considering a move to las vegas or tahoe

LasVegasRN · Sep 30, 2002

I don't know much about the Reno area.

For Las Vegas, here's our major newspaper: http://www.reviewjournal.com

Check out the medical and nursing classifieds for open positions. We are hurting for nurses in LTC and home health something terrible. There is a new hospital opening soon - how they are going to staff it is beyond me, but I have a feeling they will be offering some strong incentives.

For apartments, housing, etc. this is a good website even we locals use: http://www.vegasvalley.com

Valley Hospital and Summerlin Hospital are the two that have nurses unions. University Medical Center (UMC) is our county hospital with Trauma center. We have 2 catholic hospitals - St. Rose Dominican de Lima and St. Rose Dominican Siena.

Another large employer of nurses in the private sector is Sierra Health Services http://www.sierrahealth.com

I'd scan their employment ads - they are always looking for nurses and have good benefits.

I don't know that much about the LTC facilities or agency work since I haven't been doing bedside care for a long time. I've worked in the private sector (HMO, PPO, insurance) since I've been in Vegas.

tiger · Oct 1, 2002

hi. i work at umc and we have a union. benes are pretty good i think(haven't worked elsewhere here except part time).most people i talk to says umc has the best benes anyway. pay will go by years of experience. i have a friend with 10 yrs experience offered 24/hr for full time. she turned it down cause she makes so much more perdium and is not in need of the health benes. she also plans to get out of nursing in the future so is not concerned with retirement benes. we are in contract negotiations right now. i have been there (will be) 12 yrs in dec. the working conditions have gotten worse over the years but i guess that is almost everywhere. the newest motto for umc ads is 1-4 ratio for rns. catch is you may have four and cover for an lpn with 6 or more. lpns can do alot of things needed by the pts. except initial assess, hang blood, ivp, phone orders ...on most floors! right now i think our unit is experimenting(we have a new boss) and they won't let the lpns do any assessments. it is a real pain for both lpn and rn. the lpn may have 8 pts. and the rn 3 cause the rn has to do all the assessments. up until this year lpns did there own assess. and the pt load was about even. we don't have alot of ivp and hang no blood on the unit. we also have a charge that does all the orders and calling of the docs. anyway, it worked well before but now it sucks. the rns and lpns are unhappy with the way the manager is manipulating duties around. sometimes the rn ends up answering lights, getting up,toileting the lpns pts, etc.. cause the lpns have so many. the rns should not be utilized this way. then the rn has to do all these assessments on pts and some they have not seen. the lpn got them up, did their tx, etc... so the rn didn't see them. it's a rehab unit so they are not in bed all day. why would management want to cut out lpn assessment duties with the nursing shortage going on?anyway, know i got way off topic there. you can look up umc on your computer. i think it's umccares.com or something.

rnduke · Oct 1, 2002

Thanks tiger and las vegas Rn for your replies. Helpful info on nursing. How do you like the community itself???

And of course the weather??

Thanks again

dukern

UNLVRebel_RN2B · Oct 1, 2002

I have lived in Las Vegas for three years. The summers are very hot...rarely humid, but very hot (it's usually between 100-115 degrees). You do get use to the heat though. The winters are fairly cool, usually around 50 degrees or so, and very windy. The community of the area depends upon where you live in the valley. So far the best place I've lived here is in the Green Valley/Henderson area. I hope this is helpful to you; good luck!

Trauma Columnist · Oct 1, 2002

My husband was stationed at Nellis AFB from 1990 to 1992 and we lived in southeast Vegas. Personally, I wasn't at all impressed with the school system. Just wonder if they still bus all sixth graders to "Sixth Grade Centers?" They were the pits, inner-city, rife with gangs, drugs, etc.. Would seriously consider private school - the Meadows School comes to mind as I know one of the teachers there and it has excellent reputation.

As to hospitals - I worked ER at Sunrise Hospital when it was run by Humana. Nice place - liked the staff and management. Of course, this was before nursing shortage.

Overall - I liked Vegas (and believe me - I have lived lots of places)...judi

LasVegasRN · Oct 1, 2002

I haven't encountered the downfalls of the school system. The neighborhood where I live hasn't had the problems with gangs or drugs in the school. It's very tight with heavy parental involvement. Not everyone can afford private school and I get the impression that the rates are so high in order to exclude some. Even the Meadows School and Bishop Gorman has their problems with drugs and more recently teachers involved sexually with the students.

Don't get me wrong, I agree that private schools are a better option if you can afford it!

Every city has crime, although, yes, I would agree that Las Vegas has it's higher share of it due to the nature of which it was built.