AMS Clinician Spotlight – Anne W
Our first Clinician to receive our Clinician Spotlight award (and gift) is Anne W.!! As part of our commitment to recognize our Clinicians and the amazing work they do, welcome to our very first “Clinician Spotlight” – a chance to highlight those who have gone above and beyond, consistently demonstrating the core values of AMS. We asked our Recruiting Managers to kick us off by nominating Clinicians who had either received a special achievement or award, general feedback received from a client, or an interesting story of why/how a clinician choose their profession – and the response was overwhelming! We have such a great team of Clinicians, and we are excited to share their stories with you through 2023. AMS Recruiting Manager Kacie received the following feedback from Anne’s Unit Manager, relaying a message from a patient that Anne cared for; “I wanted to write to you about the wonderful care I received from Anne when she was floated to Unit 38 on 3/19. She admitted me and was so wonderful. She was so positive and upbeat and just really on top of her game. Even though there were some things on the med floor she was unfamiliar with, she got help when needed from the charge RN. She was an absolute delight and I’m so glad she was my first experience on 38.” We reached out to Anne to ask her some questions to get to know her better: Q: What is your nursing specialty? A: ICU, background was in Neuro ICU, then transferred to SICU/Liver Transplant. Q: How long have you been working as a nurse? And with AMS? I have been a nurse for about 14 years and have been with AMS since March 2022. Q: Why did you choose to become a nurse? A: I became a nurse because of an amazing RN that took care of my grandmother when she was ill. She was very caring, took the time to really get to know my grandmother and advocated for her when she needed it. That experience made me want to care for others; being there at their lowest and celebrating positive outcomes. Q: Any hobbies/activities you enjoy outside of nursing? A: I love reading, traveling, and meeting people. Q: Would you recommend AMS to other nurses? Why? A: I would definitely recommend AMS to other nurses. I have traveled with other agencies before; my recruiter, Kacie is phenomenal! She is very responsive to questions, and makes the best suggestions and recommendations. She is always available whenever I needed information or help. Q: Do you have any advice you would like to pass along to other travel nurses? A: My advice for nurses is to always ask the staff questions about things not understood; we always want to ensure that our patients are safe. Nursing is inherently the same everywhere but protocols and policies differ from place to place. No question is too small or stupid to ask. Better to be safe, than sorry. Our congratulations again to Anne on receiving such a well-deserved accolade, and showing such excellence when caring for her patients! If you know of any AMS Healthcare Profession who deserves a spotlight, please let us know by emailing the Engagement Team at marketing@americanmedicalstaffing.com!
Traveling With Pets
Meet our People & Culture Manager – Andrew! Responsible for our range of employee benefits, ongoing engagement activities, and Community outreach, Andrew is a true champion of our AMS Core Values. He is setting off on a cross-country adventure and as Travel Nurse Recruiters, it would be remiss of us not to join him over the coming months and put together some useful Questions and Answers! Andrew’s traveling partner is our Chief Morale Officer, Millie! So naturally, our first stop in our travel series is – traveling to an assignment with pets! Q: Hey Andrew, thanks for taking us on a journey with you! You have been planning this multi-destination trip for a while now, and we wondered if you did any pre-travel veterinary visits for Millie before you set off? A: Yes! I had her yearly check-up at the beginning of the year and notified them of my travel plans to get some recommendations. Millie has separation anxiety and hasn’t had to be by herself too much since the pandemic started. So, they recommended some calming chews and suggested easing back into her being on her own. Leaving for 10 minutes one day, then 30 minutes the next, etc. I also bought a dog monitoring camera to help with this. Since my first stop is Colorado, they also mentioned that dogs must adapt to different altitudes as well. Millie has a short snout, so they told me to take it easy the first week or so to make sure she is acclimated before doing anything that involves a lot of activity. Q: When you were looking into your accommodations, were there any considerations you had to make when booking? A: Because I will be staying in each location for up to a month, I chose to use Airbnb. When you search for the dates, amount of people staying, etc. you can also select how many “pets” you have (It does not limit the search to dogs, so I believe cats are allowable in some places.) This way I was only looking at places that allowed pets. Once I narrowed it down to a few places, I contacted the owner and made sure they were okay with my 70-pound bulldog (& had reliable Wi-Fi) Thankfully, there was no breed or size issues with any of the hosts, and only had to pay an enhanced cleaning fee in some cases. Another great resource for long-stay rentals is Furnishedfinder.com! Q: We know that Millie is quite the pampered pooch, how are you going to pack for such a diva? A: Since we are road tripping, we will only be bringing the essentials – a small container of food, travel bowls, her regular food and water bowls, and a few toys. When I arrive, I can get a bigger bag of food and anything else she may need. Millie’s Top Dog Travel Picks: Collapsible Pet Bowls Portable Dog Water Bottle Q: Do you have any special plans while you’re on the road? A: We are going to be driving for multiple days before we arrive in Denver, so to make sure Millie is calm and comfortable, she will have the whole back seat to herself with some blankets and pillows. (Added bonus tip – Marketing Coordinator Sophie’s elderly and usually very well-behaved dog ran away at a rest stop on a road trip, so it’s always a good idea to make sure your dog tags contact info is up to date, as well as their microchip details! Don’t worry, she came back) Q: When traveling to a different state, there can be different rules and regulations so have you found anything to help navigate being in a new city with a dog? A: I have booked some dog-friendly hotels along the way, but I also use an app called BringFido that also shows dog-friendly restaurants and activities.
How to Become a Travel Nurse with American Medical Staffing
Thinking of becoming a Travel Nurse? Are you looking for additional resources? We look at how joining American Medical Staffing can make it a simple, and enjoyable process. RNs, LPNs, and allied health professionals love working for AMS because we understand what it’s like to work in healthcare today. We’re here to make your job easier. To support your emotional well-being. To help you focus on what you really want to do…provide care. Great jobs. Even better recruiting support. Our healthcare recruiters can be your career partner. We’ll connect you with fulfilling jobs. Simplify onboarding and credentialing. And provide you with an exceptional work experience. The Resources You Need It can be a challenge to find everything you need online especially when it comes to authentic nursing information, so we’ve compiled some helpful travel nurse FAQs Concerns about the consistency of work (When the contract ends will there be another one for me?) American Medical Staffing has an industry-leading retention rate of 87% of our Healthcare Professionals. Our goal is to be the employer of choice for our clinicians and to provide options for your next contract well before your contract end date. You can expect to start talking with your Recruiting Manager about opportunities when you are about halfway through your contract. Did you know… we have benefits! Yes, we have a full suite of best-in-class benefits! Benefits are effective on the first day of employment. The plans are very diverse (4 different health insurance plans, 3 different dental plans) and affordable. We also offer supplemental benefits such as short-term disability, long-term disability, life insurance, and much more. See them here. How do Travel Pay Packages “actually” work? To be eligible for any travel compensation, you must be duplicating living expenses – maintaining two households, during your assignment with AMS. Based on government guidelines, we calculate your MLA by determining the number of days per week you duplicate living expenses and the location of your temporary work assignment. Here is a link to the government website that outlines these rates: www.gsa.gov Does AMS provide housing? Although we can certainly recommend and advise you on housing options on your behalf, most travelers find the best fit for housing when they secure it directly, including deciding personal trade-offs that enable them to maximize their take home pay. We can also offer assistance for travel relocation or other arrangements – just ask your recruiting manager. Want to read more about Housing Options and Resources? See our other blog. Working as an agency nurse – when to contact AMS and when the contact the facility As your employer and career partner, we always recommend that you touch base with your recruiting manager first and then formulate the next steps from there. This puts us in the best position to be able to support you. We have an Employee Resources sheet that consolidates our department information and useful contacts. Other examples include: When requesting time off, your Recruiting Manager will collect all the details before the start of your contract. Moving forward, as things come up, you would arrange time off with your direct supervisor/scheduler with as much notice as possible. Come back to us to inform. Call outs – reach out to your direct supervisor first, and then follow up with your AMS Recruiting Manager or our off-hours team. Questions about your paycheck Questions about your benefits Will clinicians be trained prior to their expected start date? American Medical Staffing takes care to place healthcare professionals in the setting, unit, or specialty where they have clinical experience. That means AMS HCPs can start their position with confidence knowing they are skilled to treat patients/clients in the setting they will be working. Most of our client facilities require contract healthcare professionals to have at least 2 years of experience in their specialty. Our client facilities and school districts offer orientation and training to AMS staff for policies and procedures, EMR (electronic health record), and unit-specific preferences. The time allotted for training varies by client and can range from 1 day to 1 week; your Recruiting Manager will discuss these details with you for your specific contract options! Advice for nurses thinking they can try out a new specialty with an agency. As a Joint Commission accredited staffing firm, American Medical Staffing is committed to patient safety and our team member’s successful contract placements. As such, we place healthcare professionals in the setting, unit, or specialty that aligns with their clinical experience. Most of our client facilities require contract healthcare professionals to have at least 2 years of experience in their specialty. Cross training as an agency nurse is not applicable with most specialties. However, are there circumstances where one specialty compliments another? Yes! For example, positions in a Correctional Healthcare setting often accept clinicians with ER, ICU, or Psych experience. This of course is client-dependent, and our Recruiting Managers act as your career advocates and will work tirelessly alongside you to ensure you have a good match, and all expectations are aligned. Trust American Medical Staffing, a leading agency for healthcare jobs nationwide, for your job search in nursing, allied health, and other healthcare fields.
AMS Clinician Spotlight – Creating Extraordinary Experiences, Every Day
It is so professionally rewarding to receive such glowing reports and kudos about our Clinicians! We will highlight some of them here: Anthony, RN “I am writing to tell you about the most wonderful experience we had with Anthony yesterday. Anthony made a wonderful rapport with this patient from the beginning of the day. I went into the patient’s room mid-morning and they were absolutely beaming and telling me how Anthony helped them build a pillow fort. I saw in the corner of the room a sheet tied to an IV pole, a chair, and a suitcase. The patient had blankets and pillows lining the floor. They told me how nice it was that they had a safe and quiet space that was all theirs. He was amazing with all of our patients and fit right in with the team.” He would be a huge asset to any unit! Janice, CNA I wanted to share a positive thought regarding one of our agency sitters, Janice. Janice was assigned to be with ED 6 yesterday who is one of our nonverbal autistic boys. This young man can be a challenge, as he does not know limits or his body mass and is difficult to redirect without security. Janice, never once, showed frustration. She spent 12 hours with him yesterday, 12 caring and compassionate hours. She continued to advocate for him as well as his mother who spent much of the day trying to soothe her son. It was such a delight to watch her. I wanted to share this with you as we often hear the negative and not always the positive. Janice made our day more manageable due to being his companion. Thank you” Survival, RN “There was a recent event caught by a Nurse on U46 (Amazing catch, Survival!) where a Swisslog Medication Packet contained the incorrect amount of medication. There should have been 10mg in the packet, but there was actually 40mg. This could have led to a serious safety event. An important point for nurses to be aware of is that these Swisslog packets should NEVER contain more than one tablet or capsule. If the patient’s dose requires more than one tablet, the Pharmacy will send multiple packets. The presence of more than one tablet in a packet ALWAYS represents an error.”
AMS Q&A – Paid Time Off
American Medical Staffing’s mission is to unite quality talent with opportunity, providing the optimal employment and partnership experience in healthcare. Freedom. Flexibility. And a company that really cares about YOU! We implemented our Paid Time Off packages in January 2021 and wanted to take a look at some of our most Frequently Asked Questions with our Manager of People & Culture, Andrew Sepehri! How do I sign up for PTO? Talk to your Recruiting Manager about getting PTO added to your pay package. The best time to get signed up for PTO is at the beginning of a new contract or extension You can elect to build 36 or 72 hours of PTO into your pay package. Requested dates off must be outlined and approved prior to finalizing your staffing agreement. PTO cannot be taken during an assignment outside of the requested time off that was submitted in your staffing agreement. Please note all requests are subject to facility approval. There is a PTO request form that is sent to the benefits team to process Are all clinicians eligible for PTO? All Full-Time clinicians are eligible for PTO. To be considered Full-time you must be on a long-term assignment that is for 30 or more hours Do I get paid the same pay rate when I am on PTO? PTO is paid out at your year-to-date average hourly rate When I sign up for PTO do I get the hours I elected up front? No, hours are accrued. If you sign up for the 72-hour plan, you get one hour for every 26 hours worked. If you work 36 hours over the course of one year, you will have accrued the full 72 hours. Is there a cap on PTO accrual? There is not. If you work extra hours, you can accrue PTO hours quicker and can even earn more than your elected amount in a year Why is the carryover limit only 12 hours? The Wellness PTO Policy was put into place to encourage wellness. We want are clinicians to use PTO to get a break from their work-life to focus on themselves. When can I start using my PTO after I sign up for it? You can use hours as soon as your hours have been accrued. The more PTO hours you elect, the quicker they accrue. If you have an upcoming day, we recommend you sign up for the 72-hour plan because hours are accrued quicker What if I don’t use all my PTO at the end of my contract? The only time PTO is forfeited is at the end of the year (any hours above 12) or when an employee goes inactive for 30+ days. This is easy to avoid by using hours throughout the year or at the end of an assignment What if I decide in the middle of my contract that I am no longer interested in the PTO I signed up for? You can work with your recruiting manager to get PTO removed from your pay package at any time. The recruiting manager reserves the right to update mid-assignment or wait until the end of the assignment. What are the most asked questions about PTO? “How do I check my PTO balance” – PTO balance will show on your weekly paystub each week. What is the most common misconceived notion about PTO? When employees don’t sign up for PTO, it is because they feel that they “are paying for their own PTO” due to the small rate drop when PTO is elected. The reality is, that every person pays for their own PTO. Whether you are working a staff job or at another agency, PTO is accounted for in your “total compensation,” this is why you see this on offer letters. As a nurse-founded agency, we want our clinicians to have the control of building a pay package that suits their needs. If you want to maximize earnings, we will support you. If you want to take time off in between assignments and be compensated, we will support you. Why should someone sign up for PTO? Everyone deserves to take time off to focus on themselves and not have to worry about the money you are missing out for not working. Additionally, as an hourly employee, you only get paid for the time you work. This means that any holidays or “sick days” are unpaid. It is nice to have PTO hours set aside for any emergencies that may arise. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your Recruiting Manager if you have any further questions about our Wellness PTO! Our Employee Engagement team is always looking for new ways where we can expand our wellness resources and perks, if you have an idea, suggestion, or story that you would like to share, please send an email to marketing@americanmedicalstaffing.com.
Community Outreach Event – GBMC’s “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” Fundraiser
Join us at GBMC’s South Chapman Building on April 23rd! We are happy to share that American Medical Staffing will be a sponsor for GBMC’s 7th annual “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” event. All benefits from this event will go to the Sexual Assault Forensic Examination (SAFE) and Domestic Violence (DV) Program. The SAFE/DV Program at GBMC treats victims of all ages, in a confidential setting, at no cost to the patient. The program doesn’t just provide medical care; it offers comfort and counseling to re-empower patients. Join American Medical Staffing’s Walking Team! How to Register Here is the link to the event for those that would like to register: 7th Annual Walk a Mile in Their Shoes – Campaign (classy.org) When you click the Register button, it asks how you would like to register. Please click “join a team” and then click “American Medical Staffing” You can even register as a “virtual walker” for those that may not be able to make it Sign up & Win! To encourage participation, we will be doing a giveaway for those that sign up! Prizes include an Apple Watch, Airpods & three $25 Amazon gift cards. All you must do is register for the GBMC event under American Medical Staffing and you will receive three entries into the raffle. You will get an additional three entries for any family members that sign up Get a bonus entry for registering for a health and wellness account with Burnalong. This is a company-sponsored program that is of no cost to you. Every employee that signs up and attends the event in person will receive an AMS T-shirt – pick up near the start line! We are so fortunate to be in a position to positively impact those in need. We are encouraging the American Medical Staffing family to sign up and participate in this event so that together, we can make a difference in our surrounding communities. See more of our Community Outreach initiatives here.