Hospitals in Phoenix Area

[TBone583]

Hi,

I have four years of experience in Michigan and looking to make a move to Phoenix. Does anyone have any advice on what hospitals to recommend applying to or avoiding for nurses in that area?

Things such as pay, quality of life at the job, nurse to patient ratios, resources, etc.

Thanks.

[LadybirdRN]

Well how sad nobody answered your question! I'm an RN who has only worked in one hospital system, Dignity Healthcare, at St. Joseph's. We have a very strong neurosurgical program, do lung transplants, recently we started liver transplants. It's a level one trauma center and because we sort of specialize in neuro, get a lot of traumas that involve head injuries. We keep our ICU beds pretty full, MICU, SICU, TICU. We have labor and delivery, plus a NICU but no peds. It's also a teaching hospital so there are residents. Ratio is pretty generic and the only hospital I can tell you about. ICU is 1-2 or 1-1. Some transplant areas are 3-1. Most floors are 4-1,with an occasional 5-1, though I have never in 7 years had more than 4. We use Cerner EHR.

Banner Health is another system. They are well respected and have trauma as well. They have Psychiatry and oral surgery residents. They have a lot more hospitals than Dignity, which only has 3. They also use cerner.

Maricopa Medical Center is what used to be the "county" hospital. They have an excellent burn unit. All burns go there. They have peds. All I know about them is what I saw during clinicals. Very good staff and nice equipment.

Phoenix Children's Hospital. Very large, very good facility. Amazing cafeteria lol. Great food, low prices. My grandson was a patient there. If you like peds, that's where to go.

These hospitals are all within maybe 10 miles or less away from each other. In Scottsdale, you have a few hospitals, Scottsdale Osborn is the closest to our lakes and they get a lot of water related traumas.

There's a giant Mayo Clinic and a Mayo hospital. I liked it as a patient and they have what seems to be pretty satisfied employees. Their patients have high expectations and they strive to meet those expectations, so it's prob pretty well-staffed.

So, depending on your Nursing interests and where you want to live you should be able to find a good fit. They do cost comparisons and stay fairly competitive with each other. You'd make generally a similar pay, with a similar benefit package.

The current situation is lots of flu patients, lots of staff out with the flu and a strained healthcare system in the whole area. This would be a good time to apply.

[Maemir]

If you are interested in Meza, AZ i can refer you.

[TBone583]

I appreciate both of your responses. I more than likely will be making the move this Fall. Still have some planning to do.

I'm assuming it shouldn't be too hard to get a job in a Phoenix hospital as a staff RN?

I'd likely be living in the southeast portion of the valley. What hospital in Mesa are you referring to?