Hospital recommendations/advice -Manassas area

dazedandconfused · Aug 10, 2006

What part of Manassas exactly? There are big teaching hospitals and a few small ones. But depending on where you live would dictate how far you drive. Inova Fairfax is the biggest in the area- level 1 trauma center with most every specialty. But it could be a haul from Manassas. It has been a magnet hospital in the past- but I am not in the area anymore so I don't know if it still is. There are like 6 hospitals in the Inova group so you have your pick. I would check the INOVA web site.

Prince William hospital has had problems in the past but they are getting better from what I have heard. It is a smaller hospital but right in Manassas. It just depends on what you want.

Hope that helps a little:)

Stacky · Aug 10, 2006

Not sure on which part of Manassas, have yet to get a place, still in the works.

I will check the INOVA site. Thanks!

Any other tips, anyone??

:confused:

AgentR · Aug 12, 2006

Prince William in being eaten by the Inova system. Fairfax is the big level 1 trauma center. Still a magnet hospital. Fair Oaks is sort of close, they're also owned by Inova but much smaller. Reston Hospital is fairly comperable, but owned by HCA. That's a little further hike. Any of the Inova hospitals pay the same rates, I do believe. Staffing varries by department. Plenty of people commute from Manassas to Fairfax Hospital. It's not so bad with 7a-7p, and you'll be going against traffic with night shift.

bonzairn9 · Aug 12, 2006

I have worked at Inova Alexandria in the ER as a traveler and had a HORRIBLE experience there. I wouldn't send my worst enemy to work there. I do know that Inova dumps all of its resources into it's trauma center in Fairfax (much to the detriment of all the small community based hospitals it has eaten up in the last several years, as they have suffered great financial loss as a result.) In that ER you are doing primary care on 5-10 pts depending on if you're covering someone else's team for lunch. It doesn't seem to matter to the nurse manager if you have multiple ICU pts or chest painers. He stands there in his scrubs at the charge nurse desk barking orders but is rarely willing to get his hands dirty to help out with pt care. In contrast, Mary Washington Hospital in Fredericksburg is pretty well run. The ER is very large (50 beds) and they are currently seeking Magnet status as well as Level II trauma certification. Their pay rates are comparable to Inova, the cost of living in that area is much more affordable, and the area is still close enough to the DC area to go have fun. I have a 10 year old daughter and she really loves the Fredericksburg area - very family oriented. I started off as an RN in CA and then traveled for about 4 years in CA, FL, and now VA. I have also heard that Richmond hospitals are offering some great rates through local agencies. I'm not sure how far south you want to go??

Stacky · Aug 19, 2006

Thanks for all of your help, getting a lot of research done as well!

More questions, what is the average rate of pay in northern Va?

What are the ER nurse-patient ratios?

Thanks again.

:bowingpur

bonzairn9 · Aug 19, 2006

Staff nurses here are making about $25-35/hr. Agency or coming in as a traveler will pay you much better to the tune of about $30-48/hr depending on if it's a traveling position (with housing) or a local contract (no housing). ER ratios here vary from facility to facility - no state ratios like in CA SADLY... Ive seen anywhere from 9:1 (for Inova in fast track) to 4:1 at Mary Washington. I will ask about ratios in Richmond. I have heard George Washington Hosp in DC, is Magnet, and is an excellent place to work but have not actually worked there. Washington Hospital Center has awful parking which they charge you for and it is difficult to navigate through crowded city streets (many of which are one way like San Francisco) to get there. They do pay well and are a Level I trauma center.