Life and work in Tulsa, OK

[UKPedsRN]

I have decided to go back to the US, I am fed up with the UK. The country is going down the tube - fed up with taxes, and a government who cares more about being PC than their citizens.

I have been offered an interview for a medical center in Tulsa OK, and wondered anyone had some interesting facts about Tulsa and or OK, which I could share in interview.

I am sure I am going to be asked why I am considering a job in Tulsa, and although I lived and worked in CA for 13 years, I never visited OK, so do not have any real basis to give a clear answer, other than it appeals to me.

Anyone in Tulsa like to give me their top 3 reasons to live and work there? Also an interesting fact that most people outside would not know

Thanks

[banditrn]

Sorry, I don't know much about Oklahoma - my son was a critical care nurse there for a couple of years, and I don't recall that he had any complaints - I'd call him but he's at work now.

It's interesting to hear your comments about the UK nursing - so many people seem to feel that we need a system like that here.

[marilynmom, LPN, NP]

I'm not in Tulsa but Oklahoma City and I love Oklahoma. I work for OU Medical Center which is a level 1 trauma center---you should check us out :)

I would be interested in hearing more about what you think of the UK health system since there are people here in US that think we should have a health care system like yours.

[UKPedsRN]

You guys have a system similar to the UK system, its called the COUNTY system.

In the UK anyone who works, pays national insurance, which is supposed to give healthcare free at point of service. The NHS came into being after the second world war, it was needed because we had few men, and little work.

The system has deteriorated over the years, partly due to the population growth,, also money for the system comes from people who work, we have a large population who do not work for a variety of reasons - because we have a great welfare state.

However most people think the decline in standards is due to government interference, because it depends on money coming from the governmen

This current government here has contributed to nurses having the lowest morale in 30 years. The government sets targets and so the hospital trust has to go all out to hit the target and in the meantime, the other IMPORTANT issues get missed.

In this country in the NHS, if you are ill and go to see your doc, it can take up to three weeks to get your results, with a pap smear result taking six weeks!

In the eighties when I trained, I thought the NHS was fantastic and we received outstanding training - after being a patient myself a few years ago, I changed my mind. The care was appauling.

Having to take time off work to attend hospital appointments with my relatives to ensure that they recieve appropriate care, also upsets me.

I had to do it due to the lack of care my mother endured last year and just had to remind a doc last week that my niece was sitting in front of him for a very serious health issue and yes her mother and I were very worried, and I was not going to have him fob us off, which was intention.

Health care here is a post code lottery. I am not saying that the NHS does not provide quality care. I am saying it is not consistently providing quality care to many people, and actually I would probably equate it to an HMO - badly run HMO at that.

All my peers my age are all desparate to leave health care. My friends who are nurse lecturers at Universities are also disgusted at the level of training nurses recieve these days and the care that is delivered in hospitals.

Get me outtahere that is what I say.