Anyone work at a Select Specialty Hospital in GA?

JRP1120, RN · May 29, 2011

Wow, no one has heard of this or worked for one?

jb2u, ASN, RN · Jun 6, 2011

First, I'd like to say that I have NEVER worked for them.

That being said...two things I've been told...

1) They are the highest paying in the area.

2) It's just not worth the money.

Now, that is coming from nurses that work there and nurses that have left. Personally, I think it is always best to check it out for yourself. Many people complain about dialysis nursing, but I ignored that and tried it out. I love dialysis!!!

As far as Select, they take some sick patients (think floor nursing with patients on vents). I also heard they still do a lot of paper charting. I currently work in two hospitals with computer charting and would hate to even consider doing paper charting!!!

I wish I could be more helpful, but that's all I can really say. Take a tour of the hospital. Talk to some nurses there and ask them the pros and cons!!!

Best of luck to you!!!

JRP1120, RN · Jun 15, 2011

Thanks for the info. I will see about visiting the hospital to get an inside view. I'm curious as to what is so horrible about it that would make it "not worth it". Would this be a good place for a new RN to start out? Hope some others out there can give more info!

cutekittenj · Jun 23, 2011

Hey. I hope I'm not too late. I currently work at the one in Savannah,GA. I'm a new grad(I graduated in December 2010) and I'll let you know my perspective. so far it is really overwhelming b/c it is so much to learn. As a new hire, we take a lot of online classes that are taught in a webinar format(we call in and listen to the instructor and we have notes we look at on the computer and we have a test). Not too bad but can be annoying.

As far as what a day of select specialty is like will vary from what shift you work. On day shift you will typically have 5 patients. On nights 5 and sometimes 6. We sometimes get patients from the critical care unit who they were unable to ween from the vent. What we do is help them ween off the vent in 3 weeks. We also get a lot patients who have osteomylitis in an affected area and we do extened antibiotic care and wound care. Even though these are the main reasons they are here, they have a ton of other stuff wrong with them(uncontrolled DM, paraplegic in a motor vehicle accident,End Stage Renal Disease plus them needing dialysis, stroke victims, COPD, malnutrition, Congestive Heart Failure, etc.). With this being said, we stay very busy. Day shift is really crazy. So many doctors are there, so many procedures going, just so many people in general there. With all that and on top of your very sick patients, that can be very overwhelming. I couldn't handle it. I work nights which is much better in that I only have to talk to one doc and not so many procedures happening however I am still busy.

We do all of our charting on paper. We don't use a computer to any charting. I honestly don't like paper charting but am learning how to deal with it. We have a med tech system(which is a computer system) to dispense medications. As far as working here as a new grad, I feel very overwhelmed b/c I am still learning how to be a nurse and the patients are really sick and I just feel like I don't have enough knowledge. Like I have to go back to school again.(This could be a new grad thing). I'm still learning how to give off report. I'm not even good at that.

The turn over rate here is high and I can think of a few reason. One the patients are really sick and it is hard to move most of them but you really don't have the staff to help out(short handed a lot). People do it for so long and then they just stop showing up to work. Some people don't like the strict call in policy. For any reason if you call in(whether you're sick, your child is sick, you get in a car accident, or forgot to that you were scheduled to work that day) it counts against you. If you get 10 of those for any reason, you are fired. Some people have ran into that problem and have been fired.

As far as being a new grad, like I mentioned above I feel overwhelmed and really stressed out. It seems like a really easy place to get burnt out at because of the acuity of the patients. But it's great experience if you can stick with it. You can learn a lot of nursing skills. The pay is decent. Is it worth it? I'll be honest, not all the time. I hope I was the least bit helpful. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.

JRP1120, RN · Jun 23, 2011

Hey. I hope I'm not too late. I currently work at the one in Savannah,GA. I'm a new grad(I graduated in December 2010) and I'll let you know my perspective. so far it is really overwhelming b/c it is so much to learn. As a new hire, we take a lot of online classes that are taught in a webinar format(we call in and listen to the instructor and we have notes we look at on the computer and we have a test). Not too bad but can be annoying.
As far as what a day of select specialty is like will vary from what shift you work. On day shift you will typically have 5 patients. On nights 5 and sometimes 6. We sometimes get patients from the critical care unit who they were unable to ween from the vent. What we do is help them ween off the vent in 3 weeks. We also get a lot patients who have osteomylitis in an affected area and we do extened antibiotic care and wound care. Even though these are the main reasons they are here, they have a ton of other stuff wrong with them(uncontrolled DM, paraplegic in a motor vehicle accident,End Stage Renal Disease plus them needing dialysis, stroke victims, COPD, malnutrition, Congestive Heart Failure, etc.). With this being said, we stay very busy. Day shift is really crazy. So many doctors are there, so many procedures going, just so many people in general there. With all that and on top of your very sick patients, that can be very overwhelming. I couldn't handle it. I work nights which is much better in that I only have to talk to one doc and not so many procedures happening however I am still busy.
We do all of our charting on paper. We don't use a computer to any charting. I honestly don't like paper charting but am learning how to deal with it. We have a med tech system(which is a computer system) to dispense medications. As far as working here as a new grad, I feel very overwhelmed b/c I am still learning how to be a nurse and the patients are really sick and I just feel like I don't have enough knowledge. Like I have to go back to school again.(This could be a new grad thing). I'm still learning how to give off report. I'm not even good at that.
The turn over rate here is high and I can think of a few reason. One the patients are really sick and it is hard to move most of them but you really don't have the staff to help out(short handed a lot). People do it for so long and then they just stop showing up to work. Some people don't like the strict call in policy. For any reason if you call in(whether you're sick, your child is sick, you get in a car accident, or forgot to that you were scheduled to work that day) it counts against you. If you get 10 of those for any reason, you are fired. Some people have ran into that problem and have been fired.
As far as being a new grad, like I mentioned above I feel overwhelmed and really stressed out. It seems like a really easy place to get burnt out at because of the acuity of the patients. But it's great experience if you can stick with it. You can learn a lot of nursing skills. The pay is decent. Is it worth it? I'll be honest, not all the time. I hope I was the least bit helpful. If you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.

Thank you so so much for all your info! I do have some questions for you and will get them together and send them to ya soon when I can get to my computer. But what you have provided has been great! :)

cutekittenj · Jun 24, 2011

Okay. I'm glad. I just read my post and I hope I didn't scare you. It's not all bad. Just a lot of hard work. I for the most part enjoy it just get overwhelmed at times. But yes I am willing to answer any questions when you are ready.(If you are thinking about working at the one in Savannah, they are gonna start interviewing new grads in July).

JRP1120, RN · Jun 30, 2011

Cutekittenj, I PM'd you. Check your inbox :)

brown eyed girl · Jul 23, 2011

Do they hire lpn's by chance? And do yo work 12 or 8 hr shifts?

cutekittenj · Jul 23, 2011

Unfortunately they don't hire LPN's anymore. They are sending the LPN we have back to school for her RN degree. They are paying for it though. The one we have works 12 hours. I'm sorry I couldn't bring better news.

Select_sucks · Nov 20, 2014

Trust me, the money will suck you in and then management will make ur life hell.....if you start waking up and dreading going to work then you don't need to be there!! I've been a nurse for 10 years and the nurse to pt ratio is sometimes 1:5, but you usually take on more....their computer system sucks, you work a 40 bed unit and no one will lend a hand when you are running like a chicken and they are talking or going to "go smoke) for hours???!!!! It all starts with poor mgmt and trickles down, don't be lured in by bonuses and high pay like I did.....I know you posted this a couple of years ago and by now ur not a new grad, but the reason they love new grads is because they can manipulate them into the nurse they want, like a robot......while I was there for a short period (about 9 months) I stood up to management and the next day I was fired....I talked to a lawyer and it was definitely wrongful termination. Everyone there is miserable (this is the augusta location) since I left so have several other nurses, but because of that one time I stood up to management who called me a smart@$$ little B they have told potential employer over and over that I was not a team player and I was lazy.....ummmmm ***, I would go 12 hours without a lunch or bathroom break because there was no one to watch my patients if I did so, the supervisor was always too "busy" (outside smoking and cutting up) to ever help....it didn't take me long to realize I made a huge mistake!!! For any of you thinking of augusta select say heck no!!!! They use and abuse you and make false promises to get you in the door......I can literally go on and write an entire book on the terrible things that happen there.....for families....do not put your loved ones there, there's not enough staff for the proper care they need.....see my user name??? That's how I feel!!!! SELECT SUCKS!!!!!!!

pincush23 · Mar 6, 2016

I feel ya! Have worked in ICU for almost 10 years. Have been at SS for a month. I have an interview for the ICU this week. SS scares the hell out of me. I saw the worst intubation the other night b/c RT was not asking for more sedation to properly intubate. It took half an hour=hypoxia! You cannot intubate someone with respiratory distress with only 2 mg of Versed. I was grinding my teeth the whole time asking charge to push more. Smh