There is already a big shortage of nurses in the United States, and the demand for nurses is increasing every day as the baby boomers are aging.  This need has given rise to a new profession of Travel Nursing.  Travel nursing industry is being developed with the intention to provide a solution to overcome the scarcity of nurses in the United States.

Travel nursing involves traveling as a part of the nurse’s job.  Nurses are expected to travel to some other location and work there for some specified period of time.  The existing dearth of nurses in the United States has increased the demand for travel nursing jobs.  Many travel nurse recruitment agencies and hospitals offer incentives like furnished housing, higher wages, bonuses and relocation assistance to hire qualified Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVN), Registered Nurses (RN) and other health care professionals.

Many health care professionals prefer to travel due to the benefits like professional growth, higher pay and also to try out some personal exploration.  Travelers usually select many recruitment agencies as a mediator between the traveler and hospitals or other potential employers.  As of last year, there are more than 340 Travel Nursing Companies in the U.S. which recruit qualified nurses for the travel nursing jobs.

Travel nurses generally work on short-term based contracts which span only for 4 to 13 weeks. Salary and other benefits vary widely from state to state.  In general, areas in the northern or western United States pay more compared to southern areas.  If the cost of living in any area is high then this can have impact on salary range.  If the travel nurse maintains a “tax home” while living and working away from that home then there may be tax benefit known as “Per Diem” or “Tax Advantage” pay.

Nurses often consider this traveling job as an opportunity to improve their financial status as well as to see the world.  Just imagine if you are a travel nurse then you have this privilege to select the – the health care facility, city where you want to work and even the shift you want to work in.  You also have the freedom to change shift after 13 or 26 weeks as per your convenience.  You decide each and every move of yours and carry on at your own speed which eventually leads you to the path of success in your nursing career.

As far as the nursing career is concerned, no other career in health care can offer you adventure and experience that travel nursing offers.  You will be able to work with the nation’s most prestigious facilities and also get to know new dimension of your own abilities.  You get this chance to live in unique and some of the most exciting destinations our country can offer and simultaneously earn handsome salary which is much more than offered in any permanent nursing jobs.

Travel nursing is one of the  new types of nursing job opportunities. To become a travel nurse one needs to have atleast one year of practical experience in one’s specialty and licensure in the state of employment.   Even though only one year of practical experience is mandatory to become travel nurse, it is highly recommended to have two or more years of practical experience before becoming a travel nurse.  To become a successful traveler one should have a flexible outlook and a good sense of financial planning, and most importantly how to negotiate with recruitment companies.

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Whether you are studying for a Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), or undertake online LPN nursing programs, completing any of the nursing school program is quite a great achievement. All your valuable time spent in studying and passing each test is paid off in the form of a nursing degree. But you cannot become nurse unless and until you pass in one of the very crucial test known as the NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination). By passing the NCLEX exam one gets license to practice nursing ethically. If you wish to work as a nurse in any state of USA, you will have to pass this NCLEX exam. NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination) is an examination for the licensing of nurses in the United States.

The NCLEX exam is governed by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. It comprises of 2 types the NCLEX-RN for practicing as a registered nurse and the NCLEX-PN for practicing as practical/vocational nurse.

Each state in USA separately conducts this NCLEX exam and entire tests are professionally supervised. You have to pay examination fees to enroll yourself for this test. In case if any one fails in this exam then he/she has to wait for about 45-90 days which is a grace period after which one can again undertake the test. Every state has different criteria based on which it is decided how many times any student can appear for the exam. This exam is comprises of multiple choice questions, mathematical questions, arranging nursing procedure according to chronological order and also drawing body parts based on the questions. NCLEX examinations are conducted in (CAT) computerized adaptive testing format.  This test helps the examiner to get better idea about candidate’s knowledge related to nursing. If you want to practice nursing in USA then passing the NCLEX exam is definitely added advantage.

All your years of hard work put in to pass in nursing school program will go waste if you fail to pass in the NCLEX exam. So it is very important to prepare well for this exam. Though there are few nursing school programs which review the NCLEX as part of their curriculum but it is not enough. Seeking an extra guidance and putting in extra effort is very important. Once you graduate from any of nursing school it is important to take up the NCLEX test as all the knowledge is fresh in your mind. You can find help from NCLEX study groups or purchase NCLEX review materials and most importantly practice. Study every topic especially pharmacology and triage information because these are most likely questions. NCLEX examinations are specially designed to test your skill, knowledge, and abilities to practice effective and safe nursing at the entry-level.  This is you opportunity to prove yourself so just go for it.

As a nursing school graduate, the NCLEX is one of the most vital tests which you take up. By successfully passing the NCLEX exam you can show your ability to become a qualified licensed nurse. Now, whether you become NCLEX-RN or NCLEX-PN it is entirely your decision but one thing is for sure Nursing is one of the well respected profession were apart from earning good salary you’ll also have job satisfaction of helping needy.

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Nurse practitioners all over the world are expected to follow strict code of ethics in nursing.  The code of ethics helps nurses to ethically practice nursing and also to deal with all the ethical challenges that arise in their practice with communities, families, individuals and other public health care systems.

Nurses must vow not to reveal patients private information to third party, do not cause any harm to them and most importantly help the patient recover fast. The general public is completely dependent on nurses when they are ill as they are in a very helpless stage so they must be assured that those who are responsible to take their care should look for their welfare.

Purpose of the Code of Ethics

The Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses serves as a foundation for nurses’ ethical practice. It provides guidance for ethical responsibilities, relationships, behaviors and most importantly decision-making. The Code of Ethics should be used in combination with the existing professional standards, regulations and laws that guide practitioners.

There is certain purpose behind these codes of ethics which is as follows:-

1] Every patient being admitted to hospital or any health care center has right to maintain privacy and they have to be contented with the fact that their private affairs which they share with any of the medical personnel will be kept confidential.

2] All the nursing practitioners should abide by the code of ethics.

3] In nursing profession, the patient’s well being and safety should always be given the first priority. Nurses have to always do their best to maintain the trust and confidence laid on them by the patients.

The Code of Ethics serves the purpose of self-reflection and self-evaluation for principled nursing practice and it also forms the basis for peer review and feedback. It is a kind of ethics based on which all nurses can practice under quality work environments so as to support the deliverance of ethical, compassionate, safe and competent care.

Nursing is very reputable profession and people involved in this profession have the opportunity of being part of a self-regulating profession and should value this responsibility. The Code of Ethics informs all the nurses, general public as well as other health-care professionals about the moral commitments and social responsibilities which nurses have to accept for becoming part of this self-regulating profession.

According to the Code of Ethics for nursing, Primary Nursing Values involves tasks like:-

• Providing competent, compassionate, safe and right care to all the patients.
• Promoting and respecting informed decision-making of every patient
• Promoting health and well-being of all the patients
• Preserving dignity
• Promoting justice
• Maintaining confidentiality and privacy
• Being accountable for their actions

Consequences of disobedience

When any of the nurse or nursing student disobeys the code of ethics in nursing homes, this can make patients as well as their families distrustful and very fearful of all the staff.
This in turn causes distress and argument amongst the staff members of respective health care center and has adverse effects on its functioning. Even the single disobedience from any of the staff member can leave a stain on all of their coworkers.

Conclusion
The code of ethics in nursing signifies not only commitment and pledge, but also the devotion of individuals involved in this missions of mercy. The disabled, the elderly, the young and the weak are at the mercy of people engaged in the healing arts and nurses are more trusted than any of the caregivers. This is really a great honor and nurses must respect the trust and belief laid on them by public and always strives to do their best for patients.

Above mentioned specific values and ethical responsibilities are expected of each of the registered nurses as well as nursing students and they should abide by them.

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