Opinions on Tucson Hospitals

suzanne4, RN · Dec 19, 2004

would anyone working at local tucson hospitals please share their employment pros and cons with me? my husband and i are relocating to this area in june, 2005 after i graduate from nursing school. i would like to hear from the troops which hospital would be great for a new grad to begin her career in.
i look forward to hearing from any and all of you. happy holidays to all!! :present2:
cindy :balloons:

my two suggestions would be tucson medical center and the university hopsital for most specialties. northwest has a fabulous ob unit. what areas are you interested i working in, this will also play a part in recommendations.

good luck................ :balloons:

live4today, RN · Dec 19, 2004

One of the places I'm considering for a travel assignment is Tucson or Phoenix because I have a sister and her husband who reside there. We don't get to spend nearly enough time together, so that would be a great assignment for me. :)

I've lived in Phoenix before back in the early 1970's. I also spent a couple of days visiting my sister there this past summer in route from California to here. I'll be reading this thread for some hints of where to work there, too, just in case I decide to travel there sometime in 2005. :)

caiaccarino · Dec 19, 2004

My two suggestions would be Tucson Medical Center and the University Hopsital for most specialties. Northwest has a fabulous OB unit. What areas are you interested i working in, this will also play a part in recommendations.
Good luck................ :balloons:

It has been recommended that a new grad spend some time on a Med-Surg unit for atleast 1 year to learn skills not learned in clinicals due to circumstance. I beleive that is what I am going to do before I determine if I want to specialize. Northwest has already called me and wants me to call back closer to graduation for an interview.

Thanks for the answer! :)

Cindy :balloons:

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Dec 20, 2004

I have been a traveler in the ER since mid August and have extended thru May already. It is extremely busy, but has a progressive manager who is nurse friendly and a very nurturing staff. I felt like I had met old friends right off the bat. I have not worked in other areas of the hospital but the general enviornment seems good. I don't get the impression the floor staff or ICU staff is getting killed like some places I have been. The supervisors seem reasonable as well. They appear to have good benefits. I don't know about salaries because that is not generally discussed. They don't have Peds but do have a big OB department and deliver a lot of babies.

iliket3 · Dec 22, 2004

I've accepted a job at TMC. I attended an "RN Open House" in which they flew me down and I stayed at a nice hotel for 2 nites. I was extremely impressed with the people. I was shocked at how nice everyone is. And the funny thing is - most of the people I met were not from Tucson. Everywhere else BUT Tucson. I only met 2 natives. I'm interested in critical care and they have one class starting in Jan but that's too soon for me to move. So I'll be starting the June class (over a year since I graduated!). Anyway, it's been 7 months and nobody has called me for an interview. So we finally decided to hit the road. I'm getting a little wordy here - bottom line is I loved TMC. So that's where I'll be in June. Good luck

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Dec 22, 2004

Iliket3 - you will love Tucson. I had to move away 1 year ago and still miss it. Enjoy.

Tucwebb · Dec 23, 2004

University Medical Center is Tucson's "teaching hospital." You will encounter student of all kinds there (nursing, medical RT, etc.). I work there as a PCT and enjoy it. Northwest Hospital will take anyone. I've heard good and bad things about TMC - it depends on which unit you work on. St. Joe's and St. Mary's are both good hospitals as well, and then there is the VA and Tucson Heart Hospital. My sister is a traveler who has worked at Northwest Hospital, TMC, and St. Mary's. She will not go back to TMC because of the way she was treated by the workers there. She is very disappointed with the attitude of the management at Northwest. She has renewed her contract 3 times with St. Mary's and just signed on as a seasonal worker there.

As a student nurse I have worked at UMC (loved it), Tucson Heart Hospital (small and very nice), El Dorado (hated it), and St. Mary's (accepted a new grad position there - great benefits). This last semester I will have clinicals at TMC so will find out for myself. Hope this helps. (Please keep in mind that these were the experiences of just two people and may not reflect the experiences of others.)

caiaccarino · Dec 23, 2004

Thank you everyone for the helpful info on Tucson area hospitals. Now, could someone help with benefits and pay scales? I really think I just want to work med-surg for awhile, so that's the salary scale I would be interested in. I want to assure hubby that we will be able to afford our land purchase. We've already bought 4 acres out by Marana... it is so beautiful out there.

Thanks for your help,

Cindy :icon_lol:

Tanker · Jan 22, 2005

I think that Tucson area is probably like most other areas in that Nurse Grads will bet paid about the same everywhere. From what I have been told NGs make about $19/hr to start. The differences may be shift dif and benefits and of course environment.

Over the summer I interviewed at UMC and was really impressed. I graduate 5/05 and will be relocating to Tucson too. We just put a deposit on a house in Catalina. Looks like a place where you can really learn and grow. I am also interested in the VA. From what I hear they WANT to start you on the Med-Surg floor first. They also give 5 weeks vacation to all RNs plus 2 weeks sick time. Typically 2x for holidays. The VA is on the south side of town near the airport. I want to check Northwest - Oro Valley (like 5 minutes from my future house) to see if they will take NGs come spring (they are just opening this month).

Thank you everyone for the helpful info on Tucson area hospitals. Now, could someone help with benefits and pay scales? I really think I just want to work med-surg for awhile, so that's the salary scale I would be interested in. I want to assure hubby that we will be able to afford our land purchase. We've already bought 4 acres out by Marana... it is so beautiful out there.
Thanks for your help,
Cindy :icon_lol:

BadBird, BSN, RN · Jan 22, 2005

I too am thinking about relocating to Tuscon area and wonder what it is like living there. I have 10 years experience, 8 of them in critical care. What are the rents like? Are there areas that are better than others for a out of stater, any helpful hints would be welcome.

caiaccarino · Jan 22, 2005

I too am thinking about relocating to Tuscon area and wonder what it is like living there. I have 10 years experience, 8 of them in critical care. What are the rents like? Are there areas that are better than others for a out of stater, any helpful hints would be welcome.

My husband and I took a week of vacation to tour most of the state before we decided on the Tucson area. We chose to buy 4 acres in the extended desert area to get away from the congestion of city/suburban living. We want to see our neighbors through binoculars, lol! Lots of small towns to choose from; much better living than in the city/suburbs. This is just our opinion as to where to live in Tucson.

Cindy