Austin - Round Rock: Best Hospital, Best Pay?

pumpkinseeds · Jul 12, 2011

Congrats on moving to Austin, it's a great place to live.

I worked a couple of years at Round Rock, first year m/s and the second in ER. Although I hated the ER (too many screaming drunks) I felt honored to work with such an amazing group of physicians as well as my coworkers. I felt such respect and comraderie from the docs.

So saying, I don't really care for the St David's system. It's for-profit, and yes, I understand that all hospitals must make a profit or they close, but non-profits don't put money ahead of patients like the for-profits do Plus I felt a little sqeevy working for an organization that has such an illustrious history of Medicare fraud.

As far as pay went, I made, I can't exactly remember but around 30/hr base pay, which bumped up to 35/hr or so because I was on the weekend plan. This was about four years ago. At the time I had about sixteen years exp. although that was my first specialty unit. After my year of misery was up I worked the st davids agency (34/hr m/s) then settled into a part-time m/s spot at another St D's hospital, before I went PRN, which, get this, they dropped my salary from 29.50/hr to 28/hr. I've been a nurse for twenty years and have never seen a facility pay LESS for PRN, yet St. David's did it, or I should say tried to do it. Having a healthy measure of self respect and gave up being a doormat a long time ago, so I quit on the spot. But that was okay, because I was already PRN at Seton's rr facility, where I was making 33.50/hr. So if you can, try to get in on Seton's. Not only do they pay more, they give Christmas bonuses. They also have Serenity Rooms where you're encouraged to relax in during a really stressful shift.

2)I know nothing about Scott and White except it's for profit, and you already know my opinion of those. I prefer Seton's for reasons I've already mentioned, but I've worked some really nice units at St D's. Good managers make good units; bad managers use divide and conquer techniques to make bad units. So it just depends.

Do your online application like they say, but the take your resume and visit the units you wish to work in. If the place looks like a kicked anthill and the manager is snotty, cross that one off your list. Personally I'd rather work a crummy job with good coworkers than viceversa. Good luck.

liamrn · Jul 12, 2011

Thank you pumpkinseeds. Very informational and will help me narrow my search!

Jackfackmasta, ASN, RN · Jul 12, 2011

I really like Seton Medical center, the ICU is phenomenal and I HIGHLY recommend that hospital. It is a VERY nice ICU too and big. They do the only heart transplants in Austin. I was a pt there and I will never forget those nurses. Seton Williamson is now a level 2 trauma, new hospital in RR and I hear good things about it. Brackendridge level 1 in downtown is REALLY good too. Never been to scott and white but the RR campus is smaller. I would suggest seton medical center ICU and Brackenridge and perhaps Williamson.

Lovelymo79 · Jun 28, 2012

Scott and White is NOT for profit.