Anyone from Atlanta?

seizureffect · Dec 2, 2010

Did you try posting in the Georgia state forum? You might get more responses there

GoodNP · Dec 3, 2010

I worked at St. Joseph's Hospital about 10 years ago on the Interventional Telemetry floor and then CCU, and LOVED it! At that time it was a Magnet Hospital, not sure if it still is. There is a culture there for nurses to push themselves in education and certifications. Shared governance is huge, and there were educational programs, offering CEUs WITH PAY!, out the wazoo. The pay was higher than what I was offered at Piedmont, Emory, and of course Grady. Plus it was in what I considered to be a great location - north side close to the Perimeter Mall.

Since that was the only hospital I worked in Atlanta, I can't speak to working conditions at other hospitals. I can tell you that when I moved to Texas, I was surprised by the relatively lower patient:nurse ratio on telemetry floors. However, even though we carried more patients at St.Joe's, we had PCTs to do vitals, baths, bed linens...fabulous! Parking alone was enough to deter me from Emory (it was like a 15 minute walk from the garage to any given unit in the hospital), not to mention the nightmarish traffic in that area. Of course traffic is generally bad everywhere in Atlanta. I also didn't want to work in the heart of downtown, for my own reasons. Not sure what area of nursing you are looking to work, so that may affect your decision. Grady is a Level I trauma center and also functions like a public health facility almost. Piedmont and St. Joes are known for hearts. Northside: OB/L&D. There is obviously a lot of name recognition at Emory, and they do tons of research. Good Luck!!!

Fribblet · Dec 3, 2010

Atlanta Medical Center is probably one of the lower paying hospitals in the Atlanta area, but I found it's a great place to work. It's a good trauma center, and as a bonus, it's NOT Grady.

Which leads me to my next point: Avoid Grady. The ER is a good place to lose your license, and they have done away with overtime. (they complain about being short money, but they pay the CEO millions in salary and bonuses.)

People have said Piedmont is a good place to work, but I wouldn't know from personal experience. Cawford-Long (now Emory Midtown) has also had some good reviews from people I know.

The City of Atlanta is high in crime, but I work nights and have NEVER had a problem. Traffic is bad, so I suggest living close to where you work, which can be done! There are pricey areas in Atlanta, but there are definitely affordable areas.

Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.