I need help........SOS

I am a nursing student a AUM graduating in May 2006, I need help deciding on a location to do my preceptorship. If any of you guys out there have advice on some good hospitals in the Birmingham or Auburn area, please let me know!! If there are any new graduates out there, I would love to hear about information about some of the starting pay ranges you received as well as sign on bonuses, shift diff. , and benefits. I am also interested in the way you were greeted as a "new graduate". Thanks in advance for your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, I just graduated from AUM May 14, 2005!!!! I did my preceptorship at Jackson.....I originally wanted to do it in my hometown of Mobile, but we had a really really hard time getting med/surg preceptors at all...so it didn't work out. So, Jackson was nice, I had never done clinicals there before, but I did like it better than South that's for sure! Well, I did med/surg there and then moved on to Labor and Delivery and Nursery for my speciality preceptorship. There the assistant unit manager sought me out and told me about two nursery full time positions she had open....I had my heart set on working at UAB....but the more I thought about things the more it made sense for me to stay where I am...(I have a really good rent and nice place to live..) So, I interviewed at Jackson and they called me back immediately! I accepted and my pay is broken down like this:

$16.65 base pay

.50 for ACLS

.50 for NRP (neonatal resucitation)

$3.00 shift differential for night shift....so that equals $20.65, then I got a phone call that Jackson has hired a new CEO and effective July 3rd, all the RN's get a $1.20/hr raise!!! That brings me up to $21.85 as a new grad! They have Bc/Bs insurance and for a single person it's $28/payperiod. This includes health insurance, vision, and accidental death I believe..... You get 45% off uniforms at serendipity. If you work night shift, there is an employees only nursery that your children go to while you work. They have them dressed and ready to go in the morning when you get off at 7 a.m. I start May 31st, and I have benefits June 1st! And the most important thing...the morale at Jackson pales in comparison to South....people are happier there and there is more of a sense of teamwork at Jackson. So, don't give up on Montgomery hospitals....Had I not precepted at Jackson, I would have never known about the Nursery position that was open and here I am as a new grad going into one of the most sought after fields! Seriously, most nurses stay in the Nursery until they retire because it is usually such a happy place. So, keep all this in mind when you decide to precept. Base it on two things: Is this somewhere you would like to work? Is it somewhere that is going to teach you a lot? Good luck to you--Keep me posted on what you decide.

~Kristina~

New Grad May 14, 2005

Nursery Nurse May 31, 2005

I am a nursing student a AUM graduating in May 2006, I need help deciding on a location to do my preceptorship. If any of you guys out there have advice on some good hospitals in the Birmingham or Auburn area, please let me know!! If there are any new graduates out there, I would love to hear about information about some of the starting pay ranges you received as well as sign on bonuses, shift diff. , and benefits. I am also interested in the way you were greeted as a "new graduate". Thanks in advance for your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you have to set up your preceptorship or does the school? I am also looking for a location to complete my preceptorship. I live in the southern part of the state.

Do you have to set up your preceptorship or does the school? I am also looking for a location to complete my preceptorship. I live in the southern part of the state.

We have to inform our instructors as to what hospital we wish to do our preceptor hours. There are so many choices, and I really don't know where to start on picking a location!!! Confusing huh?

Hi, I graduated from AUM in 2004 :)

What area are you considering doing your specialty preceptorship in? What area do you plan on working in when you graduate?

These are two very important questions that can help guide you to a great facility to do your preceptorship. I think that a preceptorship is a great foot in the door to be hired as a new grad. New grads can be difficult to hire because basically everyone has the same level of experience (none), so getting to know the nurses and nurse manager during your preceptorship can be very important.

Think about what area you would like to work, then think about what hospitals are known for this specific area and try that.

I did my Med/Surg preceptorship at Jackson on the Ortho/Neuro floor. I did my specialty preceptorship at East in L&D. I was lucky enough to be offered a job at East in L&D after this experience and I love it.

Good luck to you

Kristina,

I think I know you. Were there any other Kristina's in your class?

Hey, if you haven't decided yet..thought I might add Princeton hosp to your list. They are VERY student friendly at the hospital and love to help you learn. They are wonderful there. I am currently doing a internship there through UA and Princeton. I graduate in Dec and plan to work there after that. Hope this helps.

Nikki

Hey, if you haven't decided yet..thought I might add Princeton hosp to your list. They are VERY student friendly at the hospital and love to help you learn. They are wonderful there. I am currently doing a internship there through UA and Princeton. I graduate in Dec and plan to work there after that. Hope this helps.

Nikki

Thank you so much for reply. I am just a bit confused though. Is Princeton the hospital that is located in Bessemer or am I confusing that with another hospital? Also, is it a division of the Baptist Health Systems? Thanks for your help!

Princeton is part of the Baptist Health System, but a different system than Baptist in Montgomery. If you know anything about Birmingham, Princeton is about 4 blocks from the old Legion Field (Alabama's old home football field). The hospital that you are thinking of in Bessemer was the old Bessemer Carraway or Lloyd Nolan. One of those, if not both of them are now run by UAB. Its called UAB Metro West.

Birmingham has tons of hospitals. St Vincents, BMC Montclair, BMC Princeton, Childrens, Cooper Green (which is county owned), UAB, Brookwood.. Im sure Im leaving out one.

There is also a hospital in Alabaster that is BMC Shelby. When I was in nursing school I did my preceptorship at Carraway in ICU. I did my psych clinicals at Jackson in Montgomery, like someone else said, it is a very nice hospital with a very friendly staff.

I believe you are thinking of UAB West-they are located in Bessemer. Princeton is located in Bham right next to Birmingham Southern. It is a branch of the Baptist Health Sysytems. I really think you would like it there--it is unreal how nice the people are! Now I must say...try and get on either 5W or any of the ICU's because I have heard other units tend to be lazy and patients are not very satisfied but overall, it is a great hospital. Let me know if you have any more questions.