America's Best Hospitals: 2009-10

"Re: America's Best Hospitals: 2009-10does anyone else see that some of the highest ranking hospitals treat their nurses the WORST?!?! Im a travel nurse, and I've been to john hopkins, cleveland clinic, and duke, ALL of which have treated their staff like crap! I was especially surprised with john hopkins...i was so excited to go there, and then couldn't wait to leave! Duke lost me with their, "we're better than everyone else attitude" and crappy pay...they were only going to pay 22/hr...as TRAVEL PAY!!! and when i questioned it there words to me were...."we're duke...you get the privlidge of putting that on your resume" WOW. talk about being full of ourselves! I currently work at the MOST amazing hospital....National Institutes of Health. I've never worked at a hospital where they were more concerned about pt care and aquity. I never have more than 4pts/night (days get between 2-3) because they focus on pt needs....isn't that what its really all about? And they don't even make the list....THIS i think is a shame..."

In addition to the crappy way they treat their staff and the crappy pay (lowest in the area), Duke is filthy. Interesting that in a "non-union state" the environmental services at Duke is a union. Too bad as nurses we can't be in a union.

Well where is national institue of health? Are you still traveling? I would love to chat sometime with you. Im a wonderful nurse and have references from doctors, nurse, patients. Im just want to find somewhere where I can be treated well. I came to a smaller community and found everyone related. I dont get recognition even though people come back and tell me thank you for all you have done. The hospital im with now got a recognition of best employer but I see the worst treatment in all my experience except for one other hospital I worked in. I would like ot work as a team effort hand in hand with physcian and hospital to make it the best place it can be. I also would like to have great medical insurance , retirement and pay. I have 4 kids and single. I woul d like to live alittle also as I get older. With a respectible and deserved position if possible. Thanks for you attention and response . JobsearchingRN

;Food for thought; I love being a nurse. I dont think anyone went to work to be treated bad. PLease everyone has a family and reality is we need money also to support them. I never expected the politics nor the workload to the extremes it is today and expecting you to be perfect. When do they ever tell you your not suppose to make money and your at the bottom of the totem pole. No one would take on the job if you were taught you are the towels people wipe there feet on. We are not in dark ages. Burn out rates are high. This is related to bad treatment, inablity to complete a day withougt worrying what hasnt been done, and lack of support for nurses. A happy nurse is one give great care to patients, better scores for hospital , and keeps the doctors informed. And we save lives! We given alot to the hospital ,doctores and patients. That should be honored, respected and not thrown around like were dirt and not appreciated. I love being a nurse. Love patients. I even love some of the doctors I work with. The workload lately is extreme to detriment of our care. I find many nurses divorced related to holiday and hours we put into it. NOt to mention everyday we help people adjust to adversity of life. Just a food for thought . I have taken care of nurses that have illnesses. No insurance related to being to sick and unable to work now. No one was there for them. There medical insurance was gone because the became ill and didnt cover them. It broke my heart and just made me sick. Why would you work for low pay and know someday you may not get treatment. OUr insurance and retirement should be the best. Respect should be high for nurses. No one deserves to be treated poorly. Yes I agree it need to be in your heart and soul. Why would you stay in a place that treat you bad? You should have compassion for nursing. We have one of the toughest jobs and we give up alot for others. The institutions now watch every step and write up everyone for being imperfect.They Mandate you to stay longer, be on call, work holidays, an miss out of important events. Someplaces have vacation days but you cant take them in a row . Sick days you have them but you get wrote up for being sick. Write ups for NOt being able to take care of two coding patient at a time and your other patients are waiting while you save lives,or for not putting a time label on a IV line to be changed when you have to many other priorities like saving lives. Why would our insurance be the worse compared to other jobs? There is enough money taken in for all in medical field to take care of each other but we dont. Sharing, Caring, and knowing your important. Its ok if real caring nurses make a living also.

I actually have worked at both Johns Hopkins and at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda. I liked both but liked Johns Hopkins better.

The work was much easier at NIH, but sometimes the staff's attitude just reeked. There were a number of serious burnouts...just putting in time and it showed. Nurses whined about taking 4 pts on days, when all of them were walkie talkies (the limited comorbidities needed for research subjects really helps)....they had no clue as to the work load in a regular hospital.

At my comparable job at Hopkins, the responsibilities are harder, but the morale of the staff is better, and I believe that more acutely ill pts get better care.

Though now that they have retracted some of the bennies that were offered for there being a nursing shortage.....which now there isn't one,there has been some morale issues. But again 2-3 pts on days, as opposed to 4-8 in a regular facility, they don't get it.

I do have to agree with the, "travelers get paid less for prestigious facilities" bulldust. I got that several times. It is right up there with Florida's "you get paid in sunshine" slogan.

When I can trade prestige or sunshine for my electric/gas bill....then I'll follow.

HI Travel RN--- I am interested in getting a position at NIH but I can't find anything on their website about staff nurses--do you know how I could find a current list of job openings for a staff nurse. Any info would be helpful
Thanks, Kat

So you are advocating for nurses to remain dependent upon physicians?