Tucson Medical Center - New Grad Pay?

U.S.A. Arizona

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Hi there! I just graduated here in the San Francisco Bay Area and I'm having a tough time finding work. The market is saturated with new grads and I'm picky...I want NICU or L&D...so I'm working with a head hunter. She's got me a phone interview with the recruiter from Tucson Medical Center for a new grad position in the NICU. They're offering a pretty sweet relocation package but I'm more concerned about the day in and out. New grads in my area are starting out at $45 base pay with another 15% diff! I know the cost of living would be better in AZ but I'm trying to figure out if the drop in pay would be worth it. If we move out of state my hubby would have to try and find work until he established residency before he can go back to school for his teaching credential without paying out of state fees. Any input or advice would be appreciated! I have the telephone interview this afternoon!:innerconf

Specializes in Cardiac.
I thought only med/surg at TMC is like a dump, and specialty units are ok. Have you changed your opinion on this?

No, the hospital is in major upheaval right now. I've heard of layoffs happening, rumors of it being bought out, closing, etc, etc.

The only speciality units I've mentioned as being OK are ED, L&D, and NICU.

Specializes in Acute Care Psych, DNP Student.
No, the hospital is in major upheaval right now. I've heard of layoffs happening, rumors of it being bought out, closing, etc, etc.

The only speciality units I've mentioned as being OK are ED, L&D, and NICU.

I heard something about all nursing managers up to the DON have left. It sounds like there is some sort of mass exodus going on at TMC.

Yes, TMC does have some issues but as far as I know the rumors you speak of are just rumors. We're not closing or anything crazy. There's just a lot of change going on right now which is inevitable right? I actually like my job there quite a bit and I know lots of other people who do as well... but there will always be people who hate it.

Specializes in Cardiac.

But you're not a nurse there. You have no idea what it's like to be a nurse there. It's an awful place to be. And in nursing, it's all about your work environment and the protection of that precious license.

But you're not a nurse there. You have no idea what it's like to be a nurse there. It's an awful place to be. And in nursing, it's all about your work environment and the protection of that precious license.

I do know several nurses here who DO NOT hate it. They are not in L&D or NICU but they still love thier jobs. There are also a lot of nurses here who have been here for 15 or more years. I'm not sure what the point of me saying this is....I mean I'm not going to persuade you believe differently but I don't feel that TMC is the horrible place you believe it is and neither do many of the people I work with (nurses, radiologists, NP's ect, ect).

Specializes in Cardiac.

No, you won't be able to disuade me about TMCs reputation and work envirnoment. Especially since you have no idea about being a nurse there. Just because you know nurses doens't mean you know nursing.

Being at a job for 15 years...well, there's lots of nurses who are stuck at bad jobs for a long time out of fear of learing a new environment. Hell, women in abusive relationships stay for 15 years--that doens't say much.

I have two friends who eagerly paid back their sign-on bonuses to be free to leave TMC, if that says anything.

They did not work in L&D, or NICU, though.

I'm hearing about more and more areas in which new grads are having a hard time finding jobs. I think the myth of a nursing shortage is starting to crumble.

I have to say that I've heard nothing but good things about TMC's L&D... seriously. I know that there are approx. 4,000 births a year there! That 's a busy L&D dept.

I can't say I've heard the same about the Med/Surg units. I heard that the Med/Surg floors are carpeted (I'm just imagining the spills... gross).

$24/hr huh? Well, that doesn't surprise me since I've been there 2 years and make less than that. TMC is all about recruiting but not about keeping their staff. I'm about ready to pay back my sign on bonus to leave as well. Question is, where do I go? Not much available to me with the specialty I'm in. Right now that's the only thing keeping me there. That and I LOVE my coworkers. If it weren't for them I'd be in the looney bin by now.:bugeyes:

Oh, and yes most of the units are carpeted, though they are planning on changing that over the next few years, or so I hear.

Specializes in Cardiac.
$24/hr huh? Well, that doesn't surprise me since I've been there 2 years and make less than that. TMC is all about recruiting but not about keeping their staff. I'm about ready to pay back my sign on bonus to leave as well. Question is, where do I go? Not much available to me with the specialty I'm in. Right now that's the only thing keeping me there. That and I LOVE my coworkers. If it weren't for them I'd be in the looney bin by now.:bugeyes:

Oh, and yes most of the units are carpeted, though they are planning on changing that over the next few years, or so I hear.

Wow, I remember talking to you when I was a student. I'm suprised at that pay, actually. I have 1.5 years and make a few dollars more than that.

There's no loyality in nursing. You gotta move about to get the best pay...

Specializes in LTC.

My boyfriend works for TMC. The starting pay was a little less but after 3 months went up to 33. He started out in med/sug now moving to othro.

He has to finish out commitment contract--:(.

Yep for about 6 months and then moved back to Minnesota. I'm freezing to death but I love my job here. I agree, TMC is all about recruiting, not retention. Fortunately I did not have to pay back my sign-on/moving bonuses because they changed the terms of my contract. I signed on to work ICU and because they needed RN's in telemetry, they came up with some excuse why I needed to work there instead. Let's just say working on the telemetry unit was "interesting." But the position change was completely against my will. However I felt trapped, we had just moved there and I stuck it out for a short while.

With that being said, it wasn't the best place I worked nor was it the worst. It's an okay place. I wouldn't say it's a "dump" either. I miss the warm sunny weather.

Specializes in LTC, skilled nursing, Med-Surg.

Hahahahahaha... I know this is original post is almost 2 months old, but I had to include my input on TMC. I just recently moved to Colorado with my hubby and baby so we can be a bit closer to my family for a while; we did live in Sells, the capital of the Tohono O'odham Nation, and 60 miles southwest of Tucson. Since today is the 1-year "anniversary" for my appendectomy...lol... I thought I'd post. When I had appendicitis a year ago, I was already 3 months pregnant. The horrible pain in my lower-right abdominal quadrant was too bad and insistent to ignore, so hubby and I went into the Sells IHS E.R. Since they aren't equipped to deal with abdominal surgery, they assessed me, hooked me up to an I.V., phoned the E.R. at Tucson Medical Center, and sent me down there on an ambulance. This was late at night. The ambulance ride was bumpy and painful, but at least the driver went fast. When the EMT took me into the TMC E.R., he gave my info to the E.R. triage nurse and switched me from a stretcher to a rolling bed. And then I laid there on that rolling bed, in triage, for hours and hours just laying there in pain. I was pretty much left alone, no one checked up on me, and I was in a good amount of pain, as you all can imagine. I always thought that appendicitis, especially in a pregnant patient, would constitute an emergency; after all, can't the appendix rupture at any time when inflamed? Apparently there were greater emergencies there, which I do understand, however again I thought appendicitis kind of ranks up there as a priority. So I stayed in triage all the rest of that night and into the morning. I'm guessing TMC's E.R. is grossly understaffed. It wasn't until around 10 am the next morning that I was rolled into the actual emergency room to get assessed. During this whole ordeal, I wasn't given anything to drink (which I understand, because of the surgery) or even ice chips to suck on (does that fall under the 'drinks' category?). I was hooked up to an I.V. so I wasn't dehydrated, but my mouth sure was horribly dry. Finally I got to rinse it out with some horrible tasting mouthwash. lol. But at least it was something! I stayed in the actual E.R. again for several hours and then was finally admitted and sent up to my room. From then on it got much better; a surgeon came to speak with me almost immediately, did a quick assessment and had me prepped for surgery, and the rest is history. LOL sorry this is a long story. To any of you E.R. nurses out there, is this the story for most other E.R.s? Would a patient with appendicitis, especially a pregnant patient, gotten left to wait for hours and hours at another E.R.? I wonder what would have happened if my appendix had ruptured while I was waiting. I know it would have been bad for me and baby. Thank God that didn't happen! Anyway, the story I guess is just to reiterate the point that there are both good and bad departments to TMC. I did have a good experience in their L&D and postpartum units. Ok, I will stop rambling now! :bugeyes:

I'd be curious to know what TMC is offering. I doubt, seriously, that it's close to what Jessy is making in Yuma.

TMC is a dump, BTW. Although the NICU and L&D dept are fine.

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