Favorite hospital you ever worked at :-) ? ? ?

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2007

As a traveler, I don't like playing the "rate the facility" game. Most all had some redeeming values and some problems.

That said, my top 3 list is:

Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore - Great people, technology, ratio, MDs/residents (most of them), nursing autonomy, great patients. I loved just about everything there. Drawbacks include the Oncology pharmacy (among the worst I have dealt with), and that some of the ancillary personnel are union and would probably not have jobs if they were not (It would be less painful to claw my eyes out than ask them to do their job in some (not all) cases). The food is not that good, but takeout/delivery is easily available. And my coworkers were absolutely wonderful. I often think of going on staff.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston - The "House of G-d" - Great people, technology, protocols, comfortable surroundings, good patients, decent ratios. One attending was initially a tad dismissive (You are from GEORGIA - What do you know about hematology?) but otherwise the MDs were good. First year interns (many from nearby Harvard) can be a bit snooty at first, but they grow out of it. Having to cross the street at night to take patients to services/rooms in the old Deaconess campus can be a pain, but your coworkers cover well. I worked nights so know little about the food. But takeout Thai from the Brown Sugar Cafe is awesome. Thought about going on staff, but the expense of Boston was a bit much.

New York Presbyterian - Cornell, on Manhattan's Upper East Side - The people and facility were wonderful. The attendings and residents are good to work with. Ratios could be improved. Ancillary staff are helpful. And you get that hour break in NYC and get food at a nearby deli, quite easily. Sometimes there are celebrities as patients, or visitors. NYC is fabulous but do not know if I could live there.

I am currently at a facility that may be put on the list, but need more time to evaluate.

Dalzac, LPN, LVN, RN · Aug 4, 2007

For most of my nursing life I worked at large facilitities and one day while working for an agency they sent me to the smallest hospital in town to the ICU. It was an osteopathic hospital with no MD's just DO's I loved it I loved the people I loved the patients. It had a 10 bed ICU which at the time I thought was a bit odd. I then found out that it always had 8-10 pts all the time. The paramedics in town loved that ER the doc's were DO's and excellent at trauma and it was between 2 major highways. I was needed there a lot. They eventually bought my contract from the agency. But the one thing I loved the most was everybody from the dishwasher to the CEO knew each other. I was going to retire from there. Then they changed the trauma rules all the critical patients had to go to the biggest university hospital. and it just killed our little hospital and we were bought out by another large hospital and I was sent to their ICU and hated it.

I also would only go to a DO for my care as well. I like their approach to health care more than a MD.

mim-o · Aug 4, 2007

For lack of sounding stupid could you tell me what a DO is? Sounds good.

EmmaG, RN · Aug 4, 2007

For lack of sounding stupid could you tell me what a DO is? Sounds good.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002020.htm

oneLoneNurse · Aug 5, 2007

Charter Laredo, and yes it was the food.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Aug 5, 2007

i want you to please tell me the most favorite hospital you ever worked and what that particular something that made you so happy you want to share that info..so make us green with envy. what made it great?

1. was it the food?
2. was it the people?
3. was it the perks (plasma tv in the cafeteria etc.)?
4. was it the cool technological toys you got to work with?
5. was it the fantastic area of the world you were in, ie. beach, forest, or possibly a hip city or a foreign country like dubai?
6. was it something no one has a clue to what it was?

please let us know so we can grieve with you at your loss!

deaconess hospital in spokane, washington -- the people were great, and we had all the latest technology in the ccu. the food was good, but the best part was being respected by the management. there was food at night for the night shift, and on holidays the administration would come in (even for the night shift!) and serve the nursing staff a holiday dinner! plus we had great patients -- complicated, interesting patients who were grateful for being taken care of!

second would be university of wisconsin hospitals and clinics -- great people, staff and patients. and the food was excellent!

mim-o · Aug 6, 2007

St. Joseph Hospital (6 north exactly)Asheville, NC. Great food-Donald gentleman over kitchen even made homemade desserts-awesome. My co-workers were wonderful and helpful. The floor director was very good to work for. The experience as a whole was great-if I was in the bed I would be relieved to see any of these great nurses or techs at my bedside. LOved it!