Good STL Hospital to work at

WDWpixieRN, RN · Apr 12, 2008

The SSM facililities are all pretty good to work for as a tech (clinical partner). I have done so for almost a year and they've been very good about working me prn so that I could work around my school schedule.

I'd like to add that I would highly recommend you get a job somewhere....if there's a particular facility you might be interested in working with when you obtain your RN, I'd start there. Competition was high this year for some jobs and I heard several times that "We had XXX number of techs graduate this semester and they get precedence over outside applicants." Obviously some of this is based on how highly regarded you are as an employee, but it's a definite plus come hiring time!!

Sillynicunurse · Apr 15, 2008

I have worked at St. John's and Barnes. I finally found my home at St. Lukes. I have been there over a year now. 11 months as a tech in the ED and the last month as a GN. I have never worked with such wonderful people. You do have to be very aggressive with HR though.

mamason · Apr 16, 2008

What about St. Mary's, St. Anthony's or Mo Bap? Does anyone know about them? I've heard Barnes is going strickly to start hiring BSN nurses, which would be bad because I will have an ADN. Maybe that's just a rumor, but I bet they can with thier school.

I did some of my clinicals at St. Mary's. It was really nice and our clinical group really enjoyed it there. I live in Illinois, so I work here. But, if I lived in St. Louis, St. Mary's would be a first choice to work.:redpinkhe

RockyCreek · Apr 18, 2008

St Anthonys is just like any other hospital -- your perception is going to reflect how well you 'fit' with the unit. I work in St Anthonys and I love it because I have the greatest team of nurses, a super NM and some top notch doctors to work with. Some of the nurses on other floors are not as happy. We are rated in the top 5% in the nation for patient safety [pat self on back] but we are having growing pains as the surrounding population swells. If you would like to talk more publicly or privately about my hospital, I would happy to share all I know.

Mrs River · Apr 19, 2008

:twocents:When I was in nursing school in 1999, I worked at Des Peres Hospital and loved it because all the rooms are private and it is an excellent staff to work with. Once I graduated I moved to St. John's and then to the home care dept. I now live in central IL and work in home care through an agency that I started with in St. Louis. If you are going to live on your own and go to school check out St. Charles. The cost of living is much less and if you work in St. Louis ( SLCH, or BJH) you pay and extra percentage of taxes to work in St. Louis city not many people know that. The best advice I can give to you is to make sure you get at least a year of medsurg under you belt and then you can work anywhere in the hospital. It also looks good after you have your nursing license and work on medsurg for at least a year. I was given that advice when I was in school by a nurse that had been in nursing for 30 plus years. She also told me to take baby steps into nursing I agree with that cause a lot has change in 9 yrs since I was a PCT at Des Peres hospital.

pattycake · Apr 25, 2008

i see some comments about BJH...i did work there for a while...the morale is really bad there...the nurses are so burned out and frustrated...especially on the medicine floors...it is a great research hospital and i have had surgery there about 10 years ago...but to work there, i would think twice...st. mary's is a SSM hospital, which are very poorly run...they are very superficial...talk the talk, but can't walk the walk...when SSM took over it went downhill...the bottom line is money...st. lukes is a nice place to work...the nurses are generally nice to each other, avoid the 7600 unit...there is a "psycho" charge nurse that works there and when she is not flirting with the docs she is yelling at the staff...it takes all kinds!!!

from what i have seen in 31 years is...most hospital nurses really don't want to be there, but for one reason or another, feel that's what they have to do...after about 5 years of hospital nursing, the young rns say they are burned out...and go on to something else...they work you like a dog and you get very little gratitude, except from the patients...management could care less...they have to have the right numbers at the end of the day...it's all a money game for management...sorry...i wish i could be more positive...now, i have had some great RN jobs...just not in a hospital...the great jobs are out there...you just have to be creative, flexible and willing to take some risks...i try to work in the hospital as little as i can...mostly to keep my skills up... :nono:

WonderRN · Apr 25, 2008

I work at St Anthony's urgent cares and like it a lot. The techs there help the nurses doing vs, drawing blood, putting on casts etc. However, we also do registration/secretarial duties. The pace isn't crazy, the nurses like to teach/answer questions, and the doctors are approachable with questions too. They do not require previous training, they will teach you what you need to know. But previous experience would make you a more attractive candidate- I had none, just talked up my work ethic. Arnold (where I work) has an opening for a full time tech, because I am going part-time (start SLU's Accelerated BSN in May!! The pay isn't spectacular, they start at 9.00/hr, but you do get evening differential (4-8pm) of $1/hr and weekend diff of $1.25/hr. Hours are 8-8pm, you work 3 days a week.