Best Hospitals in Chicoland Area to Work At

MichRN72 · Jun 7, 2005

Rush was wonderful, very good vibes from the nurse manager I interviewed with. Like I said, it was a hard decision, but one I'm comfortable with. I've been a RN for a little over a year, I was a LPN for about a year prior to that. I have a rotation schedule, 12 hour shifts, which I love. I like my time off. It was the same basic shift as Rush. I went to a college here in Michigan, where I'm from. I work in a hospital in Flint, on an ICU stepdown/telemetry floor. I don't know what I do that pays more, but I'm making more right now an hour than the starting wages there, I was just a little suprised, but overall, with differentials and OT (always available here at least) I will come out ahead, plus be in an area I love.

2bRn-STAT · Jun 7, 2005

Oh, I see. Maybe it was your LPN experience prior to your Rn that gave you a better rate of pay in Michigan. I am suprised too that IL is paying less starting. Then again, maybe the prestige and name of these hospitals in IL allows them to start at a certain range. How are your benefits? Bet they are great- that makes a difference too. Man, I can not wait to finish school and get back to Chicago.What area are you looking to move? And are you in telemetry at NWestern also?

MichRN72 · Jun 8, 2005

No, my LPN had nothing to do with it. I never even mention it, to be honest. I'll be working on a telemetry stepdown floor again, its what I like. I'm thinking Oak Park area to live. I don't want to live right in the city, I have a 10 year old daughter so I want the suburbs.

2bRn-STAT · Jun 8, 2005

Yeah, that is a nice area. I loved Naperville and the schools-I just want to be a tad closer to Chicago when I move back. My husband wants to look at Oak Park also. We have our past realtor send us weekly udates on homes. Its funny cuz we really look at them, but we arnt moving back until i finish school.:) We just cant wait to get back. Well, good luck again and let me know how things go when you get going at North Western.

neuronursein06 · Jun 8, 2005

yeah, that is a nice area. i loved naperville and the schools-i just want to be a tad closer to chicago when i move back. my husband wants to look at oak park also. we have our past realtor send us weekly udates on homes. its funny cuz we really look at them, but we arnt moving back until i finish school.:) we just cant wait to get back. well, good luck again and let me know how things go when you get going at north western.

i absolutely love lagrange.....awesome public schools, nice downtown, can take the metra into the city, and a n'western bus picks you up and takes you to n'western.... good restaurants, not too far from chicago...can get to rush fairly easily; i hear hinsdale is a good hospital to work at too, as is good sam's. i also hear that edwards is very hard to get into. n'ville, for me, is way too far west. a lot of my friends are moving to plano, plainfield, joliet....much much farther west. i give them credit, as i could never do that! good luck with house hunting and hospital hunting....

2bRn-STAT · Jun 8, 2005

Thanks, Ill be looking at that area too then. I lived in Hinsdale for about a year before we had bought our home in Naperville. We liked it there too. That isnt too far from Lagrange. I dont know too much about Lagrange-now I know to check it out. We definately dont want to be so far west again. Like I said earlier, we want to be closer to downtown and the hospitals that are in the downtown area. Sounds like Lagrange is right in between where we want to be. What hospital do you want to work, and where are you in school at? I see you are into Neuro-good area to get into.

Thanks again

Oh-Plainfield- far but I really was considering- Our realtor sends us a weekly on homes and most come from that area-The homes are gorgeous, new and you get a lot of home for the money there. I hope it is that way when I get back. Its just too far-

neuronursein06 · Jun 8, 2005

lagrange and western springs (and lagrange park) are all very nice; i actually grew up in western springs. ws is chaning now, fortunately for the downtown area, as it is no longer a "dry" suburb! real sense of community both there and lagrange....all the neighbors know each other and help each other out when needed. (western springs is right next to hinsdale....just east....but is cook co, not dupage, so the takes are a bit better! (part of hinsdale is cook co, though.)) good luck! i would totally recommend living there. my fiance and i are west loop hunting, but know that that's where we want to raise our kids one day! oh- and i absolutely want to work on an emu (epilepsy monitoring unit) when i get done!

thanks, ill be looking at that area too then. i lived in hinsdale for about a year before we had bought our home in naperville. we liked it there too. that isnt too far from lagrange. i dont know too much about lagrange-now i know to check it out. we definately dont want to be so far west again. like i said earlier, we want to be closer to downtown and the hospitals that are in the downtown area. sounds like lagrange is right in between where we want to be. what hospital do you want to work, and where are you in school at? i see you are into neuro-good area to get into.
thanks again
oh-plainfield- far but i really was considering- our realtor sends us a weekly on homes and most come from that area-the homes are gorgeous, new and you get a lot of home for the money there. i hope it is that way when i get back. its just too far-

neuronursein06 · Jun 27, 2005

i just have to say, i got off the phone with a friend of mine who is still a loyola tele nurse, and she said that the pt/nurse ratio has been a whopping 6:1.....everyone just wrote a letter to the 2 awful nurse managers saying that things needed to change, or they'd go to the media, the loyola ceo, etc. apparently, when this friend went to complain to one of the nm's, she said "well, just jump on the bandwagon and form a committee. when medicare gives us more $, we'll hire more nurses." i was incredulous, as loyola is known for their heart ctr, and if they're in the red financially as an entire hospital (which they are), their tele shouldn't be. i was not surprised in the least to hear this though. i hope that someone there goes to the media if it doesn't start to change. i know this thread got off subject of the best hospitals to work at...but i just had to throw that .02 in there about that. good luck if anyone is about to start a job on that floor. i pity absolutely anyone who takes a job there- especially new grads.

too new? loyola's tele???? they still have quads on that floor! only 10 private rooms, if i recall....disorganized? yep. haven't gone to computerized charting yet, can never find charts, there are a lot of agency/travelers, etc. it's a huge floor, so it can get extremely disorganized and confusing. that just comes with a big floor in general though. personally? i'd work at their trauma unit, their burn unit (if you like that), etc- but tele? go to northwestern if that's what you want. (don't get me wrong, loyola is a great hospital- but the nm's on tele refuse to fire people for very fire-able things, bc they're so short staffed...then "good" nurses and techs, they have high expectations for, and will reprimand them for, say, calling in sick one day, forgetting to punch out once, etc....they're so warped. don't expect much out of the majority of the staff there- and let big things go- and then write people up who are good with both the "art" and "science" of nursing. ) you'll learn a lot there, as they have a lot of interesting cases on that floor....but i still would not necessarily recommend working on that floor.

PeachyOrthoRN, RN · Jun 27, 2005

What kind of hospitals are you looking for??? I've worked at Palos Community and Central Dupage Hospitals both of which are very good. I haven't seen mentioned Delnor or Hinsdale, Good Sam's all of which are good hospitals and good to work at :)

nurse_elyse · Jul 8, 2005

I moved from a small town in southern IL to work in Highland Parks hospital which is owned by Evanston Northwestern hospital. I loved working at Highland Park. I have since had to move back to southern Il but given the chance, i'd go back to work up there anytime!

kahumai, RN · Jul 19, 2005

Also keep in mind that some of the hospitals mentioned here are Magnet recipients.....Rush, Christ Hospital, Delnor, Children's Memorial....I know I'm missing a few.

I currently work at Silver Cross in Joliet as an aide, but when I get my BSN (in December!) I plan on going to another hospital, maybe Northwestern. (Still looking into it because the commute would be killer). Does that $23.40 + shift diff. apply to new grads, too?

PeachyOrthoRN, RN · Jul 19, 2005

St Francis and St Anthony's are also Magnet hospitals and to answer your question somewhat at least. You would have to inquire to their HR department. You might make that much, but you would have to ask. I don't know for sure sometimes new grads tend to start a bit lower. :)