Austin, TX ORs?

[mspackman]

Hello!

Maybe someone out there can help me out. My husband and I are looking at the possibility of moving to Austin in the next 6ish months. I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice to give about the various hospitals and ORs in the Austin area - which ones are great, which ones to avoid, etc. Also, which ones have what specialties, e.g.. neuro, trauma, robotics, etc. Any info would be very helpful so I know where to at least start to apply to.

Thanks!

[ijuanabhappy, ASN, RN]

The hospitals here are either part of the Seton or St. David's network. Do you have OR experience because the hospitals here never have an OR Internship. I worked at Seton for many years as a surgery scheduler and graduated with my ADN May 2010, and I still have been unable to get into the OR. I will have to move. Seton had all of the specialties you mentioned including robotics (I believe). St. David's I am not as familiar with but I am sure they have all specialties including Da Vinci, robotics, etc. If you want to move on the very North end of Austin, like Round Rock or Georgetown, there is also the Scott & White Hospital system with their large teaching hospital being in Temple, Texas which is like an hour north of Austin. Depending on what area of town you are moving to, there is always a hospital close by. I would say Seton and St. David's are probably comparable, but I tend to favor Seton since I am familiar with them. Brackenridge is the trauma hospital and it is under the Seton umbrella, so is Dell Childrens Hospital. Good luck.

[mspackman]

Thanks for the info! Yes, I am an experienced OR RN and I am ACLS, PALS, and TNCC certified. Right now I work in a level 1 trauma center in Arizona and I'm on the neuro team. I both scrub and circulate and am interested in keeping up those skills.

[Surgery182]

Anyone have an opinion on what it's like to work for Scott and White or Seton in the Austin area? Planning a move to the area and just curious if one of the hospital systems is better than the other. It appears that both are not for profit hospitals. Also, what is the average pay for a nurse with 5 years experience in the OR? What's the base on call rate? I'm guessing somewhere in the $2-3/hr range. Thanks for any replies.