[KBKicker]

I just returned from a week long trip to CO and was wondering if anyone had any feedback on University hospital (in Aurora), Medical Center of the Rockies, and/or Sky Ridge? My husband and I will be moving to CO in about a year and was just wondering about pay, environment, any super floors, etc? By the time we move, I'll have had a years experience on a cardiology/med-surg floor in Boston if that helps. Thanks!!

[bridgfor428]

i have never worked at sky ridge, but i do know that there is a lot of nursing turnover there. i can tell you i've heard a few people say that it has something to do with the hospital administration not supporting the nurses. so i have personally crossed that one off my list. i don't know much about medical center of the rockies or university hospital, but i know that university is pretty renowned. some other hospital around south or east denver you might try looking into if you haven't already:

porter adventist
littleton adventist
swedish medical center
denver health

those are all very large hospitals that i have heard positive things about. denver health is right downtown and has a lot of traumatic emergencies, etc., the others not so much. hope this helps.

[lilshamrock]

Originally Posted by KBKicker

I just returned from a week long trip to CO and was wondering if anyone had any feedback on University hospital (in Aurora), Medical Center of the Rockies, and/or Sky Ridge? My husband and I will be moving to CO in about a year and was just wondering about pay, environment, any super floors, etc? By the time we move, I'll have had a years experience on a cardiology/med-surg floor in Boston if that helps. Thanks!!

Im currently just a student, but I have done clinicals at Sky Ridge on the med-surg floor. I did enjoy working there and the staff was really nice, but would have to agree that the turn over is high there from talking to the nurses. If you are looking for something remotely close to sky ridge as in quality of care and nurse to patient ratio, Swedish medical center is very awesome. I had enjoyed my rotation there so much that Im going back again. Some of the nurses have been there for 15+ yrs. Swedish much like Sky Ridge use the meditech system for dispensing medication to the patients, so your 6 rights are covered. I personally perfer doing documentation via the computer than writing everything by hand and trying to figure out others handwriting.
Also from looking up information on swedish they do alot with stroke victims but they also have an extensive cardiology unit.
Hope that helps

[core0]

Originally Posted by KBKicker

I just returned from a week long trip to CO and was wondering if anyone had any feedback on University hospital (in Aurora), Medical Center of the Rockies, and/or Sky Ridge? My husband and I will be moving to CO in about a year and was just wondering about pay, environment, any super floors, etc? By the time we move, I'll have had a years experience on a cardiology/med-surg floor in Boston if that helps. Thanks!!

You have a pretty wide list. The distance from Medical center of the Rockies to Sky Ridge is about 70 miles. Denver is roughly divided up into 4 quadrants plus the center of the city. I have worked in almost all the hospitals in Denver in various capacities (although never as a nurse). Of those my favorites were the southern hospitals (Sky Ridge,Porter, Littleton, and Swedish).

I would agree with the other poster that while the Sky Ridge facility is newer the turnover seems really high and there are always lots of travelers. Swedish is nice but an older physical plant and still has a few two patient rooms. The acuity is high and oriented to neuro and trauma. The nurses there are very sharp. Porter is another older hospital although they have upgraded it recently. They have a new ICU. The patient population is more medical and they do a fair number of hearts there as well as a small transplant program. Overall the nurses there were the best of any hospital I worked at. Littleton is a newer hospital with a brand new ICU and patient tower. It is a solid community hospital with a fairly high level trauma program. Overall you would not go wrong with any of the hospitals. A lot comes down to the system HCA (SRMC and SMC) or Adventist (PAH and LAH). There is a small hospital in Parker (Parker Adventist) but I have not really heard anything good about it from the nurses.

Of the other hospitals the two that I liked the best were Rose Medical Center and Presbyterian Saint Luke's in Central Denver. Rose had the best staff relations of any hospital I worked at and most of the nurses have been there a long time. P/SL is one of the major tertiary centers and has the other peds program outside of Children's.


David Carpenter, PA-C