Rural Hospital vs Large Hospital

[LTCnurse11]

How many of you out there have had opportunity to experience work both a rural hospital (ie critical access) or a large urban or (ie cities greater than 500,000 people)?

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

I have worked at both and am currently working in a critical access. There are pros and cons for both. Pros for a larger hospital is that you see and experience a lot of different things and you have swat teams, etc.. for support. Cons can be the disconnect from other floors and people because you are one of many.

Critical access is more intimiate and you can wear many hats, be on committee's etc..Downside, usually no swat team. You are the swat, code team, lol and everything in between. On the flipside, you can also get good at many things because there is no back up.

I'm very happy at my small hospital. It's tied to a very large organization, so I can have the benefits that come with being big but I'm able to work in a more intimate atmosphere. Just last week, I had a pediatric pneumonia in one room and his grandma in the room next to his. :)

[LTCnurse11]

Hmmm interesting. I wish I would HAVE the opportunity to go other places in the critical access hospital that I work. I've gotten so eaten up by the internal politics that's what I strongly dislike about it. If you fit into the right "clique" at a small hospital you've got the world at your hands. I work at a hospital on which the inpatient manager had only been an RN in that hospital and worked med surg for 2 years, and only 2 years. This nurse graduated from a technical degree program and sucked up so much the she was given an important management job, then the inpatient manager. Such ridiculous politics and absolutely illogical if you ask me. I prefer a larger hospital myself.

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Curious as why you asked the question if you know your answer? :)

I'm blessed. I work with an excellent crew on both days and nocs. We have very little politics. When I worked urban, it was nothing but back stab and bicker. But that was also poor management. I do miss the unusual things I used to see at larger hospitals, but I also like the fact that I do wear many hats. There are no big cliques at my facility. Sure, there are friends, but nothing that stands out as snobbish. Again, I'm lucky and found a hospital I really enjoy. I never groan because I have to work the next day.

[LTCnurse11]

I wanted to hear which people preferred large hospitals and which preferred smaller hospitals. You gave me your input on your smaller hospital, thanks. I hope to hear about work in a large hospital.

I see you have already worked in a large hospital and didn't like it. I changed to a different hospital slightly larger with a few more departments and more services and I like it a lot better.

[SingingBird]

Can new graduate nurses transition well into and out of a small rural hospital with mostly LTC beds? I am coming from a big city going into a rural hospital and would one day like to work in a medium to large hospital.