Author Archives: MyNurseRecruiter

pros and cons of nursing

Nursing Pros and Cons

The nursing field is growing everyday and those that are employed in this area find that they have more options now than ever before. As much as nursing can be rewarding, it also comes with it’s fair share of disadvantages. If you’re currently in the field and looking towards your future, here are a few pros and cons you should know about.

The Pros

1. Travel – For those nurses tired of working in the same hospital day in and day out. How about packing your bags and working in a clinic in California or a Surgery Center in Minnesota? This is one of the great perks of nursing. Not only does it provide you with the ability to see the country, it also offers better pay. Leave your $25 an hour job behind in Georgia and earn $55 to $75 in California.

2. Learn New Areas of Nursing – Are you a pediatric nurse, but willing to train in the cardiac department? Well you’re in the right profession. Numerous opportunites are available for you to cross train into other areas of nursing. If you’re willing to take some additional courses to become certified in other areas, you could find something that challenges you and gives you a greater deal of satisfaction.

3. Schedule Flexibility – Most careers involve a 40 hour/5 day or more work week. As a seasoned nurse, you may have the option to work twice a week or 36 hours for 3 days a week, over a 12 hour shift per day. Anything after 36 hours is normally overtime. This can be especially appealing to those nurses with small children or doing continuing education.

NOW THE CONS

1. Aches and Pains – Some nursing requires a lot of heavy lifting or pushing and pulling to ensure a patient is placed properly for surgical treatment or other procedures. This can take a toll on the body. Many nurses can find themselves having back and shoulder pain due to their work. If the pain is constant, it could shorten your career.

2. Stress, Stress, Stress – Since nursing can be a matter of life and death at times; the job can be emotionally draining. The stress of ensuring your patients get the best care, the correct amount of medications and their loved ones questions are answered with empathy can cause burnout.

3-Exposure to Diseases – You’ve probably heard doctors and other hospital employees say the easiest place to get sick is the hospital. Due to germs and sometimes poor cleaning practices, clinics and hospitals can be havens for illness. Nurses and doctors never know when a patient comes in exactly what they are dealing with. It’s usually the healthcare professional that gets sick after an outbreak of some disease. This means vulnerabilities you may have no control over. Although, keeping up with your immunizations and good personal hygiene may go a long way in keeping you healthy.

Although nursing offers many great advantages it also has it’s hazards. Either way, those in the field will continue to see higher pay and greater demands for their services. If you’re a nurse looking to make a career change or travel, then a recruiter can help. Make the most of your career by trying as many options as you like. You’ll be happier and your patients will get the benefit.

Happy Nursing!

Travel Nursing Mistakes

Travel Nursing Mistakes

Travel nursing is an incredibility rewarding experience that can change your life and the lives of others. But ask anyone whose traveled before and they will tell you some of the newbie mistakes that were made. Here are some to avoid.

Being Narrow-Minded

When looking for any opportunity, being narrow-minded significantly limits the options available to a travel nurse. That’s not to say you should be completely open to anything and go where you’re told to go. But the other end of the spectrum is also true. If you want to be working in Hawaii, making $200 per hour, only taking patients in a room with windows facing the beach, you will have trouble finding work. Its best to setup a couple “deal-breakers” and be open to other details. Maybe Hawaii isn’t available this time around but what about a beach community in Southern California or Florida? Be open, listen and research. An opportunity may present itself that’s much better than you expected and may just end up being the best adventure of your life.

Know Your Contact, All of It

Your travel nursing contract is critical and shouldn’t be glazed over. Read and re-read it. Be sure to understand your pay, rates, differentials, bonuses, paydays, shift, contract duration, housing, reimbursements, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, review changes and most importantly be happy with what you’re signing.

Not Being Prepared

When is the best time to start preparing? Now. Always now. Whether you’re new to travel nursing or a long-time pro, there is a lot of paperwork that needs to be compiled or completed. Make sure you’re licensed in the state you want to work. Work with your recruiter on resume preparation, skills checklists, licensing requirements, drug screens, immunizations, testing, etc. Get everything done as promptly as possible.

Also, be prepared when you’re about ready to arrive for your first day. Have everything handy that you’ll need. Know where to go. Know who you will be meeting. Know what time to be there and don’t be late.

Not Understanding Your Housing

If your agency will coordinate your housing for you, make sure you communicate what you want and be sure they provide what you need. Know what’s included and what you need to bring.

If you’re handling your housing on your own, don’t wait. Get it done early and be prepared. Keep your accommodations big enough to make you happy, but there’s no point in paying for space you don’t need.

Bringing Way Too Much Stuff

Pack enough but not too much. Sounds easy right? Talk to a couple seasoned travel nursing pros and your recruiter. Many first time travel nurses pack way too much and learn to improve their packing skills over time. Know your housing arrangements and what’s included.

Assumes You Know the Policies and Procedures

Every facility is different and they all have their own ways of handling processes and procedures. Don’t assume you know them. Be sure to ask questions, research what you can, and talk to your recruiter.

Avoid Drama and Cliques

Being new to the hospital can be daunting. Be sure to make friends and enjoy the experience. Unfortunately, an easy pitfall is joining in workplace cliques and drama to gain early acceptance. The short-term benefits of making some quick friends can quickly give way to being considered a gossip, drama queen, or not a team player.

Being a Know It All

Travel nurses are experienced, seasoned nurses with strong backgrounds and skills. Your abilities will let you hit the ground running in almost any situation. Don’t fool yourself though, you can’t know it all. Every hospital does things a little differently. Some ways may be better than others. Be careful to balance your input on comparing your experiences and sounding like a know it all. It’s important to understand that you don’t need to pretend to be an expert and have all the answers. Ask questions and learn about how each location can teach you something new.

Being a Temporary Nurse

Travel nurses are brought in for a variety of reasons. Maybe the census is up in seasonal locations such as Florida in the winter. Maybe the facility is having trouble finding enough nurses in the local area. Whatever the reason, a travel nurse is a part of the team. Don’t act like a temporary nurse whose just there to help out and move on. Participate with other permanent staff, support each other and jump in whenever you can.

Burning Bridges

Never burn a bridge. Maybe your assignment is up and you think you’ll never be back. Or you’ll never run into that manager or administrator again. Always work hard and leave on good terms. You never know when you’ll need those people again and certainly don’t want to create a reputation within a travel nursing community.

Plan Ahead

It’s not too soon to start looking for your next opportunity. The sooner you begin the process, the better chance you have lining up your next amazing adventure!

Work / Life Balance

Get out there and have some fun! Enjoy your new community, be involved. See the sites and what this beautiful country has to offer!

Get started now.

Group of Nurses

Reasons to Use a Nurse Recruiter

Better Positions
Nurse recruiters provide more opportunities than you would have without their assistance. Some of their clients such as hospitals, homes and others facilities, have positions that may not even be posted in the public domain. Even if you’re spending the time checking all your online sources, chances are you will miss out on some of the jobs that recruiters have available.

Competitive Edge
Recruiters sell you, that’s a luxury not possible for direct applicants. With competitive jobs, direct applicants are grouped in a pile of resumes with all the other applicants. When you work with a nurse recruiter, not only does the hiring manager receive your resume but they also receive detailed information from your recruiter to help sell you. Think of your recruiter as a cheerleader in your corner touting your abilities and why you would be a great fit.

Experts
Recruiters are experts in the hiring process. They will help get you started with resume writing, cover letters, and interview preparation. Recruiters find jobs that are a great match for you. Because they take the time to learn about you and the requirements of the position, they will help match you to the right opportunities and give you the best chance for success. They have great insight into the job and its requirements before hand so they can prepare you for the process. Your nurse recruiter can also help with relocation, licensing in a new state, background checks, drug screens, and more. If you’re moving to a new location, or interested in travel nursing, they will also help with finding you housing.

Saves Time
Let’s admit it, spending hours and hours reading over job postings, writing cover letters, completing applications, going on interviews, following up with hiring managers, negotiating compensation and finally accepting an offer takes time. LOTS OF TIME. Why not get those hours back and have a qualified nurse recruiter handle it for you? Most quality recruiters have databases full of positions, and more are added each day. They also actively shop YOU to facilities even if there may not be an opening.

Negotiation Partner
Once you’ve found the right match and are ready to accept a position, you have a partner by your side making sure you get everything you’re worth. Someone who can help you get every dollar and benefit available. Best of all, you don’t have to deal with that process and can have very candid and open discussions with your recruiter about this sensitive subject.

Stay Connected
Recruiters keep your information handy and send you relevant job matches, even after your search is over. You may not be looking now, but what if the perfect position just opened up? Without a recruiter, you’d certainly miss the opportunity.

It Doesn’t Cost You Anything
Maybe the best part? All fees are paid by the company doing the hiring. That means you receive the time and expertise from a recruiter, all for free.

Ready to Get Started?
YES! Find a great recruiter with us and begin your next position with our help. Simply take a minute or two and complete your profile. It’s that simple.

How to Get Started in Travel Nursing

As a nurse, you have one of the best jobs in the world because you get to help people heal. You never know what types of illnesses or injuries you’re going to face and that challenge alone may keep you excited about what you do. But, what if you’re looking for something more. You want to see more of the United States and want to learn more about how other medical facilities in other states operate. If you’re looking for this type of adventure, here’s how to get started in travel nursing. First, sign up with My Nurse Recruiter today. We will help you match up with travel nurse agencies throughout the country.

Get Licensed In That State

Depending on the state where you were originally licensed, you may need to get an additional license for the state you plan to work in. If you’re licensed in states such as Arizona, Florida or Texas, these states are considered Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) states, so another license may not be required if the state you plan on working is a NLC state as well.

Lock in A Contract

There are numerous recruiters that offer travel nursing jobs. Each one will have it’s own requirements and opportunities. Are you looking to work a strike for a couple of weeks? Are you looking for a 3 to 6 month gig, with higher wages than your state or are you looking for something long term. No matter what you are searching for, there is a contract out there waiting for you. Reach out to a travel nurse recruiter and see what they have available and then lock in your contract. Make sure you are available for the times and dates that you sign up for. Also ask about sign up bonuses. A couple of extra dollars never hurt anyone.

Where Do I Stay?

Depending on the contract you accept, most will cover the cost of your housing. Many traveling nurse agencies provide housing and take care of all accommodations for you. Some shorter-term assignments may even be a hotel or an AirBnB. Be sure to discuss your housing needs with your recruiter, always ask questions and make sure you’re comfortable with your living arrangements. Most quality recruiters are looking to make sure you’re both happy and comfortable!

Ready, Set, GO!

Once you’ve chosen a recruiter, got your licensing in order, and located that perfect job, it’s time to get ready to go. Since you will spend much of your time working, travel lightly. Pack what you think you’ll need to ensure you have at least a couple of weeks of clothing and uniforms. Also, have fun. Take in some sites and do some shopping. If you work hard, you should play hard. Ready, set, go!

Finding a Nurse Recruiter

Nursing can be a very rewarding career and with the aid of a nurse recruiter, candidates can take their careers to the next level. The services of a recruiter opens up a new world of opportunity and adventure that broadens your professional scope and expands your horizons. Hiring a nurse recruiter has many advantages that will help your career become more fulfilled and rewarding.

New Opportunities

nurse recruiter

You entered the field of nursing because you love to help people. However, when placed in the wrong environment nurses can quickly become jaded and as a result, work suffers and professional goals are lost. They get stuck in a rut and fail to seek out new, fresh and exciting opportunities. The help of a successful nurse recruiter can provide you with the opportunity for a fresh start in a new environment. This will revive your career and help you grow professionally. We make searching for a new career path quicker than doing it alone and often providing better placement than a traditional job search. We closely examine your specialty and skill set to maximize your professional and economic advancement.

Competition is Always Fierce

For those living in cities with limited job opportunities, the competition in the nursing industry can be very competitive. When you utilize the services of a nursing recruiter, the employer knows you have been vetted and chosen specifically for this position by an industry professional that understand the needs of the particular or medical facility. This gives you an advantage knowing that some, if not all, of the recruitment work has been done for the employers. They understand there’s a good chance you are an ideal match for what the employer needs.

Professional Guidance

A nurse recruiter can provide professional guidance that will help you land the job you have always wanted. They thoroughly examine your qualifications, credentials and work history to highlight accomplishments and experience that will better prepare you make a great first impression to employers. Our services boost the chances of you landing the job because of the outstanding preparation service that nurse recruiters provide. They also negotiate compensation on your behalf, leading to bigger paydays than doing it alone.

Travel Nurses in High Demand

One of the many services a nurse recruiter can provide is travel opportunities. Recruiters can link your profile with some of the most popular and resourceful traveling nurse companies in the country. Pay is outstanding for these position and is a great way to experience different settings, people and places. Travel nurses are in particular demand as the lifestyle is different than that of a traditional nurse and can be a burden to people with families and other responsibilities to look after.

Things to Ask a Recruiter

Before accepting a position nurse recruiters should be able to answer many of the questions you have about a particular position. Here’s a list of things you can ask your recruiter before taking on your next challenge.

  • Does this job include training?
  • Ratio of nurse to patient on all shifts.
  • Are the shifts rotating?
  • How did position become available?
  • What is the overtime policy?
  • Advancement and professional development opportunities.
  • Are days off/shifts rotating?

The list can go on and on. However, nurses who sign up to receive the services of a recruiter are more likely to land opportunities that are geared towards their specialty and with better wages and benefits. This allows a nurse to maximize their potential and chance of advancement.

Happy Travel Nurses

Travel Nursing with My Nurse Recruiter

Travel nursing is a highly rewarding job for nurses across the country.  Generally travel nurses receive higher pay, free accommodations, daily per diems, travel reimbursement and many other benefits.  They also are rewarded with great experiences of being able to travel around the country and working in various hospitals.  While travel nursing may not be for everyone, especially those with ties to a certain area, it can be an amazing opportunity if you can be flexible and looking for freedom.

For the most part, a nurse will need to work with a recruiter to find a travel nurse position.  We can help nurses make that first step and find a recruiter to get the process started.  When an RN completes their profile on our website, we send your information to some great agencies who work with facilities across the county.  With just a couple minutes of your time, My Nurse Recruiter will save you hours of time searching and locating agencies and applying to each of them.

My Nurse Recruiter works with nurses with various backgrounds and skills, including travel nurses.  Experienced nurses will receive help locating a great position anywhere in the United States including permanent positions, travel nursing positions or per diem.  Our service is 100% free to nurses and there is no commitment.  Begin the process here: https://mynurserecruiter.com/submit-profile/

 

Nurse Recruiter

Nurse Recruiter

Nurse Recruiter

Why should you use a nurse recruiter?
A nurse recruiter helps RNs find positions throughout the country.  Many times we are asked why should I use a nurse recruiter instead of just looking for a position on my own.  As a nurse you are important and the demand for your skills and expertise is vital to many facilities across the country.  A nurse can certainly perform job searches on their own, send in resumes to prospective employers, follow up on the status of their resume, schedule interviews, etc.

A nurse can also have someone handle all those tasks for them.  Nurse recruiters are trained to help candidates find positions that meet their needs and desires. This can help save you substantial time and aggravation.  Nurse recruiters understand the positions they have, which ones you would be qualified for, and help you to land that position.  One of the biggest reasons for not getting a call back on a position you have applied for is that you may be over or under qualified.  Unfortunately for you, this is not the best use of your time.

A good nurse recruiter will already know what their clients are looking for in a nurse when it comes to filling a position.  They will use that information and give you the best shot at landing a great job that fits both you and the facility.

Another reason to consider a nurse recruiter would be if you are looking to relocate.  Moving to another state or even across the country can be a tough task.  A nurse recruiter will help you find positions in an area you may not be familiar with.  Being open to a location will vastly help improve your chances of finding a position quickly.  Its in these cases that a nurse recruiter is even more beneficial.  Searching for jobs in multiple states or throughout the country is a daunting task.

One of the biggest reasons for many nurses to use a recruiter is travel nursing.  Travel nurse recruiters are almost a necessity if you are interested in getting into travel nursing or contract work.  A travel nurse recruiter is a little different than other recruiters because generally you will work for the recruiter’s agency instead of the facility where you are actually doing the physical work.  They will provide you with your wages, benefits, relocation assistance, housing, etc.  With a permanent placement recruiter you are employed with the facility that you were placed.

Working with My Nurse Recruiter can help even further because we can take your resume and basic information and submit it to some of the best agencies in the country.  They will then use your information to check on positions they have for a match.  With our help, one submission opens you up to thousands of positions you may have never known about.  To get started, complete your online profile here: http://mynurserecruiter.com/site/submit-profile/

The ALL NEW My Nurse Recruiter

My Nurse Recruiter has been the leading site for nurses who want to find their next job easily!  For years we have been helping our nurses and clients come together.  Why?  Because we know that nurses are important.  We have experience on both sides of the table when it comes to finding great nurses and our goal was to make this process easier.

As a company we feel we have achieved that goal but standing still was never what we were about.  With our whole new website, we are ready to bring nurse recruiting to the next level.  We want to provide our nurses with more access to great positions throughout the county.  We want to provide our clients with even more great nurses than before.  We want to make it easier.

With our new site upgrade, everything both our clients and nurses need is right at their finger tips.  We have made many more changes on the site than it may appear at first glance.  Yes the site has a brand new look and feel, completely redesigned from the ground up.  We have also implemented a new mobile platform for all our nurses and clients on the go.  From your tablet or smartphone, you can access all the feature of the new site.  Read our pages.  Browse our forums.  Check out our blog posts.  Submit your profile.  Contact us with questions or comments.  All while sitting at your computer or anywhere else you want to be.

Stay tuned as future upgrades will be coming soon!  To all our users, thank you for making My Nurse Recruiter everything it has turned out to be.  We are happy you are here and hope you like what you see.

 

Travel Nursing Book

Hot New Travel Nursing Reference Book Released

Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2012 has been released by Epstein LaRue and Star Publish, LLC. Since its release, the Kindle version has been on the Hot New Releases list for Nursing Reference on Amazon.

Grace, ID March 14, 2012
Epstein LaRue is very thrilled to announce that Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2012, has been released by Star Publish, LLC (http://www.starpublishllc.com).

Since 2003, the Highway Hypodermics series has brought the most up-to-date information to traveling nurses, staffing recruiters, and travel nursing company executives.

This edition not only takes you down the path of finding a great travel company and an awesome assignment, but delves into the finer things of travel nursing, including steps to becoming a travel nurse for foreign trained nurses, traveling in an RV, traveling as an OT, PT, SLP, or LPN, homeschooling while traveling, independent contracting, and what the nursing license compact really means. New topics in this edition include new testing (PBDS & BKAT), standards groups (JCAHO & NATHO), and traveling with a pet, plus there are over forty new stories from other nurses.

Epstein met her husband online in 1996 using the nickname of Epi. Their story prompted her first book, Love At First Type: An Online Romance, which was published under the pen name of Epstein LaRue in January of 2001. Since then, she has published Crazy Thoughts of Passion (January 2003), Highway Hypodermics: Your Road Map To Travel Nursing (January 2005), Highway Hypodermics: Travel Nursing 2007 (January 2007), Crazy Thoughts of an Online Romance (January 2008), and Highway Hypodermics: On The Road Again (January 2009).

Her travel nursing books have received top awards. The 2005 version was a finalist in the USABooksNews’ annual awards; the 2007 version reached Number One on Amazon’s best seller list in Nursing Trends, Issues, and Roles. The 2009 version was a winner in the USABookNews’ annual awards in 2010. This edition has been on the “Hot New Releases” for Nursing Reference on Amazon since it’s publication date.

Other recent accomplishments include having her article, “Top 10 Reasons To Love Travel Nursing” published in one of nursing’s most prestigious magazines, Nursing2004. She has also had several articles published in ORNurse2008 and ElectroPhysical Lab Digest. She was named as a Traveler of the Year by Healthcare Traveler magazine in December 2005, and in May 2007, her website, http://www.highwayhypodermics.com was featured on Dr. Phil.com.

Currently she is taking a break from traveling, and works full time at a critical access hospital. She keeps in touch with the growing field by constantly updating her travel nursing website, visiting travel nurse companies with a program on retaining nurses, and giving presentations at the yearly Traveling Medical Professionals Conference. “Highway Hypodermics” the website is her way of keeping traveling nurses updated about travel nursing happenings between the two or three years of publishing the book series.

For more information about travel nursing, visit her website at: http://www.highwayhypodermics.com. Her author website can be found at http://www.epsteinlarue.com. Her books can be purchased from either website, http://www.amazon.com, http://www.bn.com, or personally autographed version from the author. The eBook version is also available for Kindle, Nook, http://www.SmashWords.com and other major eBook formats.

Epstein Larue
Highway Hypodermics
208-580-9583
Email Information

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions About My Nurse Recruiter

Frequently Asked Questions FOR RECRUITERS

What is My Nurse Recruiter?
My Nurse Recruiter is a website that allows nurses to fill out their job information once, which is then sent to various agencies and facilities.

How will My Nurse Recruiter help my company grow?
We will provide you with over a thousand nurses in the course of a year, nurses you probably won’t find anywhere else. Even if your company places only a few of these nurses, that is tens of thousands in additional revenue. Our expectation is that you will do even better than just a few placements so the income to your company will be significant!

Is My Nurse Recruiter expensive?
Not at all! With a low first year rate of only $99 each month, not only is the total cost low, but so is the monthly payments!

How long do I have to sign up with My Nurse Recruiter?
There are no terms. Sign up for as long as you’d like. You can cancel at any time with 30 day notice.

Are there any long term commitments?
No, you can cancel at any time with a simple 30 day notice.

Do I have to pay per lead?
No, the low flat fee is paid monthly. That fee will provide you with all the nurses we generate through our website.

How are the nurse leads generated?
All leads are derived from our website. A nurse simply completes their profile online and an email with the information is generated and sent directly to your inbox.

What information is included with each lead?
Each lead includes the nurses name, address, phone number, email address, state(s) licensed, date available to start, state(s) interested in working, 2 clinical areas and more. If a nurse includes their resume you will receive that as well.

Do I need to create an account with My Nurse Recruiter?
No, we will handle everything for you and all leads will be sent directly to your inbox.

Do I need a login at My Nurse Recruiter?
No, you do not need to login anywhere. All leads are generated by the site and sent directly to the email address of your choice. It cannot be any easier!

Where do I list my open positions?
You don’t need to! You will receive every nurse that submits their information on our website. No more wasting time updating job boards or job postings.

How do I make payments for the service?
Payments are made monthly via Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. All payments are made automatically for your convenience.

How often are payments made?
Payments are made monthly via the credit card on file.

How do I get started?
Getting started is easy as 1,2,3!

1. Contact us here.

2. We will provide you with the links to create your account.

3. Complete the online forms and start receiving leads!

Does My Nurse Recruiter offer any other services?
Yes, My Nurse Recruiter offers complete nurse lead databases and email address databases. Please contact us for more information.