Moving to San Antonio......advice on hospitals

U.S.A. Texas

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Hello all,

I am going to be relocating to the San Antonio area and have found there is a large number of health systems and hospitals. I find this somewhat overwhelming and was hoping to gain some insight or feedback anyone may have. I have my RN, BSN with 2 1/2 years of step-down experience and a few months of MICU experience. I am hoping to apply to an ICU or ER, if anyone has an opinion on either of those areas as well. I thank you very much in advance!

Specializes in Step-down, MICU.

BZT,

Which Methodist do you work at? I feel like there are so many health systems and facilities within each...

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Specializes in Adult Emergency Case Management.
BZT,

Which Methodist do you work at? I feel like there are so many health systems and facilities within each...

Main Methodist. the one in the medical center. The main one. the big papa of the methodists in SA.:lol2:

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It looks as if I may be moving to SA near the end of the summer, as my wife is negotiating for a job there. There has been a lot of great info in this thread so far, so thanks for that first of all. I currently have one year experience in the Burn ICU of a level 1 trauma center. I am interested in looking into one of the smaller institutions in SA, but am having a hard time keeping their locations straight. I love to cycle to work and would love to work close to a good neighborhood that wouldn't require too much busy traffic on my ride to work. Any ideas?

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Hi all! This thread is super helpful! I am relocating to SA this summer from Massachusetts and would love some advice on where to apply! DOes Christus Santa Rosa take a lot of new grads? I would love to do theri training program! Any tips on getting my foot in the door there? :)

Scratch that, their website said no more new grad apps til October! SO where should I try next? Baptist , Methodist?

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i have been in san antonio for a number of years. here is my scoop on the hospitals... of the major hospital systems - baptist will pay you the most but they also have the most nurses that are unhappy with them and leave quicker, hince the higher pay rate. santa rosa pays the least but has very good employee approval from people i know that work there. methodist pays in the middle of the line and people like working for the system. they all pay based on years of experience and do not negotiate too much with you on pay.

smaller hospitals are around also. i work at one of them that was mentioned above. they pay a little more because people bad talk them and they dont have as much applicant power.... my hospital pays quite well compared to anyone in town, if you want to know pm me. i have been with them for 10 years, they have their pros and cons but i love the people that i work with so i could say i am happy with the place. i would say at the smaller facilities you will get $3-5/hr more than at the bigger systems.

the va pays alot because everyone there hates it......

these are some pretty judgmental and bold assertions. in order to make these assumptions you would have to know every person's pay rate, performance, experience and reasons for staying or leaving in all departments and locations.

just because a hospital may have a hiring rate based on experience, doesn't mean that pay, sign on bonuses and travel expenses aren't negotiable.

op:

did you move and start at a facility yet?

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Honestly I appreciate Argos candor. Thats exactly the kind of scoop I was looking for, not sure about the OP.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

I can honestly say I know hundreds of nurses at various facilities, their feelings about their hospitals and their stated pay rates. So I can give a decent view. I have also hired nurses from each facility I talk about an know their stated pay rates. They are lower than what my place pays and the rates between all of the places varies as I stated it.

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Thanks for the heads up Argo! I really appreciate all the info everyone has posted on this thread. I am finding it extremely difficult to keep track of all the hospitals in SA during my job search. At this point I'm basically just firing off resumes and waiting to hear something back. I'm coming down to SA in a couple weeks with my wife and I was wondering if you guys had any insight as per which nurse recruiters I should try to contact in town. I know some of the larger hospital systems in my area have one main recruiting/HR office that deals with hiring for several campuses. Are any of the big systems in SA (Baptist, etc...) like this in SA? Also, has anyone had any great success with any particular Apt. finding service? We've been checking craigslist, as we usually have had great luck, but the posting are dominated by cookie-cutter postings from agencies.

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Hey Argo,

Can you PLEASE give me the scoop on why you think "everyone hates" the VA? What have you heard from nurses working there, ex. working conditions (nurse/patient ratios, etc.) I'm at a critical decision point and need all the insight and advice I can get right now! Please help!

Thanks for telling it like it is!

:yeah:

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

I posted my opinion on it before and it was deleted and I was given a warning about it so I'll refrain from talking about what the staff is like. They pay well though..... I know several nurses and physicians that have worked here locally at That VA and none of them liked it. There are plenty of old timers around in the VA but they are probably why nothing changes, that and the fact that its on the bottom of the food chain in government run health facilities. Also, there are a lot of unhappy staff there now cause 8 years ago There WAs a glitch that gave everyone a raise, they just found out about it an are trying to Make them pay it back. This WAs on the news here locally. This may actually be a help to get some oldtimers out of there. The benefits are also good there Along with pay..... sorry for some sketchy type skills, I'm on my cell phone.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

Also, if offered a position There I would take it if there WAs nothing else of equal pay/stress value.

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Argo,

:bow: Thank you SO MUCH! Yes, I do recall a strike, I believe as recent as last September related to nurses in critical speciality areas being promised one salary to move to San Antonio, but then being required to pay the salary difference back once they moved to San Antonio and started working. :uhoh3: Yikes!

I have just two more questions, do you know what the nurse/patient ratios are like, say on a med-surg floor? And finally, do you think conditions will change with the many new hospitals planned for the metro area in the very near future (due to competition for staff, etc.)? :confused:

Your answers may very well give me the strength to make my final decision....

Thank you again for your candor and honesty! :hug:

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