Good hospitals in Houston, TX

[rlambrisky]

My partner and I are looking at moving to the Houston area in about 1 year. By that time I will have about 3 years med/surg experience. I have been working in a relatively small hospital in which everyone can know everyone else and pretty much everyone gets along and works as a team. I am not averse to moving to a larger hospital, but would still like the same kind of environment of teamwork and friendship. Pay is nice, but I want to be happy where I work.

Any suggestions would be great.

Thanks,

Robert

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

As an experienced nurse, you should not have much difficulty finding a job. The only question is - which area you want to live? I am assuming you want to avoid the horrendous commutes that we are (in)famous for? I would advise you to make a visit to our area and check it out before making any final decisions. Houston is HUGE & the most diverse city in the US (according to 2010 census). It may not be your cup of tea. Keep in mind that many people happily live in one of the suburbs and very seldom have to venture deep into the city for any essentials. On the downside, we really don't have a comprehensive mass transit system so you will have to have a car (with great air conditioning).

Teamwork and team spirit are byproducts of the manager, so they tend to vary from department to department. Competition for experienced nurses is pretty fierce, so everybody pretty much has to have the same pay ranges so they don't lose staff to the hospital across the street. You probably want to get information about benefits, staffing and such.

I love H-town & wouldn't really want to live anywhere else.