best hospital to work for in Washington state

lindarn · Dec 11, 2006

What do you guys think are the best hospitals to work in as an RN here in Washington?

I have said this before, and I will say it again. Eastern Washington, especially Spokane, from personal experience, is a mistake. Low pay, worse benefits, wishy washy, easily intimidated, nurses who are willing to work for high school drop out wages, pitiful benefits, and the word DIS-RESPECT, from management, administration, doctors, patients, and family members. Nurses are at the bottom of the food chain in Spokane. Don't even get me started on the worthless state nurses' association that "represents" too many nurses here in Washington, and especially in Eastern Washington, and Spokane. PM me for more information.

All of the above keeps me from going back to bedside nursing here, and continuing with my Legal Nurse business. If I ever go back to hospital nursing, I will commute to California as an Independant Contractor, where I can make a wage that is commensurate with a college education, nursing experience, and expertise, that no where in Spokane is willing to pay. JMHO, and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

GardenDove · Dec 11, 2006

So, what's the pay scale where you work in Spokane? Just want to mention, though, that housing costs in Western Washington probably more than negate the higher wages. Spokane is relatively reasonable as far as housing.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 11, 2006

so, what's the pay scale where you work in spokane? just want to mention, though, that housing costs in western washington probably more than negate the higher wages. spokane is relatively reasonable as far as housing.

and when i worked in spokane, wages were similar to western washington

(to stop all the commuting to seattle that was going on) while housing costs were still reasonable. i never felt disrespected by anyone -- perhaps that's a personal problem for the previous poster. spokane was a great place to live -- although not as good a place for a single person as for a couple. i remember it fondly.

lindarn · Dec 12, 2006

and when i worked in spokane, wages were similar to western washington
(to stop all the commuting to seattle that was going on) while housing costs were still reasonable. i never felt disrespected by anyone -- perhaps that's a personal problem for the previous poster. spokane was a great place to live -- although not as good a place for a single person as for a couple. i remember it fondly.

i am not sure what hospitals in spokane that you are referring to that had "comparable wages to seattle". my personal experience, and the experience that others have had, is that the pay in spokane is at least 25-30 % less, not more, than the pay in seattle. the pay in spokane is based on pay in north idaho, a notoriousy low paying, anti union, right to work state. that has been documented countless times, that even wsna acknowledges it.

i am not the only individual who has experienced the disrespect from doctors, administration, patients, family, this has also been experienced by co workers at sacred heart, and especially at deaconess. i have never had personal problems with any one who i have worked with. i continue to maintain friendships with nurses who i worked with in california, and the nurses who i used to work with at sacred heart, even though i left there 5 years ago.

i do have knowledge from other nurses who worked at one of the above-mentioned hospitals concerning the nasty place one critical care unit was. i heard the same complaints, behavious, etc from several nurses i know from the area. some had stories to tell that would curl your hair. the nurses that i had worked with were still there, and creating havoc with other new nurses who went to work there. the new nurses leave in droves, after being subjected to the same horizontal violence that i had been subjected to a decade ago. one nurse was so traumatized by her malicious treatment she just up and quit, without having another job lined up and a husband who was out of work. that is how bad she was treated. she just had to get out of there, and could not take it any more.

sacred heart is not perfect. the nurses only received a 5% raise, but had their medical benefits increased 20%. the icu nurses have to float to a new stepdown unit that was built, in addition to the other two that are still there.

the hospital has lost revenue to tri cities, where the hospitals have built up their cardiac services, and are siphoning off business from sacred heart and deaconess. ccu at sacred heart has seen a big downturn in business, and the ccu nurses are always floating. houses, and the cost of living here has also increased. we pay more for gas than in seattle, and the pay has not come close to keeping up. i was offered a job in out- patient dialysis, that wanted lots of icu experience, but only offered me $23 an hour, and that was with me declining medical benefits.

doctors treat nurses badly at deaconess and this is not just conjecture. i have seen it at sacred heart when i floated to the floors, and big time when i worked at deaconess. they scream, threaten, throw tantrums, and at deaconess, there was no recourse, because it is only recently that deaconess nurses finally unionized. they turned down union membership for years, and finally organized with seiu 1199. a step up from wsna at sacred heart.

so, the moral of the story is, if you really have you heart set on moving to spokane, let the buyer beware! you have been warned!

lindarn, rn, bsn, ccrn

spokane, washington

ICN2007 · Dec 13, 2006

I'm from Spokane WA and as a student have spent quite a bit of time in all of the hospitals in the town. I'm not sure how it is in other areas of the state, but here there isn't too much of a nursing shortage, so it's a bit more difficult to find an opening, but at the same time there isn't the burnout that you hear about in other areas.

RNnocsuper · Feb 8, 2007

Walla Walla does have hospitals! There's St.Mary Medical Center & Regional Cancer Center, Walla Walla General Hospital, VA and nursing at the Washington State Pennitentiary. All offer a variety of nursing options. Then there's office nurse, school nurse, insurance nurse, etc...We have them all!

JennieO · Apr 9, 2007

I think Harborview and Swedish have the highest RN satisfaction. Stay away from Virginia Mason, as their staffing ratios are terrible. Travellers frequently end their contracts at Virginia Mason. NW Hospital has very loyal and happy RNs--good for a community hospital.

Ebouster · Apr 10, 2007

i've only worked at one hospital, valley medical center (public hospital), and i've enjoyed my time here very much. turnover ratio for RNs appears very low to me, as I see the same ones every day. in fact, i've been here for almost a year and have not seen one RN that has quit for another job. i work nights tho and we have a pretty nice crew..

veronica2 · May 23, 2007

Free parking, staff ratios of 4-6pts/nurse depending on shift, 1-2pt/nurse in ICU depending on acuity,CNA support, great medical benefits achieved in last negotiations,beautiful grounds and public places, working towards magnet status, new cancer care center, plans for a new ER, electronic charting within 1-2 years,supportive management, great medical staff, collaborative labor-management committee, professional recognition committee(clinical ladder),good educations offerings, residency programs...Its hard to beat Highline Medical Center in Burien for a great place to work!

Reno1978, BSN, RN · May 25, 2007

The hospital has lost revenue to Tri Cities, where the hospitals have built up their cardiac services, and are siphoning off business from Sacred Heart and Deaconess.

Does anyone know about the working conditions at any hospitals in the Tri-Cities?

I grew up there and my brother works at Kadlec in Richland (not a nursing job), but he sent me info about pay for new grad RNs and I was surprized to see that the pay was very comparable to where I live while the cost of living is still MUCH lower in the Tri-Cities vs. here in Reno, NV.

RN130 · Jun 24, 2007

I think you need to be aware that while Washington Hospitals (especially the larger private and non profit ones in western wasington) are unionzed and have much better working conditions than some other states they are deteroriating quickly as these large Hospitals refine making money as their main goal.

I am not kidding that they seem to be driving their nurses into the ground, we lose most of our new hires in the first two years at Providence in Olympia --- our older nurses have mortgages in town and stay but count the days till retirement.

No matter how positive a person you are or how well trained and experienced --this place gives you that old burnout feeling at the end of each day. We are seeing greater and greater ER waits, no replacement of sick calls, and our management ALL came to the Legislature to oppose the safe staffing bill we tried to pass last year.... Management is not behind their nurses--it is a bad feeling.

Right now we are working without a contract, because Nurses are holding out for a Professional Nursing voice in STAFFING.

Providence Management is actually proposing no guarentee of shift start times and for " management flexibility reasons" wish to be able to change a nurses' hours to what ever they want as long as most of the hours fall on you shift they can start you whenever..... Now is that a recruiting tool???

Say tuned for the next update on "Good Hospitals Gone Bad: How the profit motive is ruining Hospital Care in Washington State."

lindarn · Jun 25, 2007

I think you need to be aware that while Washington Hospitals (especially the larger private and non profit ones in western wasington) are unionzed and have much better working conditions than some other states they are deteroriating quickly as these large Hospitals refine making money as their main goal.
I am not kidding that they seem to be driving their nurses into the ground, we lose most of our new hires in the first two years at Providence in Olympia --- our older nurses have mortgages in town and stay but count the days till retirement.
No matter how positive a person you are or how well trained and experienced --this place gives you that old burnout feeling at the end of each day. We are seeing greater and greater ER waits, no replacement of sick calls, and our management ALL came to the Legislature to oppose the safe staffing bill we tried to pass last year.... Management is not behind their nurses--it is a bad feeling.
Right now we are working without a contract, because Nurses are holding out for a Professional Nursing voice in STAFFING.
Providence Management is actually proposing no guarentee of shift start times and for " management flexibility reasons" wish to be able to change a nurses' hours to what ever they want as long as most of the hours fall on you shift they can start you whenever..... Now is that a recruiting tool???
Say tuned for the next update on "Good Hospitals Gone Bad: How the profit motive is ruining Hospital Care in Washington State."

What union are you organized with? Is it time to vote out who you have, and vote in a new one, like, maybe, NNOC? Who are, by far, much more powerful and militant than WSNA, 1199, and I now that there is another union over there who has organized nurses. Or go on strike? If you are interested, I have wanted to bring in NNOC here in Washington, but I am not working in a hospital. I only talk to my friends who still work here in Spokane, and hear the horror stories from them. I am not surprised. I called U of W last week, after meeting recruiters at the NTI. I called them, and much to my surprise, they were not interested. I was told, "well, you have two strikes against you". I asked what that was, and she stated, " you don't want to work nights, and you haven't worked in 5 years". I told her that I have never gone inactive with my license, and I have earned 40-50 CEUs when I go to the NTI. My certifications are current. I pointed out that it would be easier and quicker to orient me, rather than a new grad. She was not interested. So much for the "nursing shortage". I think that they are holding out for "immigration reform", when they get an overabundance of H1B visas, and can hire indentured servants to work in the hospitals and nursing homes. We need to work quickly before there is any more damage done to the nurses here in Washington. PM me.

If you are interested, I would be willing to help out from this end. Let me know.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington