Maybe stationed at Scott AFB...have questions

jsteine1 · Jul 28, 2005

Sara, Scott AFB as you know is in a lovely town ,Belleville, Il, which is considered a suburb of St. Louis.

There are many opportunities here in every possible nursing specialty as well in the St Louis area . As a matter of fact, a St. Louis hospital just made one of the top 6 in the nation recently, Barnes Jewish.Start early obtaining your license and get licenses in both Missouri and Illinois as most nurses do. You may find that you will have your temp license in hand much quicker in MO than in Il. There are two local major local hospitals in Belleville as well as numerous LTC facilities, Home Health agencies and clinics. If living on base, you will be living literally down the street from SWIC, Southwestern Illinois College. They have a BSN program. Best of luck!

(Sorry, I dont know too much about schools for the children)

jsteine1 · Jul 28, 2005

I failed to address the salary question. Salaries are higher in the St Louis Hospitals, I have seen up to 30/hour with benefits full-time in the critical care units. Lower in the St louis suburbs, 21-24.

cruisinwithcandy · Jul 29, 2005

HI there is such a nursing shortage in st louis that getting a job will be a cinch, you can usually make out your own schedule and have your pick of shifts. The pay is 25-30 in the city, out in the suburbs it is more like 20-24, and they want to make your decisions for you regarding your schedule and shift as there are fewer positions to fill. Missouri is DEFINITELY easier to get a license in than IL, I have both. The area near Scott is growing fast with new schools and shopping centers and businesses. It`s pretty country,with farms and green fields.

I am an Army wife and a nurse. My DH and I are trying to make the best decision regarding our next duty station with one of the choices being Scott AFB, IL. I have a few questions and would like any input I can get.

1) I have an ADN and by the time I move will have about 1 year of nursing under my belt. Do hospitals in IL hire ADNs? If so, what is the avg starting rate?

2) What are the schools like? Not only school for me to continue to the BSN level, but schools for the kids? My oldest son will be going into 7th grade and my youngest will be going into 2nd grade.

Again, any info would be great!

Thanks in advance!

Sara

Megs06 · Mar 28, 2006

I am a current student at Southwestern Illinois College in nursing and graduate in May. As far as I could tell no one answered your question about the schools for your children. If you choose to live on base they would attend Mascoutah's schools( Elementry and the Middle school). I personally attend the elementary when I was in third grade and had friends that graduated from there. They have great teachers as well a number of after school activities. Not only did I experience the school from a student point of view, but about ten years later we moved back to Mascoutah and my brother went to school there and I still found it to be a great school. However, the school is small, the 2005 graduating class was like 150 students, but it is a very clean down to earth town where everyone knows everyone and try to make you feel welcomed. As far as opportunities for you the SWIC program is an ADN program that has a very good name in the area so hopefully that sets you up coming from an another ADN program, but if you hope to continue your degree their are number of schools in the area Mckendree, St. Louis University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville that all offer RN to BSN programs and some even offer the Master programs. I also just resently talked to Mckendree and they have a RN to BSN program that is on weekends at SWIC and their program is set up for the working RN. As far as job opportunities I know they are there on both sides of the river, also in St. Louis it isn't just adult hospitals they also have two very great pediatric hospitals. But good luck and hope this helps.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 29, 2006

Hello!
I am an Army wife and a nurse. My DH and I are trying to make the best decision regarding our next duty station with one of the choices being Scott AFB, IL. I have a few questions and would like any input I can get.
1) I have an ADN and by the time I move will have about 1 year of nursing under my belt. Do hospitals in IL hire ADNs? If so, what is the avg starting rate?
2) What are the schools like? Not only school for me to continue to the BSN level, but schools for the kids? My oldest son will be going into 7th grade and my youngest will be going into 2nd grade.
Again, any info would be great!
Thanks in advance!
Sara

Yes hospitals in ILL DO hire ADNs!!!!!!! Starting rates I can't say.....might want to talk to an HR person from the hospitals at which you are looking for employment.....you are not too far from St. Louis, either----if you choose to cast a wide net and don't mind the commute... It would depend on where you choose to live, also.

I hear the schools are great. I have a friend who is a Colonel who chose that as his next assignment cause he wants his son to to go high school in that area, if that means anything!

Consider, anywhere you live you could go on for an online BSN if there is not a nearby BSN program that would work for you. Commuting is tough, I know with two young children, so I chose to work perdiem for that reason. It's hard to keep up with both my kids and their activities and commute very far for work or school myself.....you have to decide how much time you choose to spend in your car and make you decisions based on that, know what I mean????

I personally have never lived in Southern ILL---grew up in Chicago myself. But I have had friends who were stationed at Scott and not ONE complained about it. They like the smaller town atmosphere and the schools----and the cost of living is reasonable compared to other places, like Chicago, NY or Seattle, say. So you will probably be really quite HAPPY there. Several people (who are AF like us) have CHOSEN to retire there permanently, if that tells you anything. I think you will like it.

GOOD LUCK! Before I go, two resources that may help you find hospitals and schools in that area:

http://www.hospitalsoup.com

http://www.allnursingschools.com

deb

Trauma Columnist · Mar 29, 2006

I agree with Smiling Blue Eyes - my brother in law was stationed at Scott (he retired two years ago) and we loved to visit him. My husband is also retired Air Force and we live in central IL. I get stuff in the mail all the time about hospitals wanting me to come work for them in the St. Louis area.

My only piece of advice - start working on your IL license ASAP - it takes forever!!! When we moved from IN to IL about 10 years ago, I had to get stuff from every state I'd ever been licensed in - what a hassle and much time! Good luck.

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Apr 3, 2006

Just my 2 cents. The salaries for ADN nurses quoted above are pretty much right throughout the state i think. With maybe north and Chicago areas being paid more to start. Most downstate hospitals,, thats pretty much average.