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Posts Tagged ‘Travel Nursing’

According to the latest figures from UK nursing regulator, NMC, there has been an 18% increase in complaints made against nurses and midwives.

An NMC report reveals that the regulator received 1,759 complaints judged to be suitable for further investigation in 2008-2009, an increase of over 18% compared to the 1,487 in 2007-2008.

This represents the highest number of allegations received by the UK’s largest health professional regulator since 2005, according to the NMC

Nearly 15% of complaints related to charges of dishonesty including theft, false claims to registration with the NMC and sleeping while on duty.

Ian Todd, director of fitness to practise at the NMC, said ‘We have no objective evidence to explain why the number of complaints has increased. However, members of the public have increasing expectations of the standards of care they should receive and we live in a consumer society in which people are more willing to complain when they have received poor care.’

Visit Nurses Forum for information about nursing jobs and travel nursing.

In recent years, the need for traveling nursing has grown dramatically as a way to fill a nationwide shortage of nurses at hospitals. What started in the 1980s as a short-term solution to staffing problems has blossomed into an essential part of hospital operations.

“Travel nurses are people looking for some adventure in their lives,” says Marcia Faller, chief nursing officer and executive vice president of San Diego-based AMN Healthcare. “It’s a nice, easy way to experience different types of jobs without being tied down to one hospital.”

Most travel nursing companies act as your personal recruiter, helping you determine where in the United States you want to work and the type of facility that’s best for you.

Travel nursing jobs usually last about 13 weeks, Faller says, but some nurses choose to extend stays for up to a year or more. Many companies, including AMN, cover moving, housing and utility costs as well as offer a full benefits package in addition to a competitive salary.
Travel nursing also offers flexibility, as there are typically no annual contracts involved and you can work for as many assignments as you’d like.

“You can go anywhere you want in the country,” Faller says.