Considering move to Nashville area, looking for any advice!

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Specializes in critical care, emergency.

Hi everyone, I'm a little Yankee girl that fell in love with a travel nurse from TN a year ago. Now it's time for one of us to make a move and put a stop to this long distance nonsense. I really have enjoyed my many visits to Nashville and I know there are about a million hospitals in the area I could potentially work in, but I'm pretty much lost in terms of where to start looking!

I guess I'm looking for a hospital ER that's medium or larger, that isn't horrifically understaffed, has competitive pay for the area, decent benefits, and that doesn't treat the nurses entirely like crap. Little or no pedi is a plus.

My experience, if it matters: Community hospital ER. No trauma, no cath lab, approx 100 visits/day. Generally lower acuity, the sick ones are sent out. I have almost 2 years ER experience, ACLS, PALS, but not TNCC (my hospital doesn't offer it). $33/hour with diff on night shift. Looking for a good learning experience to make me a "real ER nurse."

If anyone works somewhere awesome that they can recommend or has any horror stories, either would be helpful. Thanks for any info :) I'm not totally sure what kind of advice I'm looking for that I can't find elsewhere, but I figured maybe I could narrow my search a bit!

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Specializes in Clinical Risk Management.

Vanderbilt is the regional trauma center. They have decent benefits & a clinical ladder. They have separate peds & adult EDs (for all but trauma, I think). It is a teaching hospital & you will learn your butt off while you're there. I know I did when I worked their surgical floor.

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Specializes in med/surg, home health, oncology, psych.

St. Thomas is a good hospital to work for. I'm now up in Maine but lived in Nashville for 9 years and my first job in TN was there. It has a top-rated heart center and peds pretty much go elsewhere so they're rare. Residents from Vanderbilt come there so it is a teaching hospital as well and seemed to have a good ER system going. Summit Medical Center in Hermitage is a smaller hospital but I really liked their ER, having worked in it a few times as a float nurse on the non-critical side. Good Luck!

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Specializes in ICU/PACU.

I am bias b/c I used to work at Vanderbilt. I know several people who work in the ED and they love it. They all say it is a lot of fun & is crazy. I don't think you will make 32/hr though in Nashville. Vandy is a great place to work, with great people.

It is a level 1 trauma center and you will definitely learn a lot. Their trauma unit is crazy busy, so I can only imagine what the ED is like. St. Thomas & Baptist, I have heard good & bad things about, so I'm not sure. Those are the other two good options though. I wouldn't go to Nashville General that's for sure.

I just really enjoyed Vanderbilt, and am actually missing it now that I'm doing the traveling nursing! If you want to become a true ER nurse, I think a busy level 1 trauma center will do that for you...you will become a super nurse and will be able to work anywhere after that.

Good luck & I love Nashville, hope you will too:)

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Specializes in NSICU; MICU;SICU; CCU.

I have been doing a travel RN assignment for the last 7 months at St. Thomas in their critical care and have had a good experience. I haven't heard great things about their ED. St. Thomas uses very few residents currently, I think only their surgical team has a resident that occasionally rotates through. Also I know a paramedic that worked at Baptist's ER and really liked. That is about as much info i know about their ED. Baptist is currently owned by the ST. Thomas organization, which also owns MTMC (smaller facility) in murfreesboro, TN. If you want to maximize your money and don't need benefits I would suggest looking intot he SSRP (float pool) for St. Thomas hospitals. I know they are required/willing to work any area of the hosptial, required to work a specific # of shifts at each hospital, but their pay is very good mid $40's and up.

Vandy would definately be a great learning experience and I have heard great things regarding their ED. I used to work at another trauma ED and they were attempting to streamline their patients based upon Vandy's method.

Two other hospitals you could look at is Centiennal and Williamson County medical center. I worked with two ED physicians during their residency that are currently working at Williamson Co. It is a moderate size hospital in Franklin, TN ~30 min south of nashville in a affluent and growing area, they also have the best schools within the Nashville area but a fairly high cost of housing.

Good luck...Definatley think you'll love living within the Nashville area. I know I do.

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i am bias b/c i used to work at vanderbilt. i know several people who work in the ed and they love it. they all say it is a lot of fun & is crazy. i don't think you will make 32/hr though in nashville. vandy is a great place to work, with great people.

it is a level 1 trauma center and you will definitely learn a lot. their trauma unit is crazy busy, so i can only imagine what the ed is like. st. thomas & baptist, i have heard good & bad things about, so i'm not sure. those are the other two good options though.

i wouldn't go to nashville general that's for sure.

i just really enjoyed vanderbilt, and am actually missing it now that i'm doing the traveling nursing! if you want to become a true er nurse, i think a busy level 1 trauma center will do that for you...you will become a super nurse and will be able to work anywhere after that.

good luck & i love nashville, hope you will too:)

this is what i hear over and over. about nashville general. i have heard terrible things about the ed there, just lottsa issues including the management. st thomas i have heard is a great place, some maybe there or even stonecrest or centennial's er.

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this is what i hear over and over. about nashville general. i have heard terrible things about the ed there, just lottsa issues including the management. st thomas i have heard is a great place, some maybe there or even stonecrest or centennial's er.

i actually made the mistake of working there as a agency nurse a few months back in the er and the icu. this is not a ...let me think how to phrase this....not the kinda place most nurses would return to. it has major management issues, and is always under the threat of closure bc of lacking funds.it is like a county gvt hospital. the guy who was the charge nurse was just kinda obnoxious, it was awful. just my opinion. in the er it was slightly better, but not alot. the nurses were all complaining because this year they had to take pay cuts to keep their jobs. like all places there are some good nurses that work there, but all in all it was a bad three shifts that left a lasting impression on me.

however, have you thought about the hospital in lebanon, or i have heard good things about st thomas and their er. i know they are well known for their cardiac treatment interventions.

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