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By Kelly Pethick

June 16, 2020

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What Are Good Examples of Leadership Qualities

In this article, I will present some great examples of leadership qualities. You can use them to make friends, improve communication between partners, or become a good leader in whatever field you pursue.

Praise others more than yourself

Arnold H. Glasow said that a “good leader takes a little more than his share of the blame, a little less than his share of the credit.”

We are used to thinking that the most important thing is to demonstrate our merits and gain recognition. But you are unlikely to succeed in telling others how much you have done. People usually evaluate you by what you choose and how you act.

Therefore, when something good happens to your friends or nurse colleagues (such as having achieved some goal or received a reward), do not skimp on praise. But do not praise yourself, even if you gave a hand in their success.

In this way, you will kill two birds with one stone. First, show the person in a positive light and make them happy. Anyone would be pleased to know that you notice their achievements and appreciate them. Perhaps this will even help this person develop further. Secondly, you will set an example. When you yourself achieve something important, you do not have to brag – your friends will praise you.

Show your strengths in difficult times

Support in difficult times makes the relationship stronger and helps people grow. Maybe you covered for your nurse colleague when they could not pick up a shift in a hospital. Overcoming difficulties together brings people closer together in the world.

Psychologist James Graham was convinced of this when he researched what strengthens the connection between partners. During the experiment, 20 couples wrote several times a day to scientists about what they were doing at the moment, what their mood was, and how they felt about their partner.

From analyzing more than a thousand notes, Graham found that couples who actively do something difficult together feel more sympathy towards each other. As a result, their relationships become closer. This accounts for romantic interactions and also other types as well.

Learn to make decisions

Leaders are people who make decisions. Sometimes, people spend a great deal of time asking others what they want and try to come to a common agreement. The opinions of others are important, but weighing options too much tends to not work. To avoid wasting time, leaders propose a solution in a way that other people will feel that it comes from them. This applies both to hospital work and to deciding between a movie or restaurant.

For example, you may want to watch a movie with someone. Say: “I want to watch a movie. I heard this movie is very funny. Do you want to watch it?” That is, start with an indefinite phrase, go to the specifics, and end with a question that will most likely be answered the way you want. If we analyze this technique point by point, we get the following:

  • You are reporting a desire to watch a movie.
  • You offer a specific movie that interests you.
  • You ask if a friend wants to watch a movie.

By agreeing to the last question, a friend is likely to positively accept your proposal. Do not forget to add a characteristic (good, funny, entertaining) to it. Such a positive assessment will help persuade a person to your side.

Do not be afraid to be vulnerable

We are afraid to be completely open with other people and show them our weaknesses. We want to hide so we don’t have to give a reason for unpleasant statements. But look at the situation differently: sometimes you don’t like certain people, and sometimes certain people don’t like you. When closing up, you probably avoid criticism but you miss a lot.

Don’t be afraid to face problems. Suppose that you are planning a new trip soon, but at the same time, you need to write a term paper on healthcare. Don’t be afraid to admit that you can’t write a good paper on time. In this situation, it’s not shameful to ask for help. You can get help from services like EssayShark. You can find more information about this service by reading through a review.

I hope that all readers can develop the leadership qualities mentioned here. Also, I hope that this post will receive approving comments and many likes and reposts. I believe that each of these leadership qualities examples can help you to be a better leader.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

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Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!
—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

By Jennifer Traub

June 15, 2020

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On the Frontlines: A Travel Nurse’s Perspective on the Pandemic

My initial thoughts on the pandemic:

When I first heard about coronavirus months ago in January, I thought it was another “headline” the media was blowing way out of proportion. Just like H1N1. Ebola. I thought it was a mild flu that would soon pass, just like all other modern pandemics. Laughed at my friends who were making this a big deal. I swore my dad had become a hypochondriac in his old age.
Even further highlighting my ignorance, I was at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the day they first declared CoVid-19 a pandemic.

It was when I was in line for Thunder Mountain with one of my best friends that I turned around and said to her, “I don’t think we should be here right now.” The next day they closed Disney World. They shutdown sporting events and areas where large amounts of people could congregate. It was then I realized this wasn’t just the flu. This was something more. Something far worse.

We weren’t prepared

An influx of infected people with this novel virus swarmed the emergency rooms of many cities across the world mid-March. We didn’t know quite how deadly this thing was, but there was something we did know. We sure as hell weren’t prepared.

Our new army equipped with no weapons

Nurses and doctors became our new army equipped with no weapons. No masks. No vents. Just direct human contact with the inhalation of this foreign pathogen we knew absolutely nothing about. Many got sick. A few died. Every one of them lived in fear of what they may contract during their shift each day, and even worse, what they may bring home to their families. They were forced into a position they didn’t sign up for, yet a position they did all at the same time.

Unsettling uncertainties


It has been a few months since the initial outbreak of this pandemic, and even though we know so much more than we did, there are still unsettling uncertainties. Is it over, or will a swarm of infected patients overwhelm our healthcare systems once again? How much will more innocent blood have to be shed, until we have definitive answers?

More at ease

I am more at ease over this than I was in March and April, but we are not in the clear year. This has been a huge humbling wake-up call as to what we lack as a healthcare system and how we need to improve society. We became too complacent in the majesty of our country and allowed an enemy, planned or not, to derail us. Whatever the real statistics are and whatever the truth may be, we MUST take this as a learning lesson and become stronger, so that a visible or invisible enemy will never knock us off our feet again.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

Join The Gypsy Nurse Nation

Discover new travel nurse jobs, subscribe to customized job alerts and unlock unlimited resources for FREE.

Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!
—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

By Candice Hubbard

June 13, 2020

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Travel Light: How to Stay Fit and Light on the Go

As a frequent traveler over the past eight years, whether for personal leisure travel or business travel as a travel nurse, I have found three mainstays that keep me feeling fit and light no matter where life takes me.

Pack healthy snacks

The challenge of eating well while traveling is packing light, health, nutrient-rich snacks. If you’re a frequent flyer and dealing with airline meals and unhealthy airport food this can be a challenge. Even once you’re at your destination, the struggle to find healthy restaurant choices in an unfamiliar city is also a daunting task. The key is to pack smart! As a savvy traveler, it is wise to reserve room in your suitcases for snacks and portable meals. Select foods that stay fresh even when you’re waiting for security lineups and flight delays.

Optimum choices in healthy snacks are what I like to call the pantry protein pack. It’s a trail mix of sorts, that I create from an assortment of nuts, seeds, and sometimes throw in a little dried fruits, such as raisins. These items are nutrient-dense in protein, fiber, healthy fats, and complex carbs to keep your hunger satisfied, full of energy for extended travel, and boost your immune system to ward off travel bugs. These same snack packing tips are also great for road trip travelers as well, as it prevents those frequent stops at fast-food restaurants and convenience stores in gas stations for the poor nutrition selections they offer.

Hydrate

Can’t stress this enough, adequate hydration is equally, if not more important than packing the healthy snacks. Adequate hydration with water is the key. Try to avoid, hydrating with juices, teas, and sports drinks. Water helps in the transport and absorption of the nutrients taken in from your pantry protein pack, as well as aid in proper circulation, digestion, the creation of saliva, and regulating body temperature.

Other benefits to drinking water include, caloric intake control, energizes muscles, keeps skin supple, and it helps the kidneys perform their duties in keeping the body free of toxins. In order to stay hydrated on the go, pack a refillable water bottle for air travel, since liquids are not allowed at the checkpoint. You can also purchase water after security, however, it can be costly, as airport terminal prices are priced for the convenience. For road, travel pack a cooler bag of bottled water. Other ways to get your daily dose of water is by having it at every mealtime and through consuming fruits and vegetables.

Stay Active

My final mainstay to travel fitness is staying active. Tight spaces, unknown places, don’t have to hinder your workout routine. The following is a list of ways to stay active no matter what city life takes you to in your travels:

Cardio:

Find a local park or walking trail, city guide websites, Google, and your hotel reception office are good ways to help you locate such places. A 30-minute, walk, jog, or run is a great time-saving way to boost cardiovascular conditioning and energy to power through the rest of your day. Also, some hotels offer fitness amenities, such as a small fitness room equipped with at the minimum a treadmill or elliptical machine.

If walking, jogging, running is not your thing, there are options inside and outside your hotel that can be just as beneficial options. Pack a jump rope, they are lightweight, flexi, and easy to drop in any size suitcase or carry-on. Just 30-minutes of jumping rope burns up to 300 calories. Also, a quick online search for local dance studios or dance classes offers great cardio and socialization options, for travelers.

Build strength:

No need to search for a local gym, or suffer through the struggle of visitation fees, short-term membership contracts. Do simple equipment-free resistance training exercises, such as push-ups, tricep dips, sit-ups, planks, squats, lunges, and more, that can be done in your hotel room or even office. For an added boost, pack a resistance band, their light, flexi, and easy to drop in any size suitcase or carry-on.

Stretch:

Flexibility is an important component of any fitness routine. Practicing simple stretches and poses common to fitness modalities such as yoga is a great way to energize the body for a long workday, or even relax the body after a long stressful workday. It also keeps muscles and joints supple and prevents injury. Pack a sticky mat or even pick one up from a local sporting goods store, their pretty inexpensive and stretch in your hotel room, or even scout around online for a local yoga studio. Studios are great from travelers because there are usually no contractual commitments to take classes, plus it gives you social options outside of your work setting while you are in a new city.

All in all, traveling doesn’t have to be an unhealthy experience. People so commonly blame weight gain on travel, because of the inability to find healthy meal options. Use your resources, pack what you need to stay fueled, ask around about fitness options. Nourish your body and take care of it well. Travel can be fun, you don’t have to opt for the unhealthy conveniences offered to you, you can take charge of your health while on the road, because your health matters. Stay Well! ~ Candice

We hope these tips for staying fit and light while traveling helpful. Have you found ways that have helped you stay fit and light while traveling? Please comment them below.

Join The Gypsy Nurse Nation

Discover new travel nurse jobs, subscribe to customized job alerts and unlock unlimited resources for FREE.

Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!
—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

By Jackson Nurse Professionals

June 12, 2020

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Get Some Fresh Air in the Rocky Mountains

This article provided by Jackson Nurse Professionals.

The Rocky Mountains: You’ve seen them on nature specials and heard about them in country songs, but have you actually ever been? The massive mountain range stretches from Canada through the U.S., snaking its way through Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and then finishing in New Mexico.

They may not be the tallest mountains on the planet, but if you’ve ever wanted to live on the ragged edge, the Rocky Mountains are a good place to be, and no state embodies them like Colorado. You can see the impact of the mountainous lifestyle across the state, from the “mile-high” city of Denver to the MLB team, the Colorado Rockies.

As a traveling nurse, one of your biggest perks is the ability to sample a wide variety of lifestyles. Why not head to Colorado and immerse yourself in a mountain culture that’s open to outsiders and has endless activities? Here are a few helpful tips before you go:

Winter is the best time of year

Colorado has long been famous for its skiing and snowboarding scene. If you’re going to live there on assignment, you might as well attempt to learn one of them. But, maybe hold off on buying skis and a matching suit just yet.

The Adventure Junkies recommended renting equipment to start. You should expect to fall a lot your first time out, regardless if you’re skiing or snowboarding. At the end of the day, you may discover that winter sports aren’t your favorite. Renting equipment ensures that you’re not needlessly wasting money on a hobby that may not be for you.

If you are serious about trying, you should also get a lesson. Whether you’ve got family in the area or not – opt for a professional instructor. The Adventure Sports Network warns that too much dependency on a partner or friend can lead to frustration. Instructors are professionals who frequently help newcomers cross the headaches and hurdles required to have fun. 

Less pressure, more adventure

There’s more to living in Colorado than just snow sports. Despite the state’s reputation, its winters are far from brutal. According to Grand Park, Colorado actually has fairly tolerable, warm winters – at least when compared to a region like New England. The constant snow on the mountainside comes more from the altitude than the temperature.

This is also a perfect place for relaxation. If you’re used to working in bustling environments like New York City or San Francisco then you may find Colorado to be a wonderful step down in terms of pressure. People in this state, and indeed anywhere along the Rocky Mountains, are more content to go at their own pace. But, with all the amenities of a big city. From shopping to spas to beautiful hiking trails and cozy Bed and Breakfasts, the Rocky Mountains are the perfect fit for the gypsy lifestyle of a travel nurse.

Finished the travel nursing guide and are ready to look for an assignment?

Check out our travel nurse jobs!

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Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!
—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

By Amber Pickler

June 11, 2020

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Easy Microwave Recipes for Travel Nurses

Being on the road makes meals difficult. Even if your housing has a full-size kitchen, after working 12+ hours, you may not feel like preparing a meal. Also, preparing meals for 1 or 2 people isn’t always easy either. Below you will find 8 different types of easy microwave recipes.

Microwave Macaroni And Cheese:

• 1/3 cup of pasta
• 3/4 cup of cold water
• 4 tbsp of milk
• 1/4 tsp of cornstarch or cornflour
• 4 tbsp of grated cheddar cheese
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:

This recipe takes about 10 minutes to make. Serves 1.

In a large microwaveable mug or small bowl, add water and pasta. Microwave for 3.5 to 4 minutes until pasta is soft.
Remove the water.
Add cheddar cheese, milk, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
Microwave for 1 minute.

Microwave Mug Pizza:

• 4 tbsp of all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp of baking powder
• 1/16 tsp of baking soda
• 3 tbsp of milk
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• 1 tbsp of marinara sauce
• 1 tbsp of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 5 mini pepperoni
• Half a tsp of dried Italian herbs (basil or oregano)

Instructions:

This recipe takes about 6 minutes to make. Serves 1.

In a microwaveable mug or bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add milk and oil. Mix well.
Scoop some marinara sauce and spread on top of the batter.
Sprinkle cheese, pepperoni, and Italian herbs on top.
Microwave for 1 minute and 10 to 20 seconds until the top is bubbling.

Microwave Granola In A Mug:

• 1 tbsp of maple syrup
• 2 tsp of water
• 2 tsp of vegetable oil
• 1/8 tsp of salt
• 4.5 tsp of rolled oats
• 2 tbsp of desiccated coconut
• w tbsp of pecans

Instructions:

This recipe takes about 8 minutes to make. Serves 1.

Mix all of the ingredients in a big microwaveable mug or bowl.
Pop in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds, then stir the granola.
Continue this process until the granola becomes brown and crispy.
Let it cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve with yogurt and fruits.

MICROWAVE FETTUCCINE ALFREDO MUG FOR ONE

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup fettuccine
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup parmesan
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Put the pasta in a big mug and fill it with water and add salt.
  2. Cook in a microwave at first 4 minutes (then mix), then 2 minutes (then mix) and one.
  3. Add grated cheese and heavy cream. Stir and cook in the microwave for 45 seconds.
  4. Serve with grated black pepper.

MICROWAVE POTATO CHIPS

INGREDIENTS

1 potato
1 tbsp olive oil
coarse salt

SUPPLIES

mandoline
parchment paper
microwave-safe plate

DIRECTIONS

  1. Wash and dry the potato. Use a mandoline on the thinnest setting to slice the potato into thin chips. Please place them in a bowl and add the olive oil. Toss them to distribute the oil.
  2. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the microwave-safe plate. Place the potato slices on the parchment-lined plate in a single layer. Sprinkle generously with coarse salt.
  3. Microwave for 5 minutes, or until they become crispy. The exact time will vary depending on the wattage of your microwave. Devour—or serve—immediately. Happy snacking!

Egg Fried Rice In A Mug

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup cooked jasmine rice
  • 2 tablespoons frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons chopped red pepper
  • 1/2 stalk of green onion, sliced
  • small pinch of mung bean sprouts
  • small pinch of shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place the rice into a large mug. Lay the peas, red pepper, green onion, mung bean sprouts, and cabbage on top. Cover the mug with cling film. Using a knife, puncture one or two small holes through the film. This step is important! You don’t want to scald yourself—microwave on high for 1 minute 15 seconds.
  2. In the meantime, beat the egg and mix in the seasonings (soy sauce, sesame oil, onion powder, and five-spice powder). Pour the egg mixture into the mug, and stir with the vegetables and rice.
  3. Cover the mug with cling film again, and microwave for 1 minute 15 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds. Take the mug out of the microwave, and give everything a good stir. Let the fried rice stand for a minute to finish cooking. Use a fork to fluff up the rice and serve.

Coffee Cup Quiche

  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons milk
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1/4 of a bagel (or similar amount of French bread, etc.)
  • 2 teaspoons cream cheese
  • 1/2 slice prosciutto or ham
  • Fresh thyme leaves or fresh chopped chives
  • Dijon mustard

1. Beat egg and milk together with a fork in a coffee cup, adding salt and pepper to taste. Tear bread into dime-size pieces; stir in. Add cream cheese; stir in. Tear or cut prosciutto into small pieces; add to mixture. Sprinkle with thyme.

2. Microwave on high until done, about 1 minute 10 seconds. Garnish with mustard and fresh thyme or chives.

Per serving: 200 calories; 10g fat; 4g saturated fat; 205mg cholesterol; 12g protein; 16g carbohydrate; 1.5g sugar; 0.5g fiber; 440mg sodium; 70mg calcium.

Note: The nutrition information in this recipe has been corrected.

2-Minute French Toast in a Cup

Ingredients

  • 1 or 2 slices of bread, cubed (just fill your cup to overflowing a bit)
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbs milk
  • Dash cinnamon
  • A drop of vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

Cube bread.

Melt butter in cup for a few seconds in your microwave. Swoosh it around the cup.

Add bread to the cup.

In a separate cup, combine the egg, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir.

Pour the liquid over the bread. Smoosh it a little and allow the liquid to soak into the bread.

Microwave. Start with one minute, then add ten seconds at a time until it’s cooked to your liking (no runny eggs). In my microwave that’s 1 minute, 20 seconds.

Add syrup if desired. Eat!

 

Microwave Apple Chips

Ingredients

2 apples

Instructions

Wash and thinly slice the apples into 1/8 inch rounds.

Place on the plate with parchment paper, in single layer.

Microwave it at highest power for 4 to 5 minutes, the edges of apples start to curl up.

Then flip each slices and microwave for about 2 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Notes

If you want to use an oven, at 425 F bake for about an hour or dry.

We hope that you found these quick and easy microwave recipes helpful. Do you have any quick and easy recipes to share? Comment them below if you would like. Here are a couple more articles with great recipes if you are looking for more quick and easy recipes.

We hope that you found these recipes helpful! Pinterest is always a great place to look for quick and easy recipes. Do you have any microwave recipes you would like to share? Comment them below.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

Join The Gypsy Nurse Nation

Discover new travel nurse jobs, subscribe to customized job alerts and unlock unlimited resources for FREE.

Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!
—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

By Haleigh Gorrell

June 10, 2020

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COVID in Canada

The recent COVID-19 global pandemic has been absolutely devastating for all of us. Nurses are out on the front lines facing the virus head-on and doing the best they can with what they have to defeat it. We are forever going to remember this stressful time in our health care systems and ultimately we are going to learn from it to avoid such a blow again in the future. As a Canadian nurse, I can’t help but compare the response to the pandemic between Canada and the United States. This is not a post to say that my country is better than yours, not at all. It is simply written to be an eye-opening comparison between each location in order to educate others on how Canada has been dealing with it and what Canadian nurses have faced in the process.

Positive Cases

As I write this article, there have been about 86,000 positive cases in Canada and about 6500 deaths thus far (CDC). In comparison, America has 1.69 million positive cases with almost 100,000 deaths (CDC). The number of deaths in New York City alone is 10,000 more than the entire country of Canada. These numbers are strikingly different, but so is the population difference. The population of Canada is much less than the United States…37.59 million compared to 328.2 million in the US. We only have two major city centers that could even come close to New York City…Vancouver and Toronto. The population density of NYC is double that of Vancouver which is Canada’s most-crowded city…it’s no rival.

The differences

So why does the US have so many more cases per capita? I’m no expert, but just from simple observation by watching the news and keeping up to date with articles from both countries, there are a few differences that I have noticed. It seemed that Canada took the pandemic seriously much sooner than the US…our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was promoting social distancing and implementing guidelines earlier than Donald Trump was in the United States. I read that tracking data which Google collected from smartphones showed that Canadians indeed practiced more social distancing than Americans and that they began distancing earlier. Our health care systems are vastly different (as I previously wrote about in another article).

While Canada has some gaps in our healthcare system, it seems that there are more persistent gaps in the US such as simple access to care, for those who lack medical insurance. We don’t have this issue in Canada so people may have been treated earlier because of this. Near the beginning of the virus invading North America, Trump said “It’s going to disappear. One day — it’s like a miracle — it will disappear.” I truly wish that had been the case.

Testing

Canada also began testing sooner than the United States. In the beginning, we already had multiple testing centers across the country while all of the tests in the US were being sent to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. Canada had broader criteria for being tested for COVID than the States did. Trump stated that it was unnecessary to test everyone and even nurses who had come into contact with COVID patients were denied testing. It seems the testing has increased now but what if Americans were able to be tested much sooner? I recently read an article published by the New York Times entitled “The Lost Month: How a Failure to Test Blinded the U.S. to Covid-19”; it’s super informative about the testing issues that America faced. There’s one powerful quote that I’ll include…

The result was a lost month, when the world’s richest country — armed with some of the most highly trained scientists and infectious disease specialists — squandered its best chance of containing the virus’s spread. Instead, Americans were left largely blind to the scale of a looming public health catastrophe” (New York Times). 

Canadian Healthcare

Something to keep in mind is that Canada has not always been this organized and orderly when it comes to pandemic outbreaks. If you remember 2003 when we had the SARS outbreak, Toronto in particular was hit very hard. It exposed a lot of faults in our system and our public health agency has been well prepared for an influenza pandemic ever since. Obviously, no country is perfect when facing this deadly disease but I do feel that because of past failures, Canada has grown from that and bettered the system for this.

Another factor to consider is that Canada has only 13 provinces and territories, compared to 52 states to the South. 52 states are a lot of moving parts when federally implementing guidelines and procedures. Canada has been able to work together quite well on both a federal and provincial level. If the United States had been able to test more, track the disease’s early movements, and identify hot spots sooner, quarantines may have been able to confine the disease more rapidly.

PPE

Another large issue widely spread by the media was the lack of PPE that health care providers encountered. Canadian health care facilities were short but not nearly as short as the US. Trudeau made it very clear in his daily social distanced press conferences from his home that the Canadian government was scrambling to order millions of dollars of PPE supplies for the country. I interviewed a few nurses across Canada who have been working directly with COVID patients and none of them felt unsafe when it came to a lack of PPE. None of them were ever asked to re-use an N95 mask although the hospitals did save the masks to sterilize in the future to use again. That is absolutely not the case when it comes to American nurses. 

COVID units in Canada

The Canadian nurses I interviewed had a lot of valuable information for us to understand what it has been like to work in a COVID unit in a Canadian hospital. There was initially a large fear of the unknown which is completely relatable. There is a general consensus that we are all learning more as we care for these patients and as time goes on we are gaining more confidence for caring for this specific patient population. It’s frustrating that the policies change every hour it seems, but we also understand why that is the case.

Most nurses in Canada feel supported by their hospitals and the doctors they are working alongside but feel the most support from their fellow co-workers. Someone mentioned that there seems to be a lack of transparency from the upper management of their hospital… “often having to fight for answers or PPE and often take things into [their] own hands so that [they] can stay safe”. They feel more supported on a federal level than a provincial one; for example, the premier of Ontario promised all front-line workers an extra $4 per hour but employees have yet to see any pandemic pay. One nurse stated “I am very glad and feel extremely lucky that I am in Canada practicing as an ICU RN. I cannot imagine working in the heart of New York…Their news is horrifying and the government/hospital’s lack of PPE support for frontline [workers is] appalling.”

Learn from this

I have been paying close attention to the nurses I follow on social media who have taken crisis contracts in NYC (and everywhere else) and I have SO much respect for them. If they didn’t risk their safety for all of us, who would? As the case numbers and deaths begin to decrease across North America, I think we should be very proud of all the work that we have done to fight this virus, no matter what country you are from.

As states and provinces begin to open up again, it’s crucial that we all remain strong and continue to distance ourselves to avoid a second wave. We need to keep the feeling of urgency and protect ourselves and everyone else. I genuinely hope, as both a continent and as our respective countries, that we will learn from this pandemic and allow it to prepare us for anything in the future. I know that it will create stronger gypsy nurses who are ready to combat anything.

This article voices the thoughts and opinions of the author and does not represent any particular view of The Gypsy Nurse.

Join The Gypsy Nurse Nation

Discover new travel nurse jobs, subscribe to customized job alerts and unlock unlimited resources for FREE.

Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!
—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

By Allie and Michael Wright

June 8, 2020

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Instant Pot Meal Prep for Travel Nurses

Meal prepping and quick meals are a must for busy travel nurses. The Instant Pot makes meal prep and quick meals so much easier. Allie and Michael Wright have been meal prepping and using their Instant Pot to save money and time since August of 2019. Below you will find a recipe for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that they prepped and made for their day.

They say that they stick to a $65 a week budget for 2 adults and it has worked for them. They do say they buy as little meat/animal products as possible. They tend to get a lot of their protein from beans and vegetables.

So here we have 3 of their go-to recipes!

Breakfast:

Meal prep steel cut oats 

Makes 6 servings (1 cup servings)

Prep + cook time: 1-4 hours

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup steel-cut oats – $2.50/container @ 20 servings per container
  • 4 cups Almond Milk (unsweet, unflavored is what we use)
  • 2 thick tablespoons (my husband’s words) of brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • Optional: butter/vegan butter ¼ stick
  • Berries to garnish (frozen usually works best)

Instructions:

  1. Put oats, almond milk, and cinnamon in instant pot
  2. Cook on “multi-grain”. Once instant pot has depressurized naturally, open lid and stir in butter, brown sugar, and salt
  3. Then, let sit on low heat for 1-3 hours. 
  4. Enjoy. Add toppings! 

Dinner/lunch:

Burrito bowl 

Time to prepare + cook: 1 hr

Number of servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb chicken breast
  • 1 can black beans – low sodium , rinsed
  • 1 can red beans – low sodium , rinsed
  • 1 can garbanzo beans – low sodium , rinsed
  • 1 can sweet corn, rinsed
  • 2 Bell peppers (We like orange or red, but to be cost-effective, green is the way to go)
  • Top with ranch dressing or whatever dressing you want (if any)
  • Optional: sour cream, cheese, etc, but we are mostly dairy free, so we don’t add a lot of extra dairy..except that ranch mentioned above..)

Instructions:

  1. Dice chicken and put in the instant pot, add ½ cup of water, and cook on “poultry”
  2. Remove chicken and shred it. Drain the remaining broth, or save it for later (see next “chicken noodle soup” recipe”)
  3. add all of your ingredients together and mix. You can later re-heat it when you take it to work/school/etc because all of these ingredients are already cooked
  4. Top with ranch or whatever and enjoy!

Chicken noodle soup

Time to prepare + cook: 2 hrs

Number of servings: 8-10

Ingredients:

  • ½ -1  lb chicken breast
  • 4 large carrots
  • 4 large sticks of celery
  • Kale
  • Green onions
  • 1 box of chickpea pasta
  • Salt/pepper/cajun seasonings to taste

Instructions:

  1. Dice chicken and put it in the instant pot, add ½  cup of water, and cook on “poultry”
  2. Remove chicken and shred it, leave the broth in the instant pot
  3. Add 3 cups of water to the chicken stock in the instant pot, plus seasonings
  4. Add 1 cup of each: chopped carrots, onions, and celery
  5. Set instantpot to “soup” setting and let it cook. Allow instant pot to naturally depressurize.
  6. Cook chickpea pasta per the package instructions separately on the stove
  7. Add pasta to individual meal-prep bowls, and then add soup.  *You can mix all the pasta together , but we’ve found that the pasta will absorb the liquid if you do this step at first*

We hope you like these recipes! These 3 meals are basically what they have been living off of so they can minimize their grocery bill. They are working to pay off all their debt. We hope to bring you more of Allie and Michael’s delicious Instant Pot recipes in the future.

If you are working on meal prepping this article offers great advice to get started!

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

Join The Gypsy Nurse Nation

Discover new travel nurse jobs, subscribe to customized job alerts and unlock unlimited resources for FREE.

Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!
—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

By Laura Klein

June 6, 2020

10898 Views

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Guest Post: Leaving the Bedside

“You want me to help you turn a patient? Please don’t make me help you. I am so tired of touching strangers.”

I didn’t dare voice this feeling when one of my co-workers approached me—the charge nurse—to help with a simple but potentially life-saving task.  The second after this thought went through my head I was devastated. This beyond burned out. This was the end of an almost thirty-year career at the bedside.  But my fatigue wasn’t just with the patients, it was with the endless worries about patient safety/perception of care;  the ever-widening gulf between futile measures and what is best for the patient; management’s obsession with the Next! New! Shiny! Theory! 

It wasn’t that I didn’t care for my patients. It’s that I cared too much and everything felt so broken around me. It didn’t help my work environment was perhaps the most toxic I’ve been exposed to in my long career.  I felt completely discounted by the driving forces in nursing leadership: my decades of experience were meaningless without a BSN.

It was time. Time to go.

I was “that” nurse. The nurse I never wanted to become. You know the nurse. Let’s call her Barb.

She was once a great nurse: never missed an IV, always had a ready answer for a pathophys question; could recite the correct dosage of any given medication even if she were aroused from a deep sleep.  But over time, Barb losses her mojo: she sleepwalks through her care. She pastes on a therapeutic smile in the room, but a grimace and growl promptly replace it at the nurse’s station. And nothing is ever good enough. No matter how hard you work with her,

It’s not enough. Somehow you’ve failed Barb . . .

I’ve worked with plenty of Barbs and it was my biggest fear—since 1981—that I would be her.

Luckily for my patients and coworkers, I only had hours rather than whole shifts where I felt and acted like Barb.

But it was still hard to admit and face the nurse I was becoming. I had an equally difficult time admitting it was time to leave the bedside.  It felt like a failure. I was trained to work at the bedside, and my calling was to care for patients directly in an acute care setting.  To walk away from the bedside was walking away from my calling.  I was discounting the Universe’s gifts given freely to me if I stepped away from the bedside, spent sleepless nights last winter, and a few tearful days battling hopelessness that came dangerously close to a major depressive episode.   I had walked away from the NICU years before because caring for neonates had become overwhelming. If I couldn’t take care of adults, who could I care for?  Was I ready to completely walk away from nursing?

But this time, it was real

Like most veteran nurses, I had about a billion moments when I threatened to burn my license or work at Wendy’s. “Want fries with that?” is a favorite tagline I use when things are bordering on disaster.  And I was usually over it by the time my next shift rolled around.   But this time, it was real. If the thought of touching a stranger repelled me, it was time to move on. What I couldn’t get around was the emptiness I felt: how could I leave behind a career that allowed me to advocate, troubleshoot, assess, and educate people?   The heart of nursing. These things are what make being a nurse different from being a med tech or even a doctor.  Do they necessarily need to be performed directly in the patient’s room in a facility? No.

I couldn’t move away from my own feelings of grief and loss to see this. I needed help, and sometimes we have to hire people to help us.  But it was more than hiring a career coach.* I trusted my career and my calling to her. It was a profound investment. And I believe it will pay off twenty-fold over the course of the rest of my career. Shari (my career coach) taught me to trust my intuition.

The next place

I would have never allowed myself to see the next place or the best place for my gifts was case management.  I think I hesitated to wish for this at first because many of the case managers I had been exposed to over the years were an assortment of Barb’s: brittle and angry. Or worse, they were dangerous at the bedside, so they were parked behind a desk where they could do the least harm.  Like most of my preconceived notions, this one was just as wrong.  

I love being wrong. Because many of the case managers I’ve worked with are great nurses, they just aren’t posed beside medications and dressings.  Turning my own notions of this role on its ear helped me see what a perfect match my gifts and strengths are.  Shari, my coach, also helped me realize and tease out all the opportunities in healthcare for case management.

Keeping patients safe outside the hospital

In my opinion, when I became a nurse, nursing was largely about keeping patients safe in facilities. Now it’s keeping them safely out of facilities.  I want to be a part of that. I’ve worked in hospitals for years, and despite best practices and perfect intentions, facilities can be dangerous. I want to help people stay home as long and as healthy as possible.

When I realized this, my nurse’s heartfelt lightness and passion hadn’t felt in years.  My professional mission statement had been: “Allow me to guide and care for you through dramatic and complex illness.”    My new mission looks more like this: “I will guide you towards the highest level of wellness you can achieve.”  Just typing that statement makes me a little emotional, so I know it must be true.

This is my end-of-shift report.   I’m just beginning a new phase in my career, and I feel like a twenty-two-year-old new grad: a little scared, a little unsure, but passionate about taking care of people.

I’m also relieved I will never be a Barb.

*Big thanks to Gypsy Nurse for introducing me to my job coach. If you are interested in the process I underwent with Shari Sambursky; please email me at edgyjunecleaver@gmail.com. I will be happy to share with you my experience.

Edited by TheGypsyNurse: You can also reach out to Shari Sambursky via her website Career Esteem.

Join The Gypsy Nurse Nation

Discover new travel nurse jobs, subscribe to customized job alerts and unlock unlimited resources for FREE.

Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!
—Meagan L. | Cath Lab

By TNAA- Travel Nurse Across America

June 5, 2020

3693 Views

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COVID-19 and Travel Nursing

Travel Nurse Across American went live on The Gypsy Nurse Fan page recently. Jill (VP of Clinicals), Rose (Senior VP of Recruitment), and former traveler Wendy (Clinical Liaison) from Travel Nurse Across America discuss the ongoing conditions and difficulties travel nurses have to face during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The topics discussed during the video included:

  • New COVID-19 testing regulations for travel nurses taking assignments
  • Locations that are hiring travel nurses
  • What you can do now to be ready when jobs in you specialty opens
  • Why you should update your skills checklist
  • Why you should work on your certification during your down time
  • How nursing had shifted due to COVID
  • How to balance being a nurse and being empathetic with patients who don’t have a family with them.

About TNAA

Travel Nurse Across America Setting the Standard in Service! At Travel Nurse across America, we take pride in doing things differently. We place our nurses on high-paying jobs in exciting locations across the country, but it’s our service before, during and after your assignment that sets us apart. Our dedicated, supportive staff understands how stressful preparing for a travel nursing job can be, and that’s why we put our experience to work for you to remove the headaches and send you smoothly on your way. 


We hope you found this video and the information on the ongoing conditions and difficulties travel nurses have to face during the COVID-19 pandemic helpful. As always, if you have any comments or questions, please comment them below. You can also view the video on Facebook and leave your comments or questions there. If there are topics you would like to see covered during a live event, please comment on those in either place.

For more videos and articles on COVID-19 advise or information please visit our COVID-19 resource page here.

If you are a new travel nurse or looking into becoming a travel nurse:

Travel Nurse Guide: Step-by-Step (now offered in a PDF Downloadable version!)

Join The Gypsy Nurse Nation

Discover new travel nurse jobs, subscribe to customized job alerts and unlock unlimited resources for FREE.

Since just recently joining The Gypsy Nurse, I have had so many questions answered about the world of travel nursing. This has been an excellent resource!
—Meagan L. | Cath Lab