Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Houston, Charlotte ICU RNs

Beentheredonethat · Jul 24, 2009

Skip S. Flordia. Came from a top ten dedicated neuro ICU and find S. Florida to be backward. Average care, not high tech, less than exciting hospital culture.

TX RN · Aug 8, 2009

Houston is what you're looking for in Level 1 trauma.

Ben Taub (Harris County Hospital District) Hospital is the county hospital.

Memorial Hermann Hospital is a non-profit Level 1 trauma right next to BT.

If you want something other than trauma just take a stroll down Fannin street. It's the "Las Vegas Strip" of hospitals. St. Luke's Hospital, The Methodist Hospital, MD Anderson Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and many more. All of these hospitals are HUGE! The Methodist hospital is a 900+ bed hospital, and the others mentioned above are just as big (except Tx Children's).

Houston also has some great museums and a diverse population, so there's plenty of cultural events that go on throughout the year.

The downside:

1. It's HOT.

2. It's humid.

3. Roads are flat.

4. Did I mention it's HOT?

The upside:

1. Great housing values.

2. Cost of living is cheap.

3. Plenty of Universities to help you build on your education if choose to do so.

4. Nursing salaries here are tops over anywhere else in Texas.

Good luck.

Nacki, MSN, NP · Sep 27, 2009

I'd say come to Houston, but pass on employment at St. Luke's because it's backward and outdated like the previous poster said about S. Florida. Try any of the above mentioned by the previous poster for a good (Neuro) unit/ hospital system. I've worked at a good majority of hospitals in the Med Center, I've heard Methodist has a good system. Md Anderson is nice, but cancer kinda gets depressing. The technology and system is very nice though.

Abishag · Jan 3, 2010

Well I've worked in Charlotte's level 1 (CMC-Main) as a nursing student (was in the Trauma 1 ED for a day) and been a visitor to Tampa's level 1 (Tampa Gen) since I lived there but its been many years. The cities are basically the same cost of living (I'm currently doing comparisons between the two while looking for new grad jobs). I know Charlotte's will hire new grads to their STICU and Neuro ICU's so while the nursing staff is top notch but there are some entry level nurses there. I'm not sure about Tampa's level 1 (whether they hire new grads) but I highly doubt it. I know you are not a new grad but I think it may give you insight into the level of acuity for each (at least that is my opinion) CMC is a nice hospital and it has a HUGE healthcare system that you can transfer around easily but Tampa's is right on the water and I think the acuity would be higher. I also think it would be busier. But I've never actually worked in either of their ED's or ICU's. So that is more like from a city resident's perspective.

JMO.

rnerin · Jan 5, 2010

I work at Tampa General, which has both a Neuro ICU and a Surgical/Trauma ICU (+ burn, medical, cardiothoracic, vascular and coronary). The hospital is associated with USF-lots of residents. Huge hospital (900+ beds)-Magnet facility. Trauma ICU also does kidney and liver tx. Both are new, large units (a little too spread out, in my opinion)-nice nurses.

My husband and I have lived on/off in Tampa over the last 18 years. As we don't have children, I can't really speak about raising children here. It is hot from June-September, lovely in the spring and fall, short winter; non-impressive shopping, bad traffic, decent restaurants. FL is one of the top home foreclosure states, so you could probably get a decent price on a house. Good luck!!