Atlanta Medical Center

sheronep, MSN, RN · Jun 22, 2010

anything?

Fribblet · Jun 27, 2010

Could you be more specific? AMC is on Boulevard, which is a rough neighborhood. (Don't go to the BP next to the hospital). New grad salary depends on which department you work in.

sheronep, MSN, RN · Jun 27, 2010

Thanks for responding! ICU would be the unit. How rough of a neighborhood? I am not from the area and have never been to Atlanta. Have an interview scheduled but trying to get an idea of the atmosphere in the hospital. Are the employees happy? I really want to work in a positive environment.

FA2Nurse · Jun 27, 2010

lots of older nurses there. which means TONS of people to learn from. They are firing the older nurses and bringing in younger for cheaper.

but if you give those older nurses respect, they will respect and teach you.

notqueenb · Jun 30, 2010

According to their recruiter, new grad pay is $21/hour + shift diff of $3.50-$4.50 + additional weekend diff. (typical for the Atlanta area). Plus sign-on bonus or loan repayment (you probably saw that on their web site). Neighborhood is typical downtown big city, so don't leave anything visible to entice a car break-in (purse, phone, GPS, unopened mail, spare change), but you won't be dodging gunfire on your way to work. Some nice (expensive) condos/lofts, etc. within walking distance, & AMC is easy commute from nice intown neighborhoods & suburbs, & traffic isn't bad if you work 7-7 b/c you'll miss rush hour. Don't know about the BP station referred to by an earlier poster, but I'm boycotting them anyway b/c of the spill. As for the patients, AMC is a Level II trauma center, so ICU gets lots of these patients, plus post-op neuro, & all the other expected conditions. ICU nurses cover all units (MICU, SICU, CVICU, & neuro ICU), so the new grad program should be a good learning experience.

I have a question for you. When is your interview? I ask b/c I interviewed there about 6 weeks ago & yesterday when I called the recruiter to check, she told me the decisions had been made. Also, a classmate of mine who started her job hunt a little later than I did was told that they weren't doing any more interviews about 3 weeks ago. Their timetable on the hiring process has been less than transparent, so I'm really curious about what's going on. Thanks.

If you have more specific questions about the area or the hospital I'll be happy to answer (if I know the answer).

Fribblet · Jul 4, 2010

Thanks for responding! ICU would be the unit. How rough of a neighborhood? I am not from the area and have never been to Atlanta. Have an interview scheduled but trying to get an idea of the atmosphere in the hospital. Are the employees happy? I really want to work in a positive environment.

Boulevard is quite a tough stretch of road. Shootings, stabbings, and all manner of drug/violent crimes happen there. I wouldn't go walking around on Boulevard. (Although Boulevard is preferable to some other areas of Atlanta.) That being said, it's right off the intestate and you won't have to spend much time driving/stopped at lights. I've never encountered any problems on Boulevard having lived near AMC for many years, and even though my neighborhood is considered "up and coming," I've only had my home broken into once despite a all the shady characters I see walking by day and night.

Like any city, be aware of your surroundings. Cars do get broken into in the parking decks, but I have not known any nurses who have personally had their cars vandalized.

With any hospital, you're going to have happy and unhappy employees and the ratio will again vary by unit. I cannot speak about the ICU from personal experience, but I really enjoyed the area I worked in. The nurses, by and large, worked as a team. My manager was great. And, although, there were some people I didn't care for, the environment was generally positive. As a new grad, the politics, gripes, and shortcomings of management will be, generally, unknown to you since you are typically too busy learning. I no longer work at AMC, but definitely would again if I were still in the Atlanta area.

Even thought AMC is only a level II trauma center, when Grady is on diversion, it functions as a level I. In the ICU, you will get to see some pretty banged up trauma patients, which is always good experience.

If you're looking into ICU, I would think working in a trauma center would be preferable to working at, say, Piedmont or Northside, if, for nothing else, the trauma. But that's just my uninformed 2 cents.

Good luck in your interview!

sheronep, MSN, RN · Jul 5, 2010

Thanks for all of the replys. I found the hospital to be a nice place and the environment seemed positive. I don't know whether I will be picked but it was nice meeting the nurses. It's nice when you walk into a place and everyone is smiling!

jan18 · Jul 6, 2010

When I spoke with the recruiter last week she said they are on a hold for hiring new grads until the end of the year. Just curious, what's your strategy for getting interviews in Atlanta? I'm applying like crazy but it doesn't seem like places want new grads right now.

sheronep, MSN, RN · Jul 6, 2010

To be honest I don't have a strategy. While in school I researched and applied for three jobs per day. A lot of the positions want essays or for the applicant to answer questions. I did all of that. I made sure that the position would be something I want to do in an area that I want to be in. Not just a job - looking for a career. My philosophy is that if they are investing in me I am also investing in them.

I know that in these times jobs are hard to come by - so I am no knocking the people who NEED a paycheck - because I need one too. IDK.

I also think that the GPA guidelines are part of it also.

When I spoke with the recruiter last week she said they are on a hold for hiring new grads until the end of the year. Just curious, what's your strategy for getting interviews in Atlanta? I'm applying like crazy but it doesn't seem like places want new grads right now.

IckuRN, RN · Jul 14, 2010

AMC is an awesome place to learn and their residency programs are great. They are the diversion of choice, rumor has it, when Grady has too much trauma. Piedmont is also awesome, and their nurse residency is "right on".

I have heard that as far north as Kennestone are jammed with new grads, and I think being open to other areas may benefit you.

coolnursegirl · Jul 14, 2010

i was accepted into the new grad icu program as well but the program is placed on hold until december. you would have to start the process all over again.