DFW Area/OB

Hi LOVE Baylor Dallas. I think the OB department is awesome. I am not a nurse yet. I am starting nursing school in the fall. But I am a Birth Doula and have worked at area hospitals and feel that Baylor Dallas has a very progressive ob department. They are leading the way, and I hope other hospitals follow.

Billie TX

Hum, the bigger cities in Michigan (Detroit basically) pay better than that. So with gas prices headed up, should I just try to work as close to home as possible, or will some hospitals pay a little more than others? Will I be able to get overtime on a regular basis? I don't have kids and am just starting out in life, so I would like to pick up an extra shift frequently (like 1 per week or something). I have heard some talk of better pay if hire in with an agency. Is that not all it's caught up to be?? Sorry for so many questions.

I would say to go to the place where you get the best first year education & look at the salary second. In reality, you are being paid to learn for about 6 months when you are fresh out of school in your first job as an RN.

Yes, the pay stinks in Texas; but, you willl get differentials for nights and weekends. No matter where you are, you may not get a chance for any OT until you are totally on your own-6 months to a year.

Please trust me when I tell you that when you get out of school you are no where near ready to be a functioning RN. Don't pressure yourself into thinking that you should be able to handle a full patient load in less than 5 months. When you get that first job out of school, you should be looking for the place that will provide the best combination of hands on experiences, trained preceptors and sufficient classroom training. Most agencies won't consider you until you have hit the one year mark. After you hit the one year mark, then you can start to think about maximizing pay.

And, now that I think about it, Parkland cannot be beat for OB nursing. Think of it as Henry Ford x 10. It has the highest number of births in the nation & has a structured new grad training program. If you want to learn hard core OB nursing, Parkland is certainly the place to go.

If you're really concerned about gas prices and/or commuting, the DART rail has stops at Parkland and Presby Dallas. We've taken the train to the zoo before and seen plenty of blue Presby scrubs!

I don't mind driving a small car, so I am ok (not thrilled of course but...) with current gas prices--I am more or less concerned about the $8+/gal predicted in the news. So I am not ready to board the DART yet, but it's a good thing to keep in mind.

Does anyone know what the hospital in Denton is like, as far as OB dept & training new RNs?