Travel nursing in an RV

Have you been scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest lately? Maybe you’ve been watching TV or talking to your travel nursing friends, or perhaps you’ve been wondering how to save money, travel more, and shower less? In the first part of this series, Nurse Russ shares his story of how he found himself living the RV travel nursing lifestyle and provides some inspiration to those of you who’ve considered pursuing this lifestyle! And don't miss the breathtaking images he's captured while traveling the US with his wife and three kids. Read more

The racial inequity of COVID-19 —

The New York times recently sued the CDC for withholding data on COVID-19 cases in the US. Now able to parse through this data, The Times was able to analyze racial disparity in the infection rate across 974 counties of the US, representing more than half of the US population. The results show that Black and Latino people have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19: they are three times as likely to become infected as their white peers. Moreover, these same groups have been twice as likely to die from the virus. (You can also listen to an explanation and analysis of these findings here.) Thus far, many subject matter experts have explained this disparity as caused by underlying health problems in the communities, including obesity and diabetes, but this new data reveals a significant imbalance in the number of cases, not just deaths, which underscores inequalities not directly related to these other health issues. Read more

Telehealth claims soar amid the pandemic —

April 2020, compared to April 2019, yielded an increase of more than 8,335% in telehealth insurance claims. The primary driver, of course, was the pandemic, which has further spurred the utilization of telehealth medical visits. Mental health diagnoses were at the top of the list of reasons for the calls, while joint and soft tissue conditions as well as hypertension followed. Prior to the pandemic, mental health diagnoses were actually followed by acute respiratory disease, flu and pneumonia, UTIs, and eye problems. The diagnoses this past April indicate a shift to telehealth for patients managing chronic conditions during the pandemic. Only time will tell if this trend will continue, but there's a good chance that once people have found solutions to their conditions from the comfort of their homes, they may prefer to receive care this way. Read more

Fighting for mental health amidst COVID-19 —

Recently, there has been a renewed interest in sharing mental health concerns – a much-needed boost to help fight mental health stigma. Right now, attention and care of mental health is more important than ever. While the short-term consequences of the pandemic are very visible and immediate, some of the long-term effects are largely related to mental health, and many may not be as readily obvious in the present. The mental and emotional impacts of a time like this aren't yet completely understood, but fears are mounting of some of the long-term neuropsychiatric and psychological consequences—anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicidal thoughts—that will require further research and focus to help address. Read more

5 tech trends changing healthcare —

Sometimes changes in technology move things forward, and sometimes they simply complicate them (*cough* EHRs). Overall, though, technology is gradually improving the industry in numerous ways. Here are some of the most recent technology trends evolving healthcare as we know it: 1) all-in-one mobile devices simplify workflows and save clinicians time, 2) wireless wearables support bedside care and remote patient monitoring, 3) telehealth platforms enable secure connections from across the country, 4) mobile workstations offer more streamlined care, and 5) command centers deliver detailed and actionable insights focused on realtime patient information. Perhaps you're already using some of these technologies and are experiencing the benefits; if not, you owe it to yourself to check them out and understand their potential future roles. Read more

DNA linked to COVID-19 —

A new study has found a segment of DNA strongly linked to COVID-19 that originated in Neanderthals. Researches don't quite know why this segment—Chromosome 3—increased the risk of severe symptoms from COVID-19, but the findings thus far shed some light on the ways in which ancient history can affect modern health. Essentially, individuals carrying two copies of the Chromosome 3 variant are three times more likely to suffer from severe coronavirus symptoms than those who do not. One speculation is that while this segment helped prevent against viruses that existed 60,000 years ago, it may be overreacting against the novel coronavirus today. The most severe symptoms caused by COVID-19 today are typically due to immune systems launching uncontrolled attacks that results in scarred lungs and inflammation. It's too early to tell if this clue can help to provide some modern-day insight into the virus, but researches are looking to continue the search for more data. Read more

Nurses review Hoka shoes —

Last time, we took a look at the brand new line of Clove shoes (which you can read about here). Today, we’re going to talk about Hokas. As a tried and true fan of Danskos, our nurse experimenter, Nurse Courtney, was a bit nervous to try these Hoka shoes, but... enter the Hoka Bondi 6—what looks like (a little more than) your average running shoe but feels like a pillow/cloud/tempurpedic foot heaven—a game changer for nursing footwear! Check out what she has to say about these highly rated and increasingly popular nursing shoes. Read more

Upcoming Events —

7/14, 3pm PDT: The Cover Letter Comeback!
Cover letters are avoided by most applicants but can be the one thing that helps you land your dream position. Ashley & Chelsea of The ReNegade Resume will dive into why nurses should take the time to create and submit a cover letter with every job application. They will discuss why cover letters are important, when you should submit one, and what should be included. All nurses are are invited to this event, just make sure you RSVP! RSVP