For more than One Hundred Years, Community Medical Center has earned the reputation as North-eastern Pennsylvania’s health care

leader. As the site of the Northeastern Pennsylva-

nia Trauma Center, providing the only Level 2 trauma care to seven counties, CMC has trauma surgeons and specialists available 24/7 to treat life-threatening emergen-cies. In another commitment to emergency care, CMC is in the process of expanding its Emergency Room facilities to better meet patients’ immediate medical needs.

CMC has long been recognized for outstand-ing cardiac care. The hospital is recognized

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for its state-of-the-art open-heart surgery program. The Interventional Cardiac Catheterization Lab is the region’s most modern interventional cardiac service for state-of-the-art heart procedures.

CMC is committed to provide services for women and children. The hospital’s unique Fast Track Breast Program lessens the time between a women’s initial mammogram and the beginning of breast-cancer treat-ment. The hospital has partnered with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to provide free mammograms to women who meet the Komen Foundation established criteria

The hospital’s complete Maternity Center features a maternal-fetal med-icine specialist, beauti-ful birthing suites, and a Regional Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for prema-ture and sick infants for more that 24 years.

The hospital is rec-ognized for the com-mitment to educate its professional staff. For example, the Gradu-ate Nurses Internship Program gives new nurse graduates the structured program

that enables the new nurses to transition into the clinical setting and obtain licensure.

These are a few reasons why CMC is the area’s most comprehensive and respected healthcare leader. B

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Jill Corriveau, RN, BScN, CCRN

As nurses, we talk with different people daily, interacting with family members, colleagues, supervisors, p a t i e n t s ,

and apprentices. But talk is cheap — we don’t always commu-nicate. Learning to do so effectively is a lot tougher in some ways than just learning one’s mother tongue, and it’s a continuous process. Neither mag-ical nor accidental, it begins with the delib-erate and consistent practice of certain ba-sic principles.

I learned these prin-ciples of communica-tion early in my career. There are only five, but they’re the heart and soul of not only get-ting your point across, but influencing others to think about the best way to do their job.

Focus on the situation, issue, or behavior — not the person. Most people will accept questions about their work or behavior on the job, as long as they don’t feel they’re being per-sonally attacked. If they do, they’re likely to get defensive or make themselves scarce — the old “fight or flight” response. And that, of course, isn’t the response you’re looking for.

To help others focus on the situation rather than on themselves, it’s wisest to stick to the facts and avoid references to the person’s char-acter or personality traits. When we focus on the facts, the listener is less likely to react emo-tionally and more likely to listen and respond constructively.

Accentuate the positive. Try to contribute as much as possible to others’ self-confidence

and self-esteem. Tell people their contributions are valuable, and ask for their viewpoint on a subject. Never ignore an opportunity to recog-nize and praise someone’s abilities. Remember: Positive feedback motivates people. Those with

high levels of self-confidence and self-esteem tend to do their best and produce winning re-sults.

Maintain constructive relationships. It’s hard enough to have a productive life without the added strain of uncomfortable relationships. Maintaining companionable relations at home and work means treating people as you yourself would like to be treated. Not everyone has to be your best friend, but you can always manage to be civil and respectful, even to those whom you dislike. Remember, too, that you can always “agree to disagree” with someone and that way stay on a positive footing.

Take the initiative to make things better. Pre-venting problems is always better than crisis management, and you’re the hero if you were the one to take the first step toward averting cri-sis. That’s just as true when you turn something

that’s just OK into something great. Become em-powered by trusting your instincts. You may be in a unique situation with unique skills, you may be the one with the best ideas for change. Don’t wait for someone else to do something — step

up to the plate and take a swing. You’ll be remembered and valued for tak-ing the initiative to make a situation better, safer, or more efficient.

Lead by example, but watch your words. Actions can speak louder than words: People do indeed watch what you do just as closely as they listen to what you say. At the same time, that’s no rea-son to think what you say is some-how discounted. Well-intentioned words about build-

ing cooperation and trust can be easily under-mined by one flip or sarcastic remark you make about someone else. Remember the Spaghetti Theory of Leadership: It’s easier to pull a limp piece of spaghetti into a straight line than it is to push it. The same is true of people — leading by example is easier than pushing people to do the right thing.

You can become a master at effective commu-nication by using these basic principles deliber-ately and consistently. The benefits are many. They begin with the knowledge that you’re mak-ing a major contribution to your own personal and professional growth. Increased confidence when dealing with difficult people is another positive outcome. Best of all, perhaps, you be-come an inspiration to others. b

Jill Corriveau, RN, BScN, CCRN, is a clinical educator at Oak Hill Hospital in Spring Hill.

Basically, It’s a Matter of Principles Basically,

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By Susie Cortright

The ancient Chinese art of Feng Shui is making a comeback in the modern world. But is it really possible to change your attitude just by rearranging your living space?

Many people say yes. Feng Shui is an Asian philosophy that dates back some 5,000 years. Practitioners strive to find the proper arrangement of objects and furniture that will best suit your personal-ity and lifestyle.

The goal is to arrange a home in such a way as to maximize feelings of safety and comfort, which will, in turn, positively affect your health, at-titude, even your level of success.

Traditional Feng Shui revolves around placement and symbolism. More contem-porary Feng Shui also considers a number of psychological factors, including the use of color, aromatherapy and air quality.

Like anything that’s been around for thousands of years, the practice of Feng Shui has a number of variations. While the ancient art is complex, many of the concepts appeal to common sense.

Before you call in a consultant, there are a few tricks you can try on your own: Optimum Feng Shui occurs when the life force (or ch’i) is permitted to move

freely around the house. Clutter is an obstruction to this life force. Finding a place for clutter may be first on your agenda.

People tend to feel uncomfortable, even unsafe, when their view is blocked. Does your home have any seats that don’t allow you to see who is entering the room or that block you from being part of what is taking place in another part of the room?

Feng Shui is about living in harmony with the earth. You can do this, in part, by changing your decor to reflect the seasons and by bringing natural elements inside. Plants, for example, can have a calming effect.

Annoying sounds, such as creaking doors and dripping faucets, can disrupt the ch’i of your home.

Feng Shui in the bedroom. Your bed should be positioned so that you have a clear view of the doorway. Your headboard should touch the wall, many practitioners say. And don’t place the bed against the window or your ch’i might escape.

Some Feng Shui experts point the head of the bed north to induce sound sleeping, but different headboard positions produce different ef-

fects. For example, a headboard pointing west can make one lazy, while a headboard pointing south is said to worsen family arguments. Feng Shui in the kitchen. The kitchen is one of the most important rooms

in the home because of the link between food preparation and the nourish-ment of the body and spirit. Feng Shui practitioners believe, for example, that the flavor of food will change if the cook is startled, so they recommend placing a mirror nearby so you can see who is entering while you are busy at the stove.

Feng Shui in the family room. Attract more light in the family sector of your liv-ing space with crystals and mirrors. Position family room furniture so your guests face either south or east when sitting, and make sure no seats position your guests to stare at the wall.

Feng Shui in the dining room. Choose a round, oval or octagonal dining room table because angles on tables create shars (negative energy zones). Feng Shui practitioners also say that these rounded tables create a more welcoming environment. B

Simple Feng Shui: Eight Quick Ways to

Redecorate for Your Spirit

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By Robert Scally

Licensed practical nurses may be one of the least studied segments of the health care workforce, according to a new study conducted by researchers from the Center for California Health Workforce Studies at the University of California, San Francisco.

The study, “Supply, Demand and Use of Li-censed Practical Nurses,” is the first comprehensive research on the LPN workforce in 20 years, according to Jean Ann Seago, Ph.D., RN, and pro-fessor of nursing at UCSF, who was one of the lead researchers on the project. The Health Resources and Services Administration, part of the U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Hu-man Services, funded the study.

In conducting the study, the researchers found that although LPNs began to organize into professional groups as early as 1941, there is very little academic literature about the prac-tice, work, demand or efficient use of licensed practical nurses.

“One of the overall reason for the study was to determine if we could use LPNs to help with alleviating the nursing shortage,” Seago said. “The short answer is ‘no’.”

In many settings and especially in hospitals,

LPNs are not allowed to practice to the full ex-tent of the scope of practice laws in respective states, the study found.

Limiting what LPNs can do in various set-tings has more to do with rules and traditions within facilities and geographic regions within the United States than actual legal restric-tions, Seago said. In other instances, such as in California, a combi - nation of regula-t i o n s and union rules

limits what LPNs can and cannot do.

Even deter-mining the actual size of the LPN workforce was dif-

ficult, since there was conflicting data

from various sources, Seago said. Data from the 2000 census showed that

there were 596,355 people employed as LPNs. However, this figure differed from data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed that there were 702,000 jobs held by LPNs in 2002. Meanwhile, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing listed 889,027 active LPN li-censes in 2000.

Seago pointed out that since LPNs can have licenses in multiple states, the number of active

licensed LPNs probably overstates the actual size of the LPN workforce.

The RN workforce vastly outnumbers the LPN workforce. There were nearly 2.7 million RNs in the U.S. in March 2000, according to the Na-tional Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, which was conducted by the Health Resources and Services Administration.

However, the study found as many similari-ties between the LPN and the registered nurse populations than differences (see sidebar for details). Overall employment trends for both LPNs and RNs are similar with more LPNs em-ployed in 2001 than in 1984; workweeks are ap-proximately the same length; both workforces are approximately the same age, with the mean LPN age being 43.

As a result of the research, Seago and the team of researchers who worked with her on the study made a number of recommendations about the utilization of the LPN workforce (see sidebar).

These recommendations included working to create teams of RNs and LPNs to appropriately share the patient care workloads; reducing re-strictions on the LPN scope of practice in states where there are restrictive regulations unless there is substantial evidence of a negative im-pact on patient care; considering using LPNs predominately in long-term care settings rather than acute care and educating the public about the LPN profession both to give recognition to practicing LPNs and to encourage more people to enter the profession. b

New Study Examines American LPN Workforce

Similartities: Both the LPN and RN workforces are aging, with LPNs being slightly older on average. Males represent a small percent of both the LPN and RN workforces, but the number of men working as LPNs is slowly increasing. The Western United States has the fewest LPNs and RNs per capita. RN and LPN employment trends are similar-more LPNs were employed in 2001 than in 1984. Average working weeks for RNs and LPNs are approximately the same-between 36 and 38 hours. The share of RNs and LPNs working in offices and clinics of physicians doubled between 1984 and 2001. Between 1984 and 2001 the hourly pay for RNs and LPNs rose 19 percent.

Differences : RNs outnumber the LPN workforce, but the actual size of the LPN workforce isn’t clear because available data are conflicting. More LPNs live in the South and fewer in the Northeast compared with the RN population. An increasing percent of RNs are immigrants, whereas fewer LPNs are foreign-born. RNs work in hospitals in greater proportions than LPNs. The share of LPNs working in hospitals declined more than that of RNs between 1984 and 2001. The percent of LPNs working in nursing and personal care facilities increased between 1984 and 2001 while the percent of RNs did not. The percentage of LPNs working in the private sector was greater than the percent of RNs working in the private sector in 2001.

Similarities and Differences Between LPNs and RNs

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By Debra Wood, RN

New technologies are helping nurses at hospitals across the country reduce medication errors. Because of the types of drugs ad-ministered through intravenous in-fusions, IVs present a great poten-tial for life-threatening mistakes.

“Sixty-one percent of the most serious and costly medication er-rors that actually occur in hospitals are IV-med related,” said Claudia Russell, RN, MBA, a division vice president with ALARIS Medical Systems Inc., San Diego, Califor-nia. “Variation in practice leads to two potential error situations for a nurse: cognitive, a calculation mis-take, and the other one is program-ming errors.”

The company’s Medley Medica-tion Safety System with Guardrails Safety Software can reduce those risks. It eliminates the need for manual calculations and will take into consideration the patient’s weight, diagnosis and other perti-nent factors.

The system allows hospitals to customize and configure flow, con-centration and dose parameters for different units and settings. The device sounds an alert if the nurse attempts to give a medication out-side the set boundaries.

“It’s provided a greater level of safety for our patients, and our staff feels more comfortable with medication administration,” said Janet Troff, RN, MSN, assistant vice president for patient care

services at Ohio Valley Hospital, McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.

Ohio Valley prevented 26 errors with commonly prescribed drugs during a two-month study con-ducted after switching to ALARIS

pumps. The hospital already had incorporated bar coding for medi-cation administration, and the two systems seamlessly work to-gether.

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P.J. Floyd, RN, BSN, director of nursing resources at Roper St. Francis Healthcare, Charles-ton, South Carolina, said she thinks “the system has already paid for itself when you look at potential errors that have been headed off.” Roper installed ALARIS pumps throughout its three hospitals and freestand-ing emergency centers in No-vember 2003.

Floyd gave as an example, a nurse who quickly tried to ad-minister morphine at a rate of 90 mg. per hour, rather than 9 mg. The IV system gave a “hard stop” and did not allow the nurse to continue.

Roper has tailored its system to allow nurses to override the “guardrail” for some medica-tions, but not others. In the operating room or intensive care unit, the parameters are dif-ferent.

The ALARIS software enables hospitals to track errors, figure out where they occur, the type of mistakes that happen and are averted and when nurses attempt to override the safeguards.

Floyd said the only drawback to the system is the nurse must turn on the guardrail system, so it is possible to hang IV medications with-out it. She sought to test compliance during an internal audit and found 98 percent of the time nurses were using it appropriately.

“They are busy and anything that can help them think, I think is an advantage,” Floyd said. “They like it. Our nurses actually chose it.”

Floyd included staff nurses on the multidis-ciplinary team that researched available sys-tems and made site visits to other hospitals using smart pumps.

The Roper facilities plan to add bar coding and computer physician order entry in the near future and wanted a pump system that would communicate with other software sys-tems. Eventually, the IV pumps will automati-cally document what the patient received in the electronic medical record.

Russell recommends hospitals start with an IV system, just as Roper has done, because it starts the process of setting standards and, as the program is implemented, allows for easy updating of the standards and software.

“We collect the data from the experience and provide it to the hospital as quality im-provement data,” Russell said. “They can decide, we ought not to have this much varia-tion, or this rule is too tight or too loose. They can see the impact of their rules on behavior and performance.”

When hospitals are ready for the next step, computerized physician order entry, the dis-cussion about standardization and rule sets has begun and IV medication administration, a hard area to standardize, is already smooth-ly functioning.

“If you start with your IVs meds and under-stand the CQI data and see what is occurring in clinical practice and go through a couple of rounds of continuous quality improvement, you will have refined the processes suffi-ciently to automate them and have greater concurrence between what the doctor orders, the pharmacy dispenses and the nurse deliv-ers,” Russell said.

The Medley system enables hospitals to tai-lor the pump to certain needs. For instance,

adding on a large volume pump or syringe delivery. In the fall, the com-pany will offer a patient controlled analgesia product.

About 100 hospitals have signed up for the Medley system. About 80 are operational, with the balance still in the process of deciding on stan-dards, which typically takes about two months. Once those are estab-lished, ALARIS can convert an 800-bed hospital in about three hours. An additional 50 hospitals are using an older pump system with the guardrail software.

In collecting data from hospitals al-ready using its products, ALARIS has found that in an average 350-bed hos-pital, the system averts a potentially life-threatening IV medication error every 2.6 days and prevents an error with moderate harm every 3.6 days.

“This is one more double check, a heads up, take another look,” Floyd said. “By having it standardized, that helps raise everyone’s standard of care.” b

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

1111 East End Blvd., Wilkes Barre, PA

LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES

The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Wilkes-Barre, PA is cur-rently accepting applications for full time Licensed Practical Nurses in our Nursing Home Care Unit. Must be a graduate of a School of Practical or Vocational Nurs-ing and hold a current, full, active and un-restricted license. Interested applicants must submit VA Form 10-2850c, Applica-tion for Associated Health Occupations, of 306 Declaration for Federal Employment and a copy of your current License. Ap-plications must be received in our office by July 30th and may be obtained by calling 570-824-3521 ext 7320

VA MEDICAL CENTERAn Equal Opportunity Employer

bNB8 NBNB

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Georgia W. Barkers, BSN, MBA, MHA

Long-term care of a loved one is major respon-sibility which often challenges the physical, emo-tional and spiritual well-being of the caregiver. Is the professional caregiver better able to cope with the challenges of family care giving than others? Does professional training and experience shield a person from the life changing impact of caring long term for an ill or injured loved one? Is there a common bond that professional caregivers share with the lay public when care giving becomes a personal matter? Do the dynamics of care giving change when the caregiver and the care recipient are both healthcare professionals? There are valu-able lessons for all caregivers in the answers to these questions.

The 1998 National Report on the Status of Caregiv-ing in America shows: “The 25+ million people who receive their long term care from family caregiv-ers suffer from debilitating chronic diseases: from stroke to leukemia, cancer to multiple sclerosis, diseases of aging like Alzheimer’s and dementia; paralysis or spinal injuries; congenital disabilities to long-term consequences of accident or injury. Together they represent more than one in every four families in America.” The report also showed that: 75% of caregivers are women, 1⁄4 of whom care for both older parents and children, 1⁄2 of all caregivers work outside the home. Many working caregivers find that the demands of their job and caregiving

responsibilities conflict.

Many of those providing care and support for a family member or loved one also provide care in the work set-ting. There may be an assumption that these care givers have an advantage over those without any medical or healthcare experience. This may be true to some measure, however, coping and attitude are individual responses not defined by job skills. Knowledge and information can decrease fear of the unknown, and, awareness of re-source availability can decrease frus-tration and anxiety to some extent. But, training and experience cannot protect a caregiver from the full force of life change that accompanies personal exposure to long term illness or injury. There is no shield from the emotional impact of a personal tragedy. The story of Juanita and Joel Morehead, both registered nurses, is a beautiful and loving example of compassion in the giving and receiving of care.

Juanita Morehead, a Family Nurse Practitioner, mother of seven, retired from the Fulton County Health Depart-ment several years ago. Being a nurse,

the widow of a physician, and the mother of three physicians and two nurse (the other two children are not involved in healthcare), did not prepare Juanita for the physical challenges appearing in own her life. She said “denial to illness is the same for a nurse, physician (any healthcare worker) as it is for a lay person”. She minimized the importance of the symptoms she was experiencing but, listened when her children made her face reality. “No it isn’t a little high blood pressure, you’re hypertensive. No, it isn’t a little sugar, you’re diabetic.” Juanita was also diagnosed with osteoarthritis, glaucoma and breast cancer. Although not totally depend, at 73 years old, and in less tha perfect health, she admits she is dependent on her family for care, especially Joel.

Joel Morehead, RN, is a compassionate nurse and devoted daughter. When her mother’s health began to decline, she moved into the family home to be available as a caregiver. Joel became the primary caregiver for her mother but feels blessed to receive help and support from her brothers and sisters. Everyday before work, Joel had cleaned house and prepare her mother’s meals. Over time, even with a strong family network, Joel found the demands of a high stress position in a large medical facility, coupled with the care of her mother, almost more of a challenge than she could manage. She felt it was important to smile and try to help others with their problems even when going through the worse moments herself. No one ever knew the daily

personal challenges she experienced being a fam-ily caregiver, before and after being a professional caregiver at work. Finally, Joel was given the op-portunity to leave her stress filled position, take time for herself and eventually, assume a position she loves that provides professional satisfaction and flexibility.

Mother and daughter admit it is not ease to be a family caregiver. Juanita says, “no nurse is a good patient”. Joel agrees that the constant responsi-bility can take a toll on body, mind and spirit, even though the love is always present. Mother and daughter agree that “me time” is important for both the caregiver and the care recipient. Their experi-ences as professional caregivers helped them to re-alize (perhaps sooner than others) that the caregiver must care for self as well as caring for others. You cannot give what you do not have. “Always allow for personal time.”

A survey conducted by the National Family Care-givers Association (NFCA) in 1994 and again in 1997 found that there was a common bond for all caregivers. It was not the illness/injury, it was not the socioeconomic status of the family, and, it was not racial/ethnic background. The common bond for caregivers was “the emotional impact” of this role.

A recent survey of NFCA members identifies some common emotions and difficulties associated with caregiving:

Emotions · Frustration.................. 67% · Compassion.................37% · Sadness......................36% · Anxiety......................35%

Caregiving Difficulties Sense of isolation and lack of understanding from

others - 43% Having the responsibility for making major life de-

cisions for loved one - 33% Loss of personal and leisure time - 36% No consistent help from other family members -

76% The human factor cannot be overlooked or mini-

mized. “While caring for a loved one, the caregiver may begin to feel overwhelmed, fatigued, frustrated and even angry due to the daily tasks of caregiving.” These feelings are experienced by those working in healthcare as well as other caregivers. Those with personal experience say “It is vital that caregivers take care of themselves first or there may be little left to care for others.” Frequently, it is easier (espe-cially for nurses) to give this advice than to use it.

The types and amounts of resources will vary based on the needs of the care recipient. There are organizations available to assist based on category of need. b

ALL ABOUT CARING

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If you become a traveling nurse, you can:

Spend a winter under the sunny skies of southern California, Florida, or Arizona. Experience the ‘big city’ life of New York, San Francisco, or Chi-cago. Or, ski the fabulous wintery slopes of Vermont or Colorado.

Work in a top teaching hospital or a famous research facility. Provide health care in a small, rural hospital in the heartland of America - all while learning valuable clinical skills.

See the country and experience the excitement of living in and explor-ing new regions of the United States while traveling with a friend or a spouse.

Meet new people and create new friendships. Build your resume by expanding your professional knowledge, skills, and

competencies. Earn top pay and great benefits while saving for retirement and living in

free housing. Explore a destination before making a permanent move into the area. “Travel” within your own hometown while receiving a housing stipend.

What exactly is travel nursing? Travel nursing is a popular career option for nurses. Here’s how it works. You begin by selecting a travel nursing company, who acts as your person-

al job recruiter. The company helps you to determine where in the United States you want to work, the type of facility that interests you, and which travel assignments are available.

The travel company then helps you get placed in the work assignment of your choice, provides you with an apartment (usually close to the facility),

Why Nurses Travel

NBbNB 11

pays you a generous travel reimbursement, and then supports you during your assignment. Usu-ally travel assignments last 13 weeks, and upon completion, you can either renew at the same hospital or travel to a new location. There are no annual contracts or other strings attached. You can work for as many assignments as you like.

The travel nursing industry began when a few agencies began to offer hospitals a short-term solution to perpetual staffing problems in the 1980s. The demand was especially high in places like California, Texas, Arizona and Flor-ida where the population fluctuates seasonally. Over the years, facility managers recognized that traveling nurses could alleviate many of their staffing problems. Today, a well-qualified nurse with experience in a high-demand spe-cialty can find an assignment almost anywhere in the United States throughout the year.

If you are an RN with at least 10 months of clinical experience, the exciting field of travel nursing is open to you. Most travel assignments are 13 weeks, although travel nursing compa-nies may be able to customize the length of an assignment to meet your needs. Chances are, the exact assignment you want is out there waiting for you.

There are seven steps to becoming

a travel nurse.

1.Choose a travel company Most travel nursing companies advertise in

nursing journals and have Web sites. Do a little research and decide what you want, and then see which companies offer those services. To find the company that’s best for you, compare what each offers in terms of variety of assign-ments, pay rates, benefits, and friendliness and competence of the recruiters. Then make the phone call or research them further on the Internet.

2.Complete an application NurseZone has partnered with five of the

best travel nursing companies in the industry - American Mobile Healthcare, Medical Express, Preferred Healthcare Staffing, Nurses Rx and O’Grady-Peyton International - so you can use

one simple application to apply to one or more of these companies. This service is free and 100 percent confidential. You are under no obliga-tion to work with a company after sending in an application.

3. Talk to a recruiter Once your application is accepted, you will be

assigned a personal recruiter. You should tell your recruiter what you want to get out of travel nursing. Do you want to see a specific area of the country or work in a prestigious facility? From the information you provide and from your application, your recruiter will explore assign-ments that best match your skills and prefer-ences.

4. Choose a destination Are you interested in exploring a big city or

a small town? The East Coast or the West? Mountains and snow, or beaches and sun? Do you want to stay close to home or travel across the country? You and your recruiter will discuss the advantages of each assignment, compare what each has to offer, evaluate pay, review hospital requirements, and determine which suits your needs.

5.Telephone interview with the facility The next step is the telephone interview with

a hospital, usually with a nurse manager. Your recruiter will help you prepare for the interview, giving you the best opportunity to be offered the job of your choice.

6. Accept the assignment Congratulations, you’ve chosen your assign-

ment! Your travel nursing company will help you with credentialing requirements and the licen-sure process in your assignment state. Housing account executives will find you housing and will arrange for utilities and furniture deliveryall the details to make your assignment a reward-ing and enjoyable experience.

7. And away you go! Your travel nursing company will provide you

with driving directions to your new home and the facility where you will be working. After you arrive, your recruiter will keep in touch to make sure everything is just right for you. Let the adventure begin! b

Management & Training Corporation at the Key-stone Job Corps Center in Drums, PA has imme-diate openings for these positions:

Act 34 Criminal Background Check and PA Child Abuse History Clearance required. For information regarding these positions and an em-ployment application, please call:

Kelly J. YahnerManager, HR570-708-0412

Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V

WELLNESS NURSE PART TIME

LPN INSTRUCTOR ON CALL

Nuclear Medicine Technologist

Nuclear Medicine Technologist, outpatient im-aging center located in downtown Scranton is seeking a full time registered Nuclear Medicine Technologist. Cardiac and/or PET experienced preferred but not required. Day shift, no call and weekend hours. Competitive salary and benefit package.

Registered Radiation TherapistFull time. Applicant must be a graduate of an ac-credited radiation therapist program. ARRT regis-tered, must have experience with CT simulation, IMRT and HDR

Please send resume to:Barb Zarambo Viewmont Medical Services435 Scranton Carbondale Hwy., Scranton, PA 18508 or Fax to 570-207-5533

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MEADOWS NURSING CENTERRN CHARGE

7-3 Shift, Full Time

RN/ LPN7-3 & 3-11 Shifts

PT without benefits (2-4 days bi-weekly)

RN SUPERVISOR/CHARGE11-7 Shift, Full Time

CNA’s3-11 & 11-7 Shifts

PT with benefits (5-9 days/ bi-weekly)

Individualized orientation program. Competitive starting rates. Benefits in-clude paid vacation, holiday, personal days, up to $1500/hr. college tuition reimbursement. Health, dental and vision insurance covered at 85% by em-ployer for individual plans as well as family plans. Life, short-term disability insurance and pension plan. Child Day Care on premises.

Apply in person at: Meadows Nursing Center

55 West Center Hill Road, Dallas, PA 18612EOE

Summit Health Care Center 50 North Penn Avenue, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701

is seeking: RN- ASSISTANT

DIRECTOR OF NURSING RNs • LPNs • CNAs for the following positions

RN SUPERVISOR 7-3, Monday- Friday- Weekends off

RN SUPERVISOR 7am-7pm, Saturday- Sunday, work

48 hours- get paid for 64 hours

RN/ LPN CHARGE NURSE 3- 11 Monday- Friday

Weekends off

CNAs Full & Part Time

All Shifts Benefits include health, dental, vision, vaca-tion, personal days, sick time, tuition reimbursement, 401K, life insurance, attendance bonus.

Interested applicants call 570-825-3488 or

stop by to fill out an application.EOE / DFW

WE’RE HIRING!!RN’s • LPN’s • AIDESPer Diem • Shift Work • Visits

Adult Cases Call Bonnie 883-5600 • Fax 883-4451

457 N. Main Street, Pittston, PA 18640

Enjoy one on one care in the homeOne year experience required to work for Bayada

ATTENTION RN’s - LPN’sFREE TRACH - VENT CLASSES

$30 Cost of Materials. Free, if sign on as employee.Class: Aug 6 Time: 9 to 3 Place: Bayada Nurses, Pittston

RNs/ LPNsTrach, Vent, Case, Mountaintop

All Weekend, Shifts Available and Weekday fill ins.Rehab Case, Shavertown

No Trach or Vent req. Mon - Sun All ShiftsShickshinny Case - RN’s LPN’s needed

Also Hiring CNA’s and HHA’s

Call Bonnie at 883-5600 or 800-829-3152 for further information on classes and call cases.

CLINICAL MANAGER FOR SURGICAL SERVICESOutstanding opportunity for a Surgical Services Manager in a beautiful PA community. A strong

clinical background in the Operating Room and associated clinical areas a must with previous management experience. Must demonstrate history in physician relations, team building, surgical scheduling systems, staff development and cost containment.

Registered Nurse with Associate Degree in Nursing is required. B.S. in Nursing/Healthcare Management/Business or related field is preferred. CNOR required or as-sociated clinical certification.

Must be an independent worker with excellent organizational and prioritization skills. Excellent interpersonal communication skills is essential with a high energy, out-going person who loves a challenge.

Excellent benefit package to include paid health, dental, life insurance, LTD & paid time off.

The Bloomsburg HospitalHUMAN RESOURCES549 E. Fair Street, Bloomsburg, PA 17815(570) 387-2103 • FAX # (570) 387-2434 E-MAIL: tbhonline.org

AVAILABLE POSTIONS FOR RNS AND LPNSICCU FT 3:00pm-11:00pm PT-7:00am-3:00pm/11:00pm-7:00am & 7:00am-3:00pm/3:00pm-11:00pm

Med/Surg. FT RN 11:00pm-7:00pm and 7:00am-3:00pm/3:00pm-11:00pm FT-LPN-3:00pm-11:00pm

Psychiatric Unit FT11:00pm-7:00am and PT 7:00am-3:00pm PT LPN-11:00pm-7:00pm

OB PT RN and LPN 7:00am-3:00pm/3:00pm-11:00pm

ER PT RN 3:00pm-11:00pm

PACU FT and PT RN 7:00am-3:00pm/3:00pm-11:00pm

Surgical Technician FT Certification and one years experience preferred.

NBbNB 13

Unique Museum Displays Artifacts from the History of Surgical Science

By Debra Wood, RN

From ancient speculums and urinary catheters to endoscopes for har-vesting saphenous veins, Chicago’s International Mu-seum of Surgical Science provides a look at how far medical science has come, yet some of the centuries-old tools remind us that many early healers were on the right track.

Housed in four stories of an elegant, 1917 lakefront mansion, the museum also serves as an educa-tion center for the International College of Sur-geons. The family of the home’s original owner, Eleanor Robinson Countiss, sold the French chateau to the physicians’ organization in 1952 and it has operated as a surgical and medical history museum ever since.

The surgeons not only honor members of their own profession, but also nurses.

An exhibit on the top floor, “Nursing: The Old-est Art, The Youngest Profession,” traces nurs-ing care from Biblical times to more current practice. It features a 1940s era cap, original correspondence from Florence Nightingale and

Clara Barton, and a wound irrigator from 1890.

A marble bust of Night-ingale serene-ly overlooks Lake Michigan and the street below, sur-rounded by a hushed library

containing more than 5,000 rare, early medical books from the 16th to 18th centuries.

In the next room, the Hall of Immortals, statues of medical greats, such as Joseph Lister, Ma-dame Curie, Hippocrates and Wilhelm Roent-gen, stand in a light, airy marble room.

As one would expect in a surgical history mu-seum, surgical tools and amputation kits fill many display cases. There are instruments for drilling holes in the skull and skulls of people who had undergone the treatment. Also on display are instruments for bloodletting and removing hemorrhoids that send shivers down the spine, as does a 1918 bone cruncher, which

physicians used on the limbs of children born with deformities.

The museum does a good job of explaining to the public progress that has been made to increase sur-gical safety and decrease pain. Lister’s germ theory receives deserved promi-nence. Tools with porous

handles illustrate how bacteria could pass from one patient to another in the olden days. Pho-tos show surgeries taking place in galleries, with many people watching. And a mannequin models a chloroform mask to demonstrate early anesthesia.

An experienced eye will recognize that many mod-ern tools are just modifications of instruments devel-oped as far back as Roman times. A replica of a vaginal speculum, unearthed in the Pompeii House of the Surgeon which was bur-ied in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 A.D., contains four prongs, rather than two, but by squeezing the handle, the physician could splay the tissue and look inside a woman’s body. A urinary catheter, which has hard rather than the flexible tubes we are familiar with today, looks about the same.

A cystoscope, used from 1915 to 1940, ap-pears similar to those used these days. But a replica of Dr. Rene Laennec’s wooden, monaural stethoscope from 1820 bears little resemblance to those nurses now use.

Quite interesting are devices that were already out of use by the time many practicing nurses passed their boards, such as an iron lung and a shoe-fitting machine that X-rayed the child’s foot. The radiology section contains early films, an X-ray “transformer” and other early imaging equipment.

A large, clunky electrocardiogram machine, with multiple dials and knobs, reminds us how technology has enhanced our ability to monitor heart patients. Sutures stored in vials of alcohol make one appreciate prepackaged sutures.

Except in the operating room, few nurses actu-ally see gallstones or bladder stones, but the museum offers a variety to peruse. There’s also a slice of brain tissue. But most of the 7,000 artifacts are medical instruments rather than

specimens.

The structure’s decorative plaster-work, fireplaces and gilded metal grand staircase showcase the Chi-cago’s elegant past. Fine art depict-ing early medical care graces the walls. The museum also offers cur-rent artists an opportunity to display original pieces depicting medical is-sues.

The International Museum of Surgical Science offers nurses a glimpse at how far medical sci-ence has progressed while not completely leav-ing its ancient roots. It’s well worth a visit to ex-perience a historical review and examine items that many nurses have only read about.

The International Museum of Surgical Sci-ence is open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., Tues-day through Sunday. Admission is $6, with no charge on Tuesdays. It offers a guided tour on Saturday afternoons. For more information, visit http://www.imss.org or call 312-642-6502. b

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PLEDGE YOUR ALLEGIANCEAND CROSS INTO THE BLUE

UNITED STATES AIR FORCE PHYSICIAN, DENTAL AND NURSE PROGRAMS

If you have a BSN, you may qualify for a $5,000 sign-on bonus. You’ll enjoy 30 days vacation with pay, health benefits, travel & continuing education programs.

Interested?

hp.airforce.com or 1-800-423-USAF

RN/LPN/CNA Needed Full Time, 11-7 RN or LPN, Part Time RN/LPN,

CNA All Shifts Part Time. Highest Starting Wages in this Area!!!

Excellent casual and per diem rates available.

Call 570-639-1885 for more information.

PharMerica a leading long term care pharmaceutical supplier, has the following opening due to our expanding business:

PharmacistFull Time

Duties include: compounding, dispensing and clinical monitoring activities. IV experience preferred. All candidates must be a graduate of an accredited school with a current PA license.

We offer competitive wages and benefits. Please send your confi-dential resume with salary history and requirements to:

PharMerica153 Stewart Road, Wilkes Barre PA 18706

Attn: Nicole KruczekFax: 800-577-7017 • Email: nxk7001@pharmerica.com

Responses will be made to individuals who will be interviews.M/F/D/V

How to Make Money with Garage Sales

NBbNB 15

By Marilyn Pokorney

Drive through almost any neighborhood in any city or town on a weekend and you’re sure to see ga-rage sales scattered throughout.

These homeowners are spending their weekend making money. The average profit is $600 for a one-week-end garage sale.

It’s time to get your share of the pie. The secret? Organization. Follow the steps below and you will be well on your way to padding your wallet with a little extra cash.

Step one: Check with the local officials to see what the local laws and regulations are on operating garage sales in your area. Many times the city charges a nominal fee.

Step two: Spend a few weekends going to garage sales in your area. See what is selling, what people are buying, how the items are priced, how the sellers advertise. Observe how the sellers display their items. Take notes.

Step three: Clean house and take stock of what you have and what it’s time to get rid of. Be sure to pick out at least one interesting and unusual item to call attention to your sale. A large ticket item in front of your home during your sale will bring buys in.

If you find older items such as dishes, a painting, an old flower urn and so on that you feel it’s time to dispose of, have it appraised. You don’t want to sell something for 50 cents only to find out later it was an antique valued at $500. You can be sure there are garage sale shoppers who are on the lookout for just this kind of treasure.

Step four: Pick a date for your sale. The best time to have a garage sale is twice a year in May or September. People will be out shopping for sum-mer items in May and winter items in September. The best days for your garage sale are Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Step five: Advertise, advertise and advertise some more. Place ads in the local newspaper, shopper guides, on bulletin boards and even online. Place signs all over the neighborhood with brightly colored letters or at-tached balloons.

Step six: Organize your sale. Put price stickers on your items. Have a

wide variety of clothing and jewelry and arrange them in a rainbow of colors. Make sure jewelry and appliances sparkle. Hang clothing on racks, arranged in sizes. Imagine that you are opening a retail

store and copy what the stores do.

If you have items that are hard to price and you

think they will not sell, put them in a penny box. And be sure to

mark the box as “all items just one cent each”.

Step seven: Timing. Consider starting at 7

a.m. instead of 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. and close no later

than 6 p.m. And positively never shut down for the noon hour. There are

people who work on weekends and will stop on their way to or from work and shop during their

lunch breaks.

Although most customers will have come and gone by 1 p.m., noon hour being the most active, you can start lowering prices after 1 p.m. On items you think will not sell at all, put them in a box marked “free.”

And lastly, what doesn’t sell, take to the local Good Will or other charity organization of your choice. b

How to Make Money with Garage Sales

Our Hospital based 46 bed skilled nursing facility has opportunity for individual to direct day to day operations of the nursing function. Qualified candidate will be NY State licensed RN with a minimum of 5 years long term care experience. Knowledge of MDS, PRI, CMS & DOH required. Management experience preferred. Excellent benefits package.

For immediate consideration send Resume to: Pat Hendershot

160 East Main St., Port Jervis, NY 12771 Email: phendershot@tshs.org or

Fax: (845) 858-7418 or Phone: (845) 858-7160

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