I have had a number of nurses write to me with stories of dishonest nursing employment agencies that have taken their money and done nothing for them. This can really shake your faith in people and leave you with a sour taste in your mouth… but do not let these dishonest people rob you of your dream of moving your nursing career abroad! Here are some tips on judging the quality of nursing recruiters that will help you kick start your job hunt.

 

Does the nursing employment agency have a website? Most companies that are involved in recruiting internationally educated nurses have a website. There are a few things you need to look for on the website that will help you judge the quality of the agency and the recruiters working for them.

 

1. Are they affiliated with any professional recruiting membership organisation? Just like lawyers, teachers and travel agents have membership organisations, so do recruiting services. These membership organisations offer you; the client, protection from illegal fraudulent practices. Check the nursing agency´s website to see if they belong to a membership organisation. If they do not advertise it, you can email them and ask for this information.

 

2. How long has the nursing agency been operating? Nursing recruiting agencies that have been operating for a while are more likely to operate legally and consider your best interests because they have a reputation to maintain. One of the worst things a business can experience is poor recommendations passed around by word-of-mouth.

 

3. Is the website professional looking? If a company has not made the effort to put up a professional looking website, this may be a signal that they do not take their business seriously. The internet is an extremely powerful business tool, especially for a business that is working with nurses and nursing employers in different countries.

 

4. Can you find the agencies terms of use´? It is customary for business on the internet to have a link to the company´s terms of use´, is this easy to find? When you read it, can you understand what it means? Are the costs and responsibilities for using their recruiting service clearly stated?

 

5. Does the nursing employment agency have offline contacts listed? Online business should have a real life address, and they should show it clearly on their website. It may not be on the front page of the nursing agency´s website, it may be listed on a Contact Us´ page or in fine print at the bottom of each page, or listed on the terms of use´ page. If you can´t find a way to contact a representative of the agency offline, it is probably a good idea to be wary. Listing offline contact information is part of the USA´s anti-spam law and any company aiming to do business online with the USA or its citizens is required to list this information.

 

While I cannot guarantee that using these tips will secure you a nursing career overseas, I can assure you with confidence that I have used these strategies myself and have always had good luck with them.

Whether your summer travel plans include a long vacation or a short getaway, if you are an older adult there are things you should do before leaving home to ensure a healthy trip. According to Timothy Schwab, M.D., chief medical officer of SCAN Health Plan, these ten tips for seniors apply whether you’re planning to go out of the country or just a few counties away.

1. Discuss travel plans with your doctor. If you are (or recently were) under a doctor’s care, talk to your doctor to be sure it is safe for you to travel. Discuss whether changes in food, humidity or altitude will affect your health or abilities.

2. Plan travel activities with your fitness level and mobility in mind. Travel can be demanding on the body. Changes in food or activity can worsen existing health problems. Be careful lifting or carrying heavy or bulky bags.

3. Take a list of your medicines and allergies with you. This list is important to have in case you get sick or injured. A healthcare provider may need it to best check and treat any problem. A list makes it quick and easy.

4. Refill prescription medicine. Of course you’ll bring enough medication to last the whole trip, but in the event of unexpected delays, be sure you bring some extra medicine with you.

5. Pack medicines in carry-on bags. If your checked bags get lost or delayed, you will be prepared.

6. Leave all medication in original, labeled containers to avoid problems at security checkpoints.

7. Take your health insurance card. It has information you need anytime you get medical care.

8. Consider travel health insurance. If you think you might need health coverage beyond your current benefits, check if short-term travel insurance with health coverage would meet your needs.

9. Make appointments for routine care before you leave or after you return. Most health plans do not cover routine care outside of your normal service area, so be sure to take care of that before or after your trip. Emergency or urgently needed care is usually covered.

10. Find out about emergency care and customs in the places you will visit. The 9-1-1 system is not everywhere. Before you leave, find out what to do in case of an emergency. Also take contact details for U.S. Embassies and Consulates. They can assist in locating medical services abroad. "No one wants to think about needing medical care when they’re on vacation," said Dr. Schwab. "But taking just a few precautionary steps will make a big difference should you need care while you’re away."

For more than 30 years, SCAN Health Plan has been focusing on the unique needs of people with Medicare. One of California’s fastest-growing Medicare Advantage plans, SCAN currently serves more than 105,000 members in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura and Kern counties. In Arizona, SCAN offers a health plan for Medicare and Medicaid-eligible individuals and also provides long-term care services to individuals enrolled in the state’s long-term care system in Maricopa County. Further information may be obtained at http://www.scanhealthplan.com.

SCAN Health Plan
http://www.scanhealthplan.com

The travel season is here and with it might come sitting in a stationary position for long car travel, extended flights or train rides. As travel becomes more popular and affordable, public concern has increased about the possible connection between long-haul travel and developing potentially-fatal deep vein thromboses (DVT) — formation of blood clots in the veins. Community concern regarding air travel and the potential increased risk of DVT is not a new subject. The first case reported in 1954 in the New England Journal of Medicine occurred in a doctor after a 14-hour flight.

Air travel has been linked with the development of DVT since the 1950s with a number of plausible explanations as causation; however, the risk associated with DVT might have been overlooked or underemphasized, as the incidence could happen up to several weeks after air travel. In a study published in BMJ 2003; 327:1072, the risk of venous thromboembolism was reported to be highest within two weeks of a long-haul flight. The study concluded that the annual risk of venous thromboembolism was increased by 12 percent if one long-haul flight (traveling more than 10,000 km) is taken yearly.

Contribution of immobility to development of DVT already has been established. A number of factors in aircraft cabins have been reported to increase the risk of air travelers developing DVT or PE (clots passing to the lungs where they may obstruct the blood flow and could result in death). These include immobility due to cramped seating positions, possible dehydration due to consumption of alcoholic drinks and other diuretics such as tea and coffee, and the low humidity of the aircraft cabin, relative hypoxia and reduced barometric pressure.

The overall risk of thrombosis after a long-haul flight is estimated to be about one in 2,000. For people with known risk factors the risk may be higher, but for those without other risk factors, it is likely to be very low and should be kept in perspective. The combination of immobility and personal risk factors potentially could be the reason for long-travel-associated DVT in some but not all travelers.

Six to 20 percent of the total population is thought to have some degree of increased clotting tendency, in other words has risk factors for developing DVT (BMC Cardiovascular Disorders 2004, 4:7). This indicates there might be a "natural" underlying incidence of DVT in the general population associated with their personal factors, which put them at higher risk.

The good news is there are preventative measures that potentially could reduce this risk. In health care, prevention often has been associated with having prophylaxis measures in place. Movement and exercise intervention, which oppose one of the major contributing factors to DVT (immobility), is a "prophylactic" measure in this situation.

"As physical therapists and experts in movement, we have been able to guide and provide movement interventions and exercises as prophylactic measures in prevention of this potentially killer condition," says Zahra Ghasemi, PT, MS, physical therapy supervisor at Cedars Sinai Medical Center. This intervention is more critical in individuals considered at risk for DVT including those:

— Over 40 years old

— Who have already experienced blood clots

— With a family history of blood clots

— Who have/had cancer

— With certain blood diseases

— Being treated for circulation problems or heart failure

— Recovering from recent surgery (especially hips or knees)

— With an inherited clotting tendency

— Who are pregnant

— Who are new mothers

— Taking the contraceptive pill

— On hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Reducing the risk

Consider the following risk-reduction strategies before traveling if you have any of the listed risk factors:

— Wear loose clothing.

— Find a comfortable position in your seat and recline if possible.

— Do not cross your legs when sitting (doing so compresses blood vessels).

— At stopovers and refueling points, leave the plane and walk as much as possible.

— Move at regular intervals to increase blood flow through the veins.

— Walk around on long flights (when permitted).

— Drink plenty of water.

— Avoid excessive alcohol, as it has dehydrating effects.

— Postpone long-haul flights for three months after hip or knee replacement surgery.

— Learn and apply in-seat exercises to ensure circulation is kept active with no blood stasis. Exercises can be found on APTA’s Consumer Web page at http://www.apta.org/consumer.

— Use of elastic/compression stockings has been recommended.

— Women taking contraceptive pills or hormone replacement therapy should regularly do the exercises described on APTA’s Web site to help reduce the risk, as well as consider the use of elastic/compression stockings.

— Obtain additional information from your physical therapist or gynecologist if pregnant or nursing.

— Take along current prescriptions for all essential medicines.

— Ensure that there is adequate medical insurance for your trip.

The California Physical Therapy Association exists to educate the people of California as to the attributes, benefits and value of physical therapy; meet the physical therapy needs of the people of California through the development and improvement of physical therapy education, practice and research; meet the needs of the Chapter members through identification, coordinated action, communication and fellowship.

California Physical Therapy Association
California Physical Therapy Association