Influenza type A (H1N1) virus (”swine flu”) will not be going away any time soon, health officials say, and healthcare providers, including nurses, should prepare themselves not only for patients with the illness, but also for questions and concerns from the public, and requests to help state and local health departments identify potential new cases.
At this point, nurses should keep practicing and taking the same precautions as they would with an outbreak of any other kind of influenza, as well as keeping themselves up-to-date about the new virus and national and state guidelines for dealing with it.
These include asking patients who are coughing or sneezing to wear a mask, wiping down surfaces and chairs, frequent hand-washing, and offering anti-bacterial creams or gels to patients.
The CDC is asking clinicians to take nasal swabs or washes of patients with symptoms of upper respiratory illness to be tested for the swine flu virus. Nurses should also ask detailed questions, such as whether the patient has traveled outside the country, if they’ve been in a crowded place, or if they’ve come into contact with anyone who might have swine flu.
State health officials are currently working with hospitals, clinics, and private practitioners to identify patients who may have more severe cases of swine flu. The CDC is also distributing tests that will allow states to identify the virus at their own laboratories rather than waiting for a CDC confirmation of swine flu.
As the outbreak progresses, nurses have a responsibility to inform themselves as much as possible about swine flu, even if they live in areas where no cases have been reported. Nurses need to constantly check not only national sources such as the CDC: www.cdc.gov/swineflu and WHO: www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html Web sites, but also state and local sources, including state health department Web sites, to find out whether or how the virus has presented itself in their area. As health experts and first responders, nurses will be expected to answer questions from relatives, neighbors, and friends as well as patients, and they should be prepared.
Nurses also need to be aware of the plans their own institutions have for dealing with public health emergencies, such as how antivirals are stockpiled and who will they be given to, and of how their institutions will communicate those plans to them.
Nurses really are our calm ‘in’ the storm.
—
There are numerous great paying nursing jobs available across the United States. Search and find a job yourself or send us your resume and we’ll find you a job.
karen @ May 16, 2009
The healthcare industry is strong right now compared to other industries, but medical units are not quarantined from budget cuts. Are you prepared to demonstrate to a new facility the benefits of hiring your nursing care? It is smart to be prepared for new opportunities in healthcare. Hire our professional resume service to help you. We have written resumes for nurses in an array of specialities; nurses returning to work, new nurses, nurses who have worked at only one facility, and nurses eager to care for patients in a new speciality!
We believe a nurse is a professional who is ardently there when the ill require compassionate, safe, and competent care. What do you believe? What is the message your resume conveys? Is your resume modern with visual appeal? Is it concise or repetitive and boring? Have you promoted achievements or just job descriptions? Does your resume reflect how well you manage, juggle, and prioritize patient case loads based on acuity? Can your new employer decipher how well you have collaborated with other nurses and physicians? How your critical skills and interventions save lives? Do you have preceptor experience? Are you competent at coordinating the administration of advanced medications? Knowledgeable in the provisions of direct patient care?
Don’t submit a resume like all others. Repeating your job descriptions under every title is not the answer, even in nursing! Make sure your resume is a marketing tool that advertises how you will improve the convalescence of patients under your care.At this point in the travel nursing process you will be asked to submit a travel nursing resume. Some travel nursing companies will write your resume for you; either based on the information you supply on a resume you have already written or you list on your application. A good resume is very important for a travel nurse. The competition for travel nursing jobs can be intense for the really good locations and hospitals so you want to make sure you stand out. The style is important (and may even be changed to match the company’s look anyway), but nowhere near as much as the information on it and making sure it is presented in a clear and easy to follow format. Some of the key information every good travel nursing resume should have includes:
* All certifications,
* All licensures,
* Locations of previous work history
* Complete start and stop dates
* Job type (travel assignment, perm, PRN, contract)
* Any degrees you may hold
* Locations of any school/college you attended
* Dates you attended those schools
Overall the biggest ingredient to a good resume is attention to detail and thoroughness. If you have those two aspects handled you will have a winning resume. Check back this week for the second part of this series on Where are the Jobs - Creating A Winning Resume!
—
Job Search
Search and find a job yourself or send us your resume and we’ll find you a job.
Stay tuned for the next article in the series.
roger @ May 16, 2009