Advance Your Nursing Career Work As An Independent Nurse Contractor

Many nurses today are frustrated with their work situation. Are you one of them? If so, it is time you take control and make that first step. Quit thinking about a change ...DO IT ...quit saying I am going too... DO IT...quit day dreaming ....DO IT.

Now is the time to expand your nursing career and enjoy the many benefits offered as an Independent Nurse Contractor.Nurses wake up and take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity. Are you tired of having no input in your career, little money in the bank, lack of respect for your profession and little compensation for the long hours and years of dedication? Independent Nurse Contractor is a great way to renew your interest and rejuvenate your nursing career.

As An Independent Nurse Contractor you will Gain back your independence and enjoy freedom: more choices; as to how often, when and where you practice, substantially increase your wages, increase overall job satisfaction and best of all just plain recognition of your worth as a professional. Now is the time to Achieve your goals and recognize your dreams Do not settle for mediocre pay and benefits when you can have the best.An exciting, yet somewhat frightening career alternative for nurses, is business ownership.

Owning your own business is a risk, but there is no better prepared professional than the nurse to take on the business world. Nurses are often risk takers that demonstrate confidence, ambition, and a sense of personal accomplishment and can easily channel their expertise into personal, financial, and professional success.Nurses are the perfect business owners. They have the communication skills and the ability to assess, implement and organize a plan. These are the same criteriathat any business owner uses. An Independent Nurse Contractor contracts with a healthcare facility to provide nursing services, usually by the hour. An Independent contractor can contract his or her nursing services directly with a healthcare facility or with a patient and continue bedside practice.

The contract is similar to those used by nursing agencies and travel companies outlining the services to be provided, the responsibilities of both the healthcare facility and the nurse, and the length of time the services are to be provided. Nurse Contractors practice in all aspects of the Healthcare Industry; Home Health, Nursing Homes, Hospitals, Rehab. Centers, Doctors Offices and all aspects of Nurse Consulting just to name a few. No advance degrees are necessary unless your business includes diagnosing and treating medical problems. State nurse practice acts for registered nurses do not prohibit independent contracting, consulting, entrepreneurship, or small businesses ownership.When you are a self-employed Nurse, your hard work and professionalism benefits you, not your employer.

Your job satisfaction will increase to unexpected heights and frustrations will disappear! Be your own boss. Never be fired, laid off, called off, forced to work, forfeit family vacations or feel trapped again. Enjoy your career and feel satisfied again.Our mission at Mericle RN Staffing LLC is to encourage, educate, and empower nurse entrepreneurs to realize their full business potential. Visit http://www.independentrncontractor.com and get excited about your career again.

JCAHO Certification And What It Really Means

JCAHO Certification And What It Really Means

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has recently set new standards for healthcare staffing agencies. The new certification process will mean big changes in the travel nursing field. What does this means for staffing companies? New standards have been placed on the travel staffing companies and on travel nurses.
The staffing companies will have to clearly define the company leadership hierarchy. Administrator and director of nursing services will be first and foremost on the top of the list with the travel nurses at the bottom of the list. Also in the mix will be the accountant, pay roll supervisor, information systems technician, human resources, and a housing supervisor.
This budget will include costs of certifications, cost of management, cost of the nurses, costs of the benefits, and how that amount compares with the accounts receivable through the hospital bill rate. With the implementation of JCAHO certifications, the cost of owning a travel nursing or staffing company just sky rocketed. Most certainly not all staffing companies will be able to survive all these costs; therefore, companies either will have to do more subcontracting through companies which can afford the JCAHO certification or the smaller companies will have to fold.
According to the travel nurses that I have talked to, the majority believe that this will lead to Cross Country Trav Corp, Intelistaf, and AMN becoming the Walmart, Kmart, and Target of travel companies with the smaller companies like Midwest Staffing, Nursing Options, and Big Sky Nursing fighting to keep alive.
Nurses know that they get better service with the smaller companies, but we also know that jobs with these smaller companies are few. A code of ethics? As a nurse, I expect companies to treat me like a name, and not a number.
JCAHO standards also involve continuing education. Continuing education as well as experiences is what makes a good nurse even better. A nurses skills must be kept up to date and new education opportunities taken advantage of in the area of expertise.
When these quality measures become issues, then a staffing company must have an organized approach to improve the nurses’ performance. If required verbal warnings, written warnings, and termination may be inevitable if these opportunities are not taken advantage of. When I asked Reginald Helms of All Health Staffing (www.allhealthstaffing.com) about the quality assurance, he stated, "Frankly, I think that the issue is not with the agency, but with accountability from the hospitals ensuring that any nurse sent by the agency is as stated on paper. In my opinion, agencies as a whole do a pretty good job of getting qualified nurses. If there is a conflict between what is stated on paper and what the nurse’s performance is, the hospital has the responsibility to report it to the staffing agency."
Another issue addressed by JCAHO is addressing conflicts of interest including contract discrepancies, making your travel assignment your permanent assignment, and other conflicts between the hospital and the nurse. (Nurses, this is why we MUST read our contracts word for word). Conflicts can also occur when a nurse wants to continue on as a permanent staffing member instead of travel. When there are problems with the nurse’s performance, the hospital has a right to terminate that contract, but there is usually a conflict between how much the employee is penalized monetarily for housing and travel. The problems that do occur must be promptly solved. The longer the problems linger, the greater the problem becomes.
The next big issue is that of quality nursing care. Quality must be assured by skills checklists, orientation skills checked off, and standard safety skills. Safety issues are addressed initially with the use of skills checklists, which are completed by the nurse upon application for the position. If a hospital reports that clinically a nurse is not able to perform as stated, then it is the agencies job to work with the nurse to either find different placement or help the nurse to obtain the credentials.
One of the biggest safety issues that are a prominent concern is nurse to patient ratios. It is the travel nurse’s responsibility to assure they are not being put into an unsafe situation, during the interview with the hospital. It is the staffing agencies responsibility to stand behind the nurse with these staffing issues. If the nurse to patient ratio is not as stated in the interview, then the staffing company and nurse need to do some conflict resolvement with the hospitals management team.
Evaluations from supervisors are also an important tool in safety and quality of care. These evaluations are used to determine if the job is really going as well as the travel nurse states it is, or as bad as the nurse states that it is. JCAHO standards also involve continuing education. Continuing education as well as experiences is what makes a good nurse even better. The records of each nurse must be safeguarded. The information must be available to the nurse if needed for other staffing opportunities.
Profiles only need to be submitted on approval of the nurse. What is the future of travel nursing? Staffing agencies will have to be JCAHO certified to place nurses in JCAHO certified hospitals. The cost of this certification will not increase the bill rate to the hospital, yet it will be taken out the nurses pay rate and benefits. Over all travel nurses are quality nurses who have great expectations placed on them. I believe that these regulations were created to assure quality of care that is provided to the hospitals which use travel nurses.
To check out the staffing agencies that are currently certified, please check out the JCAHO website at: http://www.jcaho.org/dscc/hcss/index.htm
http://www.jointcommission.org/

Getting Financing for Your Business

The perception that many small business owners have is that financing means taking whatever money you can get; the faster and easier you can get it, the better. Unfortunately, this approach doesn't take into account the fact that getting money for your business involves a variety of considerations, financial and nonfinancial, good and bad.

Finding "smart" money. Small businesses usually need more than just cash: they need "smart" money. By smart money we mean financing that helps your business in the way that you want it to, where the financier provides not only capital, but support and expertise to your business. Smart money could be an SBA guaranteed loan that allows you to keep your ownership interests intact until your business reaches the stage at which you want to sell shares of the business. On the other hand, money that comes from letting your brother, Stanley, become a partner in your business because you need his $10,000 before the end of the week might be far more costly than you ever imagined.

The problem in locating "smart" money is that the capital market for small businesses is imperfect and consists of a great variety of underpublicized and poorly organized financing sources. Whether you are trying to locate a bank that is willing to lend money to your small business or whether you are looking for a business "angel" who will contribute needed equity capital, your quest for financing will require that you devote the same attention to obtaining capital as you give to decisions involving the business's basic product or service.

The discussion in this module is designed to help you identify relevant traits about your business's financing profile and understand the various financing sources that may be available to you, with an emphasis on practical information on selecting the most suitable sources of funding for your business.

• Your business's financing profile explains how your position in the business life cycle influences your financing options, how you can estimate the amount of money you need, and how you can find money in your own back yard by tapping friends, family, and personal assets. We also provide a "quick pick" chart showing your best financing options.
• Debt vs. equity shows how the two basic forms of financing differ, and how you can combine them to your best advantage.
• Equity financing explains how your form of business organization can be used to bankroll your business, and the advantages and disadvantages of using venture capital, "angels," sales of securities, franchising, and employee stock ownership plans.
• Debt financing discusses where and how to get a business loan, and the types of loans available.
• Government programs shows how the federal Small Business Association can help to finance your small business, and describes other government financing assistance.

Retrieved From
http://www.uschamber.com/sb/business/P10/P10_0500.asp
on March 15 2008

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God created man. Then God said, "I can do better". Then he created woman

How To Form A Coperation

If you’ve decided to create a corporation, you’re facing a list of important — but manageable — tasks. Here’s what you must do:
Choose an available business name that complies with your state’s corporation rules.
Appoint the initial directors of your corporation.
File formal paperwork, usually called “articles of incorporation,” and pay a filing fee that ranges from $100 to $800, depending on the state where you incorporate.
Create corporate “bylaws,” which lay out the operating rules for your corporation.
Hold the first meeting of the board of directors.
Issue stock certificates to the initial owners (shareholders) of the corporation.
Obtain licenses and permits that may be required for your business.
Choosing a corporate nameThe name of your corporation must comply with the rules of your state’s corporation division. You should contact your state’s office for specific rules, but the following guidelines generally apply:
The name cannot be the same as the name of another corporation on file with the corporations office.
The name must end with a corporate designator, such as “Corporation,” “Incorporated,” “Limited,” or an abbreviation of one of these words (Corp., Inc. or Ltd.).
The name cannot contain certain words prohibited by the state, such as Bank, Cooperative, Federal, National, United States or Reserve.
Your state’s corporations office can tell you how to check if your proposed name is available for your use. Often, for a small fee, you can reserve your corporate name for a short period of time until you file your articles of incorporation.
Besides following your state’s corporate naming rules, you must make sure your name won’t violate another company’s trademark.
Once you’ve found a legal and available name, you usually don’t need to file the name of your business with your state. When you file your articles of incorporation, your business name will be automatically registered.
However, if you will sell your products or services under a different name, you must file a “fictitious” or “assumed” name statement with the state or county where your business is headquartered.
Appointing directorsDirectors make major policy and financial decisions for the corporation. For example, the directors authorize the issuance of stock, appoint the corporate officers and set their salaries, and approve loans to and from the corporation. Directors are typically appointed by the initial owners (shareholders) of the corporation before business begins. Often, the owners simply appoint themselves to be the directors, but directors do not have to be owners.
Most states specifically permit a corporation to have just one director, regardless of the number of owners. In other states, a corporation must have at least three directors, except that a corporation with only one owner can have just one director, and a corporation with only two owners can have two directors.
Filing articles of incorporationAfter you’ve chosen a name for your business and appointed your directors, you must prepare and file “articles of incorporation” with your state’s corporate filing office. Typically, this is the Department or Secretary of State’s office, located in your state’s capital city. While most states use the term “articles of incorporation” to refer to the basic document creating the corporation, some states (including Connecticut, Delaware, New York and Oklahoma) use the term “certificate of incorporation.” Washington calls the document a “certificate of formation,” and Tennessee calls it a “charter.”
No state requires a corporation to have more than one owner. For single-owner corporations, the sole owner simply prepares, signs and files the articles of incorporation himself. For co-owned corporations, generally all of the owners may sign the articles, or they can appoint just one person to sign them. Whoever signs the articles is called the “incorporator” or “promoter.”
Articles of incorporation don’t have to be lengthy or complex. In fact, you can usually prepare articles of incorporation in just a few minutes by filling out a form provided by your state’s corporate filing office. Typically, the articles of incorporation must specify just a few basic details about your corporation, such as its name, principal office address and sometimes the names of its directors. You will probably also have to list the name and address of one person — usually one of your directors — who will act as your corporation’s “registered agent” or “agent for service of process.” This person is on file so that members of the public know how to contact the corporation — for example, if they want to sue or otherwise involve the corporation in a lawsuit. Generally, all of the LLC owners may prepare and sign the articles, or they can appoint just one person to sign and file the articles.
Drafting corporate bylawsBylaws are the internal rules that govern the day-to-day operations of a corporation, such as when and where the corporation will hold directors’ and shareholders’ meetings and what the shareholders’ and directors’ voting requirements are. To create bylaws, you can either follow the instructions in a self-help resource or hire a lawyer in your state to draft them for you. Typically, the bylaws are adopted by the corporation’s directors at their first board meeting.
Plan for ownership changes with a shareholders’ agreement A shareholders’ agreement helps owners of a small corporation decide and plan for what will happen when one owner retires, dies, becomes disabled or leaves the corporation to pursue other interests. See Plan for Ownership Changes with a Shareholders’ Agreement for more information.
Holding a first meeting of the board of directorsAfter the owners appoint directors, file articles of incorporation and create bylaws, the directors must hold an initial board meeting to see to a few corporate formalities and make some important decisions. At this meeting, directors usually:
set the corporation’s fiscal or accounting year
appoint corporate officers
adopt the corporate bylaws
authorize the issuance of shares of stock, and
adopt an official stock certificate form and corporate seal.
Additionally, if the corporation will be an S corporation, the directors should approve the election of S corporation status. (For information on whether your corporation should adopt S corporation status, see S Corporation Facts.)
Issuing stockYou should not do business as a corporation until you have issued shares of stock. Issuing shares formally divides up ownership interests in the business. It also fulfills a substantial requirement of the incorporation process — and you must act like a corporation at all times to qualify for the legal protections offered by corporate status.
Securities registrationIssuing stock can be complicated; it must be accomplished in accordance with securities laws. This means that large corporations must register the stock issuance with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the state securities agency. Registration takes time and typically involves extra legal and accounting fees.
Exemptions to securities registrationFortunately, most small corporations qualify for exemptions from securities registration. For example, SEC rules do not require a corporation to register a “private offering” — that is, a non-advertised sale to a limited number of people (generally 35 or fewer) or to those who can reasonably be expected to take care of themselves because of their net worth or income earning capacity. And most states have enacted their own versions of this SEC exemption. In short, if your corporation will issue shares to a small number of people (generally ten or less) who will actively participate in running the business, it will certainly qualify for exemptions to securities registration.
Passive shareholder rules If you’re selling shares of stock to passive investors (people who won’t be involved in running the company), complying with state and federal securities laws gets complicated. Get help from a good small business lawyer.
For more information about federal securities laws and exemptions, visit the SEC website. For more information on your state’s exemption rules, go to your Secretary of State’s website. (The Wyoming Secretary of State’s office provides a helpful list of every state’s website and phone number at http://soswy.state.wy.us/sos/sos2.htm.)
Issuing the sharesWhen you’re ready to issue the actual shares, you’ll need to document the following:
the names of the initial shareholders
the number of shares each shareholder will buy, and
how each shareholder will pay for his or her shares.
Finally, you’ll prepare and issue the stock certificates. In some states you may also have to file a “notice of stock transaction” or similar form with your state corporations office.
Obtaining licenses and permitsAfter you’ve filed your articles, created your bylaws, held your first directors’ meeting and issued stock, you’re almost ready to go. But you still need to obtain the required licenses and permits that anyone needs to start a new business, such as applying for a business license (also known as a tax registration certificate). You may also have to obtain an employer identification number from the IRS, a seller’s permit from your state or a zoning permit from your local planning board.
How to Form A Coperation by Nolo http://articles.bplans.com/index.php/business-articles/starting-a-business/how-to-form-a-corporation/

Start Your Own Nurse Agency or Work as An Independent Nurse Contractor http://www.independentrncontractor.com/

Get Licenses and Permits

Get Licenses and Permits


State Requirements

While business licensing requirements vary from state to state, some of the more common types are listed below.

Business Licenses

A state business license is the main document required for tax purposes and conducting other basic business functions. Many states have established small business assistance agencies to help small businesses comply with state requirements.

Occupations and Professions

State licenses are frequently required for occupations as varied as building contractors, physicians, appraisers, accountants, barbers, real estate agents, auctioneers, private investigators, private security guards, funeral directors, bill collectors, and cosmetologists. Since you can't always guess which occupations and professions are licensed by your state, you should always check with your state licensing authorities.

Licenses Based on Products Sold

Some state licensing requirements are based on the product sold. For example, most states require special licenses to sell liquor, lottery tickets, gasoline, or firearms. Contact your state licensing authorities to determine the licensing requirements of your business.

Tax Registration

If the state in which you operate has a state income tax, you'll have to register and obtain an employer identification number from your state Department of Revenue or Treasury Department. If you're engaging in retail sales, you will need to obtain a sales tax license.

Trade Name Registration

If your business will only be operated in your local community, registering your company name with the state may be sufficient.

Employer Registrations

If you have any employees, you'll probably be required to make unemployment insurance contributions. For more information, contact your state Department of Revenue or Department of Labor.

Set Up Your Own Flu Clinic

This is a great site if you want to set up your own flu clinic. It contains a great deal of information and all the forms and documents that you need to run a successful flu clinic!


http://www.bluecrossmn.com/bc/wcs/groups/bcbsmn/@mbc_bluecrossmn/documents/public/mbc1_emp_flustop.hcsp
Help maintain a healthy workplace
According to the Centers for Disease Control (“Prevention and Control of Influenza,” July 2005), the flu is a serious threat to productivity in the workplace. Two million workdays are lost to the virus and employers can often expect to lose affected employees for at least a week.
Flu shots help stop the flu

A flu shot is up to 90 percent effective in preventing the flu in healthy adults, according to the CDC’s report. Because the flu is contagious even in its early stages, all it takes is one affected person to pass the virus to others on the job. The more employees that get flu shots, the better the chance of maintaining a productive workplace through the flu season. Employers save an average of $60 (in today’s dollar) in lost work time for every employee vaccinated, according to an October 5, 1995 article in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Put FluStop to work

FluStop(SM) is a BluePrint for Health® program that helps you offer flu shots to your employees at your workplace. A recent survey of FluStop participants found that being able to get a flu shot at work was the main reason most people were vaccinated.

Three easy steps
If your group is fully insured, the program is free of charge. If your group is self-insured, you’ll be billed directly for the total number of flu shots given. By using a FluStop vendor, you’ll be taking advantage of discounted prices that Blue Cross has negotiated for you.

First, choose a participating vendor. Download the list below.
Second, work directly with the vendor to set up the clinic, including date and time. Explain that you are participating in the FluStop program. The vendor will notify Blue Cross once you’re scheduled.

Third, click on the tab above to download materials you’ll need for your clinic, including a planning checklist and a billing roster to keep track of administered shots.

We’ll help you tell employees
To help spread the word to employees, we provide these promotional materials (available by clicking on the “what you’ll need” tab above):
E-mail and letter templates that explain the program and its benefits
An article for your employee newsletter or intranet with commonly asked questions and answers about the flu
Brochures and posters

Questions?
If you have questions, call your Blue Cross agent or contact the FluStop program at (651) 662-1932 or 1-800-382-2000 (ext. 21932) or e-mail to flustop@bluecrossmn.com. For self-insured groups, contact your account manager for help.

Please note: The price per shot should not exceed $23, and the price for FluMist should not exceed $30. Vendors have agreed not to charge additional fees for this service unless you fail to meet the minimum number of participants required.
Download
FluStop vendor list (PDF)
Get Acrobat Reader

Visit http://www.contractornurse.com/ to set up your own Nurse Agency or Work as an Independent Nurse Contractor

Health Insurance Resources for Self-Employed or Small Business Owners

Health care headaches: A recent Wells Fargo/Gallup survey found that almost nine out of 10 small business owners believe the current health care system is in need of change. Nearly six out of 10 said a “total overhaul” was warranted.The small business owners surveyed also said providing adequate health insurance was a key factor in being able to retain good employees, though 55 percent of them said they did not provide any coverage. Forty-five percent of those said the reason they did not provide coverage was the high cost involved.At a time when the American health care system is under increasing scrutiny, small business owners may have a good opportunity to let their needs be known.

RESOURCES FOR INSURANCE

Insurance Finder Search EngineGet Free Insurance Quotes for Health, Home, Term or Whole Life, Business, Auto, Boat, fixed annuities and more. Also provides articles and tips for all types of insurance coverage. More Info...

4insurance.com4insurance™ is a FREE insurance shopping service that allows you to compare rates from multiple carriers by simply filling out one online form. Learn more...

Health Insurance for Self-Employed or Small Business Owner
The following options are available to you.

Employer-Sponsored CoverageThe most common way that Americans get health insurance coverage is through their employer. Federal and state laws have provided employees numerous consumer protections.
Individual CoverageIndividual health insurance policies may be an option for people who do not have access to job-based coverage. Some states offer individual coverage to all persons regardless of their health status.
High-Risk PoolsCurrently, over 30 states offer high-risk pools as a health insurance option for persons who are otherwise unable to qualify for health insurance coverage.
Prescription AssistanceMost pharmaceutical companies have established patient assistance programs to help uninsured individuals get the medications that they need to stay healthy.
Groups of OneIn some states, self-employed persons and small business owners can purchase a group health insurance policy that will cover just one person.

Visit http://www.independentrncontractor.com for Information on Starting a Nurse Agency and working as an Independent Nurse Contractor