Moving to Tennessee

U.S.A. Tennessee

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Hi everyone - I'm a homegrown Hoosier and I'm getting ready to pick up my roots and move to Tennessee. My sis and some other family live in the Sequatchie Valley. I was there this past weekend for her wedding and my husband and I decided that the change we've been looking for is there.

I will graduate in May and have done a little research on the hospitals: Memorial, Erlanger and Parkridge. Any pros/cons to either one? It will be a haul everyday; but no different than driving to Indianapolis from where I live now. I have no preferences at this point in what area I work in - I've loved all the rotations.

Any other wonderful tidbits of info on the lovely Chattanooga area would be great :)

Thanks a bunch....

T

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Specializes in Emergency Dept, ICU.

Go to Erlanger

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Specializes in Clinical Risk Management.

I share mmutk's opinion. The only drawback to living in the Sequatchie Valley and driving into Chattanooga is the time change issue. I lived in the Sequatchie Valley for a year. While I was working at Granview, it was fine. When I started working in Chattanooga, though, it became problematic with my daughter in the local day care, the commute, etc.

I love the Sequatchie Valley. The views up the valley, especially at sunrise, are fabulous.

Come on down! :)

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I share mmutk's opinion. The only drawback to living in the Sequatchie Valley and driving into Chattanooga is the time change issue. I lived in the Sequatchie Valley for a year. While I was working at Granview, it was fine. When I started working in Chattanooga, though, it became problematic with my daughter in the local day care, the commute, etc.

I love the Sequatchie Valley. The views up the valley, especially at sunrise, are fabulous.

Come on down! :)

Okay, pardon my ignorance, but I'm from mid-Indiana and we only this past year have had to deal with time changes. So what is the geographical cut-off and how do you change. I'm not sure I've worded this the right way....let me know if you don't understand. Sorry!!

Thank you!!!

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Specializes in Clinical Risk Management.

The geographical cutoff is the Hamilton county line. As soon as you exit Hamilton county, heading into either Sequatchie or Marion counties, you also cross into the central time zone.

Does that help?

Time changes make me nuts. I hate daylight savings time. hate it, hate it, hate it! I just have to put up with it.

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Would it be possible for either of you to elaborate on Erlanger? I've searched their site and it looks like a great place to work. I was just curious :)

Traci

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Specializes in Clinical Risk Management.

Erlanger is a teaching hospital. Thus, more learning opportunities are available due to the patients they see. Teaching hospitals tend to be more open to change, which I find to be valuable, especially in the current healthcare climate. They have a clinical ladder available to bedside nurses, which I think is a plus. They are also the "county" hospital, the region's trauma center and has the highest-level NICU in the area. They have 4 hospitals in the region, clinics and are affiliated with two of the area's health centers that serve the public. Because it is a public hospital, Erlanger provides most of the charity care in the area.

I don't know if all that is of any help whatsoever. I've worked here for 7 1/2 years. I began my nursing career at Vanderbilt, which was a fabulous place to learn. However, in my time with Erlanger, the treatment received by the employees surpassed what I experienced in my 10+ years at . My son attends the on-site day care, which receives some of the highest scores in the city. The hospital is close to UTC, which makes it handy to continue your education (if you're so inclined).

No place is perfect. Erlanger was the right fit for me. I hope that you find a great experience, no matter where you choose to work.

regards,

eltrip

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Those are fantastic reasons for wanting to work there! Thank you for providing me with the information.

Working in a teaching hospital would be the best - I am doing clinicals in a hospital that says there teaching - but the teaching is few and far between. Nurses are rude and the docs - well, you find a gem now and then that explains what he's doing or why. Even had one ask me if I had questions the other day! So, I hope that there will be a place for me at Erlanger next Spring.

Can I pick your brain a little more? What would you do in my shoes - go ahead and sit for the boards here in IN and then go to TN with an IN license looking for a job - knowing I will have to take the TN boards? Or would you contact a future employer as a GN and wait and take the boards in TN? I was looking at the TN BON last night and it was saying the 'exam packets' are given through the nursing schools and then scored by Pearson. Here we have to go to the north side of Indianapolis - on their schedule - and sit for an exam. Guess I'm just not real clear on how it works there and which direction I should move in.

I know your time is valuable, thanks so much for all the info you've already passed along. I'm in no hurry - still got a semester to go. Let me know at your convenience!!

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Specializes in Clinical Risk Management.

Hey, no problem, glad to be of a little help. As for the testing/licensure issue, contact the TN BON & ask for their input. As far as I know, NCLEX is NCLEX. It would be nice for Indiana to be a nursing compact state but I just checked & it's not. Bummer. Check with the BON in both states to see what hoops you'll need to jump through to make them happy. Oooh, it can be your winter break project! HAHAHAHA!

Pick my brain all you want...that's part of why I'm a nurse! :)

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Eltrip

Wondering if you could help me out, please. Do you know if Erlanger will be having any nurse recruitment fairs or career fairs in the next few months? Any that they've advertised??

What about the name of a nurse recruiter to put on my cover letter? I'm going to give them a call after while when my little one goes to sleep. If you would rather email this to me, feel free - [email protected]. I don't have PMs on Allnurses anymore or I would tell you to use that....

Thanks for any info you can provide :)

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Specializes in Clinical Risk Management.

check your email. the info is on its way!

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my husband is being transfered to chattanooga and i am an lpn with 4+ years exp. in longterm and sub-acute(resp & ortho) i am ready to go back to school do the hospitals utilize lpns and do they offer tuition asst?

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