This month’s State Spotlight takes us to remarkable Rhode Island! The Ocean State is known for its natural seaside beauty, quaint cities, delicious seafood, and a wealth of incredible Travel Nursing career opportunities. Notoriously tiny, Rhode Island’s tourism website refers to the state as “fun-sized” but there sure is a ton of flavor and fun packed into its scant 1,214 square miles. Read on to find out why Travel Nursing assignments in The Ocean State tend to go just swimmingly!
Travel Nursing in Rhode Island
Rhode Island may be small, but it offers tons of career opportunities for Travel Nurses. Build your resume and develop your skills at Traveler-friendly hospitals in an atmosphere with lots to do and see on your days off!
Rhode Island is home to about 15 hospitals — several of which are ranked as “High Performing” in specific procedures on U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Hospitals list. That includes Warwick’s Kent County Memorial Hospital (High Performing in two procedures/conditions), Providence’s Miriam Hospital (High Performing in two adult specialties and five procedures/conditions), Newport’s Newport Hospital (High Performing in one procedure/condition), Providence’s Rhode Island Hospital (High Performing in two procedures/conditions), and Wakefield’s South County Hospital (High Performing in one procedure/condition).
U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 “Best States” list ranked Rhode Island #28 overall, as well as #8 for healthcare.
As for licensing, Rhode Island is not a walk-through state nor a compact state, but it is a NURSYS state. Click here for more, up-to-date info on licensing in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island Fast Facts
State Nickname: The Ocean State
Capital: Providence
Largest City: Providence
National Parks: 2
State Parks: 15
National Historic and Natural Landmarks: 46
State Motto: “Hope”
State Flower: Violet
State Tree: Red Maple
State Bird: Rhode Island Red
State Shell: Quahaug
State Marine Mammal: Harbor Seal
Colorado was the 13th state — the last of the original 13 colonies.
Notoriously tiny, you can cross Rhode Island north-to-south in 48 miles and east-to-west in 37 miles.
In 1776, Rhode Island was the first of the 13 colonies to renounce its allegiance to Great Britain, but was the last to ratify the Constitution in 1790 after insisting on adding the Bill of Rights.
Rhode Island shares a state water border with New York.
Rhode Island Governor Ambrose Burnside is said to be the originator of sideburns.
Mr. Potato Head, Pell grants, American Tourister luggage, Glee gum, the modern sprinkler system, pizza strips, coffee milk, the diner, clam cakes, the fast break play in basketball, and sideburns were all invented in or originated in Rhode Island!
More than 400 Rhode Islands could fit inside Alaska.
Glendale, Rhode Island claims to be home to the world’s oldest penny arcade.
The first golf open was hosted in Rhode Island in 1895.
Although it’s far north of New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz, the nation’s first jazz fest was held in Newport, Rhode Island in 1954.
Some of the largest pumpkins in U.S. history have been grown in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island is often credited with hosting the first lawn tennis championship in 1899 — nowadays we call it badminton.
The Rhode Island State House is home to the fourth-largest self-supporting dome in the world — behind St. Peter’s Basilica, the Minnesota state capital, and the Taj Mahal!
Rhode Island son Gilbert Stuart drew the portrait of George Washington that is featured on the dollar bill.
Ann Hutchinson became the first woman to establish an American town when she launched Portsmouth, Rhode Island in 1640.
Famous folks from or who’ve lived in Rhode Island include Viola Davis, Meredith Viera, H.P. Lovecraft, Debra Messing, Taylor Swift, Seth MacFarlane, Lamar Odom, Charlie Day, Olivia Culpo, Richard Jenkins, The Farrelly Brothers, Christine Amanpour, Harry Anderson, Cormac McCarthy, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Ruth Buzzi, James Marsden, Mena Suvari, and Pauly D.
Rhode Island son George M. Cohan penned the famous patriotic songs “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and “You’re a Grand Old Flag.”
Rhode Island was the first state to take an anti-slavery stance via laws passed as early as 1652.
Newport’s Pelham Street was the nation’s first gas lit street.
Rhode Island was home to both the first Baptist church and the first synagogue built in America.
The first American outdoor polo match was hosted in Rhode Island in 1876.
Watch Hill, Rhode Island is home to the nation’s oldest carousel, The Flying Horse Carousel.
To Do & See in Rhode Island
VisitRhodeIsland.com cleverly refers to The Ocean State as “fun-sized.” But despite its small stature — you can cross Rhode Island north-to-south in 48 miles and east-to-west in 37 miles — the state offers lots to do and see, including its 400-some miles of shore.
Urban explorers will find locales like Providence, Warwick, Cranston, and Pawtucket good places to find great dining, shopping, culture, history and so much more. Good stops to make in Providence include Federal Hill, Waterplace Park, the Rhode Island State House, India Point Park Playground and Mosaic Mural, College Hill, Kennedy Plaza, The Providence Athenaeum, the first Baptist church in America, Benefit Street, the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Roger Williams Park, and more.
Jazz lovers will want to make a point to visit in the summertime when Newport hosts its famous Newport Jazz Festival, which began in 1954. The state is also home to quirky museums like the Newport Car Museum, The Breakers, Rosecliff, the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and Green Animals Topiary Gardens, among others.
Outside of the city scene, Rhode Island offers considerable natural beauty in places like Mohegan Bluffs, Sachuest Beach, Narragansett Beach, Clayhead Nature Trail, Brenton Point State Park, Fort Adams State Park, Mansion Beach, Scarborough State Beaches, and many other locations throughout the state. Additionally, with the easy drive across the state, an assignment in Rhode Island puts you in close proximity to taking an adventure outside of the state’s borders throughout the east coast and New England areas!
After all that urban or rural adventuring, you’ve probably worked up quite the appetite. You’re in luck because Rhode Island is home to some delicious eats! The Ocean State is known for its tasty seafood chowder, lobster bisque, clam cakes, Irish brown bread, Del’s frozen lemonade, doughboys, hot wieners, clams casino, pizza strips, Johnnycakes, clam chowder, stuffies (stuffed quahogs), lobster ravioli, clam bakes, and calamari. Wash it all down with an iconic coffee milk and you’ll be living like a true Rhode Islander!
Ready for your adventure to remarkable Rhode Island?!