1) My husband goes the VA. I am more than pleased with quality of care he receives from his nurses and doctors. That hospital is EXTREMELY busy though and it's very intense. They have everything from aging war vets some with severe mental health or addiction problems to the very newest vets (many of whom have brain and spinal cord injuries due to the IED explosions) Do you want to be a floor nurse or work in one of their many clinics (they have an eye clinic, a mental health one, etc.) The patients are predominately male but they are expanding their services to female vets.
2) Salary is negotiable, and it depends on what rung a person enters in on. The clinics are closed for major holidays (which means those nurses are off) as opposed to those who work in the main hospital. It has a federal retirement which means you can do a lateral transfer to another state within their system.
3) The hospital is a pretty standup one. Many VA hospitals have bad reps, this one is on top of their game so to speak. It is also a teaching hospital so there are a lot of people in and out, parking is non existent. Day shift employees park off site at a local mall and are shuttled in. Patients also park at the mall or can opt to use valet parking. It is on a street that is literally lined with hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities and eating establishments. It is a high volume traffic coming and going.
When I graduate I plan to put in for there as well. Their employees including non medical people are always the same faces. Patients are on assigned teams for checkups like Alpha, Charlie, Bravo and the same docs and nurses go with that team. So an Alpha or Bravo team nurse is not an OR or ED nurse and more likely to know most of their patients and the corresponding doctors and PA's pretty good after 6 months to a year.
Like I said though, they see a huge volume of people and some people find the place too intense both medical and patients.
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sounds like you're driving a horse and buggy with all the clip clopping sides. On the other hand there's a nice Farmer's market on Hillsborough Ave but it isn't the nicest of areas that Tampa has to offer. We have some issues here and I think before you buy a house or rent an apartment you should look athe Hillsborough county sheriff's office website for top crime locations so you can avoid living in them. I won't sugarcoat it we have a lot of gangs in Florida and Tampa, Gibsonton, Plant City is a hot bed for MS-13 and the Latin Kings. No point in living next door to them if you don't have too.
I;m planning on moving to Tampa now in summer 08. I'm a new grad and from Puerto Rico (but raised in Orlando,FL)... well I applied to work at James Haley Veterans Hospital as a soon-to-be RN..... can anyone help me on:
