Hospital Parking

I love my cat! · Jan 5, 2009

My facility charges for parking, too....and it adds up to hundreds of dollars a year! One reason I will often take the bus or car-pool with my DH.

My thought is that if there is such a Nursing shortage *cough, cough* and that the Hospitals are "crying" for Nurses, they would be paying for *******' parking! Geez, make it a perk, an incentive, whatever. I find it very insulting that you have to basically 'pay' to be at work. Honestly....

It is such an insult, IMO.

Batman24 · Jan 5, 2009

We have a staff parking lot that has plenty of spots and it's not a far walk either. We're very lucky. Actually scratch lucky as I believe this is what should occur.

Your parking sounds dangerous especially for those that work nights. Pls try and at least walk in pairs. It's absurd it takes you 30 min for parking. Awful.

*ac* · Jan 5, 2009

I pay about $65 a month - and that's with the nursing discount (which gets taxed!). It's close and I don't have to hunt for a spot, but the cost is ridiculous.

mskate · Jan 5, 2009

right now i pay 81/month in a lot that is about 3 blocks away from the hospital. you can pay 1$/day to park on the street far away, down a canyon with no lighting or buildings, but people's cars are often broken into and being mugged isnt unheard of either.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jan 5, 2009

I park in an open-air parkade across the street from the hospital. It takes me 10 minutes to walk from my car to my unit because of where I gain entrance to the building and access to elevators. This is much better than I had it when I first started at this hospital... I used to have to park on Level 14 in a leased parkade a few blocks away where the security was appalling. Nonexistent, actually. Several cars have been stolen out of that lot, and I was accosted more than once by a street person looking for a handout. Once I was trapped in the elevator on a very cold night (-30C = -22F) for about 20 minutes. Scary. The hospital has an underground lot that is virtually empty at night. To gain access one has to go to the parking office and get an access card for which they want a $10 nonrefundable deposit. I've never bothered because when I work a weekday I don't have time on my breaks to stand in line down there.

Newer staff either parks in the leased parkade, in the parkade attached to the auditorium across the campus or on an open ground lot a couple fo blocks away. There is a shuttle but it doesn't run at times that allow for those of us who work 12 hour shifts to ever use it. We pay for parking. I paid $600 in 2008 and I don't work full time. The hospital is ever expanding and there is no money to expand the parking, so it will only get worse.

Riseupandnurse · Jan 6, 2009

At least I don't have to pay for parking. I had no idea that it is that bad for so many people. It makes me very sad for nursing. Especially when I am 100% sure that every one of our facilities has very many spots right up front and convenient for every physician who comes in, and no fee either. At the minimum we all ought to have a FREE secure lot and a FREE shuttle that makes frequent runs, especially after dark.

Chaya, ASN, RN · Jan 6, 2009

Our main staff lot for day shift is about a mile away. There's a shuttle that runs constantly in the AM but less frequently in the evening so it's kind of a pain after a 12 hour shift. It's in a fairly safe area but it's pretty deserted after dark; thankfully the shuttle driver waits until you get into your car. Off-shifts park in one of a few on-site lots or in the garage. It is a pretty deserted walk at night and I do usually end up going out alone. At least it's free- this is a large suburban hospital and in the past working at the large hospitals in town I have paid over a thousand dollars yearly to park ('course the pay was higher, too).

allnurses Guide · Jan 6, 2009

As long as nurses are hospital employees and physicians are those people bringing in the big bucks, I can't see that hierarchy changing!

NeoNurseTX, RN · Jan 6, 2009

It sucks on day shift. Either you pay $12 a day to park in the garage or you can park offsite and ride the train in free. However, the offsite lot is further from the hospital than my place is so I just suck it up and pay $12/day. It's a lot faster for me that way.

Nights...free garage parking..which I will be switching to soon!

Asklepios · Jan 6, 2009

The staff parking at my hospital is about a quarter-mile behind the main part of the facility. It's free and it's gated so vistors can't use it. They used to run a constant shuttle to pick up and drop off staff, but due to budget cuts they've discontinued the shuttle. A lot of the female staff members hate walking in the dark to this lot, so they risk disciplinary action and park in the adjacent administration office buildings' lots. I usually look for people getting off work the same time as me and walk with them so they feel safer (I'm kind of a big guy).

meandragonbrett · Jan 6, 2009

This is just absurd. I can't believe a company would charge their own employees to park!

EmmaG, RN · Jan 6, 2009

I am getting more and more irritated with the parking situation at the hospital for staff. I now have to get to work 30 minutes before the shift starts to troll the parking lot trying to find a place to park, and then walk endlessly to get to the floor. Even worse with the cold weather. And then once I get to the floor if I have gotten pulled there's another ten minutes of walking. And when most of us have to stay over every shift, we straggle one-by-one out to walk quite a while in the dark to get to our cars, which can be scary. Do you have decent parking at work?

Only because I work nights. Day and evening shift parking is similar to what you describe. While I was traveling, I quickly found that to be one of the questions I would ask during my phone interviews. My first assignment was a nightmare in that regard.