Lexington or Houston? Help ME!!!!

Specialties Travel

Published

Hello out there!!!

I need your experience. I'm humming and hawing about a possible job assignment in Lexington, Kentucky at St. Joseph ER or to Houston, Texas at LBJ (Linden B. Johnson, inside the first ring) ER. Both are appealing, wages are significantly different but I'm assuming the cost of living is different as well.

Have any of you been to either of these facilities? Can you comment about the hospitals, their staff, employer relations.

What about the local area's? Nice place to be?

I really appreciate anything you can tell me. Thanx!

:cool:

MQ Edna

1 Article; 1,741 Posts

Have not worked at either. But, be sure to visit another bulletin board ( for the travel nurse) at

http://www.delphi.com/travelnurses

Lots of ER nurses there and perhaps someone with some info.

Good luck.

K. Lynn

GYPSYRN

2 Posts

I AM CURRENTLY AT ST JOE'S IN LEXINGTON, KY IN CTVU. IT IS OK BUT HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE STAFF COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR WAGES AND PAY. THEY ARE VERY RECEPTIVE TO AGENCY AND TRAVEL NURSES AND TREAT ME WELL. HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING BAD ABOUT THE ER. BUT COULD TRY AND FIND OUT IF YOU NEED MORE INFO.

Joshua21

48 Posts

If you wouldn't mind....I'd like to know about the overall mood of the ER, staff-management relations....the wage issue? why are they griping....what kind of pt's are seen there. Basically an independant unbiased view of things! Heh, no problem right?;)

Thanx so much

Desertnurse

6 Posts

Hi Joshua,

Just snooping around here and found your post. (You gave me some information about camp nursing). Funny thing here, I grew up in Lexington KY and know the place well...also lived in Houston and worked in the OR there in one of the downtown hospitals for 9 years.

Not sure exactly what you are looking for but Lexington is beautiful...rolling green grass, horse farms and still small enough to be a nice place to live. (I spent the summer there last year.) Although I did not work in nursing in Lexington, my twin sister did for many years and is married to an Anesthesiologist who also worked there. (UK hospital).

Houston on the other hand is big, ugly, flat, hot and traffic jams deluxe on 6 lane freeways. Shootings, muggings, armed guards in the parking lots of stores....generally an unpleasant place to be. (My opinion of course)

However getting in an out of Houston on a plane is much easier than from Lex Ky! Not even southwest flies there!

Glad to help if you need more info.

cats0227

1 Post

I am about to join the concrete jungle of Houston. I am a transplant from north of Boston,and just signed up with a couple of agencies. I do agree with Desertnurse on her/his general description ! There is a terrific shortage here....the cost of living is lower than Boston for sure. I wouldn't take an assignment here in the middle of the summer ( 90's-110's @ times....really tough ! ) It sounds to me like Lexington is more appealing for sure. As far as the griping & complaining ..you get that every where. Negativity breeds negativity so.....Be HAPPY, JOYOUS & FREE !

Brownms46

1 Article; 2,394 Posts

Specializes in Everything except surgery.

Although I haven't worked in Lexington, I have traveled through there many times, and have a long time friend from there. Definitely a beautiful area all around. Houston on the other hand I have drove through only one, and flew out another time. On the day I flew into Houston it was a wall of HEAT...could hardly breathe it was so hot and HUMID. And I pray I will NEVER have to drive through there again! Almost had a few close calls going through on a Saturday morning no less! Saw the most horrific accident ever! They had to take us off the main highway, and re-route everyone driving south out of Houston. It involved a six cars and several children were invovled. I F...it were me I would go with the quieter, more serene assignment...just my opinion.

Joshua21

48 Posts

Thankyou very much for all your help! I hope the camp info I gave you helped. If you have any other questions related to camp nursing give me a shout.

carehope

33 Posts

I am on my first travel assignment and I am in Charleston ,SC at MUSC on a surgical stepdown unit. It is really not a bad unit but they treat their travel and agency pretty bad. We of course get the heaviest load of pts. and always most of the admitts.The unit is 6west and most of the nurses are under 9 months out of nursing school. Charleston is beautiful and sits on the ocean. Crime seems to be on the uprise so be careful. My next assignment is in a 107 bed hospital in Waltersboro, SC. Anyone ever been there? I am suppose to be on the surgical unit.that should be interesting:)? Well I really do love travel nursing and do highly reccomend it!

Brownms46

1 Article; 2,394 Posts

Specializes in Everything except surgery.

Dear carehope,

OOOH MY GOD...Have you signed a contract there yet?? NOW...I haven't been there in several years...BUT I REALLY don't believe it could have changed that much...being such a little town and all.

But that place WAS the PITTS, and N O T agency nurse friendly AT A L L!

I wasn't on contract there I only did per diem. I did several contracts in Florence, S. C. and would travel from there to Waterboro. AWFUL!!! Good example...I came on the unit to find out that I would have (8) EIGHT pts.,...ANDDDDDDDD be the med nurse for one hall!!! Med nurse means ALL IVs, meds.prn.IVPB, BS, and PCAs! I asked the charge nurse where was the elevator...My first tme on the unit. The nurses station was full of different support services. It got quiet enough to hear a pin drop. She asked me what was the problem. I told her I valued my license and there was NO WAY I was going to take EIGHT pts, and pass meds also!! These would be EIGHT primary care pts, and approx 15 to 17pts. on the hall.

There was also a nurse that worked there who while riding in the elevator with another agency nurse, who decided she would call her a $%#%@, and told her SHE was the reason they hadn't got any raises!! This was reported to the agency and the hospital...I BET you that nurse still works there!

I finally decided to work their ICU only after the hospial kept asking for me back to do shifts. But talk about some real scary nurses. One of their staff nurses let a pt. pull his tube out TWICE in one night!!! HOW??? She would spend her time eating, and talking to her kids in the break room, that was right behind the nurses station, with her BACK to the monitors and Pts!! I used to do doubles there (3) three times a week, until it just got too bad there.

I know things could have changed in the few years I was there, and that was in 96'...but unless they have lots of travelers and a lot those nurses have left(which I doubt)...I would stay away!

As far as the town goes...nice place...but very small. You are close to Beaufort(another place I wouldn't go back to, and Hilton Head (which was very nice).

Just an after thought suggestion. Why not do a per deim shift down there in Waterboro. It's just a straight shot down Hwy17, and then you could see how things have or not changed.

My two cents worth

Brownie

GYPSYRN

2 Posts

The staff seems to have poor benefits(health insurance,etc.) and there are 3 other hospitals in town. UK takes the trauma and children. central baptist- never really heard of anyone WANTING to go work there, several pool nurses work at good samaritan for local agencies with good pay. St. Joe's is just one of the catholic hospitals that is no longer under the good sisters management so they have the same problems that all have under corporate management. the er sees the usual variety from what i have heard.

KellieRN

22 Posts

I would like to reply to the inquiry about LBJ in Houston Texas. I just got an interview there , it is a very nice hospital, it is a county hospital, and not really in the best area of town, but just about thirty minutes away you will find nice side of town, very rich, thriving area, or you can come to Kemah, which is a small town outside of there, about twenty minutes, and enjoy A LOT of things, the traffic is not bad at all on that side of town, they pay there regular nurses about 22.00 bucks an hour with benefits, I have been a patient there several times, nice nice facility ...............you will exp. a lot of emergency and high risk situations there at LBJ, a very good opp. to learn, and the nurses are very very nice people, id recomend it! Any questions feel free to email me [email protected]

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