where is the best medical surgical experience in Nashville ?

nekhismom · Jan 13, 2004

I dont live in Nashville, so I can't give you a first hand report, but i had a family member who was a pt. at Vanderbilt, and 99% of her nurses looked HAPPY!! :eek: :roll

It is a big hospital with a big name. Plus, they hire new grads into a lot of areas.

nursefiggy · Jan 14, 2004

My first answer would be Vandy, but when my husband was a pt there they were always short staffed, his room was no bigger than a closet and was very hot. I did clinicals at Centennial and saw some of the worse nurses I have ever run across. One would eat breakfast and do her checkbook during morning report. However, experience from the other end has been all good.

lynnintn · Jan 16, 2004

Daisy,

I am a Vandy grad, and worked there for a few years; it is an excellent place to learn, but also a very intense environment. I worked PICU and Neuro ICU, but also did a few shifts on the famous "8 North" med surg floor which was rough, but a good training ground for new grads.

I also worked for an HCA hospital in Nashville, and really enjoyed it. If I still worked in a clinical setting, I would probably choose an HCA facility. St. Thomas is also supposed to be a good place to work.

Good luck,

Kim W.

Case Manager, Life Care Planner

mrdoc2005 · Mar 29, 2004

I am a RN moving to Nashville, Tenn. from Georgia. Does anyone have the inside scoop on which hospitals are better? I am looking for a medical surgical floor, night shift.

I have a cousin who works at Vany and loves. She drives past 3 hospital to get to work. She has even talked me into moving in with her and work there for my first year.

eltrip · Apr 13, 2004

I worked the surgical floor at Vandy (9 South at the time) for just under 4 years following graduation. It was a fantastic place to learn. We saw everything from trachs to liver transplants & just about everything in between. Benefits are good (or at least they were when I was there). They have a clinical ladder program as well...lots of opportunities to change jobs w/o changing employers. I began working there in '86 as a clerk & worked in numerous positions while I put myself through nursing school. I left in '98 (moved out of town) & would work there again anytime.

nursegretchen · Feb 7, 2005

I am a RN moving to Nashville, Tenn. from Georgia. Does anyone have the inside scoop on which hospitals are better? I am looking for a medical surgical floor, night shift.

I work at Vandy and love it. I've been an extern on the adult inpatient medical floor (8S) for almost a year. Everyone is really nice and helpful. Good Luck to you!

nursefiggy · Feb 7, 2005

I work at Vandy and love it. I've been an extern on the adult inpatient medical floor (8S) for almost a year. Everyone is really nice and helpful. Good Luck to you!

Then you probably take care of some of my pts when they come through. Lord knows they are in and out of the hospital enough. It is common among dialysis pts to have amputations :crying2:

nursenary57 · Feb 7, 2005

I am a RN moving to Nashville, Tenn. from Georgia. Does anyone have the inside scoop on which hospitals are better? I am looking for a medical surgical floor, night shift.

I work ER at Vandy and ICU at Baptist in Nashville. I would go to Vandy's med/surg floors. IMHO based on my experience you get better overall support at Vandy with patient's who take a bad turn on the floor and have to be sent to the unit. I have no experience with HCA hospitals except for a prn job in their psyche unit because I just couldn't get enough of the crazy stuff in the ER or my marriage! You might want to check out Metro General or St. Thomas. Did a clinical at MG and was a tech at St. Thomas for 2 years. I really liked St. Thomas, seemed like a nice place to work. Good luck with your decision.

Pyke

hemavac · Mar 23, 2006

I Dont Work There Anymore But Vandy Would Give You All The Experience You Will Ever Need, I Left After A Year For Low Pay But I Give Them A Lot Of Credit For My Med Surg Experiences.

Thanks Vandy

Dancer3 · Apr 16, 2006

I have to speak up for Southern Hills Medical Center. I went back to nursing after 20 years at home. I took a refresher course at Vanderbilt the summer of 2003. I applied several places in middle Tennessee, including Vanderbilt (at the time I was looking for part time work). No one was interested in me except Southern Hills. They gave me a new grad orientation when I agreed to a fulltime position. I have been there since November, 2003. The staff is very professional and there are many learning opportunities. I work days. After 18 months I rotated off weekends due to there being a regular weekend staff in place. The docs are great. Some nurses come to us from other hospitals and say our staff is like a family. I remember when I first began there one of the nurses said,"Welcome to the family!" I will never forget that. We do team nursing. Cay Lavender is our clinical coordinator and she is awesome. The charge nurses are all super. I was very nervous when I first returned and everyone did all they could to help me. It worked! It is definitely not a place where nurses eat their young - or their old and inexperienced! I am studying for a divinity degree and am able to be off every other Friday to attend classes.

Dancer3