Updated: Feb 15, 2022 Published Feb 14, 2022
OutdoorsyRN
2 Posts
Does anyone know how Lander Regional Medical Center/SageWest healthcare is to work for? I'm graduating in May with my BSN and looking around at outdoor/mountain towns to work in. Lander looks amazing, and it actually seems somewhat affordable compared to a lot of places; however, I can't find much online about how the hospital is. The small amount of info I have found is pretty negative. I'm also nervous about going to work in a small community hospital without first having experience as an RN at a larger medical center. I've worked as aide for the past 3 years in hospitals in Fort Collins, Denver, and Cleveland, so I'm not new to healthcare in general. Ideally I want to go into some for of critical care (PCU/ICU unit).
Any insight or advice is appreciated!
PDRN
39 Posts
As a RN that worked many years at a critical access facility in western Montana, my advice would be get a staff position in a larger facility for a year or so, preferably ER ? to get bones in your feet, so to speak. These little hospitals in these beautiful communities sound lovely, but when you're the only RN on with an advanced practice provider (not even a MD) when there's a massive trauma, stroke, hiking accident (hypothermia, etc) you'll wish you had experience to back you up. I was a seasoned trauma / critical care RN, and if I hadn't been able to pretty much handle anything that came through those doors, the beautiful location wouldn't have meant much.
Thanks for the advice! That makes a lot of sense. I don't want to be in a position where I'm in over my head and on my own. I'm leaning towards staying in the Cleveland area to get some experience and be close to family for awhile longer before moving back out west again.
Montana is beautiful!! I used to go to Butte for a few weeks each year in my past career and made a few trips to Glacier NP. Montana is definitely on my list of potential places to move to eventually. Thanks again for passing along some wisdom ?