Any Berkshire nurses?

FNimuaeMae · Apr 15, 2004

Shortly leaving for CT... I've never worked anywhere else hospital wise bit Fairview is a good place to start. You can certainly learn alot and learn how to be very self reliant. Where ya going to school?

Missy:)

Steph in Boston · Apr 15, 2004

Hi there,

I grew up in Great Barrington, and always thought Fairview was a nice hospital, although I know they are always having trouble with funding, and threatening to close. How are things there now? And where in CT are you going? To another hospital?

-- stephanie --

FNimuaeMae · Apr 15, 2004

Hi there,
I grew up in Great Barrington, and always thought Fairview was a nice hospital, although I know they are always having trouble with funding, and threatening to close. How are things there now? And where in CT are you going? To another hospital?
-- stephanie --

I grew up in GB too... Did you go to MMRHS? My mom has worked at Fairview for 41 years and says there has always been rumors of the place closing. It's not very different now, but they do have critical access designation and are doing better lately financially. They are changing alot of things around right now but it really isn't a bad place to work, especially as far as refining your clinical skills. Alot of nursing home patients, but I've also taken care of gunshot wounds and plane crash victims, and other wierd stuff too. I'm moving to Monroe, CT, planning on going to another hospital but have only just started the interview process earlier today with a phone interview. I also plan to stay per diem at FVH cos my mom is still in the area and just to keep my foot in the door, if you know what I mean.

Missy

Steph in Boston · Apr 16, 2004

Hey Missy,

I did go to MMRHS! But I also "dropped out" in my junior year to go to Simons Rock. By reading your bio, you are 11 years older than me, so I guess that we couldn't have gone to school together. But I bet if I saw your face, I would recognize you from around town! I am living in Boston now, going to school. Good luck with your interviews! And say hi to the Berkshires for me -- I really miss it out there!

-stephanie-

Ted · Apr 16, 2004

What a small world! Hi Missy!

Also work at Fairview; in the ICU/CCU. It's either the second smallest or THE smallest hospital in MA.

I like working here too. But it's going through some significant changes. We're re-locating the ICU/CCU to be near the med/surg floor. (Hello again, Missy! :chuckle ) The jury is still out on whether or not this is a good move. On top of that, administration is keeping the ICU/CCU staffing down to ONE nurse per shift (used to be two). This is plagued with lots of challenges to put it mildly. The thinking is, though, that the med/surg nurses will be helping out the ICU/CCU nurses and visa versa (although I can't see how we can leave our patients, station and monitors.) I think the long range goal is to get back up to two ICU/CCU nurses per shift. But I believe that won't happen for a while. I sorely miss working with another ICU/CCU nurse. Our unit just lost another part-time nurse primarly because of this issue.

I love working in a small community hospital, though. It definately sharpens one's assessment and problem-solving skills. I used to work for a large teaching hospital in Albany, New York (Albany Medical Center). I learned a lot there. It's a great place for a new-grad nurse! But there is always that "safety blanket" of having tons of physians around as the "problem-solvers" (which sometimes caused more problems than solve them). Not at a small hospital like Fairview. We're it, baby! And I like that! Keeps me on my toes in many ways! My assessment skills have grown since working at Fairview, and I feel much more confident in my problem solving skills as well. On top of that, I know my strengths as well as my weaknesses; know the hospital's strenghts and its weaknesses; and know when to keep a patient, and know when to transfer them to that big 'ol teaching hospital with all the docs! I think I'll always work for those small, rural, community hospitals. I'm greatful to Fairview for providing such an experience.

Don't know if it's going to be around much longer, though. It's parent company is severly cuting back funds to this ever-shrinking hospital. Fairview is definately feeling the financial crunch that most hospitals are feeling. Recently, we've had some non-nursing lay-offs. Also, when a nurse did leave, that position was not posted to be filled.

Thankfully, one brilliant move made by this hospital's administration was to get that "Critical Care Access Facility" designation for Fairview. A brilliant move!! It will be all the more difficult to close this hospital because of this designation. Hope it works! And like Missy said, we've been making money, lately! This is indeed welcomed news to our anxious souls. So maybe we will get those second ICU/CCU nurses for every shift!

Peace!

Ted

P. S. Steph in Boston - Check out Noble Hospital in Westfield, MA! It also seems like a great community hospital to work for! If something ever happens to Fairview, I'd work at Noble.

Also, Steph, I LOVE Boston! Graduated from Berklee College of Music there oh so many years ago! Lived in Boston for 5 wonderful years!

Steph in Boston · Apr 20, 2004

Hey Ted,

Thanks for the advice! It is so great to hear from two nurses that are satisfied with working at Fairview! I was worried about that little hospital for a while, worried it would close soon. But it is such an asset to the southern Berkshire community. I lived a few blocks away from Fairview a few years ago, and was living alone and came down with a bad case of pneumonia. It was all I could do to get myself to the Emergency room there -- I was so thankful not to drive to BMC! My Dad also worked at the North Adams hospital for five years, and we lived near there for a few years. Even though it is about the same size as Fairview, nurses were dissatisfied, unionizing, and on strike a lot. Apparently they were angry about being understaffed. Do you have any similar problems at Fairview?

Be well!

Stephanie

MiaLyse, APRN · May 12, 2004

Hi! :) Berkshire nurse here. Work in South County.

Kelly

howie122832 · May 13, 2004

I was born in Pittsfield!!! I am a nurse, and I have "been" to BMC, but I live in Florida and have for 30 years..... So I really cannot help you on this one! I just thought it was cool to see a post about the home town! My family still lives there though..... I miss it sometimes in the summer, but I still LOVE florida, been here 30 years!!

MiaLyse, APRN · May 13, 2004

I miss it sometimes in the summer, but I still LOVE florida, been here 30 years!!>>

This is my goal. To move to Florida!! I so dislike the winters here. I'm an LPN working towards RN. I wish I could move now! :) But, I don't know the job market for LPN's down there so I figure I'll plan to move after I graduate.

Kelly

cruller · Oct 4, 2005

I've lived in the Berkshires for 10 years and have worked as a nurse for all of them. I worked at Berkshire Medical Center for 1 year and didn't have a good experience. I found many of my co-workers to be "catty" and unhelpful. I overheard a lot of gossip and blatant, nasty arguing in the middle of the nurses station. I think that was mostly because many of them felt slighted by the hospital, but whatever the reason it was unpleasant to work around. In the end my unit shut down and in the process they "floated" us wherever we were needed each shift (for a few months until the closure was finalized). That meant that I worked in M/S, Tele, Onc, Respiratory, Ortho. I was never oriented. I was put in charge of some of those units on several occasions when I had worked on them only once, twice, or even never! And it would be myself and other floats running the unit for the night. I dreaded calling the MD's because they were usually rude. Anyway, I left and I currently work at Baystate Med. Ctr. in Springfield. It's like night and day. From the first day I've found it to be a very professional environment where the nurses are respected and more dedicated than almost anywhere I've worked. We just made Magnet status and the hospital was named in the Top 100 Hospitals. I definately recommend Baystate if you want to work in a hospital in the Berkshires area. I do know a few nurses that travel to the hospital from Great Barrington area and Greenfield area. Three 12 hour shifts make the commute tolerable.