Healthcare Traveler - March 2009 - (Page 20)

Rural ORs “The surgeries are similar from one place to another, but it is a give and take in terms of technology, especially when comparing urban and rural hospitals.” —Claire Boulanger, RN Indeed, Ron’s latest assignment—at 40-bed Banner Churchill Community Hospital in Fallon, Nevada—is the most rural contract (and smallest facility) he’s chosen to date. “There is an excitement that comes with starting somewhere completely new.” Ron began his career as a surgical technologist more than 20 years ago, at the suggestion of his then-wife. “She was attending nursing school and told me being a tech entailed handling instruments and tools, which intrigued me,” he explains. “What I really learned to value about my job is that I am part of a team that can make a difference in patients’ lives,” Ron points out. “Plus, when technologists do their jobs well, they help surgeons become more efficient.” When it comes time to choose a contract, this technologist prefers those assignments that push him to elevate his skill set. “As a traveler, I believe you should be able to scrub in for anything,” Ron asserts. “Fibula flaps or aneurysm clippings? I can do those. I also have experience in orthopedics, neuro, gynecological and obstetrics, and plastics procedures.” As it turns out, that wide berth of knowledge prepared Ron well for his current assignment in a town with a population of 8,473. “I assisted in a Caesarean section recently, which was new for me. In other facilities, those patients are diverted to obstetricsdedicated rooms. But here, they do not have the space to designate ORs like that.” Possessing a broad repertoire is also important when considering rural contracts because you likely will need to compensate for the overall smaller staff size at most facilities. “If someone calls in sick here, there are fewer people to function as a backup,” he states. Case in point was Ron’s first day in Fallon. He recalls, “The hospital had just lost one of its staff CSTs, and I was asked if I could jump in on an orthopedic case. My response was to immediately scrub in. The circumstances helped the team develop a confidence in me from the very beginning and accept me more quickly.” In addition, you will likely work with a greater number of mobile colleagues in rural areas than you may in urban settings. Notes Ron, “The other tech here is a traveler, as is the new circulating nurse. We’ve all come together and worked as a team very well. It is a nice environment and everyone here is great.” Of course, while developing a rapport with your peers is always a necessary step in establishing yourself in a new assignment, the task takes on a unique perspective in a rural town. “In a small community, there is a great likelihood that the patient is a friend, neighbor, or family member of one of your colleagues, which makes everything a bit more personal,” Ron explains. “Also, they expect their community hospital to be just as good as those in big cities, and there is no reason it should not be.” A welcomed change of pace Professional Overview: Perioperative Nurses 40,000 nurses belong to Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) More than one-third of respondents to the 2008 AORN Salary Survey have earned a BSN Perioperative nurses practicing in acute care hospitals (general/ community) earned an average of $59,900, and those employed in ambulatory surgery centers (general/community) cashed in at an annual average salary of $55,800 Sources: Association of periOperative Registered Nurses [AORN]. (2009, February). Results of the 2008 AORN Salary Survey, Corrections. AORN Journal, 89(2), 267. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from http://www.aornjournal.org/ article/S0001-2092(08)00774-6/abstract; AORN. (n.d.). Who we are. Retrieved February 16, 2009, from http://www.aorn.org/AboutAORN/WhoWeAre For 17 years, Claire Boulanger, RN, enjoyed practicing in the OR of a teaching hospital in Texas. “There came a time, however, that I felt like I was stuck in a rut. I was doing the same thing over and over again with no variety in my days.” That is when Claire remembered the words of advice from her father. She explains, “My dad was a surgeon, and he said that nursing had so many career options, like traveling.” So 12 months ago, Claire signed up with West Chester, Ohio-based Advantage RN and began accepting contracts. First, she headed to Providence, Rhode Island. Afterward she moved on to New Bern, North Carolina, the second oldest city in the state, where she just wrapped up a 3-month assignment. The county seat, with a population of 28,170, supports the 313-bed Craven Regional Medical Center. “It has 14 ORs that are kept busy by many cases from outlying towns.” www.healthcaretraveler.com 20 Healthcare Traveler March 2009 http://www.aornjournal.org/article/S0001-2092(08)00774-6/abstract http://www.aornjournal.org/article/S0001-2092(08)00774-6/abstract http://www.aorn.org/AboutAORN/WhoWeAre http://www.healthcaretraveler.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Traveler - March 2009

Healthcare Traveler - March 2009 Editor’s Desk Contents Paws for Thought Field Notes Company Corner In a Flash Rural ORs Balancing Act Clinical Highlights Drug Update On Assignment Cityscape Name It Tax Facts Big Deals Advertisers’ Index Going the Distance Contest Rules Allied Corner Classifieds Tales from the Road

Healthcare Traveler - March 2009

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