Info on Austin State Hospital

U.S.A. Texas

Published

Can anyone fill me in on how the Austin State Hospital (psych) hires nurses? We are moving to Texas in June and I currently work at a state psych hospital here in NJ. I see that ASH has a permanent job listing for nurses & states that they will hire you as 20%, 60%, 80% etc. Does that mean that they do not hire you first as per diem, but rather as part-time? Here in NJ, they hire everyone, even aides, first as per diem to try you out.

Also, will I (sigh) have to work nights or evenings again?

....thanks for any info.

MissBrahmsRN

170 Posts

i did my psych clinicals at ASH. from what little i remember, they run 8hr shifts: 0700-1500, 1500-2200, 2200-0700. i dunno if you will have to start out on evenings or nights but considering all the state penny-pinching you are probably more likely to get hired if you tell them you will work those shifts. they always seem to be hiring so i think they would need nurses fulltime, i would give them a call and talk to people, secretaries, etc until you actually get someone who understands you are an experienced pysch nurse looking for a job, i think they'd be nuts not to hire you!!

best of luck to you!:up:

oldladyRN

55 Posts

Specializes in psych, ambulatory care, ER.

Dear luv2yoga:

I was a charge nurse @ ASH for a while, so I can answer your question. Because ASH is a "State" facility, they don't do "per diem". I'm sure it has to do with the State's budget. The closest they come to that category is a position that requires that you work 1, 2, 3 or 4 shifts per week. I was full-time, so I'm not sure what kind of benefits those part-time positions come with.

I can say that I really enjoyed working there. You need to either apply on-line or go to the campus and fill out an application. They are always in need of good nurses, so you should quickly get a phone call following submission of your application. I originally filled mine out on-line. I frequently heard of nurses filling out an application at the hiring office (on campus) and being told "wait right here". They would be interviewed immediately by a nurse manager or shift supervisor authorized to hire. I was hired originally for the 7-3 shift, which (at most places) you usually have to wait until someone dies to get.

I wish you the best. It was a challenging but not at all difficult job. There were always plenty of staff, and I never felt unsafe. I always got out on time, with the rare exception being if someone fell and split their head open during shift report. Also, it is a 100+ year-old campus, so it's nothing fancy to look at. The insurance benefits and retirement benefits are fantastic.

PM me if you want to know more. Good luck!!

oldladyRN

luv2yoga

238 Posts

Specializes in Psych.

That's exactly the info I was looking for. Actually, I would prefer to work part-time so it sounds like I'll be able to do that. And maybe even day shift! That's great news.

thanks!

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