This month’s State Spotlight takes us to humble Hawaii! The Aloha State is
Travel Nursing in Hawaii
Hawaii is a fabulous state for Travel Nursing — in fact, it’s a bucket list state for most Travelers! The Aloha State offers so much to experience on your days off and you’ll enjoy access to lots of amazing career opportunities at incredible facilities.
Hawaii is home to about 38 hospitals — three of which meet high enough standards to be ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 2018/2019 Best Hospitals list. That includes their #1-ranked Hawaii hospital, Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, which is nationally ranked in one specialty, in addition to being ranked “High Performing” in five adult specialties and six procedures/conditions. Rounding out the top three overall best hospitals in Hawaii are: Honolulu’s Straub Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center, also in Honolulu.
U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 “Best States” ranked Hawaii #17 overall, as well as #1 for healthcare, #16 for crime & corrections, and #18 for opportunity. Livability.com ranked Honolulu, Hilo, and Kahului among the best places to live in Hawaii.
As for licensing, Hawaii is not currently a walk-through, compact, or NURSYS state. Click here for more, up to date info on licensing in Hawaii.
Hawaii Fast Facts
State Nickname: The Aloha State
Capital: Honolulu
Largest City: Honolulu
National Parks: 8
State Parks: 50
National Historic and Natural Landmarks: 40
State Motto: “Ua Mau ke Ea o ka ‘Āina i ka Pono” meaning “The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness”
State Flower: Pua Aloalo
State Tree: Kukui
State Mammal: Hawaiian Monk Seal
State Dance: Hula
State Musical Instrument: Ukulele
State Gem: Black coral
Hawaii was the 50th state.
Hawaii is comprised of these eight main islands: Nihau, Kauai, Oahu, Maui, Molokaim Lanai, Kahoolawe, and the Big Island (officially called Hawai’i).
The Hawaiian alphabet has just 13 letters and every word and syllable ends in a vowel.
Hawaii is the only state that commercially grows coffee, cacao, and vanilla beans.
Hawaii has the highest life expectancy age in the nation.
Unrelated to the above fact, Hawaiians consume the most Spam per capita in the U.S. It is even served at their McDonald’s and Burger Kings!
Surfing, surfboards, hooked cane knives, beach cleaning machines, Ocean vodka, radioactive particle cleaning gel, pineapple coring machines, and Kona coffee, were all invented in or originated in Oregon!
Hawaii was the first state to ban billboards.
Hawaii has a great variety of sand! They have black, white, yellow, red, and green beaches.
The largest and most active volcano in the world is the Kilauea volcano, which has been raging for 600,000-some years.
Because of the continuous eruption from the Kilauea volcano, The Big Island grows by about 42 acres annually.
Because of its resemblance to the surface of the moon, astronauts in the 1960s trained for moon travel by walking on Mauna Loa’s hardened lava fields.
Named for the Earl of Sandwich, Hawaii was once called the Sandwich Isles.
Hawaii has no statewide police force or department of motor vehicles. These are managed by each county government.
The north shore of Molokai features the world’s largest sea cliffs, clocking in at 3,000-plus feet high.
Famous folks from or who’ve lived in Hawaii include Barack Obama, Jason Momoa, Nicole Kidman, Bruno Mars, Lauren Graham, Tia Carrere, Jack Johnson, Bethany Hamilton, Lois Lowry, Marcus Mariota, Don Ho, Michelle Wie, and Bette Midler.
One of the wettest spots on Earth is Waialeale Mountain which averages 488-some inches of rain each year.
Only two mammals are thought to be native to Hawaii: the hoary bat and the monk seal.
While Hawaii is the widest state in the nation, if you consider landmass it would take 40 Hawaiis to make up one Texas.
Hawaii has its own time zone and does not practice daylight savings time.
The Big Island leads the world in harvesting orchids and macadamia nuts.
There are a lot of rules around leis, including the fact that it’s considered rude to refuse a lei or take it off in front of the person who gave it to you. Leis should also never be thrown away, but should be returned to the land.
Hawaii was the first state to ban plastic bags in 2015.
To Do & See in Hawaii
Hawaii is one of the nation’s most unique and breathtaking places, making it a very special destination for Travel Nurses. Beyond its world-famous beaches, Hawaii is well known for lush fauna, intriguing volcanoes, incredible seafood and other cuisine (yes, including the state’s quirky love of Spam), rich native culture, and so much more.
The Aloha State’s capital of Honolulu is by far its largest population center. In fact, Honolulu County is home to about 70 percent of the state’s entire population. Other cities of interest include Mililani, Pearl City, Waipahu, Kaneohe, and several other smaller communities. In Honolulu you’ll want to check out Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial Park, Iolani Palace, Waikiki Beach and neighborhood, Chinatown, the Koko Crater Trail, Manoa Falls, and so much more.
Other must-dos in Hawaii include Volcanoes National Park, Haleakala, Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park, Hana Highway, Kilauea, Waimea Canyon State Park, Polynesian Cultural Center, Molokini, Waipio Valley, Mauna Loa Observatory, and Bishop Museum.
You can also try surfing here in the state where it was invented, attend a luau, take a helicopter tour, kayak, take a sunset cruise, snorkel, hike, bike, and so much more!
The food in Hawaii is as unique as it is delicious. As an island state, seafood is obviously a very big deal here and the state is known for that in general as well as iconic faves like loco moco, malasadas, spam musubi (spam sushi), shaved ice, Kalua pork, acai bowls, manapua, ice cream mochi, poke, haupia pie, pineapple, macadamia nuts, hula pie, ramen, huli huli chicken, lau lau, poi, and garlic shrimp. Wash it all down with a Mai Tai or a piping-hot cup of Kona coffee and you’ll be living like a true Hawaiian!
Ready for your adventure to humble Hawaii?! Search jobs now to find your dream Travel Nurse job in Hawaii! Or, search all jobs here.
