small hospitals

hollykate · Mar 1, 2001

The best job I have ever had was in a small community hospital. (210 beds) I will admit, I now work in a humongously humongous level one trauma center. (we have about 800 beds).I enjoy being part of the new stuff, but I often learned a lot more at the smaller hospital because there were no residents/interns/ etc doing all sorts of strange things at all hours.

There's really only 15 beds? Wow.

ERICUEMS · Mar 1, 2001

Originally posted by moonshadeau:
wanted. Pay is not an issue, except I would be able to make more at the small hospital. My family keeps pestering me to get a job closer to home. I work all three shifts in a week, so I am on the road at all hours. Does any one have any thoughts on my situation?[/b]

Pay is not an issue..you'd make more at the smaller hospital...you won't have to commute @ all hours..and your family wants you closer...Can I be YOU please? I'll take thejob! In 32 years I've worked big and small places..It depends on where you are in life, and what you want in your career...As a young Nurse, I wanted the excitement of a large place that did everything, and I got TONS of experience in all kinds of things....Now that I've "been there done that" I LOVE my small hospital....I'm a big fish in a little pond, and it really is like family--you know everyone and they know you...One of the great things about Nursing is that it not limiting...You can change practice arenas,always learn new things, and NEVER be bored....I vote for the smaller place...

MD_Rn · Mar 1, 2001

What is it about your current job that you love so much? You need to figure out what this is, if it is something that the small hospital can't offer you... such as fast pace. You may be terribly unhappy changing jobs. I went from a 200 bed hospital to an 800 bed and hated it... went back to a small community hospital. Every hospital has its own strengths and advantages, but ultimately you have to love what you do. I left the big city hospital not because of the pace, just because of the staff... who were all those people anyway. The turn over rate was awful. I find my job in the community hospital challenging, fast paced and enjoyable. Small hospitals have the advantage of being more friendly, because everyone knows one another and most people are there for a very long time. Figure out what it is that makes you happy in your current situation and then decide if you can find the same things in the new job and you will have your answer. Good Luck!

MARTRN · Mar 1, 2001

HELLO, WELL, I WILL JUST LET YOU IN ON MY EXPERIENCE WORKING AT A SMALL HOSPITAL. I HATED IT. MY REASONS ARE PROBABLY DUE TO BEING A BRAND NEW NURSE. IT WAS MY FIRST JOB, AND I WAS 25 YEARS OLD. MY ROLE WAS CHARGE NURSE, AND A LOT OF THE STAFF RESENTED ME. THEY WERE EXTREMELY CLICKISH, AND THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO DISCIPLINE. MY DON WOULD NOT DISCIPLINE ANYONE BECAUSE HE COULDN'T GET ANYONE TO TAKE THEIR PLACE. IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME BECAUSE I WAS CALLED TO HELP OUT IN ER DURING TRAUMAS AND CODES AND IF SOMETHING HAPPENED ON THE FLOOR, I HAD TO THINK FAST. AFTER ABOUT 6 MONTHS OR SO THE STAFF STARTED TO BECOME A LITTLE MORE FRIENDLY, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THEY REALLY EVER ACCEPTED ME. I HAVE A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT ALL OR EVEN MOST RURAL HOSPITALS ARE LIKE THIS. I JUST THINK THIS ONE IS IN BAD SHAPE. I HAVE NOW ACCEPTED A NEW JOB ABOUT 90 MILES ROUNDTRIP AND I AM VERY EXCITED. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I GAINED A TON OF EXPERIENCE AT THIS LITTLE HOSPITAL, BUT IT WAS TOO STRESSFUL FOR A BRAND NEW NURSE TO WALK INTO. IT WILL NEVER HURT YOU TO JUST TRY IT OUT. GOOD LUCK IN YOUR DECISION. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A NEGATIVE REPLY, BUT IT IS MY EXPERIENCE AND I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE IT WITH YOU.

JennieBSN · Mar 1, 2001

Hi moonshadeau! I left a huge tertiary center/teaching hospital to go to a smaller hospital 2 years ago. It was the best decision I've ever made!! I started out by going PRN at both hospitals, working half my shifts at one, half at the other. That way I could feel my way before making a big commitment. I agree with the other posters...I have learned SO much more than I ever did at the other huge hospital. The nurses have been there for a hundred years and are great mentors. Teaching hospitals tend to have high turnover, and you have a lot of new nurses working the floors, so there aren't a lot of "seasoned" mentors around. I find the staff much more cohesive and supportive, and much more of a team effort. I actually am friends with and hang out with my co-workers now, which I never did at the big hospital. HOWEVER, I must agree with MARTRN, it can be really rough being the new kid on the block at a small hospital. Because the turnover rate is so low and because the nurses have been there so long, they are kind of clickish and are really hard on new staff. They "test" new staff and are extremely wary of them for about the first 6 months. The way I handled that problem was by telling them that if they had a problem with me, they needed to be grown-ups and come to ME about it, not gossip behind my back. That shut 'em all up, and I haven't had a problem since. I suggest you go PRN at the small place first and see what you think. And keep in mind, it's a totally different world, and may seem backwards and slow at first, but underneath that "country" exterior is a wealth of knowledge and experience.

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TracyRN · Mar 1, 2001

I really enjoy working in my small hospital. I know pretty much all the nurses working my shift throughout the 125+ bed facility enough to have at least a short conversation with them in the cafeteria line :-) I'm really thankful that I didn't decide to drive an hour & a half for almost twice as much money right out of school. I've gotten such a solid med/surg base in our catch all unit that I'm very comfortable with just about anything thrown my way.

As for smaller faclities tending to be more cliqueish (how in the heck is that spelled?!?), I don't doubt that its true. Just remember that how you fit in is largely up to you and how you respond to them. They were there first and they all already know each other, good and bad.

For MartRN, I'm sorry that you had such a bad experience at a small facility: I'm even more sorry that you had to run before you had a chance to learn to walk in terms of your career experience. To both of you: good luck in your future endeavors.