Hackensack, JFK Med Center, RW Johnson Hospitals

lee1 · Jul 29, 2006

Do any nurses in this forum work at Hackensack U Med Center, JFK Med Center in Edison, or Robert Wood Johnson U Hospital in New Brunswick?
How was orientation and preceptorships at each of these hospitals?
Are they supportive of new nursing grads?

Where do you want to work. The above Hackensack is far from Robert Wood in New Brunswick. JFK is in between somewhat.

RWJUH is a hi acuity fast paced hospital. Is that what you want? It is a trauma level I hospital doing also heart transplants

JFK is more a community hospital.

Hackensack is closer to NYC. therefore not as hi acuity

NJNursing, ASN, RN · Jul 30, 2006

I work at a different RWJ hospital, but they're very pro new grads. They received over 100 applications for their 20 nursing internships (which I'm thrilled to have one of). The nurses love it there and has had Magnet status (I'm not sure if they still are or not).

I'm not sure if mine has the same standards as New Brunswick, but as Lee1 said, NB will give you high acuity and cutting edge technology. You have to think about what kind of enviornment you want to be in, ultimately.

lee1 · Jul 31, 2006

I work at a different RWJ hospital, but they're very pro new grads. They received over 100 applications for their 20 nursing internships (which I'm thrilled to have one of). The nurses love it there and has had Magnet status (I'm not sure if they still are or not).
I'm not sure if mine has the same standards as New Brunswick, but as Lee1 said, NB will give you high acuity and cutting edge technology. You have to think about what kind of enviornment you want to be in, ultimately.

Believe me Magnet does not guarentee good leadership. It shows great nurses at the bedside but unfortunately leadership which should be important it does not really count.

NJNursing, ASN, RN · Jul 31, 2006

That's very true, but the good beside nurses have got to come from somewhere other than the nurses being good and the hospital being sucky. The hospital has to have *some* sort of effect on the nursing. I know the RWJ I'll be working at (starting monday - woo hoo!) is also a Malcom Balridge Award winner bestowed by the White House.

stefanitenzi · Sep 30, 2006

Hahahahahaha..........magnent means NOTHING

pcicurn7 · Oct 5, 2006

I did part of my clinicals at Hackensack, and I can confidently say that i will never work there. The majority of the nurses had a lot of attitude, some refused to even look at student nurses (terrible, especially for a teaching hospital). I went to 3 different units, and it seemed to be the prevailing theme. It was a shame, because there were a handful of nice nurses, but the experience left an overall bad taste in my mouth.

Even though they have a peds ER, they transfer a lof of their critical patients to NYC hospitals (i'm not sure about which ones, all I know is that they send their pediatric cardiology patients to Mt. Sinai). So, a lof of it depends on what you want to do and how far you are willing to travel. I have heard nice things about RWJ in general, but nothing specific about their nurses.

maverickemt · Nov 16, 2006

In my opinion, JFK Medical Center in Edison is the worst hospital. You can work there but if you ever have to do CPR, you rather just let the patient die at home and not at JFK!

Do any nurses in this forum work at Hackensack U Med Center, JFK Med Center in Edison, or Robert Wood Johnson U Hospital in New Brunswick?
How was orientation and preceptorships at each of these hospitals?
Are they supportive of new nursing grads?