Anyone work at Baptist Memphis?

charebec65 · Sep 8, 2006

The only thing I know is that when my father-in-law was in there, the nursing staff and doctors were fabulous.......

meandragonbrett · Sep 8, 2006

PM me for more info if you wish.

auto5man · Sep 8, 2006

I worked at Baptist my first five years out of school. Never say never, but I cannot imagine finding myself in a position where I would want to work for any Baptist facility in Memphis again. There are many awesome doctors and nurses working for Baptist and they do have great facilities ("spare no expense"), but it is their coporate philosophy towards nurses that I despise. PM me if you want more specific information.

Regards,

David

Glory27 · Oct 16, 2006

OOOh, that's scary. I'm considering applying for the Baptist grant for nursing students, where you have to sign a 2+ year contract, now I don't know...

ND76 · Nov 11, 2006

I worked at Baptist my first five years out of school. Never say never, but I cannot imagine finding myself in a position where I would want to work for any Baptist facility in Memphis again. There are many awesome doctors and nurses working for Baptist and they do have great facilities ("spare no expense"), but it is their coporate philosophy towards nurses that I despise. PM me if you want more specific information.
Regards,
David

True, true. I left work many a shift literally in TEARS because I was so exhausted that I couldn't move. I worked in the ED, and they would make us work 4 hours on the minor side, then move you to the major side for 4 hours, then there was the possibility you'd be pulled back to the minor side or peds for 4 hours. No ancillary staff, and not much teamwork because everyone was overwhelmed with their own responsibilities....I started my own IVs, drew my own blood, did my own EKGs, gave meds, transported my own patients to CT, X-ray, and to the floor.

The "scheduling committee" was another dud idea. Basically a group of nurses got together and decided what everyone else was going to work. So if you were new, or not part of the 'in crowd', you got screwed.

Maybe things have changed, it's been a couple of years since I left...but I have worked at four hospitals in Memphis, and I can safely say I will never go back to Baptist's ER.

tpowell436 · Dec 12, 2006

NurseDiva76 - Where were the good places you have worked? Where are you working now? I will graduate December 2007 BSN from Bethel. I do not know if I will work Memphis/Nashville or Jackson (doubt Jackson) any info would be great!!

Haunted · Dec 12, 2006

I spoke with a registry nurse last nite who told me that when her shift was over she reported off, walked out and will never return. She cited unsafe staffing, LPN's performing beyond their licensure and no orientation. She also had a bad experience at Vandy, no orientation and poor communication.

luckylucyrn · Dec 13, 2006

NurseDiva76- I work there now and it's pretty much the same. However, we have a new manager, and although there ha ve been rough patches, there have been some improvements. They have increased our FTEs, there are more nurses per shift so a smaller patient load (still busy though), and right now we have "critical need" shifts where if you sign up you get paid extra. When did you leave? I may have been there when you were there.

ND76 · Dec 13, 2006

NurseDiva76- I work there now and it's pretty much the same. However, we have a new manager, and although there ha ve been rough patches, there have been some improvements. They have increased our FTEs, there are more nurses per shift so a smaller patient load (still busy though), and right now we have "critical need" shifts where if you sign up you get paid extra. When did you leave? I may have been there when you were there.

I will be fair, and I have heard that it's better now.. I will also say that I was overwhelmed PERIOD when I started there, I was in the middle of a move, had some serious illness in the family, and Baptist was by far the largest place I'd ever worked...it took some getting used to. I probably didn't give it a fair chance. If the place would go to self-scheduling, I would apply there in a heartbeat.

Right now, I think that anywhere in Memphis is a crapshoot as far as where to work in the ED. We're all understaffed, we're all having higher patient volume than EVER, and generally morale is quite low across the city. The only truly satisfied nurse friend I have right now is working at LeBonheur, and she is not an ER nurse!

It seems to go through cycles. Right now, where I work, we have hired several new nurses and have several new grads about to come off orientation, but that in itself presents a whole new set of problems. They're mostly on one shift, and it's absolute chaos. Our docs are NOT happy, our patients are not happy, and it's really stressful. Add the normal amount of craziness that comes with being an ER nurse during high census season, and I'm about to tear my hair out!

I just keep smiling, keep working as hard as I can, as fast as I can, for as long as I can, and that's all I can do!

CPTMO · Dec 6, 2008

I work and Baptist Memphis now in the ED. I have been there for about a year and a half. I have worked all over the country and I would say this is by far the BEST ED I have ever worked in. Positions almost never come open as they are staffed and the manager says she has a waiting list for people who want jobs. Phlebotomy does all of our lab draws and they are stationed in the department. We have paramedics and techs on shifts for ancillary assistance. I don't know what others experienced in the past but I think it is great. We do have self-scheduling through a computer program now too. They are also expanding the ED and doing construction to make a better department. Never worked outside the ED, but what I know is that they have hired a lot more nurses and changed the staffing ratios upstairs. I hear that they do have some short shifts on some floors at times, but they have a "no pull" policy on the floors so that the staffed floors don't have people pulled to help the short places and you get to stay in your unit. What I hear is that the places that are short have people in orientation or that they have had call ins that have made them short and they just couldn't find someone on short notice.

cvssc · Dec 6, 2008

My cousin works in the unit. She really likes her position