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Mar 18, 2020 12:00:00 AM

Keep Calm and Sanitize On : Coronavirus

What viral pandemics mean for the medical travel industry.

You know the drill for staying after during a pandemic: warm water, scrub your hands for 20 seconds, and rinse well. Avoid touching your face, and when in doubt, wash your hands again. Proper hygiene is one thing that is ingrained into many medical professionals lifestyle.

You could be well-versed in pandemic procedures but a sudden rapid-spreading disease can lead to uncertainty. Uncertainty isn’t just in sanitation methods and hospital operations but in the entire medical travel industry.

The current spread of this coronavirus restricts travel and large public events. As daily life changes to support containment efforts, the best way to proceed is to be informed, alert, and calm. The medical community is deeply invested in containment of COVID-19. Nurses and allied health professionals will continue to manage all other elements. It can get overwhelming, so we’ll keep doing what we do best—keep calm and sanitize on.

This coronavirus won’t be slowing down, so we’re discussing potential implications for the healthcare travel industry. Below are some ways we can all help out in this unique time. Medical needs won’t stop during pandemics, but by staying alert and cautious, we can handle this.

 

What does this coronavirus mean for medical travel?

In areas where the virus has appeared, healthcare travelers on contracts are at higher risk of contracting it and should be aware of every patient. If your travel contract ends soon and you’re moving to a new location, you may have to answer questions about your previous assignment.

For the medical travel industry overall, the coronavirus is creating a large demand in all parts of the U.S.. Especially those with large outbreaks. Washington State has a severe outbreak, and hundreds of travel nurses are there to take the pressure off hospital staff. Many healthcare workers are wanting to help those hard hit areas.

The demand of healthcare travelers is rising with hundreds of open medical traveler positions in Washington remain.

The work of travel nurses in pandemic-affected areas is a bit different than a typical contract. Travel nurses working in Washington right now are backfill for nurses who have been quarantined or working in the community at testing locations. In Kirkland, Washington, the epicenter of the state’s outbreak, the ratio of nurses to COVID-19 patients is 1:1. This is not sustainable without outside help of travel healthcare professionals. Taking a contract in a pandemic facility is not for everyone, but demand is very high and pay rates are well above average.

 

How can I help in my day-to-day life?

The best any healthcare worker can do right now is provide excellent care for their patients. There isn’t anything we can do to stop the coronavirus completely, but we can prevent the spread of disease within our own environment. As long as medical professionals stay true to the standards of hygiene and care expected of them, they will not contribute to the spread of the disease. Being aware of your surroundings and comforting your patients during this time is much needed.

 

LRS enjoys working with all type of healthcare professionals. Thank you to those who keep us safe and healthy in unusual times.

 

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