Healthcare Traveler - October 2008 - (Page 46) On Assignment A DE TA I LED GLI M P SE OF LI F E ON T H E ROA D B EN N I N GTO N, V ER M O N T The perfect setting for a fall contract diabetic and/or post-operative patients. Those who require heart catheterization are transferred to a hospital in Albany, New York, for the procedure. Then, they are brought back to SVMC for same day recovery. According to Kay, her responsibilities at this assignment location are basically the same as those she’d have at any contract facility. “I provide patient assessment, telemetry monitoring, medications, pain management, and general patient care during my 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. shift, 5 nights a week,” she says. “Usually, I tend to an average of seven patients per shift.” Most of Kay’s patients hail from small towns and villages, and many are farmers. She also notes that three to four healthcare travelers work the night shift with her. When Kay arrived at SVMC, she spent a shift becoming familiar with the computer software and a couple of days with a preceptor. “We, the nurses, use a ‘voice care’ telephone system where we note each patient’s condition and other observations for the next person on shift,” explains Kay. “Sharing information this way is new to me. I find it very helpful; those preparing to leave wait until the nurses who have just come on shift have listened to their notes, so they are available to answer any questions before they go. “Traveling helps you think outside the box. It is awesome to see different diagnostics and procedures being done, and a mobile career helps you realize that different physicians may use different techniques to achieve the same outcome. As a traveler, I’ve also been exposed to various charting programs and different equipment, including IV pumps.” Photo: Getty Images/James P. Blair In 2004—when she became an “empty nester”—Kay Pennington, RN, decided it was time to travel. And when the exceptional opportunity to go to the Green Mountain State presented itself, she jumped at the chance. Laura Gater “ had always heard good things about Vermont,” says Kay. “However, since it’s chiefly rural, the state doesn’t have many large facilities. I figured assignment opportunities are probably less plentiful here, so I didn’t hesitate to sign on for a contract at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) in Bennington, which is licensed for 99 beds.” One of two Vermont facilities recognized as a mentor hospital by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, SVMC is the sole Magnet Hospital for I Travelogue On Assignment… Name It… When In Contest Rules Tales from the Road 46 Healthcare Traveler October 2008 46 52 53 57 64 Nursing Excellence in its state. The first facility in the Green Mountain State to use hospitalists around the clock to monitor patients, it also offers integrative therapies, which is somewhat unique since few hospitals present complementary and alternative medicine side by side with traditional treatments. “To date, I’ve accepted contracts in locations known for warm weather, like Phoenix and Flagstaff, Arizona; Silicon Valley and Thousand Oaks, California; Myrtle Beach and Charleston, South Carolina; and Galveston, Texas,” relates Kay, who is on her tenth assignment through Cumming, Georgia-based Premier Healthcare Professionals, the staffing firm she has traveled with for 4 years. “This year, I’m looking forward to cooler climes and glorious fall foliage.” The same, but different Kay specializes in medical/surgical and orthopedics. At SVMC, she is practicing on a telemetry unit, where most of her patients are recovering from heart or respiratory problems. Many of the people she cares for are Out and about On her days off, Kay likes to take sightseeing trips throughout Vermont. “Bennington is home to more than 15,000 people, and has plenty of dining, www.healthcaretraveler.com http://www.healthcaretraveler.com
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