New grad job hunt... St. Johns Mercy Medical / Banes Jewish in St. Louisr

dreamingofbeing · Sep 25, 2011

I was a new grad at SJMMC. They are no longer a union hospital so you don't have to worry about that if that was the reason you were worried about working there. I was in a Fellowship program there and I learned a lot. I worked my first year on the oncology floor and had awesome co-workers and it was a pleasant learning environment. I quit because I was working nights and the manager I worked for believed in working us 3 nights in a row so on top of being a new grad and traveling over an hour each way I was falling asleep while driving. Looking back I wish I would have stuck it out but everything happens for a reason.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Sep 25, 2011

Moved to our Missouri Nurses forum...look around.

newexcitednurse · Sep 25, 2011

Thanks Dreamingofbeing!! Im sorry to hear your scheduling did not work out but life is like that...So many choices to be made. :) I was thinking about applying to their fellowship program as well. Did you feel you had an adequate orientation?

dreamingofbeing · Sep 25, 2011

I did the med/surg Fellowship which was 1 month classroom type orientation and 3 months with a preceptor (the most awesome preceptor ever). The others were more detailed and intense Fellowships like the L&D, NICU, Critical Care, and OR. The downside is you sign a contract that will require x amount of years with the hospital or you will I have to repay a certain amount. For example my contract was 2 years with a $2000 cost and I left after 1 so I had to repay the hospital $1000. I got a lot of support from the Fellowship and I think as a new grad it was the best way to go. I went from that job to a telemetry job closer to home then I jumped into a job in Interventional Radiology and now I am working in Children's psych. SJMMC gave me the background I needed to succeed and for that I am forever thankful. Barnes Jewish is well out of my driving range but I have worked for 2 different BJC hospitals one in IL and the other in North County. The good thing about working there is that you can transfer to different hospitals without losing seniority or benefits. Good luck on your decision.

travkitty · Sep 25, 2011

I was a new grad on a medicine floor at Barnes. They offer a one year residency program for new BSN grads which "can" be helpful. My dream was to be in the ED, though, & I found a mid-shift (my other want) at St. Mary's, which I start next week. My year at Barnes taught me SOOOO much, but I definitely felt like sometimes Nurses get lost in the "rah-rah" mentality of such a huge & storied hospital. So much concentration on the status & vertifications, not enough attention paid to making sure your Nurses are happy, or at least not dreading going to work.

The medicine floors at Barnes are very much like nursing homes most of the time. However, that's a growing patient population with higher ages, so that's likely the case at a lot of hospitals. Barnes is dropping a lot of CNAs & PCTs on many floors, instead going back to primary care nursing, but it's failing (IMO) because the staffing is so poor. Primary care nursing only works if staffing is adequate. So, at Barnes, it's not unheard of on medicine floors to have 8-10 patients on nights, even 6-7 on days sometimes...& many times without a CNA working.

That being said, I learned a LOT that way...but also learned I only wanted to do medicine for a year, then move on.

newexcitednurse · Sep 29, 2011

Thanks Travkitty! I actually interviewed for a medicine floor at Barnes. Those nurse patient ratio's are pretty high and I interviewed for a night position so I dont think I could manage that many patients although I was told in my interview most have 5 on nights. Yet someone who works on the floor said the night before they had 8 each!!! Heck no!! And yes they are going to primary care...so no techs.... Not exactly what I am looking for in a first job.

So I am also interested in St. Luke's. Does anyone know the current starting salary at St. Lukes? Shift Differentials? They have such good reviews and compliments. I really want to work there. I have an offer at Barnes and the starting salary is 20.25 and I think 2.00 for nights.

travkitty · Sep 29, 2011

At least on the Barnes medicine floor I worked on, having 8 patients are not normal...it was very occasional. Most of the time, on nights, I'd have 4-6. Heck, occasionally I'd have 3, but that was an exception, again.

PM me if you want to know the exact floor I worked on. It's well-known to be the best medicine floor to work on there...seriously.

Oh...at least on my floor, you will be ready to be on your own by the time orientation is over. They seriously make sure of it. Also, for the most part, the other RNs & the last few techs there are awesome.

hakunamatata, BSN, RN · Oct 26, 2011

TravKitty -

I just got done with a clinical rotation at BJH on a medicine floor, and loved it. That said, we did one last semester on a diff. medical floor and it was awful. I do think I want to do this kind of work for at least a year to get the experience - I would love to know what specific floor you're speaking of (and if it's the one I was on, ha!). I don't think I have privileges to message but could you e-mail me at [email protected]?

Greatly appreciated

formyinfo · May 6, 2012

Hi new excited nurse!!! I am about to graduate and was wondering if you ever received the position at Mercy. I really would like to know if they offer a new graduate nurse residency or internship program, what the name of the program is, and if you have a direct link to the webpage that details the program. i have been unable to find any information on a nurse program there. All I have found are programs for medical students. Any information that you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

formyinfo · May 6, 2012

Hi dreamingofbeing,

were you in a medical fellowship or a nursing fellowship. I am looking for any information that I can regarding the nursing program if they have one for new grads

Thanks

TstormRN · Jun 13, 2012

I was just hired at Mercy and will begin a fellowship in Critical Care next month. That I am aware of they only offer fellowships for new nurses. I know they have fellowships for critical care, L&D and I think med/surg. You will not find a fellowship opening on their career website. You have to apply for the position you are interested in and then if you are offered a position in which a fellowship is offered then you will complete that. I was told that new nurses have to go through fellowships at the hospital so I would assume that if there isn't one specific to your unit then you would complete the med/surg one (not 100% sure though). I would recommend speaking with a nursing recruiter at the hospital to get more information about the area that you are interested in working.