New grad at St. Alexius in Bismarck, ND

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Specializes in Medical/Oncology.

It is rare for me to have many days off in a row so I thought I would follow my friend DatMurse's footstep and write a little bit about my experience as a new grad at St. Alexius and my new life in Bismarck, ND.

I graduated back in May 2014, took and passed my Nclex in July, started to apply to multiple places in CT (I applied many months prior to graduation to many residency programs both in and out of states), and got couple of offers at SNF but turned them down. I then discovered the threads on allnurses started by seungk and DatMurse and got interested in St. Alexius hospital. I applied to the new grad position and got a call for an interview within couple of days of applying. I had the interview on that Thursday and got the job offer the following week. I also applied to Sanford in Fargo and got the job offer there before I got the job offer from St. As. I turned it down because I thought the unit at St. As sounded more interesting, even though Sanford offered a dollar more and Fargo is a more lively city than Bismarck. Anyway, off I went to Bismarck to start my life as a nurse at St. As in September 2014.

I had a 6-week orientation on medical/oncology and it went by pretty fast and uneventful. During orientation I felt a sense of safety that didn't last once I got off of orientation. I had mixed feelings regarding being off of orientation: There was a sense of independence because there was no one watching over my shoulder to check on me, yet there was a sense that I didn't do things correctly and there was no safety net that the preceptors provided. But most of the experienced nurses on the unit were always willing to help when needed. It took a while for me to get my footing regarding my role as a nurse, time management, dealing with physicians and patients' families, and getting used to the charting system. I am now in my 5th month (it'll be 6 in a week and half) and, for the most part, am feeling so much more confident than I first started. I am stilling learning a lot though sadly I still make mistakes but nothing that I couln't fix myself.

So far, I am doing pretty good and am learning a lot. Our unit has patients with many different medical diagnoses that I get to see different stuff all the time, from cancer diagnoses to pneumonia, COPD, infection and sepsis, stroke, SBO, and even MS exascerbation. People here in Bismarck are very nice and friendly and the town feels pretty safe. Most of my coworkers are helpful and there are some that I'm friends with. I've also made friends with nurses on different units, although most of them are transplants from other states. My patients were awesome and I was able to build rapport with them. I haven't had any problems with their families either.

However, there are a few things that I'm not too crazy about and wish they were different:

1. First and foremost, the pay is too low for the cost of living. At first, I thought the pay was decent but comparing to national average, it's way too low. We get 22.79 an hour but national average is 26. The food here is expensive and if you want to eat healthy, you can expect to pay a lot for it. Housing in Bismarck is higher too, but if you're willing to commute a little, you can get something nice in Mandan for a decent rent. I was living in Bismarck and was paying 800 for a 1 bedroom, but I move to Mandan with a roommate and we are paying 900 for a 2-bedroom 2-bath. I have a friend that also lives in Mandan who is paying 775 for the same space as I was when I was living in Bismarck. There are many new apartment buildings in Mandan that are really new and modern that are available if you are willing to look around. While pay is low, our unit always has extra shifts to be picked up and you can make a nice paycheck if you're willing to work. My biggest take home pay was 2600 (I picked up like crazy though).

2. High turnover rate on medical/oncology. I think this may relate to the low pay, although I'm not positive. Since I've started, many people have moved on to different units, hospitals, or out of state. Granted most people who left (and are or will be leaving) were from out of state so they were only returning to their home states. Some of these people are my friends, so that makes it even harder, although it is inevitable. But this means the unit is currently hiring more new nurses and if you're willing to move, you're more likely to be able to work in a hospital and learn a lot, as opposed to staying where you are right now, not having a job, or working in a SNF or LTC (which is ok if you like it and not planning on working in the acute care).

3. The charting system, McKesson, is minimal. It took me a while to get used to it. It is fairly easy to use but not as good as Epic. The good news is that we are switching to Epic in September.

4. Bismarck is a nice town to raise a family but can be pretty stale for young single people. There are, however, couple of nice bars that we often frequent to kill time. I do wish we have more things to do and that there would be more variety in food here.

5. The cold weather. It was pretty cold from December to February. There were times when it went into the negatives and the wind chill made going out a huge pain in the you-know-what. Lucky it is a short walk from the car to the hospital. But the weather has been warmer, to the point that some of my patients joked that we are having a heat wave lol. Who knows how long this heat wave will last…though I hope till the end of the year.

6. Medical side of medical/oncology. Medical diagnoses are not that bad because I'm learning a lot, but it made me realize I want to specialize in something. It is just that medical is too broad. I prefer to be really good at something rather than to do ok at everything. I am thinking of specializing in oncology since I'm already on medical/oncology. I told one of my clinical coordinators about my interest in oncology and she was happy that I told her.

Despite all of these things that I'm not too fond of, I still have no regrets about moving here and working at St. Alexius, which is a very good hospital and one that actually hires new grads, both BSN and ADN. I am learning new things everyday and am getting better at caring for my patients and coordinating their care with the interdisciplinary team. Having an acute care experience for my first nursing job is very valuable and will allow me to go to different hospitals later on.

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Thanks for this post. I'm actually preparing now to move to ND to start a job at St. A's within about a week. I'm looking forward to it, and I've really appreciated the feedback from you guys.

How long after orientation did you feel confident picking up extra shifts? And, about how many hours do you work a week now?

Food- you guys have both mentioned that it's expensive. I've been looking at the grocery store options there, and I'm curious where you do your grocery shopping and if there are farmer's markets/produce stands in the summer?

Thanks!

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Specializes in Medical/Oncology.
Thanks for this post. I'm actually preparing now to move to ND to start a job at St. A's within about a week. I'm looking forward to it, and I've really appreciated the feedback from you guys.

How long after orientation did you feel confident picking up extra shifts? And, about how many hours do you work a week now?

Food- you guys have both mentioned that it's expensive. I've been looking at the grocery store options there, and I'm curious where you do your grocery shopping and if there are farmer's markets/produce stands in the summer?

Thanks!

Congrats on your job offer! Which unit will you be working on? Med/onc I hope lol

I picked up right after I got off of orientation. In retrospect, I should have waited at least a month or so before picking up. I was still learning the ropes and should have allowed all that I've learned to sink in before picking up. I was too greedy lol. I picked up 2 or 3 shifts per week when I first got off of orientation but now am only picking up 1 shift per week. I feel much better now that I'm not working like crazy. So on an average, I do about 48 hours per week. Take home check averages about 2200 now.

I usually do grocery shopping at Sam's Club. I used to go to Dan's because it was near where I lived, but it was too expensive at Dan's so I got membership at Sam's for 45 and have been going there since. They have better produce and fish than Dan's and Cashwise. A lot of their stuff is in bulk but they do have better quality for their prices. As far as farmer's markets, I do not know, having to come here during the fall. There might be some but you probably have to search around for them.

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You feel pretty comfortable working 48 hours a week? Is the 2200 per 2 week pay period? And is that before or after taxes. Sorry, I'm just curious. Thanks for getting back to me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
It is rare for me to have many days off in a row so I thought I would follow my friend DatMurse's footstep and write a little bit about my experience as a new grad at St. Alexius and my new life in Bismarck, ND.

I graduated back in May 2014, took and passed my Nclex in July, started to apply to multiple places in CT (I applied many months prior to graduation to many residency programs both in and out of states), and got couple of offers at SNF but turned them down. I then discovered the threads on allnurses started by seungk and DatMurse and got interested in St. Alexius hospital. I applied to the new grad position and got a call for an interview within couple of days of applying. I had the interview on that Thursday and got the job offer the following week. I also applied to Sanford in Fargo and got the job offer there before I got the job offer from St. As. I turned it down because I thought the unit at St. As sounded more interesting, even though Sanford offered a dollar more and Fargo is a more lively city than Bismarck. Anyway, off I went to Bismarck to start my life as a nurse at St. As in September 2014.

I had a 6-week orientation on medical/oncology and it went by pretty fast and uneventful. During orientation I felt a sense of safety that didn't last once I got off of orientation. I had mixed feelings regarding being off of orientation: There was a sense of independence because there was no one watching over my shoulder to check on me, yet there was a sense that I didn't do things correctly and there was no safety net that the preceptors provided. But most of the experienced nurses on the unit were always willing to help when needed. It took a while for me to get my footing regarding my role as a nurse, time management, dealing with physicians and patients' families, and getting used to the charting system. I am now in my 5th month (it'll be 6 in a week and half) and, for the most part, am feeling so much more confident than I first started. I am stilling learning a lot though sadly I still make mistakes but nothing that I couln't fix myself.

So far, I am doing pretty good and am learning a lot. Our unit has patients with many different medical diagnoses that I get to see different stuff all the time, from cancer diagnoses to pneumonia, COPD, infection and sepsis, stroke, SBO, and even MS exascerbation. People here in Bismarck are very nice and friendly and the town feels pretty safe. Most of my coworkers are helpful and there are some that I'm friends with. I've also made friends with nurses on different units, although most of them are transplants from other states. My patients were awesome and I was able to build rapport with them. I haven't had any problems with their families either.

However, there are a few things that I'm not too crazy about and wish they were different:

1. First and foremost, the pay is too low for the cost of living. At first, I thought the pay was decent but comparing to national average, it's way too low. We get 22.79 an hour but national average is 26. The food here is expensive and if you want to eat healthy, you can expect to pay a lot for it. Housing in Bismarck is higher too, but if you're willing to commute a little, you can get something nice in Mandan for a decent rent. I was living in Bismarck and was paying 800 for a 1 bedroom, but I move to Mandan with a roommate and we are paying 900 for a 2-bedroom 2-bath. I have a friend that also lives in Mandan who is paying 775 for the same space as I was when I was living in Bismarck. There are many new apartment buildings in Mandan that are really new and modern that are available if you are willing to look around. While pay is low, our unit always has extra shifts to be picked up and you can make a nice paycheck if you're willing to work. My biggest take home pay was 2600 (I picked up like crazy though).

2. High turnover rate on medical/oncology. I think this may relate to the low pay, although I'm not positive. Since I've started, many people have moved on to different units, hospitals, or out of state. Granted most people who left (and are or will be leaving) were from out of state so they were only returning to their home states. Some of these people are my friends, so that makes it even harder, although it is inevitable. But this means the unit is currently hiring more new nurses and if you're willing to move, you're more likely to be able to work in a hospital and learn a lot, as opposed to staying where you are right now, not having a job, or working in a SNF or LTC (which is ok if you like it and not planning on working in the acute care).

3. The charting system, McKesson, is minimal. It took me a while to get used to it. It is fairly easy to use but not as good as Epic. The good news is that we are switching to Epic in September.

4. Bismarck is a nice town to raise a family but can be pretty stale for young single people. There are, however, couple of nice bars that we often frequent to kill time. I do wish we have more things to do and that there would be more variety in food here.

5. The cold weather. It was pretty cold from December to February. There were times when it went into the negatives and the wind chill made going out a huge pain in the you-know-what. Lucky it is a short walk from the car to the hospital. But the weather has been warmer, to the point that some of my patients joked that we are having a heat wave lol. Who knows how long this heat wave will last…though I hope till the end of the year.

6. Medical side of medical/oncology. Medical diagnoses are not that bad because I'm learning a lot, but it made me realize I want to specialize in something. It is just that medical is too broad. I prefer to be really good at something rather than to do ok at everything. I am thinking of specializing in oncology since I'm already on medical/oncology. I told one of my clinical coordinators about my interest in oncology and she was happy that I told her.

Despite all of these things that I'm not too fond of, I still have no regrets about moving here and working at St. Alexius, which is a very good hospital and one that actually hires new grads, both BSN and ADN. I am learning new things everyday and am getting better at caring for my patients and coordinating their care with the interdisciplinary team. Having an acute care experience for my first nursing job is very valuable and will allow me to go to different hospitals later on.

DatMurse is leaving St. As pretty soon so I will be taking over the referral, so if anyone is interested in St. Alexius or Bismarck/Mandan and would like more info, please let me know. I would love to help in any way.

Thank you so much for posting this! I am in a neighboring state and will be done with nursing school (hopefully) in a couple years. I've been researching good hospitals in the midwest that I may apply to in the future. I appreciate your insight and willingness to help out other new grads!

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Specializes in Pediatric OR Nursing.

There was a produce stand in Kmart's parking lot this past summer till early fall. It's the only one I know of within Bismarck. I remember a sign saying they sold fresh corn on the cob. There might be some out of the city limits but I'm not really sure.

And welcome to St. A's Elliot.Kane! I've been there almost 8 months and really like it. I hope you will too!

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Specializes in Medical/Oncology.
You feel pretty comfortable working 48 hours a week? Is the 2200 per 2 week pay period? And is that before or after taxes. Sorry, I'm just curious. Thanks for getting back to me.

I'm feeling pretty comfortable with working a lot of hours now. In fact, I'm working 56 hours this and next week.

Yes, 2200 is my take home pay (after taxes) if I pick up 1 shift per week.

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Thanks for this post. I'm actually preparing now to move to ND to start a job at St. A's within about a week. I'm looking forward to it, and I've really appreciated the feedback from you guys.

How long after orientation did you feel confident picking up extra shifts? And, about how many hours do you work a week now?

Food- you guys have both mentioned that it's expensive. I've been looking at the grocery store options there, and I'm curious where you do your grocery shopping and if there are farmer's markets/produce stands in the summer?

Thanks!

Hi, I think to apply at st. Alexius. I am concerned about the ways of bringing my car. Did you drive it down there? Thank you.

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