Teaching hospital or non-teaching hospital?

Hoozdo, ADN · Dec 3, 2006

I would like to get your opinion as to what are the advantages and disadvantages of working in a teaching hospital and a non-teaching hospital. If you were to choose, would you prefer to work in a teaching hospital? Or non-teaching hospital? If yes, why? And based on your experience, which hospital(teacning or non-teaching) would be ideal for nurses to work?

I like a teaching hospital better. The main advantage IMO is that there is always a doctor present at all times. You don't have to call doctors at home and wake them up, you just walk over to where the resident is and ask the question. If the pt's family wants to talk to a doctor, you just go get one. If your pt is going south you can yank the resident over to look at them. If there is a code or rapid response team, the residents go running and you have lots of reinforcements.

On the down side, you can get lots of kooky orders from residents. I have had orders written for the wrong pt MANY times....even for blood transfusions. The residents tend to ask your advice on drugs to prescribe and such which can be kind of scary

jojotoo, RN · Dec 3, 2006

Teaching hospital!! Think of all you will learn from those more experienced than you, and all that you will teach to those that have less knowledge.

KellieNurse06 · Dec 3, 2006

Definetly a teaching hospital.....they tend to get things that smaller hospitals have no clue on or have never seen before....plus like another poster mentioned about always having a doctor there.....and about the residents...omg I have heard stories from other nurses also.....it sounds like it can be very nervewracking in that aspect......

P_RN, ADN, RN · Dec 3, 2006

Teaching hospital, for all the reasons above.

mom23RN · Dec 3, 2006

I like a teaching hospital because I like to teach. I love teaching medical students things like how to do an IV, how to do an NG, etc.

gitterbug · Dec 3, 2006

Teaching facilities are great.

extreme · Dec 4, 2006

Wow! thanks a lot for all the feedback you have posted.

Though most of you preferred to work in a teaching hospital, it seems to me that working there is quite scary,especially, for new nurses coz they might be putting themselves in a situation where his/her license might be jeopardized because of those wrong orders/medication made by those unexperienced interns/medical students.

On the other hand, it seems to be a good training ground for learning and experience.

WOLFE, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2006

Teaching hospital...for all the reasons posted. Extreme..always remember that as a new nurse within a teaching hospital and the possibilities of the wrong orders...you can ask a seasoned nurse if this sounds ok...dr. so and so placed this order..does this sound right???

Gompers, BSN, RN · Dec 4, 2006

Another vote for teaching hospitals! Much more of a team environment, if you ask me.

Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP · Dec 4, 2006

I have worked in both. I prefer teaching. Most of our residents are cool and reasonably competent, and almost all take us seriously when we call.

You do get silly orders sometimes, but usually all you have to do is ask "Are you sure you don't want to do ____ instead?" and they change their minds. If all else fails, you get the attending. May not be pretty but may save a life.

One resident actually told a nurse, "Our attending told us that when you nurses call us you'll tell us what you want and we're supposed to say okay." Great or scary, depending, I guess.

extreme · Dec 7, 2006

Sounds great and scary. But I guess the most important thing is for nurses to be equpped with good knowledge so that we can be sure that we won't cause any harm to the patients.