Anybody working at Howard University Hospital ?

[ABNI]

Hi all,

I am a New Grad and have recently found out that HUH pays the top dollar in DC area. All these days I thought it was Washington Hospital Center pays top $$$ but it is HUH. I am looking forward to apply but I dont know how the orientation will be and the environment ? Any info would be a gr8 help Thank you.

[NursingGeek]

I am not sure either. I've applied there but haven't heard anything. I keep hearing that many hospitals don't get their budgets until later in the year.

[risa80]

Any HUH info??????

I will be a new grad in June. Finding a graduate position is time consuming as well as frustrating when the hospitals don't know their needs. Just wondering if there is anyone who works at HUH or knows how the hospital environment is. I also heard they pay top dollar in DC. Any info on working enviornment and how orientation is. Getting anyone on the phone seems impossible at times.

Thanks in advance for any and all responses.

[btoddrn]

I worked at Howard University a few years ago. My last shift I got report on 7 patients, 2 were ICU patients, 4 were tele patients and just about all of them had stuff to do on them. I also got the first coding patient that came in at 7:30 which we worked on for over two hours. I came out and nothing had been done on any of my patients. That place is a complete dump and everyone there is completely miserable and everyone treats everyone like garbage. There is a reason they pay top dollar! Nobody is willing to work there. If you are a new grad, I highly suggest not looking at the pay because the higher the pay, the more likely the place is a dump and out of control like many ERs these days. And don't take a contract for more than 1 year. Trust me!

[risa80]

Thanks for the info btoddrn. If you don't mind, I have a few more questions to ask. Did you work in the ED there? I am interested in telemetry. How is the staffing? Is the staff helpful? How is the hospital environment when it comes to cleanliness? Most of all, How is the management (both in the nursing dept & at the hospital)?

I have an interview coming up & am looking at all my options because I would be relocating. I spoke to the recruiters and they seemed pretty informative. Like you said they pay well to get you in the door. Being a new grad I wouldn't sign any contract >1 year because I don't want to feel like I'm "stuck". How frustrating finding a job as a new grad can be.

Thanks in advance

[btoddrn]

I did work in the ED there and coincidently, I talked to a nurse yesterday who just worked at Howard last week and quit. I don't know how there tele unit is at all, but I can't imagine it being that much better. All I know for sure about is the ER. And everyone there seems to be extremely miserable going from the charge nurses to nurses to techs and even to the parking garage security officers. Nobody seems to be happy there at all and that makes a huge difference. For me anyway, noone was helpful at all. But again, that was five years ago but things don't seem to have changed from the way the nurse I was talking to yesterday was saying. Howard is a very inner city busy hospital. I don't want to rain on your parade, but my suggestion to you as a new grad would be to look else where. And I wouldn't suggest you believe a lot about what the recruiter says because it is there job to get warm bodies to work there and that is really all they care about and all there job is. They don't get paid if you don't work there. I would just hate for you to hate nursing right off the bat just because you are working in a s*&t hole. Again, sorry, but good luck.