Any Wisconsin Nurses?

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Specializes in Psychiatric NP.

Hello everyone! I am from Texas and I'm considering moving to Wisconsin. Fresh graduate from a BSN program and I'm looking for a change because there are no unions here and noone to really stick up for us nurses in Texas. I'm planning to call the HR offices in the major hospitals, but I'm afraid they might give me the runaround so was hoping for some insider's opinions.

Could anyone tell me about the hospitals in Wisconsin? And whether you're happy in your hospital/unit? Would you recommend a new nurse start there?

Thank you

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I moved your post to the Wisconsin Forum for more responses. Good luck.

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I am originally fom Texas, been here almost 12 great years!

A few things to consider before moving here:

The weather. There is snow and some years there is LOTS of it. Most years there is lots of cold as well. I'm talking 10 degree below or lower. I happen to love the snow, so that wasn't much of a problem for me.

That is the biggie for a lot of Southerners after they move here. They hate the cold and snow, then they start to hate a truly wonderful state. I am proudly from Texas, but Wisconsin is my home. I will never move back to Texas. You will find that the Packer fans are just a rabid as Cowboys fans about their team.

There is a diverse population here and you will learn about Mennonites, Amish, Hmong (from Laos), German, Polish, and we are getting an increase in the Mexican/Latin as well.

I don't where in Texas you are, but the scenery here where I live is much like the part of East Texas that I'm from so I don't miss the land as much as some others I have known.

You have all four seasons here most years. Although it can be classified as 2: Winter and construction. The ground freezes too hard in the winter for any road work to be done so it gets squeezed into late spring, summer, and early fall.

Most hospitals aren't union up here. At least not the ones I am aware of. I don't know alot about the bigger hospitals in Madison or Milwaukee, but here in the center of the state we don't have them.

I work in a large teritary care hospital smack dab in the center of the state and for the most part love what I do. Of course, we all know that there are days when you could take it or leave it. :lol2: We have a NICU here that is amazing, the PICU is great, Cardiology care is among the top in the nation and our associated clinic is world-renown.

I really love this state and the people in it. If you need anything more specific, feel free to PM me.

Good luck and best wishes in your decision.

tvccrn

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Specializes in Government.

Just had to say that today, 4/11/07, it is snowing like crazy in Madison and we are supposed to get 8-12 inches of snow. I wear wool clothes 10 months out of the year (and I'm a transplant but a Yankee one so cold is old hat to me).

I find Wisconsin xenophobic and a bit walled off from the world. Milwaukee is a great city. Madison is very much a university town. I've been here 20 years and none of the hospitals I worked at were union. I'm now a state employee and all state-employed RNs are in a union.

It is a beautiful state. A lot of things are far cheaper here (housing, car insurance) than in the New England state I came from. Lots of outdoor pursuits & no toll roads (Illinois does charge you to get in and out of the state, though! :angryfire )

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Specializes in NICU, Peds.

I was born and raised here except for one year I lived in Cali when I was fresh out of high school. Dh and I are looking to move somewhere warm, we are so sick of yucky weather half the year. If you think you would enjoy winter activites there are tons of things to keep you busy in the snowy months, downhill skiing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing etc... The season changes are beutiful but winter can seem endless and depressing. Today it is going to be a high of 44 and cold and rainy, last week Wed we had 8 inches of snow, Saturday it's supposed to sunny and 70, so the saying of "if you don't like WI weather wait a few minutes" definately applies here.

I've worked in a variety of facilities and non of them are union, it's pretty hard for them to get unions up and going, I worked in one facility where a union rep came in to talk to the staff about starting a union and they called the police on him. Overall the pay is OK about 22-24 an hour starting, lots of places offer weekend programs, or 7/70 programs with perks that go along with them. I currently work the weekend program 2-12's and get a $3000 bonus every 6 months for doing it. Other places pay time and a half for weekend program.

I work at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee and love it, in the Milwaukee Co. Medical complex there is also a large hospial called Foedtert, one of the most cutting edge hospitals in the state ( I know they do the 7/70 program), then there is a huge corporation called Aurora healthcare that owns many of the clinics and hospitals in the state, I've worked for them in the past and they aren't too bad. I think if you go to aurora.org they list job openings. There are other long term care facilites and hospitals around the Milwaukee area, if you go to JSonline that is the Milwaukee paper that would have job listings.

Let me know if I can help you with anything

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