Published Oct 27, 2008
Amakelrn
2 Posts
Hello,
I've been reading this site for quite some time and decided to post.
I am considering applying for an RN position at a Kindred long term acute care hospital. Does anyone who works for them have any information to share. The few times I've heard about them it has been just vague negative comments. I'm curious about their ratios, work environment, charting, pay/benefits. anything anyone has to offer.
Thanks in advance.
southernbeegirl, BSN, RN
903 Posts
i worked in one of their facilites for about 8 months. staffing was ok but we had no supplies, facility was a dump, expectations on the nurses were outrageous with the patient load.
i'd really research the facility first
Quickbeam, BSN, RN
1,011 Posts
I worked at a small free standing psych hosptial for several years. It was part of a chain. It was sold to Kindred for long term ventilator care. We couldn't believe it since this place was completely unsuitable for vent care/high tech physical care. The people I knew who stayed said everything was slap dash and low rent fixes.
NurseCard, ADN
2,850 Posts
I've heard lots of negative stuff about the one in Louisville, both from nurses AND from patients. I personally would stay away.
grandee3
283 Posts
I worked agency at the Kindred in New Orleans, I would not want to be full time there. Hate their computer charting.
granzanz
22 Posts
Just hearing the word Kindred makes me wanna cry. It was the most awful experience of my 27 years being a nurse. It was not the palce or the patients, it was one supervisor. She made my life miserable. Without a doubt she was out to make me upset everyday and nobody but me. All the staf knew it and no one could figure out what her deal was. So that's my story ...
KenCENCCRN
7 Posts
Hello,I've been reading this site for quite some time and decided to post.I am considering applying for an RN position at a Kindred long term acute care hospital. Does anyone who works for them have any information to share. The few times I've heard about them it has been just vague negative comments. I'm curious about their ratios, work environment, charting, pay/benefits. anything anyone has to offer.Thanks in advance.
First of all I would like to apologize to those of you who had bad experiences at Kindred. AMAKELRN, What area do you live in? There are 84 LTACH's across the US and each market is drastically different. I am currently the Director of Nursing and Clinical Services at one of the facilities in the Philadelphia Market. I have had a fair amount of turnover in my staff because I don't tolerate negativity, poor performance or anything that jeopardizes patient care. I have been able to reduce the nurse/patient ratios to 1:5 for RN's and LPN's and 1:10 for CNA's. I have addressed the supply concerns and have no issues since I have hired the right person for the materials management job. I have also fired supervisors that intentionally antagonize the staff or cause my staff to become unhappy.
I came to Kindred 1 year ago as the nurse manager and as of Aug have been promoted. We do alot of great things for our patients and encourage you to investigate the facility. I would be more than happy to discuss what Kindred is and does with you. Just send me a message. This type of nursing was drastically different than what I was used to. I have a strong background in ER/Trauma/Critical care, worked as a flight nurse, a paramedic and am an assistant nursing professor. I like what I do and I believe that I am a staff and patient advocate. I frequently go round and round with my superior about safe patient care and employee retention efforts. Don't discount Kindred as an option just do your homework before you apply. I would encourage you to ask to shadow a staff member for the day to see how it "really is" and any good manager worth anything should allow or encourage you to do the same. I offer that during the interview before I accept anyone's offer. My theory is that then they get to see the positives and the negatives and can make a more informed decision. I hope this helps. :typing
Ken
Ken, I was in Fort Worth downtown Kindred. I was very impressed with the wound care. I was very disappointed in the supervisory staff. The CNO was a great person, lacking in the ability to control her supervisors. I actually loved the patients, asnd most of the staff. Being a seasoned RN I have come to realize it was just one of those bad situations.. The money was great though.
TheCommuter, BSN, RN
102 Articles; 27,612 Posts
I live in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, and there are multiple Kindred Hospitals scattered across this metro area. Although they pay their nurses well, these places have poor reputations in the communities they serve.
barefootlady, ADN, RN
2,174 Posts
The one I know about, in NC, close to daughter, has a negative rep in the community. Poor staffing, poor supplies, multi issues with safety. think hard-
protect your license.
WickedRedRN, BSN, RN
609 Posts
I have to give Ken kudos for his post. I have worked for 3 different Kindred facilities, 2 LTAC's, and one LTC. I can honestly say I loved one of the LTAC's, the other one was okay, and no way could anyone pay me enough to set foot in the LTC facility I was in.
Check them out, shadow if you can and make sure you talk with the staff before you decide. I can honestly say the experience I gained as an LPN at the LTAC was priceless and made my transistion to an RN role in a Level 1 trauma much much easier.
I am not a Kindred fan by any means, I will stand up and tell you straight if a place is crap or not, but honestly each location and facility is different. The management makes *all* the difference.
Good Luck!