State licensure

Don’t let the up-front cost and required paperwork deter you from applying for state licensure in warmer weather states. More often than not, reimbursement is available. Having a state license in Florida, Louisiana, or California will give you a leg up when hospitals need the extra help and are ready to hire. Other warmer climate state licenses you may want to pursue include Nevada and Tennessee. For more information, visit the licensing section of our website.

Timing

As I mentioned, it is never too early to start planning ahead. If you are looking to land somewhere specific, make your recruiter aware. Be up front and honest about your goals so they have you on speed dial when openings arise.

Flexibility

If location is your top priority, it may require flexibility with other preferences. Some of those preferences may include shift, job duties, working weekends, or compensation. If soaking up extra vitamin D is high on your list, evaluate what other job specifications are most important to you.

If an opportunity presents itself , take advantage and lock in your warm winter before fall is upon us. Do not hesitate to reach out to your Aureus recruiter if you have questions or want to learn more about what you can do to secure your next assignment!

Mary Claire Rice is a Team Lead for the Medical Laboratory division at Aureus Medical Group.

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1. Write (in pen!)

There are a couple different approaches to this one. You can take the time to journal your thoughts. Journaling can be a very grounding exercise to help sort out your thoughts and get to the root of what specifically is overwhelming you, and maybe knowing the root is a helpful starting point. Write a letter to a friend or family member. Even though you can’t see loved ones other than virtually, you can still connect with them the old-fashioned way. The exciting “I got snail mail!” feeling never goes away. It might help you feel better to know you’re making someone you love happy, too.

2. Meditate

Meditation can be tricky when you first start, but it’s worth a try. Extensive studies have shown that people who meditate generally lead happier lives than those who don’t. Meditation enhances the flow of constructive thoughts and positive emotions. Even a few minutes spent meditating regularly can make a big difference. Scientific evidence supports this claim: extensive studies were conducted on a group of Buddhist monks as they were meditating. The pre-frontal cortex of the monks’ brains (the part associated with happiness) was found to be extra active. For guided meditation, many apps are available for download via Apple and Android including Headspace, Calm, and Mindfulness.

3. Update Your Notification Settings

One of the reasons I’ve been feeling overwhelmed is based upon how much information is coming at me all day. Between Apple News, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, it’s a lot to filter through! The sheer volume of information, especially the subject matter we have been hearing about lately, can drag you down. Don’t get me wrong, there’s value in staying informed. If you find yourself feeling more anxious than normal, I’d recommend adjusting those notification settings on your phone so you can control when you see news–whether it’s good or bad. This leads me to the next tip…

4. Change Your Feed to Positive

There are so many places you can subscribe to for good news. John Krasinski from The Office put together a limited series called “Some Good News”, and you can find episodes on YouTube. It’s lighthearted and fun, and focuses on the good in the world. Other news outlets that boast about good news include the Good News Section on HuffPost, and the Humankind section on USA Today. The goals of these outlets are to give you the warm-and-fuzzies, which we all need sometimes! They’ve been helpful for me to follow along with.

5. Get Lost in a Story

My particular favorite stories to get lost in are books. I like thrillers and fiction and biographies and fantasies (hello, Harry Potter.) I find that keeping my mind occupied and caught up in something other than reality is a nice break. If reading is not for you, there are so many accessible TV shows, podcasts, and movies right at our fingertips. Audible.com is a website that enables people to listen to books on tape, and sometimes, it’s the author reading the book they wrote! If you sign up, you get your first three books for free. Podcasts can be found on Audible as well as Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Netflix and Hulu have what seems like endless hours of content for entertainment. According to Business Insider, it would take a person over four years and 36,000 hours to complete watching everything on Netflix.

I hope this information is helpful to you. The news of current affairs can be overwhelming, and it’s important to take care of yourself. As an Aureus Medical employee, temporary blogger, and human being, I appreciate all you have been doing working on the front lines. Please know your dedication to your careers and to your communities does not go unnoticed. Cheers to looking up from here!

DISCLAIMER: This is for informational, educational, and marketing purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice, and is not a substitute for professional therapy, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician, mental health professional, or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical/mental health condition.

Sara Goldsmith is a Team Lead for the Medical Laboratory division at Aureus Medical Group.

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We all know the phrase “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” but how does that apply to your assignment?

The Hospital

Showing up on your first day of a new job, whether as a traveler or not, can be scary. There is so much to learn; from the policies, to where to park, to where the nearest break room is located. The key though is to take it all in, ask questions when you need clarification, but ultimately understanding you’re a guest in someone else’s house. You will quickly start to pick up on how things are done and you might even be able to make your own changes. On day one, meeting people and learning their way is the best thing you can do.

The Staff

We all have had that one coworker who you may not “mesh” with. They may talk too much, make a lot of mistakes, call out sick, complain, etc. However, at the end of the day, keeping a positive mindset and focusing on you and the greater picture is all we can do to move beyond personality conflicts. This applies to the life of a traveler. You are now in a new place with a team of people who all have worked together for a while, so knowing how to adjust and maybe even change your mindset will only help set you up for success. One tip I’ve learned from one of our travelers is to make it a goal to learn something new from each person in the hospital. They may do things differently but at the end of the day, you can learn something from them and you might come to find out that you have more in common than you think!

The Town

There is no way to describe the feeling you get when you show up to a place that you know very little about. Where do you go to eat? What do you do for fun? Which areas of town should you avoid? What are they most known for? These are questions we ask ourselves anytime we go somewhere new, so how do you answer them? As a recruiter, I enjoy when travelers tell me about their exciting journeys, send me pictures, or have a funny story about a local hotspot. Checking out the local tourist center, asking the hospital staff for recommendations as well as the locals are some of the ideas I hear from people on a daily basis. These towns may have more to offer than one would think, so keeping an open mind and going in with no expectations is the way to go.  Give it your all, allow for the memories to be made, and keep that positive mindset. If you do these things, you will have an amazing experience as a traveler!

Nick Rieschl is a Team Lead in the Medical Laboratory division of Aureus Medical Group. 

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I decided to survey random friends and family members last week to see who they thought would be considered “medical laboratory professionals.”

• All of them described an individual that draws their blood when they go to a clinic.
• Some of them described the person that collects a urine sample for a drug screen.
• A couple of them believed it would include their physician.

I wasn’t too surprised to hear these results.  Their answers illustrated a need for more information on the clinical laboratory industry.

Outside of phlebotomists and medical assistants, a few positions the general public might not be aware of are med tech, histotech, cytotech, or pathology assistants. This is largely because these roles rarely involve patient interaction. Most individuals are not aware of the crucial steps that occur between giving a blood sample and their physician or physician’s assistant disclosing the results. These professionals, some of which have spent six plus years in college to learn their trade, help improve our lives on a daily basis. It appears that a majority of people do not know they even exist. The breakdown below provides a brief explanation of what each clinical laboratory professional does:

• Medical Assistant: Complete administrative and clinical tasks in the offices of physicians, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities.
• Phlebotomist: Draw blood for tests, transfusions, research, or blood donations.
• Medical Laboratory Technician/Medical Technologist: Collect samples and perform tests to analyze body fluids, tissue, and other substances.
• Histotechnician/Histotechnologist: Prepares human body tissue for examination of disease.
• Cytotechnologist: Examine cellular samples under a microscope to determine the presence of disease.
• Pathology Assistant: Responsible for the gross examination and dissection of anatomic pathology specimens and the performance of postmortem examinations.

This year, I would like to give a personal “thank you” to all medical laboratory professionals. You dedicate your lives to the improvement of others without the recognition you deserve. I would like to include a friendly challenge too. I encourage everyone reading this to ask your friends and family members the same question I asked mine. If they are not familiar with med techs, histotechs, cytotechs, or pathology assistants, try to educate them. If you are not familiar with what they do yet, jump on the internet and spend some time learning about what each of them do. Explain to your friends and family members that prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of disease help save lives, maybe even their own. Let’s work together to educate others on how vital these roles are to healthcare, and maybe we can shine a brighter light on these individuals moving forward.

Rob Hagedorn is a Branch Manager for the Medical Laboratory division of Aureus Medical Group.

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Maybe you got some information from the city’s tourism website. But those websites are directed at tourists and vacationers. You’re not a tourist. You’re not on vacation. You are a traveler. You are a professional who’s uprooted your entire life to take a job in a new place.

How do you make sure you get the most out of your assignment or new job culturally? Does it really matter? YES. What do you do when you’re not at work? Some people enjoy staying in and reading. Some people enjoy going to work out. Whatever it is you do to enjoy your free time, one thing is for certain: the people you’re surrounded by are going to shape a majority of your experience on assignment or in your new city.

I have done three cross-country relocations in the past nine years. Packing up all my things and dealing with the logistics is one thing. The most difficult part for me, though, is figuring out how to fit into the culture in my new city. I’m naturally an extroverted person; that being said, I always found it tough to connect with the people and their values in a new place when I first arrived.

Here are some steps I highly recommend to make sure you’re staying true to yourself but also to make sure you learn to love where you live.

Find a friend at work

The people you work alongside understand what it’s like to live there. They know the best place for a burger, the best grocery store to go to, and even know which roads to take at certain times of the day to avoid traffic. They probably know some details about fun traditions or activities that you may not know. Ask for advice or recommendations and then ask them to join you. This may be outside your comfort zone, but I’m willing to bet that you’ll make a friend out of it.

Join a gym/art studio/library/yoga studio

Just join something. Sure, you might be there on assignment for a limited time. But chances are, you will be able to bond with people who have the same shared interests as you. And if you don’t bond with anyone initially, that’s okay too. Being in a type of environment that fosters exercise, creativity, or learning can be extremely helpful in trying to adjust to your new surroundings.

Drink the juice

I relocated to Omaha, Nebraska from the San Francisco Bay Area almost five years ago. I’ve always been a sports fan, and considered myself pretty knowledgeable about the teams I aligned myself with. NOT COMPARED TO NEBRASKANS AND THEIR CORNHUSKERS. When I moved to Nebraska, it became very clear very quickly that Saturdays were devoted to Cornhusker football. Even in the off-season, people seemed to still care about this team. I was completely thrown off by how committed their fans were when I first moved here. Then I started paying attention to games, and making friends with people who committed to this team. Not every single Nebraskan is a huge fan, but many are. And it’s fun. I decided to become a fan. I drank the juice; it’s part of the culture here, and I have become even happier with my relocation because of it.

Ultimately, to be happy, you must bloom where you are planted. These are some steps that have helped me, and I hope you get something from them. The culture of your new place can be a huge change. Even the words you use can be different. (I now use the word “pop” instead of “soda.”) But change is a good thing, and it helps each of us grow, not only in our professional lives, but also in our personal ones.

Sara Goldsmith is a Team Lead for the Medical Laboratory division of Aureus Medical Group. 

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Assignment requirements

First, make sure you have a clear understanding of the facility’s orientation process, what your job duties include, and what the hiring manager expects from you for the duration of the assignment. Do not forget to ask about shift or float requirements. The more you know about the assignment’s requirements, the less likely you will be blindsided once you arrive at the assignment.

Facility/shift questions

Also, ask questions about the facility and the surrounding areas. This shows the hiring manager you are interested in the assignment. It also gives you more information on what to expect while you are there. Make sure to verify the facility’s bed size, what type of patients they tend to get, and what type of support you will have during your shift. The hiring manager will also be able to give you insight on what temporary housing is available in the area as well as things to see and do during your stay.

Next steps

It is not uncommon for a hiring manager to extend an offer immediately after the phone interview. Before you end the call, discuss when you are available to start. Be upfront about any time off requests you may need. By having this conversation during the interview, you are speeding up the job offer process. Also, you are not losing time by going back and forth with negotiations.

Overall, use the phone interview to your advantage. Do not hang up the call until all your questions and concerns are answered. You will save yourself a lot of time, energy, and stress by being proactive during the interview process. Having a clear understanding of what to expect during the assignment will make your decision to accept the assignment much easier.

Breanna Arnold is a Team Lead for the Medical Laboratory division of Aureus Medical Group.

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Over the years, we have had the privilege of working with many of you and we are thankful for the opportunity.

Most of you have worked on temporary assignments throughout the country with Aureus. The variety of locations and settings have offered different experiences, challenges, and learning opportunities, but it’s with pride and determination that you complete your duties, looking forward to what is next.  Thank you for being a positive representative for Aureus with our clients and their patients.

Some of you have been placed in full time positions, having become a part of the hospital’s team from day one. This may be at the hospital down the street or across the country, possibly working side by side with a temporary medical laboratory professional. Thank you for trusting the Aureus team with your career.

And there are some of you who we have not had the privilege of working with yet, but look forward to it in the future!

So to all of the Medical Laboratory Professionals out there, THANK YOU!

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Contract medical professionals often spend a minimum of 13 weeks working at one particular facility. If you have been traveling for five years, you may have worked within 20 different facilities, 20 different towns – maybe even 20 different states! It is possible you have been asked to extend a contract, or maybe, have revisited a past contract’s facility. These undertakings are products of networking. Networking through which you established strong working relationships as a product of your success as a medical professional.

As a traveler you are a chameleon to your surroundings – whether it is procedure, culture or climate. No two hospitals are the same. Many times you are the unsung hero, helping when needed and rising to the occasion where staff might be spread thin. Taking advantage of the resources, or rather, the network around you to perform to the best of your abilities not only gets the job done, but aids in your search when you are looking to secure your next contract. Those 5 star ratings go far!

Most likely you haven’t been a traveler your entire professional career. How did you become a traveler? Maybe one of your co-workers decided to travel and they referred you. How did you secure your current contract? Maybe a past supervisor landed a job at a new facility and needed your help covering a medical leave. The lesson here: Continue to develop relationships, giving each contract your best version and you’re sure to find success in the world of medical traveling professionals. It is hard to deny—good, old-fashioned networking is the real MVP.

Karoline Haskell is a Team Lead for the Medical Laboratory division of Aureus Medical Group.

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Pet fees
Aureus does not cover pet fees. Pet fees vary depending on the area and the apartment/hotel. Some travelers move right into an apartment and majority of the time there is a non-refundable pet fee that the traveler is required to pay. Other times our traveler will start off in a hotel. You will then be required to pay any pet fees associated with the hotel AND the apartment that you move in. Most hotels charge a daily pet fee and some of these hotels have an amount that you max out at. You could be switching assignments every 13 weeks (if you do not extend) so it is important to make sure that you are okay with paying all associated pet fees when starting a new assignment.

Whose name does the lease go under?
Good question! If the animal is under 40 lbs then the lease will still go under Aureus. If your pet is heavier than 40 lbs then it is important to note that the lease will have to go in your name. Aureus can still pay for your apartment directly but the lease will need to go under your name. If your animal falls on our “dangerous breeds” list then you will need to set up housing on your own. In this situation, you can choose to take a living per diem or being reimbursed weekly. Ask your Account Manager or Recruiter for this list. I would also recommend that you have your vet records ready to go as they will need to be kept on file.

Hotels
If your pet is under 40 lbs then you really do not have to worry about this part! If your pet is over 40 lbs then Aureus can make the reservation for you but we cannot pay directly for it. Aureus can reimburse the traveler but again we cannot pay for your hotel room directly.

You can also check out our video on traveling with pets for additional tips. Life on the road can get a bit lonely from time to time and having your furry companion with you might make the transition easier! As long as you are aware of our guidelines up front and okay with all the extra steps that go along with bringing your pet, then please feel free to bring them along for the adventure.

Emilee Krzyzanowski is an Account Manager for the Medical Laboratory division of Aureus Medical Group.

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Travelers prevent burnout. The hospitals and laboratories that are often in need of staffing services are in dire straits; they’re limited on staff; they’re overworked and tired. Travelers come in like a breath of fresh air, with positive attitudes and willingness to relieve the full-time staff. They help keep everyone on their toes. Other professionals often look to them to see how they’ve changed their co-worker’s attitudes. Travelers take much of the stress and worry off of the managers because they know that they can take care of the laboratory while they attend to re-staffing their hospital.

Travelers make an impact on patient care. Whether it’s a Nurse or a Technologist, many staff in the hospital work with patients on a daily basis to provide quality patient care. They bring their ‘A Game’ and can focus on the tasks ahead of them. They also impact other staff, providing much needed relief to their lives and preventing the stress from impacting their care.

Medical Technologists will often ask before an interview, “I’ve used all of this equipment! Should I explain my proficiency and tell them about my experience?” The answer is always yes. Laboratories are full of complex equipment, with procedures and protocols that take time to learn. It’s difficult to keep up at times! Travelers can come into the lab and provide a new level of expertise to these systems, especially when labs get new equipment. Experience with LIS programs and analyzers can help train other professionals and provide a level of learning unparalleled with a manual.

Many travelers possess the skill of independence. It sounds great in theory, but it’s difficult in practice. A lot of Med Techs on the road chose to go that route because they’re good at working alone because they’re self-reliant and can work toward goals without the help of others. All travelers require training and time to learn new things, but many can work by themselves with a good support system in place for guidance and questions. Having a skill like this not only speaks to their level of professionalism, but also to their own self sufficient career aspirations.

Med Techs who work in the lab also inspire others. Coworkers look at their lives and think about the idea of being in their shoes. Combined with a great attitude, quality patient care and expertise are all qualities worthy of being looked up to. There are many great things to say about travelers. They work hard and are essential in helping the laboratory and hospital function. Travelers inspire others to learn more, work harder, and make an impact in every hospital they work with. It’s easy to see the glamour of a living on the road, but if we measured the impact of every traveler on each life they touch, we could see they make the world a better place.

Reva Baumann is an Account Manager for the Medical Laboratory division of Aureus Medical Group.

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