Per Diem Jobs – All The Rage!

Posted on May 15, 2021 by Luke Hewitt

A group of healthcare professionals taking a selfie.

After the fallout of the pandemic, people have reassessed what is important to them and their work/life balance. We are seeing that many nurses would prefer to have a flexible schedule that fits their needs more than other benefits. Per diem work is when work hours for a person can very from week to week depending on the employer’s needs and how much the employee is wanting to work each week. There are many benefits of working per diem jobs, and we are going to highlight 3 of them right now.

Enjoy the Ideal Work-Life Balance

Everyone has their ideal work-life balance in their head. Whether it’s working night shifts 4 nights a week to be at home with your kids during the day, or working in the morning for half the work week so you can concentrate on your second job the other half of the week, per diem jobs can be the easiest way to get you to where you want to be. You get to decide how often and when you will be working. This also means you could pick up more shifts if you wanted to from week to week. The schedule is really up to you and your needs.

Work at more than one place

Another great opportunity that per diem jobs provides is the ability to work at multiple facilities at the same time. This would be great if you wanted to explore a variety of clinical settings or maybe if you wanted to have additional shifts that just one facility could offer you.

Multiple specialties

Per diem positions are also able to hone their skills in a variety of different specialties. While in the healthcare field, you can try different specialties and make choices that will improve your resume as you work. This can in turn help you figure out what specialty you truly enjoy.

Are you interested in a better work-life balance than what you’ve previously had? Then you should really consider looking into per diem work. In our opinion, the benefits clearly out way the disadvantages and per diem work never goes away. We are always looking for new and excited candidates to join our team and if you choose to work with us, we could have you at your 1^st shift in less than a week. Contact us now to learn more about everything we have to offer.

Prioritize Yourself! Self Care for Healthcare Workers

Posted on April 24, 2021 by Luke Hewitt

Everyone knows what self- care is, and we all need it in some way or another. Healthcare workers need it more than most, with the stress they face on a day-to-day basis and the obligation to care for other people, they need to be sure their “cup is filled” at all times or they could start to get the sense of burnout. Unfortunately, with most healthcare workers, self-care is the least of their worries. There are so many things a person can do to provide themselves with the self-care they need, but we are going to focus on 4 main areas that healthcare workers can concentrate on.

Physical
Emotional
Social
Professional

Physical: Consistency is key in this one. Your role might be a physically demanding job, but you need to also take the additional time and effort to find other ways to exert yourself throughout your day. This also includes drinking plenty of water throughout your day, each day, and also eating a healthy diet. Some simple ideas for this one would be:

Go for a 30-minute walk
Get a massage
Take an Epsom salt bath and just relax
Drink plenty of water
Get 8 hours of sleep each night
Take time throughout your day to stretch
Find an active hobby you enjoy that you can do a few times each week

Emotional: When you fail to acknowledge your feelings, your body’s emotional response intensifies. This is not good for anyone, especially someone in the healthcare field. They need to be on high alert with the correct mindset and attitude to help themselves and the people they are responsible for. Some simple things that a person can do to ease the emotional side of things in regard to self-care would be to:

Meditate
When you feel like your getting stressed out, take a moment to recharge
Use a gratitude journal nightly
Learn to say “no”
Affirmations in the morning go a long way
Fill your life with people who bring you happiness and joy
Don’t sweat the small things

Social: Human beings are social creatures; we thrive when we have people in our lives and we are able to connect to others. This is an important step in any self-care plan that shouldn’t be ignored. A few simple ideas to make sure you are getting the social aspects you need would be to:

Host a game night with your friends
Reaching out to people you care for
Making plans with someone who makes you smile
Have a weekly walk with someone
Provide compliments to those around you
Join a group or club that interest you
Host a virtual dinner party

Professional: Professional care is one of the most overlooked parts of self-care. People just don’t think about it, but it is something that needs to be address. Professional self-care encompasses anything you do to make your work life easier or to create a healthy work-life balance. Some ideas for this are:

Keep your work area clean and organized
Take your lunch, everyday

Schedule a mental health day
Turn off your work when you leave for the day
Make friends at your work
Plan social gatherings with like-minded coworkers
Leave all the stress and worry at the door

There is no denying that the healthcare field is mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausting work, especially with the last few years we have had. However, a little self-care will go a long way in helping you meet the challenges of a new day. EmpowerCare is here to help you make your day-to-day work/life balance easier by finding you the right placement for your specific needs.

Self-care is something everyone needs to acknowledge and work on each day, especially our heroes in the healthcare fields.

Travel Nursing Just Got Easier

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Luke Hewitt

If you have a lust for adventure, seeing new places, and meeting new people while helping people who need it, a travel nurse job might just be for you. With the travel nursing life comes income fluctuations as well. Budgeting your income is important all the time, especially when it comes to travel nursing. It might seem like a daunting task, but we’re here to share our top five budgeting tips that can help make the adventure that much better!

1. Create a Budget Breakdown

This is the first step in learning how to manage your money. The main goal for this step is to figure out how much you spend on a monthly basis for your bills, food, entertainment, and other activities. Establish your needs versus your wants and think about how much money you need to set aside for each category. There are plenty of apps out there that can help you achieve this first step fast and efficiently.

2. Utilize the 50/30/20 Rule

The 50/30/20 rule is a staple when it comes to budgeting. First, you need to calculate your monthly income after taxes have been taken out. Next, divide your income into three segments—50% of your income should go toward needs, 30% on wants, and 20% will go to savings or paying off debt. This method ensures that your needs and wants are met while still setting money aside for your savings account.

3. Research Free Things to Do

While on a travel nursing assignment, one of the best ways to save money is to find activities that are free to do during your time off! Honestly, there are so many options out there and most people have no idea! Parks, museums, hiking trails, and local events are always fun options and are typically free or have a low cost to them. This will help you save money while also experiencing things you might not usually experience. Natural beauty is everywhere, and it’s usually free to experience, so go out there and explore!

4. Learn How To Cook

Some of us spend more money on eating out at restaurants than we’d like to admit. I am especially guilty of this when I’m away from home. If you’re joining the travel nursing community, you will be away a lot, so best learn to cook! It will save you so much money and you will be gaining cooking experience as well, so two birds with one stone with this one. Pinterest, TikTok, Google, and Facebook are all great tools to find great recipes with step-by-step instructions to follow.

5. Talk To Locals

Locals are a great resource for spending your money wisely. These people know where and how to get the most out of your budget and can provide information that can save you money in the long run. From weekend entertainment to the best grocery store for your dollar, the locals can fill you in on what’s worth spending money on. Along with this, you can happen across some great friendships along the way.

Travel nursing with your favorite healthcare staffing agency, EmpowerCare, gives you the opportunity to advance your career, develop new skills, and experience new things. Let us help cure your Wanderlust. Talk to one of our recruiters about our open travel nursing assignments and start exploring the country today!

Earn With A Desire To Help People

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Luke Hewitt

Have you ever wanted to transition into the medical field but didn’t know where to begin? You’re in luck! If you’re willing to pair your desire to help people with a CPR certification, we can help you start a career as a Caregiver.

TL;DR

Caregivers are compassionate people looking to make a difference in the lives of others.
Entering the field requires a CPR certification, which can be obtained online quickly and inexpensively.
EmpowerCare wants to help anyone interested in entering this field find rewarding work, with the best fit for their life and schedule, at the best pay (starting at $16/hour).

What is a Caregiver?

Caregiver is a general title for a person who takes care of other people. You may hear other titles like Residential Counselor, Rehab Aide, or Personal Care Aide—but they’re all the same thing.

In short, caregivers provide support to people who have difficulties completing basic tasks. This can include caring for people with disabilities, the elderly, or someone with a mental disorder. Primary duties include giving medications, assisting with bathing, dressing, cooking and eating, transportation to appointments, reminders to take medication, light housekeeping, etc.

Most people in this role find the work incredibly rewarding. Yes, at times it’s challenging, but that is the nature of all meaningful work. Many of the people who require a Caregiver wish they could be fully independent, so part of your role is to help people achieve whatever level of independence they can safely obtain.

Work settings can include anything from a small group residential setting, or a private residence. You will very likely work alongside friends, family, employers, and others who play a role in caring for your Resident or Patient.

What are the qualifications?

A highschool diploma or GED, a CPR certification, and some empathy are really all you really need to get started. You probably have experience caring for people already. Perhaps you took care of a family member on a regular basis, or helped a friend after they got out of the hospital. Maybe you worked at a summer camp with kids who needed a little extra attention or support.

These types of experiences prove you have the one quality every Caregiver truly needs: compassion. If you can bring that to the table, EmpowerCare can help with the rest.

How to get your CPR certification?

You can get CPR certified in about an hour through an online course offered through The National CPR Foundation. It will cost about $15.

If you’re not able to complete a certification online, you can usually find a class through The Red Cross. Just know that in-person classes are typically a little more expensive, costing around $60.

We want to find you a job!

Whether you are currently CPR certified or not, EmpowerCare is ready to help you find work as a Caregiver! Here are a few things you can expect when you decide to work with us:

We’re Convenient—from the application process, to finding a job with the best fit at the best pay—we work hard so finding work is as stress-free as possible.

We’re Personable—like you, we care about people. We’re friendly, open, and 100% transparent. We pride ourselves on telling candidates everything we know about potential jobs so there are no surprises.

We’re Responsive—93.3% of all calls, texts, and emails are returned within 24 hours. If you reach out with a question, you will get an answer.

Starting pay for Caregivers is $16/hour, and can go up to $19/hour (note: this article was published in April 2022, so that may have changed depending on when you’re reading this). We work with facilities all over Massachusetts, so we can help you find work that fits into your schedule.

Reach out to get started, or if you have any questions. A new rewarding career awaits!

Travel Nurse Jobs: The Financial Aspect

Posted on November 28, 2020 by Luke Hewitt

Financial freedom or independence is something that nobody wants to forego. However, at times this aspect can make or break employments. For the people applying for travel nurse jobs; compensation, pay rates and other financial benefits are something that should be discussed in order to ensure that there are no problems later. Of course, the healthcare recruitment agency such as EmpowerCare will also take care of such issues and ensure that complete transparency is maintained. Here are a few financial considerations that a person needs to keep in his or her mind before replying in affirmative for a position for a travelling nurse.

Aspects to look out for

In the case of a travel nurse employment, the compensation and the entire range of benefits is quite lucrative. Sometimes, it may even surpass the financial benefits of a person who is a permanent staff at the medical facility. In other words, people in this profession tend to receive their normal pay according to the number of hours worked and are also entitled to overtime pay, medical benefits apart from choosing the house to work as well. In some cases, travelling nurses receive bonuses at the end of every week depending on the criticality of the assignment and the number of hours worked. However, there are many other medical facilities and establishments, which do not pay weekly, but hand out a sizeable amount at the end of the tenure of the travelling nursing staff at the hospital. Travel nursing jobs are thus very lucrative and the demand for such nurses is quite high. Medical establishments are willing to spend as long as they are able to get the desired work quality from a person. There are many medical hospitals, which either provide accommodation or an equivalent amount of allowance so that travel nurses can get a suitable accommodation somewhere nearby to the medical facility.

Salaries and other monetary benefits tend to form a major reason for taking up employment away from home as a travel nurse. Travel nursing jobs are highly lucrative and a major part of this aspect is the financial remuneration. This is also one of the major reasons for the people to take up jobs. Staffing companies like EmpowerCare tend to look into this matter quite closely and makes sure that each person gets a near perfect fit according to his or her desire of a dream-nursing job.

Travel Nursing Jobs – What You Need To Know

Posted on September 20, 2020 by Luke Hewitt

Travel nurse jobs is a very lucrative field for nurses right now. However, there are certain aspects of this type of profession that tend to be hidden from common knowledge. Many people tend to experience it only when they join the profession. These aspects should be made clear as they are extremely important for a person to know and then decide whether he or she would want to be a part of such a profession. However, any reputed healthcare placement agency such as EmpowerCare will ensure that the persons applying for the positions are educated about these aspects of travel nurse jobs.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Any reputed recruitment agency such as EmpoweCare will tell you all the information that you should have about travel nurse jobs. It is important for a person to know about the roles and responsibilities that he or she is expected to carry out in due course of their tenure with a medical institution. Duties and responsibilities of travel nurse jobs might include patient care, administration and monitoring of medication intake, preparation of meals which have specific nutrient content according to the condition of the person. In some cases, travel nurses work for a medical organization at their premises while there are cases when these nurses are stationed at a particular facility depending upon the services available to the medical institution.

Requirements for Traveling Nurses

Travel nursing jobs require candidates who are either registered nurses (RN) or licensed practical (LPN). In other words, a person has to be accredited from some reputed institutions and have a degree to prove the above mentioned qualities of being a travel nurse. From the American point of view, there is a National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) which can be also obtained for the certification of travel nurse employment.

One of the most important aspects about nursing jobs is that it is important for the people to be patient with the ones that they are dealing with. If a person is not aware of his roles and responsibilities apart from the remuneration that he is being paid, then this anxiety tends to get reflected in the outward appearance and demeanor as well. It is always a good thought to inquire as much as possible about the professional field that one wants to be a part of it so that there are no hidden secrets that you will discover at a later date.

Message from the CEO

Posted on July 15, 2020 by Luke Hewitt

For the past few weeks, I have been trying to make sense of George Floyd’s death. The plea for breath. The killing. The struggle for breath when the police officer’s knee was on his neck, cutting his air. This is not an individual episode, but another incident, where the name changes but the scenario stays the same. What we saw in that video was that, it could be me, my son, employees, brothers, neighbors or any other African American man.

Being a minority owned company, we have had many proud moments but also moments of reflection and pause. The pain felt by the black community cannot and should not be ignored. Actions speak louder than words at EmpowerCare. We come from different backgrounds, different races, different socio-economic backgrounds, and our values promote equality and respect. We are a family. We remain steadfast in our commitment to improve lives for our employees, our clients, our patients, and our community.

We are strongly committed to holding ourselves accountable to educate ourselves, self-examining how we can do better and be better, and to actively engage in resources designed to help the black community and become better allies. We encourage all our clients, partners, employees, and community members to open your hearts, open lines of communication, share resources, education, and tools to improve the lives in our communities.

It has been said many times but until we are all equal, none of us are equal. As Martin Luther King Jr said, “The silence of the good people is worse than the brutality of the bad people”. We must work to ensure that everyone is treated equally, with dignity and respect. Change can only come from ourselves. From the EmpowerCare Family, locally, nationally, globally, we are in this together.

Take care,

Jamal Mahijibhai

Latest in Medical Job Vacancies

Posted on June 28, 2020 by Luke Hewitt

Mental health nurse practitioner working remotely

There are many medical job positions which no longer belong to the stereotypical definition of a medical job. The latest in the medical world is the ‘doc in the box’ clinic. This is a new type of approach wherein any person can get medical attention for minor problems at locations such as shopping malls and grocery stores. EmpowerCare, a healthcare placement agency handles the staffing function of such requirement.

Novel trend in the medical world

This new trend of ‘doc in the box’ clinic is something that allows people to handle minor ailments and get immediate medical attention. The importance of such a facility is both for the staff as well as for the patients. There are many people aiming for medical job vacancies but they are either not qualified enough or do not have the means to achieve it. However, they need to be on the job is quite persistently and honest. Such people can try their luck through any healthcare recruitment agency to get a chance to work and learn on the job. The scope of activities is quite limited since these places are visited by people with minor ailments and medical problems. However, this is an excellent ground for learning and enhancing your skills to be a compassionate worker. Such medical job positions tend to be a first place where you can establish a contact with the doctor as well as the patient and know how the industry works as well as the expectations or problems of the patients. This is a place where the amount of learning is enormous and it prepares you for getting a better opportunity later in life.

Medical job vacancies are forever growing in number. There is no dearth of such requirements. However, the matter is top identify quailed and professional staff rather than hiring first timers. Recruitment agencies specializing in healthcare are aware of the latest development in the field and thus tend to adapt themselves in that manner so that they are able to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of medical job positions in the industry. These agencies like EmpowerCare are smart to spot the right talent and go through many rounds of the recruitment process in order to segregate the best talent and send them for employment.

Personal Qualities for Healthcare Jobs

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Luke Hewitt

Have you come across any healthcare advertising jobs or any such jobs related to healthcare? Well, the fact of the matter is that in terms of healthcare jobs, there are many personal qualities which are required to make your career a great success. Placement agencies such as EmpowerCare tend to be such entities which complete a large part of recruitment by checking on these personal qualities of the people who apply for health care job vacancies. Here are a few of these personal qualities which can help you identify as to whether you are fit for the job or not.

Traits required for healthcare related jobs

Healthcare job positions are the positions where there is a need to look after people who are either temporarily or permanently suffering. In such workplaces, the level of stress is quite high as you are engaged in taking care of the other people. In such a scenario, we need people who have empathy towards others and hence do not make fun of their ill health. Being kind and being able to help others in need are a few personal traits that are extremely necessary. These are internal traits which cannot be copied, but needs to be cultivated over a period of time especially in healthcare job vacancies. Qualities such as being patient towards people unable to carry out regular work, showing empathy towards others, being kind and helpful, being of understanding nature tends to make people more famous in their chosen arena of the profession and thus they tend to rise to a higher position in the workplace. Any healthcare recruitment agency tends to understand this particular requirement of such jobs and thus takes great caution to ensure that the candidates that are being sent to the actual location of work are well qualified candidates along with certain qualities in them.

It is important for a person to be successful in the healthcare job positions that he seeks. The education or the other external qualities such as degrees and certifications, etc. are something that everyone in the profession can acquire. However, the main idea here is to be different from others in order to establish an air of superiority in the work area. Personal qualities such as patience, empathy towards others and a helpful nature are very important to create a special place in the hearts of people whom you serve. Health care job vacancies are many but the preference is always for a deserving and kind hearted person with the necessary educational qualifications as well.

Understanding Allied Health Positions

Posted on January 28, 2020 by Luke Hewitt

Allied health positions encompass various roles within medical setups, excluding doctors and nurses. These roles include medical staff, technicians, and equipment experts. Setting clear expectations for these positions is crucial to avoid potential issues due to a lack of information and awareness. Reputable healthcare recruitment agencies like EmpowerCare understand these expectations and set them right from the start.

Duties and Responsibilities

Although allied health professionals do not interact with patients as closely as doctors and nurses, they do have occasional interactions, often in an assisting capacity. One key requirement for these roles is the ability to take directions from doctors or nurses effectively. Many allied health positions involve technologist roles, where professionals assist physicians with medical equipment. Therefore, it is vital to be adept at following instructions and familiar with medical equipment, as mistakes can have serious consequences.

Schedule and Compensation

Allied health positions typically involve shift work to ensure continuous patient care and equipment monitoring. Due to the nature of shift work, employees are often paid on an hourly basis or according to the shift’s pay rate. Healthcare recruitment agencies like EmpowerCare provide critical information about these allied health jobs, helping candidates set realistic expectations. Compensation varies based on the workplace and specific position, with some roles offering more benefits than others within the same institution.

Educational Requirements

Most allied health positions require a degree from an accredited institution with a specified minimum percentage. In addition to educational qualifications, understanding the job’s duties, responsibilities, and compensation is essential for setting the right expectations when applying for similar roles.