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Archive: November, 2009

A Day in the Life of a Traveling Nurse

Depending on the assignment a traveling nurse accepts her day can be filled with the hustle and bustle of a busy emergency room or the laid back floor of people on the mend. The choice of course as to what assignment a traveling nurse will be doing is up to the traveling nurse themselves!

Usually a traveling nurse’s assignment is only temporary and s/he will work in a variety of clinical settings. Jobs can last from a week or to as long as the employed nurse is willing to work. As a traveling nurse you can work anywhere in the country and you are able to expand on your skills. By expending on your skills you will be able to further your nursing career.

As a traveling nurse the nurse gets to decide which assignment they wish to accept. They are given the opportunities to not only help where needed but to travel the world and tackle various jobs in the nursing field. As a traveling nurse though sometimes the job is a little more detailed, a traveling nurse is required to fill out paperwork, move around from assignment to assignment, negotiate their contract provisions to name a few.

Traveling nurses are need for various jobs, Have you ever wanted to cruise around the world? Well did you know a cruise ship could not leave a port unless there is a doctor or nurse on board? This is an excellent opportunity for a nurse would loves cruises and wishes to take their passion for cruising and their passion for nursing and blend them into a career and lifestyle.

Hospitals are also hurriedly erected in areas of disaster. These places are always looking for nurses to travel to the area and help in times of crisis. Think of the Katrina hurricane, medical attention was needed in the area and many traveling nurses where employed for this medical disaster.

A traveling nurse’s job can sometimes be more rewarding and challenging then day to day nursing jobs. You are learning new skills, sometimes under pressure in emergency situations. You are going to foreign areas that you are not familiar with and learning new techniques and styles of doing things. Procedures may not be the same from area to area so as a traveling nurse you are constantly learning. It’s not only a job but a full time education.

Depending on the length of some assignments and the need some agencies will pay a traveling nurse up to 3,000 to take an assignment, they include these bonuses as an incentive to pull in nurses where they are highly needed. Some agencies even pay for the traveling nurses traveling expensive for their relocation, housing and basic utilities. Some agencies will even offer you other incentives while you are employed with their agency. When you are searching for the right place of employment its best to search out agencies and become aware of exactly what an agency offers and get everything in writing.
A traveling nurse experiences the excitement of working in various areas of nursing, the fun and excitement of traveling to new and exotic area while she aids in the treatment of helping people medically.

Costa Rica, Spas and Retreats

If your goal is to escape cigarettes, whisky and wild, wild women, then you might consider the benefits of a Costa Rican Vacation that is a Spa or Retreat. There are those of us that cannot just vacation, we have to have more meaning in our adventure. In this case, instead of getting away from it all, you are getting to it all. It seems the result is the same you get to relax and unwind.

I found many, many yoga and meditation retreats so I will just try to tell you about the ones that stand out. I encourage you to do your own search

Pancha Mama
Pancha Mama means Mother Earth in Spanish and if you are a time-warped hippie that had a go around with communes this is gonna ring your bell. Pancho Mama is referred to as a Spiritual Eco Village. The fees are extremely reasonable, if I read their fee chart correctly. A number is listed with no digits behind it so I am relatively sure these are the rates. For a tent it is $12.00 for a single and $20.00 for a double. For a House it is $28 for a single and $50 for a double.

Offered are lessons in yoga, meditation, tai chi, surfing and horseback riding. This is also a total vegetarian cuisine and the meals approximately $4.00 a piece with children’s meals costing a mere 1-2 dollars.

Luna Lodge
Lana Wedmore has worked in the tourist service industry for years and her final destination for her own Lodge is the Osa Peninsula in the southern region of Costa Rica. Her rates are not cheap but they are competitive with the larger hotels and she has included a Wellness Center where you can learn or practice Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, or massage. The buildings are beautiful and in harmony the ocean and jungle that surround it. Her rates run from $125 – $200.

Tree Houses Hotel
I didn’t see any ads for yoga or massage but I did see info on the Hot Springs. That’s gotta be healthy. So, here is another unusual way to spend your holiday…. in a tree house. Mind you, these tree houses have full bathrooms with tubs and they have Air Conditioning. You have got to at least visit the website, the rooms are very cool. The rates run $75 -$85 per night.

Costa Rica Quilting Retreat
I can’t imagine making quilts in the jungle, but if there are any enthusiasts out there, this is your lucky day. Bungalows are offered in a private gated community. The Main building has a swimming pool and they have BBQ’s out by the pool. The fee for this is $925 for the B&B arrangement in the main house, or you can pay $950 for a cottage. With only the $25 extra for the cottage, I would take the cottage

In Conclusion. I have found that most of the spas or retreats are very spendy, and atmosphere is the largest offering. They do many weddings in Costa Rica and the luxury Hotel/Spa experience is the fancy pampering newlyweds enjoy. I have listed retreats that are a bit less expensive and more individualized than the normal offering.

Transportation for Your Italy Vacation

When most people travel, transportation is a primary concern. How do you get from the airport to your hotel? How do you see all the sights that Italy has to offer? What if you are traveling in a large group? What about public transportation? On your Italy vacation there are several options for transportation.

Many international flights arrive in Rome so in planning your transportation needs you need to start from there. When you arrive at the airport you can rent a car from one of the several car rental companies. In addition to local companies there are the international names such as Hertz and Enterprise Rent-A-Car so you should be able to reserve your vehicle online in advance and have it waiting for you at the airport. There are 2 airports in Rome and they are called the Fiumicino and the Ciampino Airports. Buses and shuttles depart from the airports’ arrivals areas about every hour and can take you to the Termini Station which is the central train station. From there you should be able to connect to all other parts of Italy. Public transportation although it requires some advance planning, is always the cheapest option for your Italy vacation. You may also want to learn some Italian words in case you get lost and need directions or need help.

If your hotel is near the airport or is in Rome, you may also consider taking a cab. They are known as “taxis” here and most drivers speak English and can even serve as your tour guide if you choose. You may take a taxi out of Rome if your Italian vacation is starting outside the city. If your budget allows there are limo services at the airports that can serve your transportation needs when you arrive. If you are traveling in a large group you probably want to rent a van at least to get to your hotel from the airport. After that you can plan to join a guided tour as a group but its best to reserve tickets or space in advance if you want your group to stay together.

To see all the sights that Italy has to offer, you will do best by signing up for a guided tour. With very knowledgeable and friendly tour guides, your Italian vacation can be greatly enhanced by choosing this option. There are walking tours, full day tours and night tours. Budget tours and luxury tours. If you are in Italy for a very specific sight you would probably want to do a walking tour. The tour guides on those tours give a more detailed presentation as you walk through the sight and some of them know little-known facts that are hard to find or read anywhere else. Non-Italian speakers will be happy to that the tour guides speak English.

Also becoming famous are “transportation-included” visits to Italy. For your Italy vacation you may choose to visit a small village if you want to see Italy without the crowds. Many inns and bed and breakfasts provide options that include transportation around the village.