New Stories: iPads for Docs, Nurses Needed, Dialysis In Distress

Here are some news stories that Continental Travelnurse thought you might find interesting. You also might find interesting how in demand and valued your skills would be in the UK. Check out our website for more info on how you can become a travel nurse, see England, Ireland, Scotland and Europe and get paid to do it!

AUSSIE DOCS TO GET IPADS!

In Australia's Victoria, the new Labour head of the province detailed elaborate plans to improve the health care system. But the one detail that caught everyone's eye was his plan to provide an iPad for every doctor working in the public hospital system. Interestingly, though Apple is famous for its closed systems, of all the portable devices out there, it works best with the varied medical information systems that populate most hospitals.

WHY DON'T NURSES HAVE A BIGGER VOICE IN HEALTH CARE REFORM?

In the New York Times, a nurse writes a passionate essay about the state of health care and the many challenges facing it in the future: primarily, the sheer numbers of people entering the system while so many health professionals are leaving the system via retirement. And with all the debates, why don't nurses have a place at the table?

Nurses currently form the largest sector of health care providers, with more than three million currently registered; but few have led or even been involved in the formal policy discussions regarding the future care of patients. To address this discrepancy, the Institute of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation assembled a national panel of health care experts that has been meeting for the last two years to discuss the role of nurses in transforming the current health care system. Their final report was published last month with no less ambitious a title than “The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health.”

Read the article to find out what this report determined about how nurses can play a vital role that takes full use of their skills and importance.

"GOD HELP YOU, YOU'RE ON DIALYSIS!"

The Atlantic Monthly has an in-depth article about dialysis, treatment which is provided to everyone by law and is the closest the US has come yet to universal health care. The piece details the many problems highlighted by the history of dialysis, which raise many questions for anyone advocating for a private OR a public solution to health care. Here's the sobering intro:

Every year, more than 100,000 Americans start dialysis. One in four of them will die within 12 months—a fatality rate that is one of the worst in the industrialized world. Oh, and dialysis arguably costs more here than anywhere else. Although taxpayers cover most of the bill, the government has kept confidential clinic data that could help patients make better decisions. How did our first foray into near-universal coverage, begun four decades ago with such great hope, turn out this way? And what lessons does it hold for the future of health-care reform?

Congratulations on Your Wedding!

We sent a birthday greeting to Ali, one of our travelnurses back in Canada, and received this wonderful news in reply: she just got married in September and is happily settling down in Calgary. Better yet, Ali had several of the friends she made in Scotland while working for Continental Travelnurse at the wedding. You do indeed make lifelong connections. As Ali told us, "I always have wonderful Continental Travelnurse memories!" Thanks Ali and again, congratulations on the happy news. Here are some snaps from the wedding. Thanks for sharing, Ali.

If you want adventure and fun while using your skills in a professional and satisfying environment where they are highly valued, contact Continental Travelnurse today. You'll work in the UK and have the chance to explore England, Ireland, Scotland and the rest of Europe while you do it. What are you waiting for? The friends of a lifetime are ready for you.

Another Continental Travelnurse Having A Blast

We love hearing from our nurses, like Lise, who is Danish but comes from New Zealand.

"Have secured another contract at Mark wd.which I'm pleased about. Everything is going well, going out with Nancy a lot and we are having fun. We're going to the opera on Thursday night to see "La Boheme" so will be dressing up for a change!"
Kindest regards, Lise."

To learn more about the opportunities offered by Continental Travelnurse, check out our website.

A Rave For Our Nurses In Brighton

Here is a very positive reference for one of our nurses working with a new client in Brighton. Happily, as you can tell, it's quite typical for the first-class professionals that Continental Travelnurse works with.

"I am very pleased to say that Kristen has in no way lowered the standard I am learning to expect for the nurses you have provided! Personally I would be very happy to work with Kirsten should her contract be renewed. I do hope that being invited to write this reference does not mean we are to lose her just as she settles in to our team! Thanks for your support of what has been a consistently impressive band of "real nurses"!"

Wonderful to hear and thanks for sharing your thoughts. If you want to be associated with the top-notch talent at Continental Travelnurse, contact us today. We specialize in recruiting nurses from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and placing them in first-class hospitals and medical facilities in the UK. The opportunities for work -- and to explore the Continent -- are endless. Call us.

Does Any Country Love Their Health Care System?

A columnist in Canada's Globe & Mail talks bluntly about the many ways he believes that country needs to change in order to meet its obligation of decent health care for all.

“There’s no law that says private health care is illegal. What there is instead is a whole bunch of laws that dampen the ability of private care providers to be parasitic on the public system.

The result is an oft-illogical patchwork that has left Canadians – and to a large extent policy-makers themselves – perplexed. To wit: Physician visits are covered by medicare but the drugs they prescribe are not – unless the patient is over 65; physicians cannot bill patients but they can refer them to imaging clinics and laboratories that do; private clinics can offer knee surgery but not heart surgery; a citizen cannot jump the queue for care unless they were hurt on the job and they are the responsibility of Worker’s Compensation; homecare nursing is provided by private companies but hospital nursing is not.

“There seems to be confusion about the legitimate role of the private sector in the health system,” as the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development says in a recent report. That’s quite an understatement.

Rallies in Australia For Better "Nurse To Patient" Ratios

The NSWNA (New South Wales Nursing Association) has been calling for a minimum nurse to patient ratio as the strongest, most direct step to guarantee quality patient care in the national health system. And they've been rallying to bring attention to the issue. The Sydney Morning Herald has more.

Nursing As A Second Career

The New York Times has a profile of a man who became a nurse in his 40s. What prompted the career change? Caring for his dying mother. “It was rewarding,” Mr. Van Rensselaer, 45, says. “It was important for my mother to die at home. Working with hospice nurses allowed me to do that for her. And I realized, ‘I can do this.’ ”

From One Of Our Friends In New Zealand

From our friend in New Zealand who just returned home after travelnursing for us:

Hi Roz,

Yes I am back in NZ now. It is certainly a long trip back. I am missing the UK desperately but it is great to catch up with friends and family here.
Have certainly told people about your agency, Continental Travelnurse. I have every intention of coming back to the UK in about 18 -20 months time.

Please say hi to everyone back in the office. I must say that once I had
done all those courses via osmosis it was great to know that you had
everything under control at your end so thank you very much for making my experience of nursing through Continental Travelnurse a pleasant one.
Cheers,
Freda

To find out more about all the opportunities we provide, check out our website: http://www.continentaltravelnurse.com/

Want To Travel and Have Fun and Use Your Nursing Skills? Call Continental Travelnurse

Continental Travelnurse has so many options to offer. Instead of settling, go on an adventure. Come to the UK, put your skills to use immediately and fall in love with the UK and the rest of Europe, all of it cheap and easy flights away for fun weekends or during vacation breaks. You can commit to as little as three month stints at a time or stay as long as you like until your first choice is available at home, all while gaining valuable experience and memories of Europe that will last a lifetime.

Call Continental Travelnurse today. Why settle for less when you have acquired the skills that deserve the best?

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Have you seen an article online you think other nurses might be interested in? Send a link to your Continental Travelnurse contact or directly to mgiltz@pipeline.com and we might post it here.

Is Most Medical Research Flawed?

The Atlantic Monthly has a fascinating profile of "meta-researcher" Dr. John Ioannidis, who has devoted his career to exposing the flaws found at every stage of published medical research. His respected work discovers that most medical papers are upended and that even nearly half of the absolutely most rigorous studies are fatally flawed. That's why one week you'll read that salt raises blood pressure and the next week that a new study shows that it doesn't and a week later a study that confuses you even more. Read "Lies, Damned Lies and Medical Science."

A New Member Of Continental's Family Gets A Surprise

I was in kitchen baking a chocolate cake to take to work tomorrow when the door rattled. I was hoping it was the plumber! But it was the post.

Thank you for the lovely birthday card and wishes from the office. When one is away from home emails are good but old fashion mail is a more concrete link with friends.

My first day is actually tomorrow, Wed Oct 20 7am. In Australia we take cake when it is our birthday so that is what I will do at Royal Sussex.

Christine is truly lovely. I feel a bit intimidated because she keeps saying "We love our Continental girls they have all been wonderful" -- a high standard to live up to. I hope I don't let you down!

Spent Sunday giving Janine a birthday, and Monday introducing her to Brighton .
Tonight Kathy Sachs and I are going to Brighton Comedy Festival

Thank you to everyone,

Marie

When Nurses And Doctors Disagree

Registered Nurse Theresa Brown has a thoughtful column in the New York Times about the difficult dance that occurs when a nurse disagrees with a doctor. She sees herself as an advocate for the patient, one who has typically spent much more time with them than the doctor. Brown covers several true-life incidents:

1. A doctor in training who had prescribed the wrong, life-threatening medication. In this case, of course, the nurse is obligated to act immediately and work her way up the food chain of authority until the dangerous step is avoided.

2. The more nuanced case of a patient in his 70s fighting leukemia and bitterly suffering from chemotherapy.

3. A doctor who simply told her, “When you get down to it, patients come to me for care, Theresa, not you.”

It's well worth a read.


Continental Travelnurse knows what the valuable skills of nurses are worth. That's why we place our nurses only in the best hospitals and medical facilities. That's why our nurses wear staff uniforms -- they're part of the team, not a day worker who will come and go but someone who will be part of the staff for three months. And -- shhhhhhh! -- we make certain our workers get a better salary than the equivalent people on staff.

Tired of being taken for granted? Come to the UK where your skills are desperately needed and highly valuable, where you'll be treated with he respect your talent deserves and where Continental Travelnurse will help you explore the UK and Europe in a way no tourist on holiday for two weeks could ever hope to do.

Check out our website for more information.

A Nurse Taking The IELTS In Australia Says Thanks

Thank you SO much for your time, you guys are always supportive and prompt with your emails! I have been spreading the word about your agency at work and many people have heard of you and always give positive comments!

Thanks again,
Natasha

Nurses In Australia Push For Minimum Nurse-To-Patient Ratios

The Sydney Morning Herald has a story about the New South Wales Nursing Association (NSWNA) pushing for the biggest reform in decades for health care: a minimum of a 1 to 4 nurse to patient ratio.

Brett Holmes, general secretary of the NSW Nurses Association (NSWNA), on Monday said the reform had the backing of both public hospital and community healthcare nurses.

If implemented, it would be the biggest reform of the NSW public health system in decades, he said.

"The evidence from Victoria, California and other places with minimum nurse-to-patient ratios is now in and they work and work better than any other system," he said.

The NSWNA claims the health system has been plagued by nurse shortages and poor skill mix for too long, risking patient safety....

Mr Holmes said the ratio had worked well in Victoria and would help overworked nurses to cope.

"For example, nurse-to-patient ratios have existed in Victoria for ten years and have greatly improved the health system in that state and attracted many former nurses back to the profession," he said.

"If it is good enough for the people of Victoria, it is good enough for the people of NSW.

The Problem Of Look-Alike Tubes

The New York Times has a detailed, important article on an issue every nurse is aware of: the fact that tubes for different functions are interchangeable and easily confused, resulting in injuries and death every year. Those tragedies are due to long-standing defects in the design of the equipment but invariably get blamed on the nurses, who must distinguish between identical-looking tubing and attach and unattach and reattach them countless times during the day, often during high-stress moments.

Experts and standards groups have advocated since 1996 that tubes for different functions be made incompatible — just as different nozzles at gas stations prevent drivers from using the wrong fuel.

But action has been delayed by resistance from the medical-device industry and an approval process at the Food and Drug Administration that can discourage safety-related changes.

Hospitals, tube manufacturers, regulators and standards groups all point fingers at one another to explain the delay.

Hospitalized patients often have an array of clear plastic tubing sticking out of their bodies to deliver or extract medicine, nutrition, fluids, gases or blood to veins, arteries, stomachs, skin, lungs or bladders.

Much of the tubing is interchangeable, and with nurses connecting and disconnecting dozens each day, mix-ups happen — sometimes with deadly consequences.

One advocate for change said it best: “Nurses should not have to work in an environment where it is even possible to make that kind of mistake,” said Nancy Pratt, a senior vice president at Sharp HealthCare in San Diego who is a vocal advocate for changing the system. “The nuclear power and airline industries would never tolerate a situation where a simple misconnection could lead to a death.”

Nursing Homes: High Turnover Of Workers Hurts Quality Of Care

The New York Times has an article on nursing homes. It highlights a fact most people are unaware of but those of us in the industry know: the turnover rate for employees such as nurses' aides are extraordinarily high in the US. Often a staggering 70% or more of these employees quit or move on every year. Naturally, this damages the quality of care for the residents.

The solution? Treat these employees with respect, give them better training and more responsibility. That's all wonderful and vital, but a far more crucial incentive is mentioned only in passing: health and pension benefits. And one solution not mentioned at all: increasing the wages of these skilled workers which average $10.48 an hour (roughly 7 pounds).

Continental Travelnurse knows what the valuable skills of nurses are worth. That's why we place our nurses only in the best hospitals and medical facilities. That's why our nurses wear staff uniforms -- they're part of the team, not a day worker who will come and go but someone who will be part of the staff for three months. And -- shhhhhhh! -- we make certain our workers get a better salary than the equivalent people on staff.

Tired of being taken for granted? Come to the UK where your skills are desperately needed and highly valuable, where you'll be treated with he respect your talent deserves and where Continental Travelnurse will help you explore the UK and Europe in a way no tourist on holiday for two weeks could ever hope to do.

Check out our website for more information.

New RNs Feel Job Market Squeeze In US

USA Today highlights a story that impacts nurses everywhere, but especially in the US: "NEW RN GRADS FEEL SQUEEZE FOR JOBS."

As everyone in the medical community knows, there is a long-term chronic shortage of nurses that will grow and grow in the next two decades.

But for various reasons in the US, new RN grads are finding it hard to get their first choice of jobs at the moment. USA Today spells out some reasons:

1. The recession has convinced experienced nurses to keep their jobs rather than retire.
2. Other experienced RNs have come out of retirement, switched from part-time to full-time, etc.
3. Hospitals need RNs but tight budgets force them to make do.
4. Demand will be high down the road but new RNs are at a temporary surplus in some markets.

Long-term, RNs will be in extreme demand in the US. One analysis -- done before the new health care bill expanded medical insurance to tens of millions of Americans -- estimated the US will be short 260,000 by 2025.

USA Today has some good tips for new RNs: be flexible, look farther afield since nurses might be scarce in other parts of the country, consider home health care and the such.

But they miss the best advice of all: get in touch with the experienced staff of Continental Travelnurse. (And if you have a friend who is an RN and faces this predicament, call them and urge them to call us right away.)

The skills of RNs are highly valued and highly in demand in the UK. We can get you the work setting you desire, the respect you deserve and the salary you need -- and you can explore the UK and Europe while doing it.

Why commit to living in a part of the US or Canada or Australia or New Zealand that doesn't appeal to you or a setting that isn't your first choice? Why indeed when Continental Travelnurse has so many options to offer. Instead of settling, go on an adventure. Come to the UK, put your skills to use immediately and fall in love with the UK and the rest of Europe, all of it cheap and easy flights away for fun weekends or during vacation breaks. You can commit to as little as three month stints at a time or stay as long as you like until your first choice is available at home, all while gaining valuable experience and memories of Europe that will last a lifetime.

Call Continental Travelnurse today. Why settle for less when you have acquired the skills that deserve the best?

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Have you seen an article online you think other nurses might be interested in? Send a link to your Continental Travelnurse contact or directly to mgiltz@pipeline.com and we might post it here.

Should You Pay People To Be Healthy?

The New York Times has a roundtable discussion about incentives: the growing practice of paying people to be healthy, whether it's an insurer paying you to lose weight or a local government paying you to stop smoking or simply to take your pills regularly. Is this smarter than paying for hospitalization or an extension of the nanny state? Enjoy the fascinating debate here.

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Continental Travelnurse knows that smart nurses are interested in health-related articles. We link to them on our blog merely as a point of interest. Go to Continental Travelnurse to find out more about the exciting opportunities for nurses who want to work and travel in the UK.

Have you seen an article online you think other nurses might be interested in? Send a link to your Continental Travelnurse contact or directly to mgiltz@pipeline.com and we might post it here.

Work And Play In The UK And Europe With Continental Travelnurse

It's summertime and smart nurses from around the world are using their highly valued skills to work at the best hospitals in the UK and vacation in England, Ireland, Wales and around Europe. How do they do it? They contact Continental Travelnurse.

We recruit the best nurses from Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States and walk them through every step of getting set up to work in the EU. Then we place them in the position of their choice with a top medical facility in the UK, along with very nice housing within an easy commute by walking or safe and easy public transport. Nurses are in high demand all over the world so it's very easy for them to find great positions where they are needed and appreciated and are part of the team wearing hospital uniforms, not treated as one-off freelancers.

Nurses commit to a three month stint, often saving money and enjoying day trips and weekend getaways on incredibly cheap airfares to Paris and elsewhere. Then, after their stay, they can re-up, take time off to have a lengthy vacation with their funds or head back home. Even their three month position is a holiday, since it gives them a chance to explore part of the UK and get paid for the pleasure.

Learn more about Continental Travelnurse. Visit our website and call us today. The sooner you get started, the sooner you can be in Europe doing the work you love and having a blast at the same time.

Nurses On Strike In US, Health Reform Stumbles In Australia and More

Here's a roundup of some interesting medical-related news from around the world.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States, nurses went back to work after a massive 24 hour strike of thousands of workers. The nurses highlighted concerns they had about hospital practices but returned to work without settling negotiations. Read the article here.

In Australia, one of many countries looking to improve health care, reform of hospitals has stumbled over the issue of control: the federal government is the main financial supporter but power resides with local states and the Australian Medical Association does not think this is helpful. Read the article here.

In Canada, the government just approved labeling of certain foods as cholesterol fighters, a major victory in a country where health claims for foods are tightly regulated. Observers say this could lead to a flood of health claims for various new food products and perhaps a change in how Canadian consumers eat and what they consider to be healthy. Read the article here.

Continental Travelnurse knows that the nurses we work with are smart and informed. They want to stay on top of the latest medical news. If you want to share a news story you believe other nurses might be interested in, email a link to your Continental Travelnurse or directly to mgiltz@pipeline.com.

As always, go to Continental Travelnurse's website for more information about the fun and rewarding world of travel nursing.

London Nurse Hailed As A "Hero" For Helping Accident Victims

In London, an off duty nurse rather new to the job proved heroic when she helped pull people from the wreckage of a car accident and administered first aid until ambulances arrived.

“I always appreciate hearing nice things from people I've helped, getting cards and thank you letters, but I'm not special," says Lucy Jay Bellinger, who works at Kingston Hospital. "I'm a nurse — I'm supposed to help people.”

Her father, John, said he was incredibly proud of his daughter.

“It's not a job, with her, it's a passion,” he said. “She would stay at the hospital all day and night if she could just to help people.

“She is a hero and she deserves the credit. She has helped so many people outside the house that it's almost like this is a second place of work for her.”

Read the entire story from the Evening Standard.

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Have you seen an article online you think other nurses might be interested in? Send a link to your Continental Travelnurse contact or directly to mgiltz@pipeline.com and we might post it here.

Based in London, Continental Travelnurse places nurses in prime hospitals with great housing nearby for three month terms -- all at the nurse's discretion. The advantages of Continental Travelnurse are endless.

Contact Continental Travelnurse today. Go to our main website for more information and complete contact info.

New Approach For Treating Early Breast Cancer

The New York Times reports on a new approach to dealing with early breast cancer: some women getting a lumpectomy may not need to have an operation to remove underarm lymph nodes. Read more about it here.

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Have you seen an article online you think other nurses might be interested in? Send a link to your Continental Travelnurse contact or directly to mgiltz@pipeline.com and we might post it here.

Why not take advantage of your excellent education and desirable qualifications to explore the world? Why not seek out work AND fun in England, Ireland and Scotland while sampling the rest of Europe at your leisure? Why not avoid the short-sighted, short-term day agencies and indeed reject agencies altogether in exchange for the long-term, goal-oriented and fun-oriented atmosphere of Continental Travelnurse, a London-based company with decades of experience in travel nursing and links to the top hospitals in the UK? Why not turn your job into an adventure?

Contact Continental Travelnurse today. Go to our main website for more information and complete contact info.

Wrestling With Bioethics At Catholic Hospitals

USA Today has an article about the complex, difficult issue of bioethics and the special issues raised when patients are at a Catholic hospital. You can read it here.

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Continental Travelnurse knows that smart nurses are interested in health-related articles. We link to them on our blog merely as a point of interest. Go to Continental Travelnurse to find out more about the exciting opportunities for nurses who want to work and travel in the UK.

Have you seen an article online you think other nurses might be interested in? Send a link to your Continental Travelnurse contact or directly to mgiltz@pipeline.com and we might post it here.

An Australian Nurse Reflects On Her Time With Continental Travelnurse

Nursing is a tough, demanding job no matter where you do it. So we at Continental Travelnurse don't downplay the challenges involved in spending time in another country and adapting to their way of getting the work done. Travel nursing isn't just an adventure: it's also work. We know the rewards far outweigh the challenges: that's why our nurses always excel and are asked to stay on at the places they work. And that's why virtually all our nurses extend their stays and sign on for new stints. In short, they love it, challenges and all.

Here are some thoughts from an Australian nurse who chose to work her entire travel nursing time at London's St. Thomas's, the oldest teaching hospital in the world. Bianca shares her feelings about the work she did there for two and a half years.

The ITU at St. Thomas's is the busiest ITU I have ever worked in and I have to say in terms of work load it is also the hardest I have worked in. But if you are willing and very keen to put your hand up and put your best foot forward you will learn so much. I miss ITU at "Tommies" so much. I made great friends and learnt so much -- so much more than I ever imagined -- but I worked bloody hard and put in long hours.

When I first started it was difficult to settle in as a new member of staff. I think that's because they don't know you and have so many untrained ITU staff that they want to check you out first. It's very stressful [for them] not knowing if a new member of staff is going to need to be carried or not, especially with how busy it can get sometimes. I personally found it great once I settled in, which didn't take too long for me.

From my point of view, if you're willing to work hard and potentially be used a little, maybe not intentionally but occasionally miss one of your breaks -- which I often chose to do as my patients were often the sickest on the unit -- you will enjoy your time there. It is frustrating, but so are all jobs. The main thing is to not go there thinking the work is like home, because it isn't. And that is probably the main key point to stress. The nursing union in OZ is pretty strong and has done a great job to get the working conditions we have. But the working conditions in the UK are not so great. The thing i liked best at Tommies is the working relationship with the Medical team; I felt my opinion was valued slightly more over there.

-- Bianca

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Bianca and giving nurses a realistic portrayal of working at St. Thomas's. That's what you can expect from Continental Travelnurse: straight talk, informed advice and a tremendously fun and rewarding experience.

Find out more at our main website at ContinentalTravelnurse.com.

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Continental Travelnurse: Explore The Possibilities

Travel nursing truly is not just a job. It's an adventure in your career and in fun: nurses can work in the UK during the week and quickly and inexpensively fly to Paris or Rome for the weekend. (Plane travel is surprisingly cheap in Europe and going from London to Paris is like going from New York to Boston, more of a long commute than a big journey). Then, between stints they can get a rail pass on the great trains and explore Europe at length. During their jobs, they will also find great attractions both in the city they're based in and the surrounding areas.

Once you try travel nursing, regular old stay-at-home nursing seems positively staid. Why not take advantage of your excellent education and desirable qualifications to explore the world? Why not seek out work AND fun in England, Ireland and Scotland while sampling the rest of Europe at your leisure? Why not avoid the short-sighted, short-term day agencies and indeed reject agencies altogether in exchange for the long-term, goal-oriented and fun-oriented atmosphere of Continental Travelnurse, a London-based company with decades of experience in travel nursing and links to the top hospitals in the UK? Why not turn your job into an adventure?

Contact Continental Travelnurse today. Go to our main website for more information and complete contact info.

Friendly Words From One Of Our Travel Nurses

It always happens to the people who work with Continental Travelnurse. Virtually every nurse we place is asked to go on staff at the hospital they're at. That shows the high quality of nurses we recruit. And so many of the nurses let us know how much they loved their time with our company and hope to travel nurse again. Here's the latest comment we've received from a nurse that one of our staff members sent an email to just checking in to see how she was doing:

So lovely to get an e-mail from you. I have been very remiss in not getting in contact before now and like you, I don't know where the last year has gone. Not a day goes by when I don't think of wanting to be back in Cheltenham. I just loved it so much and would very much like to return maybe next year. I have resigned myself to being in NZ this year as I have had two more grand-daughters this year -- four grand-daughters now in total!!!!! I want to spend this year with them and also I am re-decorating the house. Lots to do but I so miss the life I was having this time last year. -- Phillipa

Thanks for writing, Phillipa. We love to hear from our nurses. To learn more about Continental Travelnurse, visit our main website.

Happy Nurses' Day!

HAPPY NURSES' DAY 2010!!

Celebrating Nurses' Day is an opportunity for everyone around the world to remember the valuable contributions that nurses make to society.

Nurses' Day is celebrated on 12 May each year, as a tribute to the amazing work of Florence Nightingale who was born on that day in 1820. This year we have even more reason to celebrate her pioneering work as it is also the centenary of Florence's death on 13 August.

Visit Nurses' Day 2010 for more information and activities that are happening throughout the UK.

We at Continental TravelNurse want to join the friends, family and patients who are saying thank you to our nurses. Nursing is a difficult, challenging and rewarding job that is as much a vocation as it is a job. You are an intimate and valuable part of people's lives during some of the most wonderful and painful moments in their lives. That's why Continental Travelnurse isn't just a business to us; it's a chance to work side by side with the women and men who are selfless in their sacrifice and devotion to helping others.

Thank you for letting us be a part of your work.

Have a wonderful day,

From the entire team at Continental Travelnurse.