Much longer than a vacation and shorter than a relocation, hitting the road with everything you need for a successful 13-week travel assignment requires planning. Make sure to include these on your list of must-haves.

#1 - Go with an open mind.
A flexible attitude will get you through those unexpected and inevitable challenges that come with any adventure.

“I always tell people getting into the travel profession that while they can count on Onward to back them when they need it, they should understand that there will always be something that doesn’t go 100% the way they want it to go. The people who have that flexible mindset often have great travel experiences, despite any hurdles they may encounter,” says Onward Healthcare Corporate Trainer Cassandra Lindquist.
 
#2 - Be comfortable in your own skin.
It takes time to become part of an established nursing team and social network; so, travelers should be prepared for some alone time.

“Travelers need to be able to operate without a lot of assistance, whether it’s on the job or during their off time. Those self-starters do well, versus people who thrive on immediate attention or appreciation,” Lindquist says.

#3 - Find out what’s included and what’s not in your housing, and pack accordingly.
Housing in an extended stay type environment includes household items, such as pots, pans, forks and drinking glasses. But housing in an apartment usually does not. Ask your recruiter whether you need to bring a blender, microwave, garbage can, alarm clock, hair dryer, etc. If you don’t want to bring everything with you, consider purchasing household odds and ends and gadgets at a discount retailer when you arrive. Some travelers purchase these items when they arrive on assignment and donate them before they leave to get the tax-deduction.

(Don’t worry about furniture. Most housing comes with all the furniture you’ll need, as well as a television. But you’ll need to bring bed linens, towels, hangers …. Don’t forget the cell phone, computer and consider bringing a scanner, which allows you to send time sheets to your recruiter without the hassle of finding a local fax machine.)
 
#4 - Keep personal paperwork within reach.
Lindquist tells travelers that they should bring copies of what they’ve submitted to Onward, including medical documentation and licensure, in case a hospital requests it. It’s also good to bring other personal information, such as bank statement documentation.

#5 - Have cash on hand.
You’ll want to bring cash along, just as you would for any long vacation. Lindquist recommends that travelers consider banking with national banks, so that they have better access to their money and ATMs from most travel destinations.

#6 - Be prepared with the essentials.
Ask your recruiter about the weather conditions at your travel destination and pack clothing that will keep you appropriately warm, cool and comfortable. If you’re driving, prepare for the road. Keep up on your vehicle’s maintenance and prepare for changing weather conditions by getting all-season or all-weather tires.

Most of all, pack a good dose of excitement for your upcoming journey!

By Lisette Hilton, Featured Contributor

A Message to all Onward Healthcare Working Professionals

In order to receive your weekly paycheck on time during the upcoming holiday week, a completed timesheet must be submitted via fax to 800-970-5001 no later than Sunday, June 29th at 10:00am EST.

Hours reported after the deadline or timesheets with errors will not be processed until the following week’s payroll.  Our offices will be closed on Friday, July 4.  As always, we thank you for your cooperation! If you have any questions, please contact:

Adele Calbick | Director of Payroll
1-800-278-0332 x3149 | acalbick@onwardhealthcare.com

Onward Healthcare was pleased to launch a dedicated Clinical Research Staffing Division, Onward CRS, in September of 2007 that provides qualified professionals and full-service support to the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries.  Over the past few month’s we have received handfuls of inquiries from our professionals, wanting to learn more about a career in clinical research.  Thus, we asked our vice-president of Onward CRS, Connie Colonnese, to answer some of the most common questions related to a clinical research career:

#1- What kind of experience do healthcare professionals need to get involved in clinical research?

There is a small hurdle for candidates who want to move into a Clinical Research (CR) arena but lack CR experience. It is similar to an RN who wants to work in an ER or ICU setting but doesn’t have previous experience. How do you go about getting the experience if all positions require previous experience?

Exposure to CR is the first step into the field and can occur:

• while at an academic setting, e.g., at a university where CR trials are being performed
• while working with MD’s, PhD’s or Pharm D’s that are conducting CR at their clinic or office location
• while caring for a patient who is hospitalized, or being cared for by a healthcare provider, and that patient is participating in a CR trial as a volunteer
• via certification courses (CCRA / CCRC), which are available online and through various institutions such as ACRP (Association for Clinical Research Professionals)

Certainly previous CR experience is always key, but specializing in a particular area of healthcare is also very beneficial.  If you obtain oncology, pediatric, ICU / ER, dialysis, transplant, data management / medical coding experience, you can market yourself to clinical research organizations (CROs), clinics and hospitals, as they will often be willing to hire and train candidates with these specialties who lack CR experience. Although a nursing or allied healthcare background is always helpful, many CR positions do not require a medical background.

#2- Where do you see the biggest needs for clinical research professionals?

Hospitals, clinics and academic settings tend to be our primary clients.

Currently, many of these clients are asking for clinical research (CR) nurses / nurse practitioners with oncology experience to fill CR nurse / coordinator positions. The required background preferably includes an OCN certification, as well as CR experience with pharma / biotech sponsored protocols. As cancer focused research continues to dominate the CR field, these positions will continue to be available.

While Onward CRS is very interested in speaking with RNs / NPs who have oncology and CR experience, we are also looking for candidates who lack the CR requirement but have a strong oncology background, as some of our clients are willing to provide the CR training element for the position.

#3- What are the advantages to doing a Clinical Research assignment on a contract basis?

There are numerous advantages to working on a contract basis; possibly the best being the opportunity to evaluate first hand if a CR setting is somewhere you feel comfortable and think it is the best way for you to reach your career goals before you commit long-term. While some of our clients are interested only in temp/contract professionals, many will consider moving a contract assignment to a perm position, especially after a successful experience with the candidate.

Additionally, contract positions allow for increased exposure to various therapeutic areas, as well as a diversified approach to clinical research depending on the setting and patient populations involved.

Onward Healthcare is proud to be among the elite healthcare staffing agencies who are certified by the Joint Commission! Big preparations are underway for our recertification survey this summer, which will prove our continued commitment to quality healthcare.  We are currently in the window for this unannounced survey that will occur sometime between now and August, 2008.

All Onward employees, including you (our field staff) have a significant role in preparing for the Joint Commission survey. Please review your employee handbook regarding our mission, orientation process, how to contact us in the event of an emergency, and an incident reporting, etc. It is possible that you may be selected to participate in the Joint Commission’s “tracer methodology process” where they choose selected healthcare professionals to do a brief phone call to discuss your experience working through Onward Healthcare.

If you are selected, here is what you can expect:

• The reviewer will take 5 minutes of your time on a private phone discussion, introduce themselves to you, and provide a brief statement about the certification process and how important your feedback is.

You may be asked to describe:

• Your orientation to Onward Healthcare and to the facility you are working.
• Your experience and overall impression of us as your employer.
• Who do you contact at Onward with questions, concerns, problems or complaints.
• Your experience with floating at your facility, if you were asked to.

If you have any questions about the Joint Certification process and your role as an Onward Healthcare employee, please call our corporate director of quality management, Veronica Carter, RN, BSN at (800) 278-0332 ext. 3126 or email vcarter@onwardhealthcare.com. 

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature.... Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. "
-Helen Keller, The Open Door (1957)

Helen Keller, American author, activist and lecturer, spent the majority of her life campaigning for women's suffrage, workers' rights and socialism; however her above quote has stood the test of time and may be more relevant to today's worker than it was 50 years ago. In today's world, a career as a healthcare professional can open almost any door for you.  Nurses and allied healthcare professionals are in extremely high demand, so much so that agencies like ours focus on travel and local per diem staffing to help fill the ever growing nationwide shortage.

The result is the opportunity for nurses and allied healthcare professionals to experience a career like no other.  A career that offers a daring adventure.  A career that allows you to visit new and exciting places, while taking on a variety of roles and responsibilities.  A career that offers you the freedom to work where you want, how long you want, and to earn how much money you want.  Moreover, a career that offers all the security that would come from any permanent job. 

At Onward Healthcare, we value the work of each of our nurse and allied professionals and have created this blog as a means to display many of your daring adventures.  We hope to create a median in which we can recognize those truly inspiring tales we receive from so many of our professionals, whether it be how they conquered their dream of moving to the big city or how they took part in a procedure they never thought they would have the chance to.

My name is Steve Dobrowski and I am the marketing director for Onward Healthcare.  I will be one of the main voices who talks to you on this blog and helps bring the stories of our professionals to life.  I'll also let you know of any industry news that may interest you or impact your career, as well as what's going on with Onward Healthcare from a corporate standpoint, including news about our recruitment teams, special promotions that may benefit you, or company events where you may visit us.  What we will NOT do is use this space to try to sell you on assignments or market open positions.

The mission of the Onward Blog is to act as a resource for healthcare professionals and allow you to feel more connected to our company, as well as your fellow colleagues. We hope that you will subscribe to this feed, share it with friends, and check back weekly to see what's new in the world of nursing and therapy.  In addition, we hope that you will take the time to share your daring adventure or simply offer your feedback, as our best source of news and input is you... the professional!  Please feel free to email me your stories and suggestions at sdobrowski@onwardhealthcare.com.