Oakwood Hospital-Good or Bad?

Katrn05 · Nov 16, 2007

I would suggest maybe going to Oakwood Main. Stay away from Oakwood Heritage. I had clinicals there and it was terrible. The nurses were not very nice at all.

amybethf · Nov 16, 2007

Hi,
Can anyone who works at Oakwood tell me how it is working there, where you work and how long you've been there? I have had 2 people tell me that it is a horrible place to work (I graduate next May) and the nurses are so mean to each other. This is what THEY heard from a relative and a friend. But when I talked to nurses working in 2 ICU departments at a career fair they seemed very nice, helpful and that they genuinely like their jobs. They had been there at least 5 yrs. Does anyone have any opinions - good or bad? Thanks.

Some of my friends are doing clinicals at Oakwood Main and Heritage and are not having trouble with the nurses at all. Every nurse has a bad day and nursing students just add to the load but I think u should interview there, maybe ask what the turnover rate is. But all nurses, due to many factors (as u know) are operating under high stress levels. I wouldn't rule out gaining employment there becuz someone had a bad experience. I had both of my children there and some ppl were like "OMG, that is a horrible place to give birth!" Well my first xperience there was so lovely that it made up my mind to pursue nursing. I absolutely loved my L&D nurses. So I trust u can make up your mind after u interview at different hospitals. Good Luck and congrats on almost being done!:balloons:

Nurse Lulu · Nov 21, 2007

I work at oakwood main and I love it!!! I have been out of nursing school since 12/06 P.S. I work in a critical care area! Life is what you make of it. CAT

nrsang97, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2007

I have worked at Oakwood Main and wouldn't recommend it. There are other better hosptials in the area. I would stay away from the Oakwood system in gerneral. They way overwork their nurses and treat their staff like dirt also.

Treasure30 · Nov 23, 2007

Hello,

I'm trying to say something encouraging. Okay, I've been nursing for 20 yrs. I am a travel nurse, now. Every now & then I go back home, Michigan. I've worked O. Main, twice. Once, when I had only 2 yrs of being a nurse & the other time, 18 yrs of being a nurse. The 1st time I left, the second time, I worked 87 days & they called me in the office & told me "I don't fix". I was told my nursing care was good, the doctor liked working with me, but 'I just didn't fix'.

The night charge nurse was sneaky. I was told if I continue to asked for a lunch break, that I would not be around. The night charge nurse didn't believe in giving lunch break. I was told if the new nurses continue to come to me instead of the charge nurse, I would not be around.

My preceptor (3 yrs. of nursing) handed me a vial & told me to give the medication to the pt. I informed the preceptor that I needed to see the order & I didn't hear a doctor give a verbal. After she insisted, I said to her, "you give it since you heard the verbal order" and I walked in my pt's room to continue giving nursing care. Anyway, the doctor changed his mine & the pt never did get the medication. I know it was a set up.

I've worked at Annappolis without problems, before Oakwood bought them. Thyme39 if you want to work at Oakwood, try it. It's plenty of work out here for Nursing. JUST WATCH OUT FOR THE HATER.

Learn as much as you can. Observe or asked questions about the nurse with the most experience & learn from her. Most experience includes wholistic nursing & 'bedside manners'.

Good Luck,

Treasure

MUNewgrad · Nov 24, 2007

Hi,
Can anyone who works at Oakwood tell me how it is working there, where you work and how long you've been there? I have had 2 people tell me that it is a horrible place to work (I graduate next May) and the nurses are so mean to each other. This is what THEY heard from a relative and a friend. But when I talked to nurses working in 2 ICU departments at a career fair they seemed very nice, helpful and that they genuinely like their jobs. They had been there at least 5 yrs. Does anyone have any opinions - good or bad? Thanks.

I had my first clinicals at Oakwood Main this fall. I can tell you that we did not have a good experience on our floor at all. I have friends whose moms work in the NICU there and say that they love it. It might be a different world in the ICU's than it is on a MedSurg floor. I think the nurses were rude. It took weeks for them to acknowledge our presence and only a very few were nice enough to let us work with them and explain things to us.

I think it depends on where you are there.

I have friends who do student work at Oakwood Heritage and they love it. I think they are on the Oncology floor. Again, I really think that it depends on what floor you are on.

Good Luck.

djakers · Dec 3, 2007

Hi,
Can anyone who works at Oakwood tell me how it is working there, where you work and how long you've been there? I have had 2 people tell me that it is a horrible place to work (I graduate next May) and the nurses are so mean to each other. This is what THEY heard from a relative and a friend. But when I talked to nurses working in 2 ICU departments at a career fair they seemed very nice, helpful and that they genuinely like their jobs. They had been there at least 5 yrs. Does anyone have any opinions - good or bad? Thanks.

sure i can tell you from first hand experience, DONT GO THERE unless you want to be treated like S*** i worked agency there for quite some time and the old Cleche' of the nurses eating their young cant be any more truthful and let alone how the doctors treat ya.... thats another story..........sorry to put a damper on question but thats how nursing REALLY is ............good luck

Be VERY VERY careful with the people you work with but in this high stress female geared population they will sometimes STAB you in the back. I for one am leaving the current bedside nursing cuz for one im burnt out .......not by the patients (thats for sure) but by the caddyness, vindictive and ruthlessness that many nurses portray themselves. It is not without any great revalation that this may or even actually be the very reason the nursing population is in of such great need. I have been a RN (BSN and BS in Biology) for 8 years and i have worked many many areas in nursing and out of the nursing "profession" and i have never been faced with this type behavior in all of my careers. I am very glad to say that i am moving to a more independent way of nusring and continuing my education. For what ever this little tid bit is worth. I hope there is going to be a "new" revalation to the behaviors, job cohessivness and "personality" that the new RN's coming into this field will protray Cuz for starters it sure as heck NEEDS something done or this "profession" will definetly have a rude awakening.............and im sure im not the only one who feels this way either

MySimplePlan · Dec 4, 2007

I have worked at Oakwood Main and wouldn't recommend it. There are other better hosptials in the area. I would stay away from the Oakwood system in gerneral. They way overwork their nurses and treat their staff like dirt also.

I have heard this very thing, also - from 2 different people. I have never worked there myself, for the record.

BerthaRN · Dec 30, 2007

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MUNewgrad · Dec 31, 2007

I had a clinical there and saw many of the same things! It was horrible. I will hopefully never be a patient there or work there. It was horrible. I would have loved the spy role. I would have done it in a minute. I saw the aides do some nasty stuff to patients and the nurses just allowed it. I spoke up to my instructors and made sure that no other students will be put on that floor. The funniest thing was that the one nurse that was the nastiest to us was another 4th term student's preceptor and acted so sweet to her. We couldn't figure that one out!

AuntNana · Dec 31, 2007

Hi Thyme:), don't know if you remember me, I talked to you a ways back about OU's program:). Anyway, we just finished our first semester and I am in Oakwood's program. All of our clinicals are at Oakwood Main. But one thing I can say is that all of the people I talked to in our cohort have agreed that we would never let a family member get care at Oakwood, and none of us want to work there. However, we are ofcourse limited in our experience so we haven't seen too many other hospitals. But I can say that they are very dirty....there are some great nurses there, but they are so unappreciated, the hospitals level of sanitation is totally lacking. Us students were offered a sort of "spy" role to keep track of hand washing......none of us took the hospital up on it, but there is a complete lack of handwashing and it's been a problem. Finally, I think the nurse's aids are terrible....they are unionized, and all I ever see them doing is standing around a desk or sitting in the break area. I've seen them mouth off to nurses asking for help, and somehow they just get away with it.....it's ridiculous. Anyway, that's just my 2 cents.

My 2 cents... I would never take a family member there again--EVER. This hospital's nursing staff did NONE of the things I have learned thus far in my nursing studies.

I must say the NAs were very informative & CARING--at least on the NINTH FLOOR. Since she had taken my family member's VS, she knew why I was concerned w/the care my family member was NOT getting.

I saw NO nurses even though I used the call light 3 times d/t a HR 45 + CHEST PAIN. Finally I approached the desk. They were busy talking "Christmas Parties" & complaining about the patient across the hall who wanted pain meds again. They used the patient's NAME, instead of his Rm # & I believe that is in violation of HIPPA, no?

After disrupting the "Christmas Party" powwow, where I saw people EATING, the nurse finally came into the room. But she had not bothered to look at the chart but she had time to have a cigarette, because I could smell it.

Oh yes, they looked VERY overworked from where I was sitting. I hope they all had a great party. But I have to wonder if this party occurred at the desk while they should have been reading charts & caring for their patients?

And I almost forgot to mention the 15 DEAD FLIES in the overhead lights on the drop ceiling which were over the bed & my head as I sat in this filthy room. I found 2 pills on the floor & my mother found 1. Plus they had my family member's home meds wrong--wrong dosage of DIGOXIN & giving another PRN med bid. Cholchicine--which makes one sick! How's that for filthy, dirty, unsafe practice?

As I was leaving, I ran into an RN from another hospital. Her words: "It used to be that nursing homes are what you make of them--you really have to stay at the bedside & watch out for your family member's care. Unfortunately, the same can be said for this hospital."

This staff--this hospital was for me, a prime example of what NOT to be as a nurse & where NOT to work...let alone a place to put one's trust for your loved one tp get the professional healthcare they deserve & for which BCBS pays for!

Thanks for the opportunity to vent.