Anyone know of a good hospital to work in in the East Bay area? I tried asking this question in the ED nurse and the traveling section but got very little response, ya'll give me hand here, please :) Thanks, Wendy

I live in Pinole (east bay) what is your specialty? Some of the Hospitals in this area are Childrens Hospital Oakland, Alta Bates Medical Center, Summitt, John Muir In walnut creek (trauma) , There are various va hospital/clinics around, Doctors medical center (part of the Tenet group) Kaiser Permanente. So I guess where at in the east bay are you looking and planning on living because commuting can be a nightmare depending on where you live and where you want to go.....

Tanks for replying sr moore. My boyfriend lives in Martinez, I would like to be kinda close to there, but as you mentioned the commute can be a killer. He works in San Leandro, so the best place would be somewhere between Martinez and San Leandro. I currently work in a Level II tauma center, we see mostly medical stuff though. There's a Level I just down the street (thank God). I have a friend that travels and she's mentioned Alta-Bates before but I cannot recall if it was good or bad and unfortunately she's gone on vacation and I can't reach her. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Wendy

Speaking of Tenet, they recently doubled the retirement package for their CEO.

And as a long-time past resident of the Bay Area, I would add my vote to the "avoid a commute" voices. It can be a real nightmare--every day.

Is John Muir a good place to start for new grads? I'm interested in acute care and ER.

John Muir is an excellent hospital

I agree my mom works at john muir and i plan to work at john muir.....they seem to really take care of their nurses....but you have to be careful the concord and walnut creek campus are very different.....here is a copy of the last email they sent me:

Career advancement initiatives.

Here at John Muir Health, we support your progress from day one. From reimbursement

for the NCLEX Preparatory Course to follow up with a Student Loan Forgiveness

Program. Eligible courses are an AA degree in Nursing, on-site RN-to-BSN and MSN

Programs with an award up to $5,000 a year for a maximum benefit of $15,000. We also

offer up to $15,000 a year with a maximum benefit of $30,000 for a BSN study course.

If you are an ADN looking to get your BSN or MSN, we have lots of supportive

programs for you. We have partnered with CSU Dominquez Hills to offer on-site,

evening classes and CSU East Bay which offers RN-to-BSN programs within 5 miles of

John Muir Medical Center's Walnut Creek campus. To support you financially, we offer

Work Study Programs that provide paid release time while you attend classes, and our

annual Scholarship Award Program. Scholarship awards range between $5,000 and $7,500

for those selected to receive an award. All Health System employees are eligible to

apply for our Tuition Reimbursement Program.

For more information about the various RN openings at John Muir, and to apply visit:

http://www.aftercollege.com/ads/bannertrack.asp?id=980

The patient care experience.

At John Muir Health you don't just do a nursing internship. You learn and grow with

us and enjoy a rich learning experience. We've extended our Nursing Residency

Program from seven weeks to five months. The newest addition is a two-day Boot Camp

during which new grads participate in a patient simulation station.

If these are the things you're looking for, call:

Barbara Lawler, Nurse Recruiter

925-947-3280

John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek campus

Nancy Peterson, Nurse Recruiter

925-674-2431

John Muir Medical Center, Concord campus

Ask about our 3rd RN Residency Training Program scheduled for July and August 2007.

Good luck....