Profile of a Travel Nurse

By Amy Nutt

Travel nurses are nurses who travel to different locations for short-term working assignments. Travel nurses often work for hospitals, doctors offices, and in the medical administration field. Travel nurses are usually hired to fill temporary work shortages such as peak work times, maternity leave, and long term illnesses of permanent workers. Medical facilities will pay a high salary to fill short term periods. Assignment can be a few days or several months. An assignment usually runs for about- weeks.

To obtain a career in travel nursing, you must first have the appropriate credentials. The usual requirements for becoming a travel nurse are a minimum of one year of clinical experience and a state employment license granted by the states nursing board. You should have a nursing degree from a recognized nursing school and have all the skills needed to fill a particular position. Not all hospitals recognize one year vocational diploma programs. Medical facilities expect travel nurses to know what they are doing on the first day of the assignment. That is one reason why they pay top dollar for a travel nurse. They expect the travel nurse to have the knowledge and skills to adapt quickly and efficiently.

There are a number steps to achieving a career as a travel nurse. First, one should apply to a travel nurse agency. These agencies are actively involved with hospitals across the country and with many International hospitals. They have the knowledge of open travel nurse positions and they match the travel nurse with the staffing needs of the medical facility.

Once a person is accepted into the travel nurse agency, the recruiter will match that person with the assignment. The recruiter will help the travel nurse with the interview process, obtain essential state licenses, assist with housing and travel, and arrange for the appropriate benefits and pay. The recruiter receives a fee, but the travel nurse receives their knowledge and experience.

Although each state has its own nurse licensing requirements, they do provide temporary licenses. Some temporary licenses can last up to a year. Registered nurses have the advantage because their national board exam covers state requirements. Having a nursing agency recruiter can be helpful as they will assist you in securing your temporary license.

Because of the travel arrangements that need to be made for each assignment, travel nurses tend to prefer recruiting agencies. These agencies are experienced and can make travel arrangements quickly and efficiently. If traveling out of the country, one needs to secure a visa and have proof that they are a graduate of a reputable institution. It is important to maintain a current resume with valid supporting documents.

The life of a travel nurse requires maintaining a constant travel schedule that includes:

Maintaining a Check List: A week before you depart, have a list of all the necessities you need and check them off as you pack. This includes documents, clothing, books, etc.

Research Work Location: Prepare for cultural differences, personal safety issues, and proximity to stores, restaurants, and supermarkets. This will minimize unexpected stressful events.

Move In Early: Moving in a day or two early will allow you to become familiar with youre your work location and the surrounding community.

Most nurses enter the field of travel nursing jobs so they can travel, experience different work environments, make a good living, and maintain a flexible work schedule. Travel nursing is also an excellent way for recent graduates to find out where they would like long-term employment. The Professional Association of Nurse Travelers, a non-profit national organization representing nurse travelers in the US, is a great organization to consult with regarding a career in travel nursing.There are also many traveler nurse blogs and forums where one can gain more insight into the pros and cons of travel nursing. - 32171

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What You Need To Know About Finding Pharmacist Jobs

By Renata Mannhoni

If you have seen pharmacist jobs advertised in your area, you may be impressed with the benefits and salaries that they can command. If you have not seen jobs advertised but are wondering what qualifications you need to get pharmacy jobs and what jobs are available, here is some information that you can use to find the position you want. It is mainly a matter of knowing where to look for your desired Pharmacist Job.

The education that you will need will depend on the position you are hoping to get. If you want to be a pharmaceutical job assistant, you can complete a one or two year diploma program at a community college. This can be a great introduction to the way a pharmacy works and can tell you whether you are interested in putting in the commitment to getting a university degree in pharmacy. If you want to work as a pharmacist you will at least need your bachelor of pharmacology. You may also find that you are interested in working with drug companies to develop the medications that other pharmacists are dispensing. If this is the case, you should look at taking a specialization in pharmaceutical chemistry

If you want a position with more responsibility you may need to get your masters or doctorate. This can prepare you for pharmacy jobs that have more authority and therefore higher salaries as well. A postgraduate degree may allow you to work as the head of a pharmacy department at a hospital or in a larger chain of drug stores. If you want to be the one in charge, you need a higher degree. Anyone who wants to take the pharmacy program at a university should know that you need high marks in sciences such as chemistry and biology. You should also have high marks in mathematics courses.

If you are not interested in working in a laboratory setting, or you are not in a position to attend university for a number of years, you may be interested in working in a drugstore as a dispensing pharmacist or a pharmaceutical assistant. These positions have different tasks that you may want to look into. Depending on the size of the pharmacy where you are hired, you may find that the department is made up of one or two pharmacists and possibly one or two assistants as well.

In this setting, the pharmacist oversees the filling of prescriptions. They also speak to customers in order to help them choose which over the counter medications are right for their needs. A big part of the job of a pharmacist is to notify customers of potentially harmful drug interactions. There are some that can be quite serious and it is important for patients to know about them.

There are also pharmaceutical assistants. These people do much of the actual work of filling the medications. They count pills and add liquid to powders in order to make liquid antibiotics. They may also be responsible for performing inventories and filling out orders so that the proper levels of stock are maintained. Usually, a prescription is filled out by an assistant and then given to a pharmacist to check over and sign off on. The pharmacist makes sure that the proper medication has been used. This can be tricky in some situations when the names of two very different drugs can be quite similar.

Once you have your education, it is time to start looking for work. You can find positions in the newspaper, on websites with employment listings and even through the alumni association of the school that you graduated from.

If you want to find pharmacist jobs, you will be happy to know that like other health care positions, the number of jobs is increasing. This is because the population is aging. A larger number of people require specific medications to maintain their health. Whether you are looking online or using a job finding service you can be sure that you will get the career that you want. - 32171

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How To Impart Effective Training To Improve Skill Set Of People In Your Organization?

By Amit Kumar

An important element which is sometimes left out or not given enough weightage is the systematically evaluation of the training needs of an individual which will eventually result in growth of the business and development of an individual.

The following points helps in determining the training needs of an individual:

1. Know your present situation

2. Figure out the required job competencies

3. Increase people participation

4. Get people's inputs, share & evaluate the actual data

5. Make a specific development plan for people

6. Apply your plans

In order to have a successful business functioning, training needs must be thoroughly examined while drafting the competencies for the job in the organization

The step by step approach

Check out the four types of approaches in a systematic process:

1. Competency Analysis: We get the answer to the question on what are the required competencies needed by an individual to perform his duties effectively.

2. The organization analysis answers the question, "Where is training needed in the organization?"

3.The task analysis answers the question, "What must the employee learn in order to satisfy the required competencies?"

4. Finally a person specific study is done to see which individual requires the mentioned skill sets and which training needs to be undertaken by him.

Time and money both are involved in conducting such an analysis however, this is effective as it helps in reducing the overall cost of the entire development process.

This comprehensive process yields a thorough understanding of the development needs in the organization and pays dividends in the implementation phase.

The general approach for a training needs analysis consists of five phases:

1. Evaluating the required skill sets in a job or function

2. Researching the present training programs/process

3. Encouraging employees by sharing information and involving them at all levels in the study process

4. Study the outcomes

5. Initiate specific need based development plans

Undergoing such an exhaustive task will be difficult for an HR Manager, however an outside source or body can be utilized efectively to plan and facilitate the process.

One must ensure a realistic approach in the entire process in order to minimize disruptions in the functions leading to any false expectations among the employees. Documentation and careful examination is required in each and every phase

Examination of training needs must be done properly while evaluating the competencies for any job in the organization. - 32171

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Online Training: Learning on the Road

By Les Parker

Online training has modernized the traditional learning and training experience. We have come a long way from computers the size of a room, big floppy disks, windows dos and dial up. Technology has streamlined computers and the internet and as a result has enabled us to take it with us. We have slowly become dependent on the internet, implementing it into our everyday routine. We even have access to the internet on our smart phones which allow us to receive "play-by-play" updates throughout the day, and communication with people all over the world.

So if technology has allowed us to take the internet wherever we go, why not do the same for learning? Online training has enabled us to allow learners to take education or training home with them. For those who are seeking higher education or organizational training, knowledge is now at your fingertips. Courses that are offered on a Learning Management System is so vast to provide students with every type of course subject and teaching style. Finding accredited courses delivers an easy and hassle free process for students looking to fulfill requirements. A few specialty colleges have already caught on to this rapidly growing trend and have designed degrees based on eLearning platforms.

New online training modules bring 3D graphics, state of the art interactive courses, quizzes, and video with sound. 24/7 mentorship has been added into the mix as students are now offered support from highly trained professionals to ensure that they are understanding the material. With such diverse styles in teaching, students will be exposed to a number of methods that could aid in increasing productivity and comprehension.

Along with education systems implementing online training into their curriculum, Organizations are beginning to follow suit. No more suffering through those outdated movies in the back room. Online modules bring interactive and enjoyable curriculum for employees to learn and gain comprehensive working experience.

Online training has proven itself to be very effective and efficient and in addition new material is constantly being developed with the student in mind. A variety of courses and certifications such as; A+, Network+, First aid, Helicopter, and much more are a few things that are constantly being developed and provided.

Online training truly is changing the way we think about learning and the mundane training that normally is included when we enter into new positions in the workforce, new systems are implemented or those annually required safety or corporate training seminars. Just as computers and the internet has been streamlined and made portable, training and education is following suit. - 32171

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Improve Your Business Results: Understand the Advantages of Outsourcing

By Kris Bovay

Small businesses can find the advantages of outsourcing to be significant to their bottom line. The history of outsourcing demonstrates that low cost labor and a focused specialization were key factors in successfully going outside the business for support. Small businesses need to focus on keeping costs down while they work on development and growth. They also need to invest resources in recruiting competent labor; and then training and developing that labor. Small business owners need growth for survival; outsourcing will support that growth.

How to manage your small business for business growth without increasing your employees? How to keep focused on your defined business scope and manage the day-to-day business activities? Outsource needs that you can't meet from within the business.

Outsourcing is about hiring outside resources or specialists to do what you can't, or don't want to, do yourself. You might not have the skills, experience or education to do everything that needs to get done. Or you might need more help than your existing staff can provide. For example, you might want to do a telemarketing blitz for the introduction of your new product. You don't have the internal resources to do it efficiently, so you hire a call center in Las Vegas to do the calling. Or you might be able to do the business accounting yourself but you don't have time in your day, so you outsource the bookkeeping.

Outsourcing specialized services can help your business contain and minimize payroll costs, reduce the need to recruit more staff and to manage more staff, and improve your utilization of resources (people, equipment, time and money). There are excellent benefits and paybacks to contracting out services, particularly highly specialized services.

There are many functional services that can be outsourced. Here is a short list of some of the most common ones: human resources support - including recruiting, training, salary surveys, writing of job descriptions, writing of employee policies, payroll and benefits; accounting support - such as accounts receivable, accounts payable, bookkeeping, financial statements; marketing - such as specific direct marketing programs, new product launches, promotional brochures, and email campaigns; information technology support - such as vacation relief, backing up remotely, hardware maintenance, and software analysis; transportation - such as warehousing, inventory, shipping; building and grounds cleaning and maintenance; sales - such as independent sales agents or distributors; management consultants; and more.

Keep track of your expenses on outsourced services and recognize when it's more cost effect to transition from outsourced services to a full time employee. Although you do need to analyze when your business needs more of a specialist; as compared to a generalist. For example, if you need a specific direct mail campaign to announce or launch a new product or service, it might be more cost effective to hire a specialist in the field; rather than have your marketing coordinator (who does not specialize in direct mail) handle it. Your marketing coordinator's efforts might take twice as long and not include some of the 'best of breed' measurement tools.

As a business owner or manager, you will always find a number of good reasons to outsource specific services or support. One of the best reasons is that outsourcing allows you to focus on what you do best and/or what others can't do as well, or as easily as you. Review the strengths and weaknesses of your organization when faced with a resource-constraint. Then assess whether or not hiring or outsourcing is the best decision (remember to look at costs, potential for profit, anticipated results, time required, and more). - 32171

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Recruiting Software Can Help You Find the Right Applicant

By Geoff Dalton

No matter where you work, you know that the hiring process can be both tiring and futile. No one likes to go through all that work, only to find that you missed the one resume of the applicant who would be perfect for your position.

A common fear with this process is that you will miss the perfect gem, and you might also worry that you are spending too much time with the job search process. In the current economic situation, whenever you post a job listing you are likely to get a numerous response. Sorting through all the resumes to find the diamond in the rough will take some time.

You might think that there are no staffing solutions for this predicament, but you would be wrong. Perhaps you have heard of recruiting software before, but think of how it can help you out. Recruiting software is often all it takes to turn the situation around and make it a profitable one.

Coming from the applicant's perspective, a lot of effort goes into the job hunt process. It would be easier on them if your staffing solutions could help streamline the process and make things quicker. With the right software, you can respond to applicants in record time, eliminating the wait and stress.

At every stage of the hiring process, recruiting software can help you out. If you are the one doing interviews, you will only have to see qualified individuals. If you are the one filing all the paperwork, then you will have less work on your hands and fewer resumes of which to keep track.

When you screen every applicant with the exact same standard, then you are left with those who truly stand out amongst the competition. Staffing solutions should help you get on your feet and going, which is why recruiting software can help.

You might be wondering how this kind of software works, and you would not be the only one. Most programs work by qualifiers and keywords. Basically, you will tell the system what you are looking for in terms of degrees and years of previous work experience. You can also have the recruiting software work by keyword, so you can tailor all the results to your liking.

Recruiting software is an easy way to streamline your hiring process. Stop wasting everyone's time and get started with something that will actually work. - 32171

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How To Handle Non Performers and Save The Organizational Environment From Negativity?

By Amit Kumar

You must take action and keep it Going.

As we see the recent trends in HR, one needs to manage and understand why an employee behaves in a negative fashion and ends up performing low at work. As an HR Manager, one has to come out with effective ways to curb such employees in the organization

When employees face stress, deadlines, appraisals pressure and demands of personal life, some of them emerge tougher and winners while there are some who succumb to such pressures and are worn out soon. They exhibit lethargy, lack of interest in work and resentment against the employer.

By medium performers I do not mean that these are those kind of employees who are neither rewarded by the employer nor they can be laid off from the organization. They have lost the vigor and excitement to peform their duties well hence this results in delayed career growth and new developments.

Showcasing low standards of performance

Experts believe that such kind of employees usually ruin the learning, morale and performance of other employees. As it will be difficult for co-workers to escape from such negative impact, it is for the employers to deal with the problem. Experience and common sense says that if such employees are ignored or left to change by themselves, the workplace can soon turn indifferent to the company culture and even start disrespecting it.

Check out the list of things that a low performer does:

Low performing employees indulge in passing lewd comments on the organization working style and culture. He also starts discussing this with other employees and try to spread negativity in their minds as well. He critizes company policies and procedures and that they are totally waste. It is a challenge for any employer to manage such kind of negative behavior in their premises which may result in unrest among others.

How can we understand and manage our employees well?

Organizations need to figure out why there is such kind of behavioral change amongst employees. People tend to get disappointed when they find that things are not turning well for them and that there is nothing great happening for them anywhere.

Understanding what has gone wrong in the whole episode is a difficult task for managers to handle. This is because employees are not open to accepting the problem or taking responsibility for mediocrity at work.

Employers face crisis for three reasons:

They fail to recognise a troublesome employee. The employee spreads his discontentment to others. Dealing with such an employee requires time, tact and effort.

How to effectively deal with such situations?

Work towards reducing communication gap by discussions:

Have an open, serious discussion with the employee. A straight no-nonsense talk can alert the employee in a great deal. Once the employee knows that, as an employer, you are serious about the issue, he/she will share his concerns and speak out. Once, the employee realises that the manager will help him overcome indolence, it is important to brief him about the expectations regarding his progress at work.

You can reward the employee and provide him support to grow in the organization which will result in improvements in his attitude and work responsibilities.

Make Goals:

Sit with the employee and help him understand what the organization expects out of him and how he can set easy achievable goals for himself in line with the organization's objectives. Try to recognize any act of positivity which will inturn help in boosting his morale and eradicating negative behavior.

Check out the basic information:

Enhance the skills of employees by training and developing them so as to widen their horizon and make them learn the basics of business. People think that they don't require any training as they are perfect in their job or assignment. However the HR Manager must communicate to them that this will not only hone their skills but will also open future growth opportunities for them.

Do a timely Review:

After the training program, the HR manager must ensure to evaluate and review the employee's progress in his job. If the employee is still not performing well he should be alarmed accordingly. Clear cut communication must be made so that the employees are aware that this kind of negative behavior will not be tolerated and can result in any disciplinary action against them.

Time to say good bye:

If the employee doesn't change, and continues with his mediocrity despite all efforts, warnings and the helping hand from managers, it is time to take action against him. The employer has enough reasons to terminate his services. Communicate the same to him in a very private and calm manner to avoid a heated discussion. Articulate the reasons and avoid being impertinent. Tell him how his poor performance was damaging the morale and productivity of the organisation. Experts say that most deadbeat employees are prepared for this sooner or later. So, managing the termination is usually without affliction.

What can be concluded?

Once the employer is done with dealing with such employees, it conveys a very important lesson to the organisation-it pays to be extra cautious in recruiting employees, screening for negative attitudes and building a positive work culture!!! - 32171

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Avoiding Overstated Unqualified Employment Interview Candidates

By Bill U. Piker

Taking the time to examine a resume or set of resumes during the hiring process can save your firm or organization a lot of wasted time and energy in the future. Its not as easy now to fire an employee who fraudulently submitted a resume , or submitted false work experience , down the line , especially if they are holding their position in good stead.

Yet when it comes to hiring decisions its often intuition , feelings and indeed running by the "seat of your pants " , that often makes key decisions as to who to ad to the employee team , the office pool or factory floor , or even to the hallowed halls of "upper management".

It can be said that in most cases , life can down to simple basics. What could be easier during the interview and hiring process than to ask questions , check and verify. All it takes in most cases is a simple phone call , email or fax.

What can be done? First take the time and effort to effectively write and develop clear and appropriate "selection criteria". That is over half of the ballet. Secondly review resumes thoroughly. Not only once but even by a team in the Human Resources Department. Different people with different can catch inconsistencies in a more expounded manner.

Examine resumes that are inbound thoroughly and fully. On a cursory level initially scan and look for career development trends. Are there logical career moves overall? Does a clear pattern emerge? What of skills and qualifications do they match job titles and descriptions? Or are the job titles and descriptions overstated in any manner or way?

It's always a matter of simple verification of employers, references and credentials. In this electronic era of simple communications, this is fairly easy and straightforward, Phone, email or fax stated parties to verify references, documentation as well educational records.

In the end it can be said that thoroughness and inquiry in the hiring process can go a long way to saving time , expended effort and ultimately profitability to any business firm and its departments. Its an exercise well worth its effort and expenditure in time and money and resources. - 32171

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