The Great American Smokeout is coming up November 20th. Originating in 1971, the Smokeout is held on the third Thursday of November. The event challenges people to quit using tobacco products for one day and encourages non-smokers to give their support to friends and family members to help them kick the habit for good. The American Cancer Society is providing free resources to help smokers quit. For information on how you can get involved, contact your local health department or the American Cancer Society at 800-ACS-2345.

Our Chief Nursing Officer has some wonderful tips to share about colds. Adults will get 2-5 colds per year and children will have between 4 and 10. If you do get a cold you are most likely to share it with another person in the first couple of days. The best cold preventatives are hand washing, using alcohol-based sanitizer, and coughing into your elbow instead of your hand. The best cold remedies are rest, fluids (not caffeine), OTC medicine to relieve the symptoms, and fruits and vegetables.

Great skiing weather is almost here, and what better way to enjoy it than staying free in an area known for its slopes? We have great jobs in Colorado and Utah for Med/Surg, Labor & Delivery, Pediatric ICU, Pediatrics, Physical Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, and others. These fun areas are sure to make this winter memorable while you earn top pay and great benefits.

This week is National Respiratory Care Week. We would like to thank all of our Respiratory Therapists and everyone who works in the Respiratory Care field for all the great work they do every day. We hope you know how much you are appreciated and that you enjoy your week!

In a recent newsletter, we included some of our favorite tips to share with first-time travelers. We thought it would be good to share them with current or would-be travel healthcare professionals on this site as well.

1) Make time to enjoy each new area you visit. Traveling is an opportunity to see parts of the country you have never seen before, so visit some of the tourist spots and find some of your own favorite places.

2) You can increase your earnings quite a bit by picking up an extra shift on occasion. Overtime pay is high for travelers.

3) Keeping your credentials up to date makes sure you are submitted early for positions and can start as soon as you like, and it's easy - we'll let you know when something is about to expire.

4) Try to meet other travelers at your facility. They can help you get to know your job and your surroundings and make good sight-seeing buddies.