So what's it really like to work at MD Anderson?

[Littleguccipiggy]

Hello everyone!

So, I worked in Midland, TX for about a year and a half and got spoiled by Texas' no state income tax. Now that I'm in CA I realize how much of my income gets taken out in taxes. So, I'm thinking of going back to Texas in a year or two. I am especially looking at MD Anderson since I'm an oncology nurse and MD Anderson is the second ranked hospital in the country for oncology. Everyone spoke highly of MD Anderson's care when I was in Midland. But, I want to know the nitty gritty parts about working there. What's it like? Are the nurses happy there? What's the average nurse/patient ratio? Is there a union? I'm planning on talking to a recruiter when I get more serious about it, but I feel recruiters only give you one side of the story.

Thanks for any comments!

[Nalon1 RN/EMT-P, BSN, RN]

I have a friend of a friend I was talking to that works there and he loves it. He works in the ICU and says it is great. Lots of support staff/nurses. He said they have an IV team that starts all lines and draws all labs, a transport nurse for all MRI's, CT's ect, and admit nurse and have residents and mid-level care givers all around that you can ask for things. Great pay plus annual bonuses, great retirement and benefits package, tuition reimbursement and other things.

His biggest gripe is the drive to TMC, it is a 32 mile drive that takes 1.5 hours each way some days and paying $12/day for parking (he said the hospital does reimburse part of that, don't know how much though).

There is no union there (or any other hospital in the medical center, and only maybe 4-5 hospitals in the entire state that have them).