Any Ashville nurses here?

Unique23 · Sep 4, 2008

I am not an Asheville nurse but I have some friends that work out there. One is at Mission Hospital and one at Asheville VA hospital. Mission is a great hospital, huge, I think magnet, and great orientation program. They are in need of nurses right now from what I hear. My friend started off with $21. The housing there is expensive, it is in the mountains, great scenery!

Asheville VA is one of the best VA hospitals and it is very hard to get a job there as no one there leaves. The benefits are great, they offer EDRP which pay up to 43,000 of your loans, the retirement program is excellent, they offer relocation incentives and bonus if hired in a position of need, and medical/dental benefits are just about paid by the government( I belive up to 75% paid). One of the reasons why I am trying to get a job at a North Carolina VA is because the oppurtunity for growth is outstanding and you are paid based on your experience and degree.

Hope this helps some:wink2:!

OnlyByHisGrace · Sep 6, 2008

Thanks MillerRN,

I am back in my state now and was beginning to wonder what is going on in the area as no one responded to date. i was in boone for a week and enjoyed the scenery but it seemed too small a town and there seemed to be no big hospitals. i plan on working for a year in my state up north and then maybe relocating if hubby likes it, we'll probably visit the area before we pack up and head there. i like the cool and don't particularly enjoy the snow, but not the hot weather of the south either. somecmpromise has to be reached.

Once again thanks.

KEK1984 · Sep 10, 2008

boone is a relatively small town, so don't base your judgment just on that one town. there are several larger (note that i do not say large) towns in the area, and some have great hospitals.

i've been in hickory, nc, for almost two years. so far we've only gotten about three inches of snow...total. it didn't snow at all my first year here. and from what i've heard from "natives", there are no ice storms. but, don't count on it being a "cool mountain paradise" during the summer. it does get into the high 90s a few days in the summer. but it's usually not a very humid heat.

anyway, i hope you decide to make the move to nc; it's a beautiful state!! :twocents:

kim

(a transplant from atlanta, ga)

:heartbeat sing like no one's listening :heartbeat dance like no one's watching :heartbeat

:heartbeat love like you've never loved before :heartbeat

guests929 · Sep 19, 2008

Mission is a great hospital, huge, I think magnet, and great orientation program. They are in need of nurses right now from what I hear. My friend started off with $21.

My take on Mission:

1) Mission is NOT a magnet, they applied for magnet status and failed.

2) This fall (2008) they hired 150+ new graduates and as a result had to cancel clinicals for all local nursing schools (AB-Tech, Western Carolina University) because they are overwhelmed with trying to orient grads and had to forget about trying to deal with students. This tells you something.. experienced staff are leaving Mission if they can (Mission has a bit of a monopoly here though so there aren't too many other options).

3) Their health insurance is arguably terrible. See this letter from an employee who wrote to the local newsweekly if you'd like more details:

http://www.mountainx.com/opinion/2008/health_employees_deserve_health_insurance

4) New grads start out at 20 and some change. There is no pay difference for ADN or BSN. No pay difference for ACLS or if you have a specialty certification. There is no shift differental for weekends (there is a weekender program), eve=$3.50, night=$4. The only holidays they recognize are Thanksgiving and Christmas. There is no yearly cost of living increase or increase based on your time employed there, it is all very subjective (limited objectivity thru PEAR program.. a whole other story..) and "merit-based".

Asheville VA is one of the best VA hospitals and it is very hard to get a job there as no one there leaves....One of the reasons why I am trying to get a job at a North Carolina VA is because the oppurtunity for growth is outstanding and you are paid based on your experience and degree.

Agreed. Nearly impossible to get a job here. Be aware most jobs are 8-hour shifts. Also the recruiter is notoriously incompetent.

--------

Other Asheville work options:

-CarePartners- pay is more than Mission

-Asheville Specialty Hospital- pay is more than Mission, extra pay for ACLS

-Bayada- home health/stable vents, start pay $20/hr (lower pay but very 'easy' work)

-several nursing homes, and agencies

Other things to consider:

-cost of living much higher than the rest of the state (including gas prices, always 10-20 cents more than the rest of the state)