Well, my wife and I are officially off vacation and ready to get back to work. While we enjoy traveling the world, we also love getting back to work and making a difference. We have arrived for our three month assignment in California. What is unique here is that this is out first travel assignment where we did not take corporate housing provided by our company. We did our own research and went on a website called furnishedfinder.com. There are definitely other websites you can use as well. Once we found the home we liked, we called the owners to get more information.

In the end, we were able to find a great studio apartment just a few miles from the hospital we will be working at. It is a beautiful unit in a nice area. To say the least, we made a good decision. We will also be saving some extra money because our monthly housing costs are less than our stipends. There was definitely more work upfront, as we had to do our own calling and also set up payments upfront. However, it has been worth it so far. The place we have now is certainly superior to the housing we had in the past. I am not saying it was bad in the past, because it certainly wasn’t.

While finding your own housing as a traveling nurse can be more time consuming at the beginning, it can definitely be worth it in the end. It certainly has been for us.

So you’ve read a book about the world?

Good for you.

I guess you’ll be able to tell me the land mass to water area of Earth?

But can you tell me what it feels like to swim in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?

So you’ve read a book about the world?

Good for you.

I guess you can tell me the elevation of the highest mountain peaks?

But can you tell me what it feels to stand on top of the Swiss Alps?

So you’ve read a book about the world?

Good for you.

I guess you can talk about some famous artists?

But can you tell me how it feels to stand and look up at the magnificence of the Sistine Chapel?

So you’ve read a book about the world?

Good for you.

I guess you can regurgitate a history book?

But can you tell me what it feels like to stand in the middle of the Gettysburg Cemetery, surrounded by the graves of so many deceased soldiers?

So you’ve read a book about the world?

Good for you.

I guess you can tell me about the different foods in the world?

But can you describe to me the taste of a deliciousness lasagna, while sitting in a restaurant in the middle of Rome?

So you’ve read a book?

That’s great!

I love books too.

But what I love more, is experiencing what I’ve read in real life.

So you’ve read a book about the world?

I’ve lived it.

This is a burger joint in Sydney, Australia. We tried the one in Darling Harbor. I am not sure if they have other locations or not. I will say this though: it is a fantastic burger joint and I will definitely rank this in my top five of all of the chain burger joints. I may even put it as high as 1 or 2. There is one other burger joint that I love and if you read my blog about the top burger places, you will know which one I’m talking about.

What can I say, the burgers are just great. I tried their classic Berry Burger with their special sauce. It was juice, flavorful and delicious. I ate it about 20 minutes after buying it. So it may taste even better fresh. Overall, a great place to try.

The Travel Bug
Ankit Shukla

Travel Bug: The Most Contagious Disease
Going around the world, coast to coast, sea to sea, there are many illnesses out there that strike people. These illnesses may devastate people and even those closest to them. I will not be discussing these devastating illnesses today. What we will discuss right here, right now, is one of the most contagious diseases on the planet. Also, it is in no way devastating. Unless we are talking about your bank account. The travel bug is something that never goes away once you have it.

My Own Experience
When I was a young boy growing up in Nevada, my traveling experience was very limited. With the lack of resources and money, it just was not an option at the time. Finally, when I was 15, I traveled with my dad to my birth country of India. It was truly a unique experience and something I had never seen before. I did not realize it at the time, but I would be riddled with an illness that I would never be able to get rid of.
After this point, I had the travel bug. It grew slowly over the years, and by the time I was in my early twenties, it was full-blown. I would travel anywhere I could. Road trips were some of my favorite adventures. In fact, they still are to this day. I have never been able to get rid of the traveling bug, and I never will. The only thing I can do is manage it, so it does not completely destroy my bank account. I just have to figure out how to travel for me and I am set for life.

Managing The Travel Bug
While the travel bug is the most exciting illness to be stricken with, it is still quite expensive and can heavily weigh down on your bank account. There really is no cure for the travel bug. The only antidote is a heavy dose of leaving your neighborhood and seeing the world. Take small trips or go to the other side of the world. This will be your only recourse for battling this contagious disease.
Every few months, or whenever you can manage, take a trip out of your local neighborhood. This could just be a road trip to a nearby town, a flight across the world, or anything in between. There is no cure, but traveling can at least help relieve the symptoms. The worst thing that can happen is the inevitable hit to your savings. Don’t worry though, manage your trips with the resources you have and remember that memories last longer than money.

Conclusion.
In the end, getting stricken with the traveling bug was one of the greatest things to have happened to me. It forced me to see the world and get out of my comfort zone. If you have the travel bug, feel blessed, because you are on your way to experiencing the beautiful world, we live in. Enjoy the traveling bug, but certainly, do not let it take over you. The travel bug is contagious, but I cannot think of a better illness to be stricken with.

Ok, so I write this with some sadness because we are currently on an 18 day Transpacific cruise, and we have just one day left. 😢😢😢. Soon, it will be back to reality. However, my reality is quite good, so I won’t complain too much. Nevertheless, this was an amazing adventure and we are forever grateful. My wife and I had the time of our lives, visited some beautiful places and met some great people. It was all that we had hoped for.

This was officially our second cruise and we plan on doing more in the future. We have actually already booked another one for next year, but we’ll discuss that later. The main thing I wanted to discuss here is the most noticeable difference: the ship size. For this cruise, we were on the Radiance of the sea, with Royal Caribbean. During the last cruise, we were on the Oasis, which was significantly bigger. The extreme size difference was noticeable right from the start. Both of these ships are great and massive in their own right, however, comparing the two would really be like comparing the Eiffel Tower in Paris to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

The question is, which one is better. Truth be told, each ship has its advantages. With the Radiance, you will likely be able to go to more far off destinations. Most of the massive ships like the Oasis do not travel the extreme distances that the smaller ones can. With the Radiance, you will also see people you know on a regular basis. Since the ship is much smaller with less people, you will likely run into people that you’ve met on the cruise multiple times. With the Oasis, the ship was so big that we would almost never see anyone twice. While on the Radiance, there was not a day that went by where I did not run into two or three people that I knew. Keep in mind, this does not count the assigned cabin crew and waiters.

With all of the great things that the Radiance has to offer, from great restaurants, activities, people, views and destinations, etc., it is still a much smaller ship than the Oasis. That being said, this major size difference comes with some disadvantages. First of all, with all that the smaller ship has available, it is pale in comparison to the much larger ships. This is just a given. We’re not taking anything away from the Radiance, but try to compare it to the Oasis is this regard, is basically a lost battle. Disneyland and Disney World are both great destinations, but due to the size difference, Disney World will have significantly more to do. Also, with the Oasis, you do not feel the ship moving. One of the main things we noticed immediately on the Radiance, is the rocking back and forth of the ship. You definitely feel the motion of the water and if you are someone that gets motion sickness easily, definitely take the proper precautions. There are several types of medications you can take to help with motion sickness. Plus, by the second day, the movement of the ship was not nearly as bothersome. Except for a few days where the waves were quite large. Even with this, we got used to it with time.

While on the Oasis, we sometimes forgot that we were on the water. With the size of this massive ship, the movement is barely noticeable, if at all. It does make a huge difference. If you can avoid motion sickness, this is a huge advantage.

Based on some of these differences, the question is, do we prefer the big ship or small ship? If we had to choose, we would 100 percent choose the bigger ship. The size, capacity, stableness and activities available just make it a much better fit for us. We will not always have the option of taking a bigger ship, because some destinations just don’t have them available. That being said, both the Radiance and Oasis with Royal Caribbean are amazing ships and you will not be disappointed with either. Enjoy and get ready to set sail.

I recall reading a story a while back about a young nurse who killed herself due to excessive bullying that she was receiving at work. If I remember correctly, she was working as a psych nurse. A bunch of the other nurses on the unit were bullying her so bad that she killed herself. How ironic is that? You would think that psych nurses would know better. Now, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that their intention was not to push this girl so far to the edge that she ended her life. In fact, I’m pretty certain it wasn’t. Of course, that does not in any way excuse them or make what they did any less repulsive.

This story shined the light on something that many of us who work in healthcare already knew. The excessive bullying of coworkers in the healthcare setting is quite real and completely unacceptable. While I believe suicide is never the answer to escape one’s problems; I also believe that no one should ever be pushed to the point that they feel this is the only way out.

A person has enough to deal with at work without having to listen to the taunting, mocking, name calling and down right abuse from their colleagues. These are the people that are supposed to provide support. Instead, they create a toxic work environment that is unbearable to deal with. It is truly not acceptable. Healthcare workers are there to provide patient care, not deal with ridiculous drama from other staff members. It’s even worse when management is the one creating it.

Why do we need to behave this way? What benefit does someone get by treating another person poorly? Why can’t we just be more kind? If you see your coworker struggling, instead of mocking or looking down on them, lend them a helping hand. If you see other people engaged in bullying, don’t feel like you have to jump in, because you don’t. Stand up for others who are unable to stand up for themselves. Kindness does go a long way. Bullying certainly exists and it always will. Unfortunately, many people never leave that high school mindset. Their only relief seems to be taking the joy out of others. It does not have to be this way and none of us have to behave like them.

If you are someone who is experiencing bullying, reach out for help. Set boundaries and communicate with your coworkers and those who you trust. Seek the assistance of organizations in your area or your facility that can help you. You don’t just have to take it. You shouldn’t just have to take it. If you are a bully, then take a long look at yourself in the mirror and see what your shortcomings are. Why are you acting this way towards others? We all have them, but it does not make us any less important as people. Also, having issues in our own lives does not give us the right to treat others poorly. In the end, it is better to be kind and help avoid tragedies like what happened to the unfortunate young nurse from earlier.

I recall a moment while working in Las Vegas a couple of years back. I won’t mention specifics, but someone I am close to was being verbally berated by a patient nonstop. After some time, the hospital administrators came down and literally asked the patient to pack his bags and get ready to leave the hospital. They made it clear to him that his behavior towards the staff was not acceptable and would not be tolerated. They preceded to get security to escort him out. This was a great thing for me to hear.

I remember seeing signs at that very same hospital stating that physically assaulting a healthcare worker could result in 10 years of imprisonment. Sounds pretty reasonable, right? I mean, why wouldn’t a person go to jail for striking a healthcare worker? If I were on the street and assaulted somebody, I would be arrested. Heck, even if I threatened somebody, I would be arrested. That being said, a person should also be arrested if they assault a healthcare worker. It just makes sense.

So, why then, do I constantly hear stories of patients around the country physically abusing healthcare workers and getting away with it. I have even witnessed this with my own eyes. Healthcare workers are assaulted many times, and the perpetrator basically gets away with it. At most, they may get escorted out of the hospital. However, they will be allowed to return back in many cases. I recall an instance at a hospital where a patient took a swing at a male nurse. This patient had a long history of violence. He was escorted out of the hospital. Was he put into a police car and taken away? Did he have assault charges placed against him? The answer to both questions is no. He actually came back a couple of days later like nothing happened.

While I understand hospitals cannot refuse patients in emergency situations, is it reasonable to expect healthcare workers to just be assaulted on the job with no repercussions for the patient? Absolutely not! However, this is a reality in so many parts of the country. Some laws in certain states are just more strict than others. That being said, I cannot think of a single place in this country where I would get away with assaulting somebody on the street. But if I’m working at the hospital and get attacked, there’s a major chance the aggressor will simply walk away, maybe with a slap on the wrist. Is this fair? I don’t think so.

Is this a case of healthcare workers being treated like they are expendable, or are the laws in many states simply not on a healthcare facilities side? I would really like to know why in some areas of the country hospitals would not even tolerate a person raising their voices in anger towards a healthcare worker, while in other places, they get away with something as brutal as assault? What’s worse, sometimes the healthcare workers will get in trouble, even though they did nothing wrong. And if they legitimately try to defend themselves, then they are really going to be in a world of pain. Assault is illegal, and it should be in a hospital too, across the board.

Healthcare workers genuinely want to help their patients. They have plenty to deal with without the fear of getting assaulted. Please remember this the next time you are in a hospital or healthcare facility.

When traveling, one of the greatest things to experience is the local culture of an area: the local food, the local sites, the local events and the local people. It’s mind boggling to me when people travel and simply do the things they do on a regular basis at home. “Hey, we’re in Rome, let’s have McDonalds for dinner instead of authentic Italian food.” If anyone told me this while they were traveling with me, I would ditch them. Don’t you want to experience the local flair and not just do what you always do at home? To each their own, but you won’t be my travel partner.

Now, I am not talking about activities that you can do at home, but will experience in a different way somewhere else. For example, back home, you may have some great hiking trails, however, on your travels, you may get to experience their own local trails. You may love to golf, and If you go to Scotland, you will get to experience it even further. Honestly, there may be some chain restaurants that you have at home, that will serve something local to the area you are in. I’ve certainly eaten at chain restaurants when traveling if they were serving something unique.

My point here is that when traveling, try to experience something unique to that area. Try to experience something new that you may not get back at home. This will truly open your mind to the world that is around you. So, go to that new event you’ve never seen, try that new food that you’ve never tasted, meet that local store owner and learn about his ways.

Truly experience the world in a big way. Remember, far more exists out there beyond your own city block. Get out there and embrace it.

What images do you love seeing as you travel the world? My personal two favorite images are large bodies of water and gorgeous mountains. What are yours?

I recall the time back in high school when I was first starting to think about becoming a nurse. One of the most appealing things about the profession was the hours. Typically, they were three 12 hour shifts, totaling 36 hours. Sounds pretty sweet doesn’t it? That’s what most people told me. People were even considering changing professions after I had told them about the weekly hours of a nurse. I know I loved hearing about those hours. What’s more: a nurse could pick up one extra day a week, get major overtime and still have three days off.

Now, many nurses work more than 36 hours. For whatever reason, whether extra finances, emergencies or just wanting to work more, a lot of nurses work well beyond the typical full-time schedule. This was usually the case for me personally. Rarely have I ever only worked 36 hours. However, for this article, I am simply pointing out the hours necessary to be considered full time.

One thing I, nor most other people, did not realize is the reason for those hours. While those 36 hours in a week may not seem like much, they were grueling, long, tumultuous, tiring and stressful. Those 36 hours do not feel like only 36 hours. Those four days off are truly needed for rest, recovery and peace. Otherwise, a nurse might just go mad! Sometimes, they have.

That being said, just how important is it for a nurse to decompress? The answer: extremely. As a nurse, you often hold the patients’ lives in your hand and the smallest mistakes can make a situation go from good to bad to worse very quickly. One minute, you are discharging a patient, and the next, stopping a patient from dying. On top of that, you are running around trying to give meds on time, making sure patients are getting their tests done, labs drawn/resulted, and meals given. You have to call the doctor multiple times a day, while dealing with an unruly family member. Try keeping your cool when you have to explain to a stable patient who is badgering you about their food being cold, while you are trying to make sure another patient does not die. Also, as a nurse, everything comes down on you, no matter how out of your control something may have been. Oh, BTW, during that 12 hours, you are lucky if you’ve had a lunch break.

I have just barely hit on the tip of the ice berg of what a nurse goes through on a regular basis. One must work in the profession to truly realize the extent of what goes on. For these, and many other reasons, decompressing on a regular basis is very important. Get away from work; go on a hike; watch a movie; take a vacation; sleep endlessly. If none of this appeals to you, do whatever it is that you do for rest and relaxation and to clear your mind. It will help you from getting burned out and losing your sanity.

Always remember that nursing is a diverse field. If you are getting sick of one area, it may be time for a change.