Summer Volunteer Opportunity for RNs

Are you looking for a way to give back this summer? If so, we have a fantastic opportunity for you! Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northern California (RMHC) is seeking qualified RNs the opportunity to serve children and adults with disabilities yet are high functioning campers on the peaceful grounds of Camp Ronald McDonald at Eagle Lake.   

What is Camp Eagle Lake? 

Camp Ronald McDonald at Eagle Lake was established in 1993 and is accredited by the American Camp Association. They provide residential summer camps for children who are at-risk with a variety of medical needs, economic hardship and/or physical, developmental, or emotional disabilities. Their partnership with the Lassen National Forest allows for the children to experience these traditional camp activities that we all know and love by removing these barriers.  

Camp Ronald McDonald at Eagle Lake is 35 acres of land on Eagle Lake, just outside of Susanville, California. On their beautiful property they provide activities such as kayaking, canoeing, fishing, arts and crafts, several types of sports activities, outdoor education, nutrition education, talent shows, and a mile of waterfront on the lake to relax. The campground consists of a dining hall, two shower houses, amphitheater, campfire pit, beach volleyball court, sandpit, fully accessible doc and waterfront, basketball court, and grass playing field. The property has 9 cabins that can house 100 campers a week. What a wonderful place to get away and give back before your next assignment!  

What does volunteering entail? 

You will volunteer your time to the camp as the resident RN on staff. The day-to-day duties would include med calls mainly after each meal and basic first aid as needed.

Session Dates:

• Session 1- July 6-13, 2024 (Lassen County Kids Camp) 
  • Able-bodied, 8-12-year-olds 
• Session 2 – July 27-Aug. 3, 2024 (Camp Eagle Lake Session) 
  • Kids and adults with disabilities, ages 12-65 years

Lodging is provided on site as well as meals. 

As the camp RN, you will have the chance to help campers as well as enjoy your own downtime. You will have the time to walk the waterfront, enjoy arts and crafts with the campers and staff as well as have fun at the talent show and carnival night! 

Ready to volunteer? 

If you know anyone that has been to camp you have heard about the fond memories made, relationships formed and the overall fun they experienced. Now think about how you could give back and offer these same memories to children and adults while providing quality care as an RN at Camp Ronald McDonald Eagle Lake. The more you put into it the more you will get out of it. This rewarding adventure will surely be one to remember!  

To learn more, reach out to Beth Harner via email: beth.harner@unitimed.com or call 402-275-6693. 

For more information about RMHC visit rmhcnc.org/ 

October is National Physical Therapy Month!

During the month of October, there are many healthcare-related observances. Breast Cancer Awareness is usually the first thing that comes to mind for many, but October also celebrates Emergency Room nurses, Respiratory Care, and of course, Physical Therapists. Physical Therapy is celebrated all October long, and it’s a time where we can thank the healthcare professionals for the incredible work they do.

Our Allied division staffs several PTs and PTAs, so this month we wanted to reach out to a few of them to learn about their journey as therapists and as travelers.

Meet Brian and Meghan! This traveling duo has been on the road in their RV for the past 7 months. They both have a deep love for their patients and the work they do. Their recruiter, Mary Springer, helped us get connected with them to dive deeper into their profession and their travel careers.

Why did you get started in this profession?

Brian and Meghan are both athletes. In high school, Meghan hurt herself playing volleyball and required physical therapy to heal. She said, “My PT gave me my senior year of volleyball back and ever since I knew I wanted to become a PT myself.” As for Brian, he has always wanted to be able to help people return to the sport they love.

What is the best part of being a physical therapist?

For this answer, Brian and Meghan both agreed that helping their patients reach their physical goals is what makes their job so rewarding.

“The best part of being a physical therapist is seeing patients reach their goals and the impact we have on that aspect of their lives as PTs.” – Brian

Brian and Meghan were both working full-time as therapists for about 2 years before making the decision to travel. Everyone has a “why”, so what was theirs?

Why did you decide to start traveling?

Both Brian and Meghan wanted to see all the country had to offer while working. The financial perks of traveling were pretty enticing as well!

What’s the best part of traveling?

The best part of traveling for many healthcare professionals is the ability to go all of the places they never had before. Brian personally loves trying new foods, meeting new people, and immersing himself into new cultures. Meghan has loved the ability to see the country while doing what she loves.

“We’ve been able to see more of the country in the past 6 months than we ever have working full time.” – Meghan

For some, the idea of making the switch to a travel career can be scary and overwhelming. It helps to hear first hand from a traveler what their experience has been like and if they’d recommend it to someone else.

Would you recommend travel to someone who is on the fence about it and why?

Both Brian and Meghan responded with a resounding “Yes!” Here are their reasons why:

“Traveling has been one of the best decisions we have ever made together. You get to meet new people and learn new techniques from PTs all over the country. You get to see new places every 3 months and you get a pretty significant pay increase while doing it. It’s the best!” – Meghan

“Traveling opened my mind to different ways of therapy practice and forced me out of my comfort zone. Seeing different parts of the world while getting paid to do so makes it an easy decision for me.” – Brian

Thanks, Brian and Meghan for sharing your journey with us! We wish all of our Physical Therapists a Happy Physical Therapy Month!

Providing Cutting-Edge Support

The past several years have created systematic shifts in the way healthcare facilities operate. Demand for care and staffing is constantly fluctuating. In an effort to meet this need, Uniti relies on Healthcare commercial intelligence (HCI) to effectively match facility staffing needs with qualified travelers. HCI is a new category of software that organizes the web of data surrounding healthcare systems. This information helps our recruiters identify staffing gaps and find the right candidates to fill each role. It also helps us equip our travelers with the information they need to hop on an assignment and hit the ground running. Uniti COO, Chris Sund provides insight into how Uniti is using HCI to provide cutting-edge service to its facility partners. 

If you are interested in learning more about Definitive Healthcare visit their website https://www.definitivehc.com/. If you are a facility looking for a partner who can integrate into your systems and provide instantaneous support please contact our team for more information!

Long-Term Care Staffing Solutions With Heart

Uniti Med is excited to announce the launch of its Long-Term Care staffing team. The team was founded in response to a desperate need for long-term care professionals. According to the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) 99% of nursing homes and 96% of assisted living communities said they are facing some degree of staffing shortages post-pandemic. Fifty-nine percent of nursing homes and 30% of assisted living communities characterized their staffing situation as “severe.” This shortage has forced most facilities to reduce new admissions and put even more stress on existing direct service providers. 

Uniti Med is determined to solve this staffing problem by working with long-term care facilities to develop innovative staffing strategies to fill the gaps in their workforce.

Kelsey Leland, Director for Long-Term Care, explains how Uniti Med is going the extra mile to keep seniors happy, healthy and cared for during this difficult time. 

If you are a long-term care facility looking for a dedicated team to help supply the talent you need to fulfill day to day operations, please fill out our long-term care facility contact form to learn more.

The Ultimate Nursing Side Hustle

Looking for a nursing side hustle?! One of the biggest benefits of becoming a traveler is flexibility. Bounce around, live where you want, take time off between assignments or pick up a side hustle to maximize your downtime. Uniti Med Traveler and Recruiter, Mackenzie had been traveling for 2 years. Like so many nurses, she had gotten burnt out at bedside during the pandemic and was looking for respite from the hospital. That’s when she was introduced to Uniti Med Partners and an amazing nursing side hustle. Mackenzie started by helping a few friends find their next travel nursing assignment but her list of travelers continues to grow.

“I’ve always been able to easily make friends with travelers in the past, there’s a camaraderie to it,” MacKenzie said. “Now, I can give them advice on traveling, recruiters, different companies, and my insider experience. If they choose to work with me as their recruiter, it’s great because our relationship is much more than just recruiter and nurse, we’re friends!”

Mackenzie is currently working at the hospital and doing recruiting on her days off. “One thing I’ve really enjoyed traveling and recruiting with Uniti, is the ability to treat my coworkers! I’ve bought pizza, brought in Crumbl cookies, small things like that. I just try to spoil them for all of the hard work they are doing!”

If you are a nurse looking to travel, we can connect you with an experienced recruiter who has been in your shoes. They can guide you on the right assignment based on personal experience. If you’re looking for a nursing side hustle contact us to learn more about becoming a traveling recruiter.