is childrens hospital LA worth the low salary?

Published

how reputable is their new grad residency? Its the lowest paying facilities around here, is the training worth the pay reduction if you need the money. I want to get my masters one day and may not necessarily pursue the same specialty, its their ICU, will the training be an asset still? Basically, it would not be my familly's best favor to work there because of the extremeley low pay and our financial situation. So i'm wondering if the ICU training will pay off eventually or soon. Should I opt for a higher pay med/surg job elsewhere and just have the financial stability? What have you heard regarding their program or hospital?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You could get great training and better pay elsewhere. It does have a good reputation and you will see really unusual cases there, but if it isn't the specialty you plan on spending your career in I don't see the big value in that. There are a lot of PICUs in the LA area that take new grads.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

First off, let me say that I have no knowledge or experience with Children's Hospital of LA. My opinion is based on my experience working for another "prestigious" children's hospital in another city.

We were the lowest paid nurses in the city, working in a terribly dangerous neighborhood, caring for the sickest of the sick, with lousy staffing, and poor treatment of the nursing staff. Administration had the attidude that we should be grateful to them for allowing us to work at Children's. At that time, there weren't many other NICU's in the area, and if one wanted to work NICU, one pretty much had to put up with the lousy treatment. Then things changed. Another hospital opened a high-risk OB and neonatal unit, and our staff went RUNNING.

In my opinion, it is NEVER worthwhile to settle for a low salary. While working conditions are my #1 priority, money is a close second.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I had clinicals some years back at CHLA and at that time it appeared to me to have the best staffing and morale of all the facilities we had rotations at. Of course, we only had exposure to one or two units at each facility we had clinical at. Hopefully, though, someone here with more direct and recent experience with CHLA will join in the discussion. Still, I haven't heard any complaints "through the grapevine" about CHLA and they were one of the first local facilities to offer extended preceptorships to new grads. If you wanted to specialize in pediatrics, I think it would be a good opportunity.

However, since you're not necessarily committed to pediatrics, then I don't think it would necessarily be a bad thing to forego that opportunity for another offer that suits your other needs better. At this point, more important than the prestigousness of where you work and the immediate pay potential (assuming you do have some leeway in the matter) is building a strong foundation for your future career. So choose the facility and specific unit that you think will best suit you as new nurse.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Government.
My opinion is based on my experience working for another "prestigious" children's hospital in another city.

We were the lowest paid nurses in the city, working in a terribly dangerous neighborhood, caring for the sickest of the sick, with lousy staffing, and poor treatment of the nursing staff. Administration had the attidude that we should be grateful to them for allowing us to work at Children's.

Wow, I had that exact same experience at a large Children's Hospital in the midwest. Fascinating.

I've accepted lower than average pay for a job I really wanted that was in a hard to find specialty. I'd never do it if there were better paying alternatives that would get me to the same end. Personally, I'd end up resenting the low pay.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Have you had an opportunity to observe the unit you'd be training for? Have you had an opportunity to observe other units you'd consider hiring onto as a new grad? That may be a determining factor as well. You're going to be spending a lot of time at the place you hire on to. Also, ask at the facilities and through acquaintances, if they can introduce you to someone who has hired on as a new grad at the places you are considering. Finally, you can't assume that every facility will have a strong new grad program. I only know of a few LA area hospitals that offer comprehensive RN residency programs and spots are limited. Others just give you 8-10 weeks of preceptorship and then cut you lose, so to speak. So depending on your own needs as a new nurse, be sure to take into consideration the type of support the facilities offer to new grads.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Wow, I had that exact same experience at a large Children's Hospital in the midwest. Fascinating.

I've accepted lower than average pay for a job I really wanted that was in a hard to find specialty. I'd never do it if there were better paying alternatives that would get me to the same end. Persdonally, I'd end up resenting the low pay.

I'm in the exact same situation, a hard to find specialty, a cardiac ICU. They usually only have these at children hospitals and only two in the state right now. i don't know where i would go with this eventually. but the other job offer is on a med/surg floor for about 20 grand more a year. It would also be more conducive to going back to school sooner, I don't know how that would work in such a high acuity setting as a cardiac ICU as a NG. Though I'm afraid it will be hard to get back in as an ICU or NICU nurse (not necessarily at this hospital) if I pass this opportunity up. the med/surg job is 15 minutes from home whereas this job is a good 45 minutes on a decent days traffic. What are the options for a cardiac peds nurse if I don't want to work at a childrens hospital one day? what would you choose, I may go back to school for a masters in a year or two don't know yet. which would make me more marketable in the future?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

As you ask, if it were me, I would chose the peds ICU. Here's why.

I prefer having just a few patients and a specialty to focus on as opposed to the multiple patients and variety of conditions one comes across in med-surg. That would be worth the commute and the lower pay for me. Because I know the chances are high that after a few months of general med-surg I'd be wanting to quit. I enjoyed my ICU rotations much more than my medsurg rotations.

If the type of nursing didn't matter to me though, then 'd be all over the job at the closer facility. I HATE commuting and would resent doing it day after day unless I had no other viable alternatives. If I thought I'd be okay with medsurg, then the closer the better.

But for me, I'd also have to evaluate the work environment and colleague relations. If everyone looked stressed and were rushing around all the time, I'd avoid that unit no matter what specialty. Some people find that kind of environment stimulating and note how fast the time goes by, but for me, it drives me crazy.

So that's how I would evaluate my options. How about you?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion