Travel Quickly Through TSA With SENTRI Card

SENTRI is a new program designed by the US Government to decrease time for travelers at the boarders. SENTRI stands for Secure Electronic Network for Travel Rapid Inspection. Designed for vehicles traveling across the U. S. Borders. If you travel by commercial airline, the first two articles of this series cover more information. Accomplished through; The RFID cards contain a file number that is read upon arrival. The file number triggers the participant’s data to be brought up on the CBP Officer’s screen. The data is verified by the CBP Officer and the traveler is released or referred for additional inspections The link for registration; http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/sentri/ This program is for pre-approved, low risk travelers who apply for the program and voluntarily undergo a background check and personal interview. Applicants may not qualify for participation in the SENTRI program if they: Provide false or incomplete information on the application; Have been convicted of any criminal offense or have pending criminal charges to include outstanding warrants; Have been found in violation of any customs, immigration, or agriculture regulations or laws in any country; Are subjects of an ongoing investigation by any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency; Are inadmissible to the United States under immigration regulation, including applicants with approved waivers of inadmissibility or parole documentation; Cannot satisfy CBP of their low risk status or meet other program requirements. Once an applicant is approved they are issued a Radio Frequency Identification Document (RFID) that will identify their record and status in the CBP database upon arrival at the U.S. port of entry. A sticker decal is also issued to the applicant’s vehicle or motorcycle. SENTRI users have access to specific, dedicated primary lanes into the United States. Please ensure the exact documents you provided during the online application are those presented at the time of interview. Originals of evidence of citizenship that you listed on your application If not a U.S. citizen, originals of evidence of immigration admissibility to the U.S., that you listed on your application. Valid drivers license (or state identification) issued in state where applicant lives. Vehicle registration and evidence of US automobile insurance by a company authorized to write automobile insurance in the US. If the vehicle is not registered in the name of the applicant, a notarized letter authorizing its use by the applicant is required. A company vehicle requires written authorization on company letterhead. Evidence of employment or financial support. (For instance, most recent years tax return, pay receipt, or direct deposit salary statement. Those self-employed must present a business license, current tax information and bank statement) Evidence of residence, (Mortgage or rent payment receipts) During the Interview, information provided on the application will be verified and upon acceptance, CBP will: Take a photograph of applicant for identification card purposes Take applicant’s fingerprint Provide terms and conditions of the program Answer any questions the applicant may have Issue an RFID enabled identification document Required Fees Application Fee: $25.00 per person (or a maximum of $50.00 total for husband, wife and minor children) Fingerprint Fee: $17.25 (applicants 14 years and older) System Costs Fee: $80.00 per person (or a maximum of $160.00 total for a husband, wife and minor children) Total Fee: $122.25 per person Safe and healthy travels. Nurse G

When I read about these new programs rolled out in October of 2011, I just had to pass this on to Nurse G's readers! Link to article of programs for business travelers. On Oct. 4, 2011 the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) launched an expedited screening pilot program designed to help TSA focus resources on higher-risk and unknown passengers while expediting the process for lower-risk and known passengers. The first program is called PreCheck or Trusted Traveler. Next program is called NEXUS Odd, there is no explanation for the name. NEXUS is a bi-national cooperative effort, partnering Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The NEXUS program provides expedited processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers by United States and Canadian officials at dedicated processing lanes at designated northern border ports of entry, at NEXUS kiosks at Canadian airports where preclearance is available, and at marine reporting locations. Here's the high-tech part; travelers are issued a radio frequency ID card with their photo. That part most of us are used to, traveling with ID. The radio frequency is probably like the quick pass for paying by credit at the gas stations. This program offers iris scanning. That is pretty cool. I'll explain iris scanning shortly. link to NEXUS fact sheet; Healthy travels remember to pack My Travel Health Kit and your prescriptions. Thanks for reading! Nurse G

U.S Airports BusinessTraveler Iris Scanning Quick Facts

New programs to save business travelers time getting though airport include an iris scan. Here is what you need to know. The iris of the eye is photographed, not really scanned and 260 points of reference are used for identification. Top fingerprinting techniques use only 60 to 70 points of reference. When your iris is photographed, it takes a few seconds and you will not feel anything. You may experience a low level of light from the camera, but not a bright flash like a camera or light used during an eye exam. The program is really an iris recognition tool. Less invasive than a retina scan. The retina is the "mirror" at the back of the eyeball which transmits viewed images to the brain. No two iris blue prints are identical, not even for identical twins or triplets. Only travelers name and travel information is connected with iris scan, no personal identification number like social security are stored with this program. Contracted manufacturer of this technology, Iris Scan Inc. contracts with made customer assurances that travelers stored data is not shared with other organizations. Neither Glasses nor contact lenses interfere with the iris recognition program. Eye surgery such as corneal transplants or cataract surgery do not interfere. Even a blind person can participate, their iris can still be scanned. The camera may be set anywhere near your eye from four inches to forty inches. Iris Recognition Tech Facts: Operating systems compatibility: DOS and Windows (NT/95) Average identification speed (database of 100,000 IrisCode records): one to two seconds Probability of two irises producing exactly the same code: 1 in 10 to the 78th power IrisCode record size: 512 bytes Source - IrisScan Inc. If you have been lucky enough to try this out, write Nurse G and tell me about your opinion.

One Quick and Easy Travel Emergency Resource

Protect your self and your family with a travel resource that will help get you in touch with loved ones during an emergency / disaster during your travels.

The US has a program called The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program -STEP at the US State Department website;



It is a bit tricky to sign up for the program, but I will cover that information in the article STEPS to Registering for U.S. Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

Before you travel, register your dates of travel and travel destination easily and quickly on their website. You will receive travel ALERTS and travel WARNINGS.

What's in it for me you ask?

Then, if an emergency occurs at home, or in your country of destination, your forethought of registering your contact information may save your life. The only down side, i suppose is that the U.S Government can find you and knows where you are traveling. The upside is, you don't have to stress about finding a working phone during a national disaster, the staff in the STEP program will be reaching out to you.

After the earthquake in Haiti, the STEP program evacuated over 16,700 U.S. citizens and family members. During the civil unrest in Lebanon in 2006 STEP assisted nearly 15,000 U.S. citizens and family members, and in 2004 STEP helped thousands more during the tsunami.
Considering these examples, I would be OK signing up for the STEP program.

If you are from the UK, Remember to register your trip with the UK Government LOCATE program, a free service that allows for efficiency of locating you in an emergency.


Enjoy your trip and healthy travels!

I love to hear from readers, Please post how your travel adventure turns out!

Nurse G

Copyright Nurse Guardian, pllc 2011-2014. May be used with permission from author.

3 steps to a Business Travel Emergency Plan

A graph recently published in Business Travel News shows a gap in travel management and employees emergency communication. For more information on the BTN graph, see http://nurseguardian.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/business-traveler-emergency/ The first article we wrote focused on employee emergencies in the workplace. We are reminding Business travelers to have their own emergency plan. Business Travel - make this part of your pre travel planning. Another article will cover the benefits of Travel Insurance, this article covers thee quick planning steps to protect you and your family. Leave a copy of everything you carry in your wallet with your emergency contact person. Everything. Insurance card included. No, you don't have to photocopy your money. Leave a copy of your passport, your flight information and your hotel contact information and a phone contact of a coworker you are traveling with. Make a copy of your medical prescriptions, including prescription # and name of prescribing physician. If medications get lost in your checked bag or something happens to them, you have a back up plan. note: before taking certain medications into overseas countries, check with the American Embassy about that countries medication laws. Some class C or controlled substances may or may not be allowed. Carry copy of your immunizations and your medical record with you when traveling. Ok, Maybe that is 4. Thanks for reading our blog. Safe travels, Nurse Guardian Good for you for Planning Smart!

Traveling? Get Your Travel Health Report

Contact us for a customized travel health report based on your travel destination. For a limited time, send us your travel destination and we will send you a travel health report with the following information; Suggestions on travel health items, current disease outbreaks, precautions, emergency contact information and suggested immunizations. Nurse Guardian Travel Health Report will help prepare you protect your health against unwanted travel illness. Contact us at nurse@nurseguardian.com. Limited time offer of $69.99 per Travel Health Report. Include Travel Destination or up to three destinations,Dates of Travel and travel health questions. As an added bonus, we will include a 10% discount off My Travel Health Kit® and travel health products. We look forward to taking care of your travel health! Nurse Guardian, pllc Copyright Nurse Guardian, pllc 2011-2014. May be used with permission from author.

Drugcite.com for medication side effects and statistics

I found this website Drugcite.com. It is a fascinating resource for checking medication side effects. The site is user-friendly and easy to navigate. We typed in the Influenza vaccination. Results of side effects reported to the FDA reflected the two major side effects reported during the 2010 flu vaccination season were respiratory and epidermal/ dermal conditions. Epidermal/ dermal basically means it is related to the skin. Click on the epidermal and the statistics are further broken down into subcategories, like rash and redness at site. Just be aware that the side effects are listed in medical terms. I would offer the suggestion that Drugcite.com place a medical dictionary in their tools category. The neat thing is that this site lists the dates of the side effects reported, whether reported by male or female and how many people reported this side effect. Cool. Check out their phone app. We are curious if any of you have tried the app yet. Happy side effect hunting. Great job drugcite.com! Nurse Guardian Copyright Nurse Guardian, pllc 2011-2014. May be used with permission from author.

American Nurses Association of NCSBN

ANA and NCSBN Unite to Provide Guidelines on Social Media and Networking for Nurses


https://www.ncsbn.org/2927.htm


Great information to keep in mind after a frustrating day at work.

Guidelines for Nurses using Social Media

Happy New Year

This link is a guideline for nurses to use when posting on social media sites.

Written by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing ( NCSBN )


https://www.ncsbn.org/Social_Media.pdf

Endorsed by the ANA

Emotional Energy Boost during Your Nursing Shift

Your Emotions are a gift. Emotions alert you to changes in situations and give you guides. Emotions can be worked with to your benefit. This article teaches you an increase in your emotional state of connection to yourself.
Spend a week doing the following exercise,
Each day, think about one situation that you would like to see improve. Lets use the example of a coworker who is difficult to work with. When you think about this situation,
Feel the emotion of excitement and happiness. Surround yourself with this feeling of excitement, as if going to work is like going on a vacation that you have been planing for months.

Then do imagery with this situation, Picture in your mind how you would like to see a conversation with this co worker going. When you think about this co worker imagine a peaceful, civil maybe even humorous conversation. Continue to vibrate this positive energy around this co-worker. Remember What you focus on with thoughts and feelings can become reality.

Journal what occurred and what changes took place.

Plan your shift mentally before you go to work. Go in with expectation that things will go smoothly, your assignment will be appropriate, or even light, your coworkers will have PMA, you will have PMA and everyone you encounter will be pleasant. Think about the shift in your head, think about accomplishing all of your tasks in an 8 hour / 16 hour or 24 period without (effort) WC, with support and with a smile.

Now here is the key; As you are thinking about your shift and time at work. but emotional positive energy into your thoughts. Identify to yourself exactly what emotion you feel when working on this process. Feel the energy of the emotion.

Positive emotions are: Love, excitement, happiness, joy, hope, (arguably these can be categorized many ways)

Feel the energy of joy and happiness coursing through your respiratory and circulatory systems. (your lungs and heart) connect with that energy and let it offer you protection.

Book: Excuse Me...Your Life is Waiting by Lynn Grabhorn
Create your own style. Nursing is an art form. Nursing is creative problem solving and strategic thinking. Nursing is having presence and mindfulness in the moment to have an increased awareness of any changes in your patients. Have an excellent shift!