We love hearing from our nurses! Moni promises to come back soon and Leah wishes us a Merry Christmas.

Hi Annabel,
How are you? I like very much working here. For the moment I won't extend my contract because my hospital requires my to go back and I miss my familly.
I've promised to [the hospital] i'll be back in Oxford as soon as possible. She asked me to keep in touch with her. Once again many thanks to the team, particularly, you Annabel, Spencer, Tiffany and Carl for helping me to achieve my goal.
See you soon
Moni

Hi Annabel!

Thank you so much for the Christmas card; it made my day. I hope that you have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year, too. Enjoy your time off and I look forward to hearing from you in the new year.

Just to let you know that I've been so greatful for all the help you and Continental Travelnurse have given me over the last six months i have very much enjoyed being part of your company.

Thank again

Leah

To learn more about Continental Travelnurse, check out our website.

Great Video Interviews With Nurses

Here's a website called American Nurse Project. It's linked to a book that's just out by the same name. But you can enjoy this website on its own: it includes video interviews with nurses about their careers and the many insights they have on medicine and life. Check it out!

Wonderful Feedback From Our Nurses and Hospitals

Continental Travelnurse is very proud of the high standards we set for our nurses and how they meet and exceed those standards time and time again. We're also proud of the hospitals and other medical facilities we partner with and the high standards they meet as well. We only recruit the best and we only work with the best. But sometimes we take for granted how often nurses thank us for their work experience, the homes we find for them to live in during their travel nurse adventures and the lifelong friends they make. Similarly, when a hospital tells us how great a nurse has been, we think, "Of course! We know they're great. That's why we recruited them." So here's a rundown of some recent feedback from all the people we work with. If you want to be part of the Continental Travelnurse team and use your valuable skills to work in the UK and travel throughout the Continent, check out our website now.

From the Matron at Royal Sussex Country Hospital to one of our nurses LaShawn:


I've reviewed the budgets and spoken to both Unit managers regarding the recruitment issues we have.  It's with great relief I confirm that we can re-start your contracts for 13 weeks from the 5th of November.

It has been a pleasure to have you and the team are very pleased with your work and contribution.  It's refreshing to have a different perspective from the experience you bring with you as international nurses, something I haven't discussed with you much but hope we can catch up on.

The Unit Managers are very keen to extend and it's with great pleasure that we can say yes.


From LaShawn to her personal contact at Continental TravelNurse:


Hello Jenni,

As I was strolling home from the hospital the other day, I was smiling and thinking of you!  Dennis, Auggie and I are enjoying our stay in Brighton and feel so fortunate to be living at the Marina.  The location is very near shops and work and the marina is a quiet, safe and a very enjoyable place to live.  Many thanks for finding such a place for us!

Next week, Dennis, Auggie and I are going on holiday for a week and Palm's Properties (Sharon) agreed to check in our dear cat every day while we are gone.  I wanted to let you know how grateful we are to her for helping us during our vacation and thought I'd share with you the kindness given.  We intend to pay her something for helping us out, but again thought it was more than generous of her to offer to help us.



From an official at Arctic Day Care:


It has come around again, when I am in need of an excellent Continental TravelNurse [employee].

I am in need of a nurse starting with us on the 13th November.

[Continental TravelNurse recruit] Jennnifer is leaving me at the end of November.

Please can you find me another Continental TravelNurse of her calibre, with maybe an interest of staying with us for at least 4 contracts in a row?

Please can you let me know as soon as you can.

Kind regards.

Joanna


From two nurses to their personal contact at Continental Travelnurse:


Time, certainly, has flown and it has been a great time.

As you mentioned, our contract is until the 9th December. We will leave sometime during the previous week, with our flight booked for the 6th December.

Thanks for your assistance with matters on the homefront. We feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to live in a flat in such a position. Certainly the highlight of our stay here.

Again, thanks.

Louis and Paddy


From one of our nurses, with a humbling reminder of what some do with their vacation:


I have some fantastic news! St. Thomas A+E have signed me on for another contract! It is also one that will probably run all the way into May next year. I am so so so happy with the accommodation that I am in. My housemates have turned into my best friends and we travel every week to another country. Continental TravelNurse really has been so great in helping me out and honestly never had an issue at all and just love East Dulwich, which has made my UK experience what it is!

I finish this contract around the 3rd of Dec and restart work 31st Dec. [During December] I will be in Nairobi, Kenya to work with children in orphanages.


An official in critical care at Guy's & St. Thomas' offers a performance rating for one of our nurses. it includes "excellent" in every category with this additional feedback:

Tom has been an absolute pleasure to work with and has been a highly valued member of the team. He possesses the ability to care for a variety of critically ill patients whilst supporting those working around him and keeping the nurse in charge informed. He has excellent communication skills with patients, relatives and the MDT alike, and is able to lift the mood of the team with great ease. He will be sorely missed and I am very sad that he is moving on. I would have liked to have continued to work with Tom and develop his skills further as he would have made an excellent shift leader. I would not hesitate to re-employ Tom should he want to return!

Thanks again to our nurses and our hospitals and our team at Continental TravelNurse. It's because of everyone working together and doing such a great job that we're successful. We'll never take that for granted again!

If you want to be part of the Continental Travelnurse team and use your valuable skills to work in the UK and travel throughout the Continent, check out our website now.

Mayfair Treasure Hunt A Success!

Continental Travelnurse hosted another one of its famous get-togethers for our nurses. This time it was a Mayfair Treasure Hunt. Any nurses from far away who couldn't make it but are interested in arranging one for their area, just contact us for tips about how we did it and ideas for adapting the Treasure Hunt to your area. It's a great way to socialize with the nurses you don't regularly run into in your area.

This year's  event took  place on Thursday, July 26^th on a rarely seen sunny and warm London evening -- call it fate! The action began at Grosvenor Square where an outdoor party was already in full swing with ping pong and giant versions of chess, Jenga and Connect Four.

After posing for a few group shots and listening to the rules, our nurses were divided into 5 teams that were each fearlessly led by one of our  recruiters or Carl, the amazing guru of payroll at Continental Travelnurse! Off they all went in different directions, learning more about Mayfair history with each answer they found. It was silly and fun but best of all it gave our nurses a chance to get to know each other and their favourite Continental Travelnurse staffer!

All teams met up at the finish line, The Audry Pub with Hayley there to meet them and judge the entries! Everyone had a ball mingling, eating and toasting the gracious Champion Treasure Hunters: Team Katie Bartley. They found 19 out of 25 clues and each member -- Kate Tenberge, Anna Forrester, Jennifer Treloar and Tammy Mackenzie -- walked away with a London 2012 Olympic mug and wrist band. 

Of course, our clients know the real treasure are the highly skilled and professional nurses that Continental Travelnurse provides to them. We only work with the best nurses and the best hospitals so everyone is assured of a gold medal experience. If you want to learn more about Continental Travelnurse or if you're already certain you want to use your valuable nursing skills to travel, have fun and earn money and respect while doing so, check out our website and contact us today! You don't need clues or teammates to guide you, just the desire to find out exactly how valued you will be working in the UK. 

Another Nurse Becomes A Friend For Life

Notes like this from the nurses we work with at Continental Travelnurse make all the hard work we do worthwhile. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your appreciation, Katie! Here's her full email in response to an email from us checking in to make certain she'd arrived safely back home:

Yes, I am back safely and getting settled in. I just got a nursing job over here and am moving to Orange County soon!
I hope you and the rest of the Continental Travelnurse team know how much I appreciate you!! I would not have been able to be with my now fiance if it wasn't for your company taking me on board and finding me a job in London. I always felt like I could email/call/show up/talk/etc! It didn't feel like a big company where I would get lost in the crowd; it felt personal.
I felt like a staff nurse in the hospital and on Victoria Ward the Continental Travelnurse nurses were very respected and treated like a staff nurse every day at work. Those nurses are truly special and work so hard for the patients. My struggling for the first month at the transition was worth the two years of amazing nursing experiences I had while in London!! TOTALLY worth it!! St Thomas' hospital and the nurses on Victoria Ward will always be in my heart, and Continental Travelnurse especially because you made it possible for me.
Please tell everyone thank you. I am getting married to my handsome "Brit" in two months and we would not be where we are today without Continental Travelnurse Ltd. I hope to one day return. I will always have good things to say and advice to give other nurses so if ever you need someone for a nurse considering your company please send them my way. I have made lifelong friends there. Just wanted to say my THANK YOU as I had not done before. You made these last two years at Continental Travelnurse very enjoyable and frankly very easy!! THANKS!!!!!!
xxxxxx
Katie 

If you want to learn more about the opportunities and fun available to members of our Continental Travelnurse family, check out our website or call us today. http://www.continentaltravelnurse.com/

Here's a note from another Katie just starting her Continental Travelnurse experience. (In case you're wondering, we do hire nurses who AREN'T named Katie, as well. :)

Hi Aine! I love Brighton! Thank you! What a wicked exciting city to be in! Thank you so much for placing me here!
I had my first shift today. Everyone was lovely! Such a new system to get used to, plus being on the ward again, but lovely and I have no doubt that before long I'll be up to speed.
The Australian couple who I am sharing the flat with are lovely! Really nice couple! The house we are in is great, I can see the ocean from my room! And we are perfectly situated close to hospital and down town!
So just to let you all is going well! Brighton is such a colorful city and I love it! Everyone on the ward today was super supportive and patient  with me! Hope you had a good trip back to the UK.
Talk soon, Katie

We just love getting positive feedback from our nurses! Here's a wonderful one from Katie. Thanks for taking the time to write to us, Katie. It made our day!

"I hope you and the rest of the Continental team, and mainly Shannin who worked with me for nearly two years out there, know how much I appreciate Continental Travelnurse!! I would not have been able to be with my now fiance if it wasn't for your company taking me on board and finding me a job in London. With Shannin, and you Lisa, and lots of the team, I always felt like I could email/call/show up/talk/etc! It didn't feel like a big company where I would get lost in the crowd, it felt personal. I felt like a staff nurse in the hospital and on Victoria Ward the Continental Travelnurse nurses were very respected and treated like a staff nurse every day at work. Those nurses are truly special and work so hard for the patients. My struggling for the first month at the transition was worth the two years of amazing nursing experiences I had while in London!! TOTALLY worth it!! St Thomas' hospital and the nurses on Victoria Ward will always be in my heart, and Continental Travelnurse especially because you made it possible for me. Please tell everyone thank you. I am getting married to my handsome "Brit" in two months and we would not be where we are today without Continental Travelnurse Ltd. I hope to one day return. I will always have good things to say and advice to give other nurses so if ever you need someone for a nurse considering your company please send them my way. I have made life long friends there. Shannin will be missed at Continental Travelnurse, but Lisa, and I'm sure so many of the other staff, have been fantastic too! Just wanted to say my THANK YOU as I had not done before. You made these last two years at CTN very enjoyable and frankly, very easy!! THANKS!!!!!! xxxxxx
Katie"

Katie"

Great Feedback From Our Friends

Continental Travelnurse only works with the best medical facilities and the best trained nurses from around the world. And our main focus is to make sure all of them are happy and given the opportunity to succeed at work and play while teaming with us. That's why we love getting feedback that lets us know we're doing our job well. That dedication doesn't end after your fun is over and you've headed home. Here's a nice note from a nurse who appreciates our continued work to make sure she has everything she needs to bring her time with us to a happy conclusion.

Just a quick note to say a big thank you for such a prompt response to my request for a record of service. I have worked for so many agencies over the years and Continental Travelnurse sticks in my mind as the best! Prompt and efficient! I continue to recommend your agency to anyone who may be traveling to the UK - keep up the good work!

Regards,

Vanessa

Thanks Vanessa. Make sure you tell your friends to check out Continental Travelnurse online and give us a call!

Ice Skating Party Photos

CONTINENTAL TRAVELNURSE THIRD ANNUAL ICE SKATING PARTY!















Continental Travelnurse had its 3rd annual skating event recently. It was really fun with lots of nurses turning up to skate and socialize with other nurses and our Continental office staff. We nibbled on Mexican chips and dip and drank bountiful beverages. The Moose Bar was extremely busy with after-work drinkers from nearby businesses in Canary Wharf. But we managed to all get to our reserved space and have a good catch up. It was nice to meet new nurses and to see them chatting with Continental Travelnurses, asking for advice, tips and generally getting to know each other.

As far as the skating was concerned everyone gave it a go… we had some confident skaters: Kate from the office and Chantelle Golding were whizzing round the rink and helped some not so confident skaters stay up right!! We were impressed with Jane Ukandu and Caroline Stanley Smith who were still skating past 9pm!! We saw quite a few people fall on their bums including one of our nurses but we won’t name and shame!! Linda, a new member of the Continental Travelnurse office team, Guiliana Vertolli and Onika Ottley did brilliantly getting on the ice and not clinging to the sides (too much!). They haven’t skated for a while so they faced their fears...maybe the wine helped!! We look forward to seeing everyone in the spring for our next meet and greet which will be confirmed nearer the time.

Happy Australia Day From Continental Travelnurse!

Happy Australia Day from your friends at Continental Travelnurse. Some of our best nurses come from Australia and New Zealand and we love it when London celebrates Australia Day. Great tennis on the telly and great fun in the pubs and all over the city. If you're in the UK, check out these fun events going on Thursday, January 26. The first pint is on us!

Celebrate the Wines of Australia on the Vinopolis Wine Tour -- the perfect event for those who love their drink made from grapes and Australia.

Aussie Day at Entree. The Battersea restaurant is owned by two Aussies so you won't be surprised they go all out for Australia Day with special menus all month long including surf and turf, kangaroo carpaccio and more, all paired with the perfect wines.

The Walkabout Pubs make it their business to be all things Aussie. So make sure you set aside enough funds for a cab ride home.

If you're feeling ambitious, you can whip up some of these specialties and invite your friends over.

AUSSIE MEAT PIES

There's a reason this recipe is an Aussie classic - serve these pies and you'll see why!
900g beef rump steak, trimmed, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
2 rashers middle bacon, trimmed, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons plain flour
2 cups salt-reduced beef stock
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
4 sheets frozen ready-rolled shortcrust pastry, partially thawed, halved diagonally
2 sheets frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, partially thawed, quartered
1 egg, lightly beaten
Tomato sauce, to serve

LAMBINGTONS

Ingredients (serves 15)
Melted butter, to grease
75g (1/2 cup) self-raising flour
75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
70g (1/2 cup) cornflour
6 x 59g eggs, at room temperature
215g (1 cup) caster sugar
1 tbs boiling water
170g (2 cups) desiccated coconut
· Chocolate icing
300g (2 cups) icing sugar mixture
35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
60ml (1/4 cup) milk
60ml (1/4 cup) boiling water

Method
1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Brush a 19 x 29cm (base measurement) lamington pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang slightly.
2. Sift the combined flours together into a large bowl. Repeat twice.
3. Use an electric beater to whisk the eggs in a large clean, dry bowl until thick and pale. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tbs at a time, whisking well after each addition until mixture is thick and sugar dissolves.
4. Sift the combined flours over the egg mixture. Pour the boiling water down the side of the bowl. Use a large metal spoon to gently fold until just combined. Pour mixture into the prepared pan and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn cake onto a wire rack, cover with a clean tea towel and set aside overnight to cool.
5. Trim the edges of the cake and cut into 15 squares. Spread the coconut over a plate.
6. To make the chocolate icing, sift the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a medium bowl. Add the milk and water and stir until smooth.
7. Use 2 forks to dip 1 cake square into the warm icing to evenly coat. Allow any excess icing to drip off. Use your fingers to roll the cake in the coconut to evenly coat, then place on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining cake squares, icing and coconut. Set aside for 1 hour or until icing sets.

Of course, the day wouldn't be finished without a singalong on "Waltzing Matilda" and "I Still Call Australia Home." Have a great and safe day!

Another Travel Nurse Settles Down

Continental Travelnurse deals with only the best trained nurses from around the world and the best facilities in the UK. Is it any wonder that virtually every travel nurse we bring to the UK is offered a permanent staffing job? Most politely decline because what they love is travel and fun and exploring Europe before settling back home. But every once in a while one of our nurses has such a happy experience they do decide to make the move permanent.

So congratulations to S. Wong, who chose to take a staff job here. She wrote to thank us:

Thank you very much for your email. I really enjoyed working with you, too. Thank you very much for all your help and support. The staff and Leslie have been great and very efficient. Annabel did mention I can always go back to Continental Travelnurse and that is very reassuring.

I have recommended Continental Travelnurse to my colleagues and friends. I will continue to promote Continental Travel Nurse. Take care .

Thanks again and have a great time in your new position!

Your friends at Continental Travelnurse

Check out our website for more information on the many opportunities you can discover with Continental Travelnurse.