I've been looking to move back up north for quite some time now. I was looking at my hometown in Northwest Indiana, but I really want Trauma experience and there are no level 1 trauma centers in the Chicagoland area.
I've lived in Southwest Florida for 7 years and there's a huge demand for nurses here, I could go to any hospital with only a year of ER experience and get a job in the ER. Is the demand for nursing as strong in Chicago, or is it harder to get a job there?
I did Med-surg for 6 months and have no interest in going back to that. I really only want to do the ER and get experience with Traumas. Is it difficult to get into the hospitals in the city? How competitive are the trauma centers around there?
Any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated!
Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.
Most hospitals have 12-hr shifts for ED and ICU; some are 8-hour for med-surg and tele/step-down, while others are 12hr, and others are a mix.
If you're a new grad from out of the area, you might have a tough time getting a job, as there's a boatload of schools here (whose students have at least some networking connection to local hospitals) and half the BSN new grads from across the Midwest seem to want to move to Chicago as well. I can point out a couple hospitals that do hire new grads to ED and/or ICU if you PM me, but your best bet is to apply and see who bites.
Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.
NWM pays below-market rates because they insist that it's an honor to work there. Others have addressed Stroger.
However...with experience, you should be able to get a job most anywhere else. Check out the Advocate system (IL Masonic is on the North Side), Rush, the Presence system, University of Chicago (which just came on-line as a Trauma center this year), Mt. Sinai/Holy Cross, the hospitals leaving Tenet, or the slew of independents (Swedish Covenant, Norwegian American, Loretto, Thorek, Community First, etc.).
Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.
TheSquare,
The Union hospitals that I've looked at are UoC and Stroger. They list the starting pay on the website. It seems low. Is it negotiable?
I wouldn't know about that one - if they're sensible, there are rules that take into account experience, credentials, etc., when determining your initial pay.
raindrop
614 Posts
It seems so difficult to get an interview with Stroger. I have 14 years experience, no interview.