Can you name some of the hospitals in the Bay Area...

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I am doing my preceptorship in a couple of months and I plan on applying for ICU placement (if not, then Med Surg). I'm generally interested in getting exposed more to the anesthesia field (anyone know which type of ICU is best for that?)

Anyone living in the Bay Area have any suggestions for which hospital gives the best training and support for preceptees (or people under nursing training in general). I was thinking of Kaiser, John Muir, or Alta Bates.

Any suggestion or feedback would be greatly appreciated. :up:

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Specializes in Hospice, ONC, Tele, Med Surg, Endo/Output.

Avoid Alta Bates and Kaiser--any Kaiser and anything in Oakland, Ca.

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Avoid Alta Bates and Kaiser--any Kaiser.

Why is that???

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Specializes in ICU/CCU.

You might also want to check out SF General for a preceptorship. Their trauma ICU gets all kinds of interesting cases.

One thing to keep in mind is that few hospitals are hiring new grads into critical care now, and hospitals generally want to hire you into the type of unit in which you did your senior preceptorship. Unfortunately, with fewer hospitals now hiring new grads for critical care units, you may be limiting your job prospects.

Wherever you precept, you must try to excell enough to be noticed. Also, introduce yourself to managers, directors, charge nurses, etc... and greet them by name whenever you see them again. In today's SF Bay Area economy, you will not get a great job (or any job) by applying through HR only. If you catch the eye of the right person, she or he may be able to create a position or situation especially for you even though the facility is technically not hiring.

Good luck.

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You might also want to check out SF General for a preceptorship. Their trauma ICU gets all kinds of interesting cases.

Unfortunately SF General does not have a contract with my school. Have any other suggestions? Few hospitals that I can choose from are: John Muir, Kaiser, Alta Bates, Contra Costa Regional, San Ramon Regional, Sutter

One thing to keep in mind is that few hospitals are hiring new grads into critical care now, and hospitals generally want to hire you into the type of unit in which you did your senior preceptorship. Unfortunately, with fewer hospitals now hiring new grads for critical care units, you may be limiting your job prospects.

That's the thing I'm worried about... is that if I precept in critical care I may have a difficult time finding employment. Would you suggest going into MedSurg instead?

Thank you for the response!

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Specializes in ICU/CCU.

I've heard really good things about John Muir's new grad training, and so I assume that they must also be a great place for student preceptorships. Kaiser I think can be hit or miss depending on the facility/unit/preceptor etc... Kaiser SF has a CV surgery ICU (there might be one other Kaiser hospital with CV surgery as well), which would be your best bet if you are interested in anesthesia eventually. I did one rotation at the Kaiser ICU in Oakland when I was in school, and the place wasn't too bad, but the nurses seemed really cranky and miserable compared to everywhere else I have been before or since. The only people I know at Alta Bates work in L&D (but they love the place), and I have only heard second hand rumors about conditions in their ICU so I couldn't tell you much. Is UCSF an option? Great learning opportunities at that facility and lots of critical care units to choose from.

I can't really tell you whether you should precept in critical care. Things are so different from when I graduated 4 years ago, and I only see how hiring has changed on my own unit and where friends from nursing school are working. Maybe you can contact some recent new grads from your nursing school to find out what their experiences have been like. It might be safest to precept in med/surg, but if your heart isn't in it, you might not shine the way you would in an area that interests you.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Peds ICU.
I'm generally interested in getting exposed more to the anesthesia field (anyone know which type of ICU is best for that?)

Most people say CVICU is best if you want to be a CRNA. Are you planning on leaving California to be a CRNA?

Few hospitals that I can choose from are: John Muir, Kaiser, Alta Bates, Contra Costa Regional, San Ramon Regional, Sutter

Breaking it down:

John Muir - I precepted at the Walnut Creek campus and had an incredible experience, but they won't be hiring new grads again for a long time. So, it's poor option if you're looking to leverage your preceptorship into a job.

Kaiser: I had a lot of my clinicals at Kaiser Oakland, and it's a decent hospital.

Alta Bates/Sutter: Are you talking about Alta Bates Summit Medical Center... which is owned by Sutter? The Alta Bates campus (on Ashby Ave) is great, I'd recommend it over all the others you listed. The Summit campus is ok.

Contra Costa Regional: I'd avoid it, based on the experiences friends and I have had.

San Ramon Regional: A few of my classmates went through their new grad program and really liked it. Not sure what their hiring situation is.

That's the thing I'm worried about... is that if I precept in critical care I may have a difficult time finding employment. Would you suggest going into MedSurg instead?

Unfortunately... right now that might be a good idea. If nothing else, a MedSurg preceptorship is more transferable to different areas of practice, and that could be important in the current job market.

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Most people say CVICU is best if you want to be a CRNA. Are you planning on leaving California to be a CRNA?

I don't plan on leaving California. If anything, I really would like to stay in the Bay Area... but yes, my long term goal is to become a CRNA (but of course shadow CRNAs to make sure I am really going to love the job)

Alta Bates/Sutter: Are you talking about Alta Bates Summit Medical Center... which is owned by Sutter? The Alta Bates campus (on Ashby Ave) is great, I'd recommend it over all the others you listed. The Summit campus is ok.

Sorry to be vague about this, but yes I was referring to the Ashby campus. I am currently doing clinicals there for maternity and it seems like a decent hospital.

Unfortunately... right now that might be a good idea. If nothing else, a MedSurg preceptorship is more transferable to different areas of practice, and that could be important in the current job market.

Yeah, the current job market is kinda putting me under pressure to lean more towards MedSurg. That's most likely what I'm gonna be doing, but we'll see.

Thank you so much for your thorough feedback on this matter. I really appreciate it.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Peds ICU.

Whatever you end up doing, good luck!

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