best places to be a travel nurse. I love the atmosphere of New York and the fact that you never run out of things to do.  They also have the best and most authentic Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food!  California travel nursing is awesome because it is like a big vacation.  The weather is perfect, the facilities are very nice, and the clubs and restaurants have a great vibe- no matter where in California you go.

Travel Nursing in San Diego, California:

It doesn’t matter if you have lived in California your whole life, or you are just visiting, you will never want to leave.  San Diego has a great energy to it and a lot of really neat places to dine out.  Travel nurses love San Diego because its laid back, it has many different and fun areas that everyone will find a place where they fit! 

Travel Nurse Dining Guide in San Diego:

Aladdin in Hillcrest (Middle Eastern)

EXY in Downtown San Diego (Mediterranean)

Cafe Athena in Pacific Beach (Greek)

San Diego Restaurants- for more great dining suggestions

 

 

Dancing Resources:

Oriental Dancer- a great site about everything from oriental dance news to instructional DVDs.

Learn how to Belly Dance!- a good site for beginners and learning to perfect your craft

B Dancer- a great place that links to a lot of other cool sites!

Travel Nursing Resources:

Travel Nursing in California

Travel Nursing in New York

Travel Nursing in Washington

Travel Nursing in Texas

Travel Nursing in Arizona

Travel Nursing in New Mexico

Travel Nurse Jobs- If you are already are a travel nurse or interested in becoming one

What is travel nursing and why should you consider it? Travel nursing is almost like temp work. Managers looking for more nurses to hire are experiencing shortages, especially in certain areas. As a result, they've been forced to look for nurses from outside locations. A travel nurse temporarily moves to another area to take advantage of a great working opportunity. Smaller towns often experience a shortage of nurses and have to hire outside help.

Travel nurses take on short-term assignments, getting work through agencies that have been set up to deal with the travel nursing demand. The benefits of travel nursing are many. The agency will find and supply you with housing, and cover travel expenses. They help travel nurses with licensing, benefits, and payroll. Because these positions are on a temporary basis, and the travel nurses have to come from out of town, you have the opportunity to make a very good income. Travel nurses get paid above market wages and have a bit of an adventure at the same time.

The length of time traveling nurses work depends on the situation. The amount of time you work varies with the agency and the healthcare institution that employs you. An assignment can last anywhere from 8 weeks to 26 weeks. Often you are given the opportunity to extend an assignment and stay for a longer period of time, but this isn't always plausible.

Travel nurse jobs are typically 8-13 weeks in length with most contracts. Traveling nurses get to see different parts of the country and earn a good amount of money while doing so. And because travel nurse jobs are cropping up all over the place, there is no shortage of opportunity.

Travel nursing jobs afford nurses the opportunity to travel for a short amount of time, save a good amount of money, and come back home to follow their dreams. The extra money may be perfect for the down payment on a house, or to collect interest in a savings account. Whatever the situation, travel nursing jobs are everywhere, so it's easy to take advantage of the opportunity if you want to.

Nursing shortages keep getting worse, especially in rural areas of the country. Vacancies can't always be filled and nurses are in high demand. There has been no better time to be a nurse - it's a rewarding and fulfilling job that helps others, but it also pays well. Travel nursing is growing, and will continue to grow into the future.

Travel nursing does more than just offer adventure, a change of pace, and higher pay. It's also a chance to hone and expand your skill base, and learn more about nursing and the healthcare industry in general. As you're exposed to a wide variety of healthcare situations, you learn more about the field and continue to improve your skills and working knowledge of nursing practices.

The practical side of travel nursing shouldn't be overlooked. Plus, you can add some great experience to your resume and become even more appealing on future job applications. Your experience as a travel nurse has the potential to set you apart from other candidates looking for a nursing job.

Nancy Jo Reedy, CNM, MPH, FACNM, a certified nurse-midwife from Arlington, Texas, is the recipient of the 2007 Hattie Hemschemeyer Award from the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). The "Hattie" is the College's most prestigious award and was presented to Ms. Reedy on May 26, 2007 at the ACNM 52nd Annual Meeting & Exhibit in Chicago, IL.

A 1973 graduate of the Mississippi Medical Center Nurse-Midwifery Education Program, Reedy has spent over 30 years contributing to midwifery and women's health. Reedy founded four midwifery practices, including the practice at Parkland Memorial Hospital, which is the largest midwifery practice in the United States. Reedy is currently the Director of Nurse-Midwifery Services at Texas Health Care, PLLC in Fort Worth, Texas. Reedy received an MPH from the University of Illinois in 1977 and has exemplified dedication to midwifery, in clinical practice, policy, advocacy, mentorship, education, leadership, and service.

"Over the years this midwife's dedication to midwifery, in all its aspects, including practice, policy, advocacy, mentorship, education, leadership and service, has been outstanding," said Katherine Camacho Carr, CNM, PhD, former ACNM President, during the award presentation. "I would venture to say that she even has celebrity status among us, not only because of her legendary midwifery contributions, but also because of her wit, her sense of humor and her honest, if not opinionated approach to everything."

Reedy has had a long standing commitment to underserved women. She currently has plans to move to a new women's hospital supported in part by an endowment to ensure care for vulnerable populations.

Reedy has played key roles in ACNM. She served on the ACNM Board of Directors as Region V Representative from 1994-1997 and as Region IV Representative from 1980-1984. She served on the ACNM Nominating Committee, the Bylaws Committee, the Political & Economic Affairs Committee, the ACNM Summit on Nurse-Midwifery Education, the ad hoc Committee to Revise the Ethical Code for Midwives, and the National Commission on Nurse-Midwifery Education, in addition to playing many roles in her local chapters. Currently, Reedy serves as an ACNM Division of Accreditation site visitor.

Reedy supported the development of the service Directors Network, and the A.C.N.M. Foundation. Her wisdom and guidance as the President of the A.C.N.M. Foundation turned the Foundation into a dynamic, fiscally sound, and successful fund-raising endeavor. She has tirelessly worked for sister organizations, including the March of Dimes, the National Certification Corporation for Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing Specialties and the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (formerly NAACOG).

The Hattie Hemschemeyer Award, named in honor of ACNM's first president and a pioneer of the profession, is given annually to an ACNM member who has been certified for at least ten years, has not previously been selected for the award, and has fulfilled one of the following categories: continuous outstanding contributions or distinguished service to midwifery and/or maternal child health; or, has made contributions of historical significance to the development and advancement of midwifery, ACNM, or maternal-child health.

In 2004, The American Medical Association reported more than 2.9 million registered nurses (RNs) in the United States alone. The number of nurses outweigh physicians a staggering 4 to 1. RNs within the United States have tremendous power in the healthcare industry providing unrivaled services directly affecting a patient's outcome and prognosis.

Houston nurses are among the most innovative and respected nurses in the healthcare industry. The combination of superior living conditions and pioneering nursing positions available promote the benefits of choosing Houston, Texas as a career stop for healthcare professionals demanding more from their career.

Living in other parts of the country - or even other parts of the world - has not been a deterrent for healthcare professionals. Being within the rank of Houston nurses is a goal. Nothing comes in the way of determined and professional healthcare providers.

One forward thinking company reveals the secret to connecting healthcare professionals with prospective employers.

HoustonMedpros.com provides a much needed service assisting healthcare professionals from around the world in becoming a Houston nurse. Students as well as registered healthcare professionals are invited to participate and investigate Houston Medpros for valuable and reliable services and educational materials.

Houston Medpros tackles this delicate issue from the ground level lifting would-be Houston nurses to higher levels of completion and professionalism. Local job fairs, salary surveys, and the latest news in the medical industry set Houston Medpro services apart from the rest.

The free services allow employers or recruiters to hire staff members appropriate for specific positions. Explore resumes and contact individuals of interest. Getting the ball rolling in your favor starts with finding certified and competent individuals wanting to work in the Houston area. Choosing from the selection of available employees is beneficial, fast, and best of all, it is completely free.

If you are already one of the respect Houston nurses, finding appropriate medical apparel or uniforms is made easier with the respected companies suggested by this reliable Houston-based company. If you happen to be one of the highly reliable and versatile medical uniform companies, Houston Medpros will investigate your business for inclusion to the list of respected resources for healthcare or medical personnel.

Are you already one of the proud Houston nurses enjoying the benefits of this beautiful southern region?

Professional resources include Texas Board of Nursing information, Houston area hospitals and facilities, specialty certifications, appropriate professional videos, interview tips, an online pharmaceutical guide, and much more. Houston nurses get the free resources necessary for getting the most out of their career. Job seekers and job posters will find numerous listings for RNs, LVNs, alternative medicine professionals, nurse aides or nursing assistant, administrative jobs, Allied health jobs, physician's positions, and even other supportive personnel careers.

Receiving the information, resources, and assistance necessary for becoming one of the proud Houston nurses deep in the heart of Texas has never been easier thanks to the versatile professionalism of Houston Medpros. Once again, Texas proves to be the promoter of good, old-fashioned courtesy and customer service the world has come to respect and cherish.

Central Texas Nurse Network, Inc announces a new nurses aid program, designed to help those intending to enter the health care industry, those who are changing their profession and those intending to improve their lives and the life of others.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) March 18, 2008 -- Central Texas Nurse Network, Inc announces a new nurses aid program, designed to help those intending to enter the health care industry, those who are changing their profession and those intending to improve their lives and the life of others.

Becoming a nurse assistant can lead to a path of a success career in health care. As the shortage Nurses deepens the need and the role of nurse assistant become very indispensable. Where there is a need of a nurse, there is a need of a nurse assistant therefore a nurse assistant can work in a hospital, nursing home, assisted living, home care, clinics, school setting, doctors office. Every area of nursing could benefit from a well trained certified nurse assistant: pediatric, medical surgical, labor and delivery, post partum, artipedic, nursing home, intensive care, emergency care,preventive care and etc.

This program is open to anyone age 16 and up, offers an opportunity for high-school students inclined to join the health care profession. Also it's a great opportunity to earn money while going to school, the average wage being $10 or higher.

"For 4 years, we've trained more than 1,600 students," notes the program director. "Many of those students have moved upward into the industry. As the director of the program we continue to strive to reach those interested in this noble profession. We want to expand the influence of Nursing to the world; Central Texas Nurse Network allows us to accomplish this goal."

Confused about what career to pursue? Why not take up nursing as a profession? Nursing can be a far more satisfying occupation than it is usually given credit for. Yes folks, contrary to what people might be telling you, nursing does allow you serious amount of monetary rewards and more.

Ask any healthcare professional and he will tell you that we have less number of registered nurses than our country actually needs. Given the large number of vacancies for nurses, the salaries offered are quite high and extremely competitive. Every hospital tries to provide high salaries to their nurses in order to ensure that the recruited RN's stay on and do not shift to some other lucrative job. Given the current trends in the healthcare industry, most specialists are of the opinion that this demand for nurses is unlikely to die down any time soon.

In the following section we look at some of the very many profitable possibilities open to all those who are looking to make a career in nursing.

A forensic nurse works closely with victims of various criminal cases. Be it sexual assault, murder or abuse, a forensic nurse will analyze body evidences and help investigators in uncovering the truth. If you are a tele-soap buff you have probably seen a number of such nurses running around in investigative serials such as CSI. Forensic nursing is meant specifically for those who are looking for an offbeat and interesting occupation and is definitely not cut out for those who want a stable nurse job.

Yet another new area that is just beginning to gain popularity is a field called legal nurse consulting. Nurses from this field (also called legal nurse consultants or LNCs) work alongside attorneys handling medical cases. The LNCs guide lawyers regarding medical procedures, according to what exactly goes on in hospitals. This is therefore where a practicing nurses on-the-job knowledge helps him/her. RNs working at hospitals know how things at hospitals work. When they work with attorneys, they share this privileged information with them and help them out. Besides attorneys, a number of insurance companies also employ LNCs. And get this, an experienced LNC can demand anything over and around $150/hr!!! And it isn't just the money that is great, LNCs are also granted as much freedom as any other freelancer.

Nurses who are unwilling to stay pinned at a single location can also make good money by becoming what is called a 'travel nurse'. No matter where you are, be it Texas or San Francisco if you want to travel, a nurse's job can help you visit or live in places you have only heard of before. The nurse staffing companies hire RNs for almost every part of the country. So if you are looking to relocate just let them know and they'll take care of all the rest. Travel nurses not only get to choose the exact location where they would like to live, they also get to choose lucrative jobs which pay more than others. Travel nurses thus have the best of both the worlds!

Nurses can also work as dental, surgical or pediatric nurses or as a family nurse practitioner, in which case you will have to be dealing with one specific patient and only look after his/her wants. If you are looking to pursue a career in nursing, you will have to take at least a preliminary degree, which will grant you a Licensed Practitioner Nurse. To avail greater lucrative offers however get a Bachelors of Science degree in Nursing.

Almost 40 percent of young children in Houston lack immunizations that help prevent deadly childhood illnesses like measles, mumps, pneumococcal disease and whooping cough. Today, the Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HHDHS), the Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services (HCPHES), the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), Texas Children's Hospital, the Rotary Club of Houston, and the national organization Every Child By Two (ECBT) announced a new partnership and campaign, "Immunize On Time, Every Time" to increase vaccination rates among Houston's infants and toddlers.

"Houston's childhood immunization rates are below average for both Texas and the country, leaving our children -- and our wider community -- vulnerable to potentially life-threatening illnesses," said Risha Jones, RN, Chief, Immunization Bureau, Houston Department of Health and Human Services. "Our new partnership unites existing efforts to promote timely vaccinations for every child in Houston and encourage healthcare professionals to use an immunization registry to track a child's vaccination history."

Even though U.S. immunization rates have climbed in recent years, many children are not up-to-date with their immunizations. According to a recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, only 76 percent of children younger than 3 years in the U.S. are immunized for the combined recommended series of vaccines, whereas in Houston this figure is 62 percent.

The new partnership will work closely with health care professionals to assist them in avoiding missed opportunities for recommended immunizations by using immunization registries. These registries are confidential, computerized information systems that contain children's immunization histories and make them available to authorized providers.

"Immunization registries are a great tool for helping parents and doctors ensure that children are immunized on time, every time," said Amy Pisani, ECBT's executive director. "Every Child By Two is very excited to be working with these organizations in Houston and Harris County as part of our 'Immunize On Time, Every Time' health disparities project this year."

Other cities participating in ECBT's effort are Newark, Las Vegas and Cleveland.

One reason for low immunization rates are missed opportunities at the doctor's office to check a child's immunization status and then provide the needed vaccines. The partnership has two strategies to try to change this: empowering parents to ask at every health care provider visit if their children are up-to-date with their immunizations; and encouraging Houston health care providers to use the registry so that children can stay up-to-date with immunizations.

During the coming months the alliance will work to link pediatricians and family practitioners in Houston with the registry so that doctors can access that child's immunization records with the click of a button and send reminders to parents when their children are due for shots. Now families can feel secure knowing that their children's immunization histories can travel with them if they switch health care providers or move within Texas, Jones explained.

Houston Initiative Begins at Immunization Night at Children's Museum of Houston

On Thursday, August 10, the Children's Museum of Houston will host a free immunization night focusing on infants and toddlers from 5-7 p.m. Parents can check their children's immunization status and enroll their children in the confidential immunization registry. Children who qualify may also receive free vaccines that bring them up-to-date with the recommended immunization schedule. No reservations are necessary.

"Nurses from the Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services will be on hand to provide immunizations and we strongly encourage all parents and guardians to bring their children's immunization records to this event," said Lois Austin, MSN, MPH, RN, Immunization Program Manager at the Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services. Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services will be providing immunizations on August 10. Children whose immunization information is available and whose parents enroll them in the registry at the event can receive a free gift. Other information regarding children's nutrition, health and safety, such as lead poisoning prevention and Medicaid registration, will be available along with free entertainment for children.

Every Child By Two

Founded in 1991 by former first lady Rosalynn Carter and former first lady of Arkansas, Betty Bumpers, ECBT works to protect all children from vaccine preventable diseases by raising parental awareness of the critical need for timely infant immunizations, fostering the establishment of a systematic method to locate and immunize children, and providing convenient access to immunization services into the future. The "Immunize On Time, Every Time" health disparities project is sponsored by an unrestricted education grant from Wyeth Vaccines.

Houston Department of Health and Human Services

The mission of the Houston Department of Health and Human Services is to provide leadership in the promotion and protection of the health and social well being of the Houston Community through advocacy, education and community- based health services.

Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services

Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services is committed to promoting a healthy and safe community and preventing illness and injury.

Every Child By Two; Houston Department of Health and Human Services;
http://www.houstontx.gov/health/

A team of dermatologists and dermatopathologists at UT Southwestern Medical Center has identified nine North Texas cases of an infectious skin disease common in South America, Mexico and in the Middle East, where it is sometimes referred to as a "Baghdad boil."

Numerous cases of the disease, called leishmaniasis, have been reported in troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. But for the first time, cases of this dangerous infection are appearing in North Texas in patients who have not traveled to endemic areas.

The infection causes nonhealing sores that can be the size of a half-dollar or larger and that look like boils. These sores usually last for 6 to 12 months and because they are often mistaken for a staph infection, patients may have been given multiple courses of standard antibiotics without success.

The disease is caused by a single-celled parasite called Leishmania, and special cultures must be done in order to confirm the diagnosis of leishmaniasis.

The identified cases were from Waxahachie, Hillsboro and Glenn Heights, all areas south of Dallas; Tom Bean, Anna, Savoy and Nevada, all north of Dallas; and North Richland Hills.

North Texas doctors must have a high index of suspicion and understand that this organism must now be considered endemic in this area, said Dr. Kent Aftergut, a clinical instructor of dermatology at UT Southwestern and in private practice at Methodist Charlton Medical Center.

"Luckily, all of the leishmaniasis cases in North Texas that have been cultured have grown Leishmania mexicana, which is less dangerous than other forms of the parasite," he said. "It makes skin sores, but the infection doesn't spread and become a full body disease like some of the others species of Leishmania. Usually, if patients have a normal immune system, the sores will resolve in six to 12 months and won't make the patients ill."

In North Texas, doctors suspect that the process leading to human infection begins when a sand fly bites a rodent called the burrowing wood rat, which carries the parasite. When the sand fly later bites a person, the sores may develop, said Dr. Aftergut, who began tracking cases in North Texas after identifying the ailment in a patient who had been simply working outside in his yard and had no travel history to areas of infection.

"If a patient has been in Iraq or another known endemic area, we are very used to looking for leishmaniasis. But in the past, you just would not have suspected it in a patient living in North Texas with no travel history. This is why I think it's important to get the word out to other health-care professionals," Dr. Aftergut said.

For many years sporadic cases have been seen in South Texas. But no one has ever reported cases this far north, Dr. Aftergut said. He said this may be due to a movement in either the burrowing wood rat or the sand flies that transmit the infection to humans, although the reason for this movement is unclear.

"There are nine cases of leishmaniasis in North Texas residents who had no travel history in the last two years," said Dr. Aftergut. "This is very strong evidence that the areas we need to consider endemic are moving north."

Dr. Aftergut said he believes that rural areas are more at risk due to their proximity to wooded areas, where the burrowing wood rat and sand flies are more likely to be found.

Dr. Aftergut said using insecticides, bug repellant and protective clothing while working in areas where sand flies might be present should help reduce exposure. Once bitten, there are two types of medicines to treat the infection; however, one treatment can be toxic to some patients.

Doctors who identify a possible case of leishmaniasis should contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which can assist with the special tests needed to verify it. The federal agency also is tracking cases, Dr. Aftergut said.

UT Southwestern Medical Center
5323 Harry Hines Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75390-9060
United States
http://www8.utsouthwestern.edu