In addition to work experience, obtaining and maintaining the correct certifications can put you at the top of the candidate list for that next assignment.  We have provided some DOs and DON’Ts for obtaining or renewing your certifications and licenses:

• DON’T assume every facility will accept your certification(s). Each facility has different requirements you must fulfill before starting your assignment. Your Aureus Account Manager will inform you of any and all certifications you will need prior to starting. In addition, we can help you get those certifications and provide reimbursement!
• DON’T always believe everything you see on the Internet.  Googling “BCLS” may not get you the appropriate website that provides the correct AHA information.  A lot of websites will “say” they are AHA certified, but be sure to read the fine print.  Signing up for an online class only will not give you the complete training you need to obtain a valid AHA card.
• DO be sure to go to these official websites in order to get the appropriate classes to obtain/renew your cards:
  American Heart Association
  American Red Cross
  American Safety & Health Institute
  Military certifications (no website, but all branches of the military administer these certifications)

• DO go online, to the official licensing website of the state in which you would like to travel next.  It will provide you with all the necessary information to obtain your license in a timely manner, prior to your start date.
• DO contact your Aureus Account Manager to ensure you have ALL the details on how to go through the entire process quickly and efficiently.
• DON’T assume that because you have a compact license you can automatically work in another state.  You must confirm that your active license is officially a compact license and meets that state’s requirements.  Your Account Manager can walk you through this process and guide you to NLCA’s website that lists all of the compact states and their criteria:  https://www.ncsbn.org/nlc.htm

Venturing to a new location for your next assignment is always exciting.  Your Aureus Account Manager is more than happy to guide you through the proper channels to ensure you have the correct information in getting your next certification and license.

Licensing varies from state to state. The Federation of State Medical Boards offers a directory on its website at http://www.fsmb.org/directory_smb.html for medical boards. For nursing boards and information, http://www.healthguideusa.org will help you research what’s needed for each state.  For Nurses and Nurse Practitioners it is important to know if your license is “compact”.  This means that your license can be used in certain other states without having to obtain another license. Remember that your permanent state license has to be a “compact” for this to apply.  For example, if your Michigan RN license is your permanent state license, and you obtain a Texas license, your Texas RN license is not compact because your primary license and residence is Michigan, which is not a compact state.  For Nurse Practitioners,  the same Nursing licensing rules apply.  However, you do need to obtain a Nurse Practitioner License in each state. 

When working to obtain your license, identify a contact person at the board to be in contact with. Be sure to ask how long will the process take, based on a best case scenario.  To ensure the best-case scenario, here are a few recommendations: 

• Gather all the information you need prior to sending.
• Share any malpractice claims or actions.
• If primary source verification is needed you can help the situation by coordinating the sources,
• Be in contact with all parties involved, education, licensing, employers, etc. 
• Be thorough when reading the paperwork – fill in all the blanks and pay attention to each state’s guidelines. 
• Be prepared to pay some fees, application costs, verification fees, faxing, shipping, etc.

Remember that the state licensing boards are not customer service agencies, it is not their job to remind you to have all the information or let you know if something is missing.  Following these simple recommendations can help you be prepared for whatever new and exciting adventures await.

This is the perfect time to start planning and thinking about your fall/winter travel destination for your next assignment! In order to be prepared by having the required license and certifications and being available for when our seasonal winter needs become available, now is the time to start talking with your recruiter about where you are interested in going. 

Some seasonal areas, such as Florida, can have a lengthy state license process, up to 6 weeks. We are already in communications with our hospitals about what their expected needs are for this coming fall/winter.  We are anticipating needs from North to South and from the Gulf to the Atlantic in all modalities – no one will be left out!  These needs will start being released in August and can last thru Spring.

We are already getting some needs for Arizona with some starting as early as August and going thru January.  Arizona is a compact state or you can obtain a license in approximately 2 weeks.They are asking for help in all nursing modalities.

Another great spot to be? Southern California! This is another state where you need to look ahead as the licensure can take up to 5 weeks to obtain. This is a highly desired area and the assignments are anticipated to start in October! 

As always, it is our goal to keep you on assignment continuously. The best way to ensure that is to be in constant communication with you and informed on where you want to go next.  The more time we have to work with, the faster we can go to work in finding your desired position. Being able to plan your fall/winter assignment, especially in planning around the holidays, is a huge advantage.

• Know the expiration dates of each license. Seems easy, but when you have multiple licenses, it can be difficult to remember when you got each one. Use a reminder system to alert you a few months before the expiration date.
• Keep the contact information for each state’s Board of Nursing, including phone number and web address.
• Notify the Board of Nursing of any address changes. Reminders are sometimes sent so make sure they know where to send them.
• Visit the website for the Board of Nursing in the state that you need. Here, you can see the instructions to renew your licenses. In some instances, this can be done on-line. You can also verify the status of your license.
• Begin the renewal process before your license expires. After your license lapses, it can take much longer to get a new one. Allow 3-4 months.  For example, in one state, if you renew while your license is still active, your renewal is processed in 8 days. Miss the deadline by even 1 day and you are going to wait up to 6 weeks.
• If you are carrying a multi-state license (compact), be sure to verify the state you intend to go to will accept a compact license. If you move out of your primary state, the license will no longer be compact.
• Utilize your Aureus Account Manager. When discussing your next assignment, ask about licensure requirements and time frames. We are here to help!
• Lastly, make sure you have completed the requirements for continuing education. Take advantage of annual CEU reimbursements offered by Aureus!

Logan Hendrickson, Branch Manager-Nursing

Logan Hendrickson is a Branch Manager for the Nursing Division of Aureus Medical Group. He joined C&A Industries, the parent company of Aureus Medical, in January of 2005, where he began his career as a Staffing Supervisor.  Since then he has received promotions to Team Leader and to Branch Manager, the position which he currently holds. Logan has extensive experience in recruiting, hiring, developing work teams, performance counseling, and problem solving. An advocate of continuing education, one of Logan’s greatest accomplishments was receiving his MBA, which he began and finished while working for C&A Industries.