Pay rate and working conditions in Laredo, tx

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Aug 29, 2011

The ability to speak fluent Spanish would be of the utmost importance to healthcare workers in Laredo since it is a border town with a 90+ percent Spanish-speaking population. The border towns (Laredo, McAllen, Edinburg, Brownsville, etc.) are known for high nurse/patient ratios such as 8+ patients to 1 nurse in med/surg.

Trilldayz,RN BSN · Sep 3, 2011

As far as payrates are concerned.... they are pretty sucky for new grads (but the more experience you have the easier it will be for you to negotiate.) As of Aug 2011, the pay at Laredo Medical Center for a brand spanking new BSN grad with ACLS/PALS/BLS is $18.50 for orientation time and $19.50/hr after orientation. Doctors Hospital is $19.50. Specialty Hospital is $24 hourly and they SAY that they will give good raises after 3 to 6 months up to $27. (but that hospital is very small....and so not very easy to get hired there.) (I went to nursing school in Laredo.... just graduated in May.....and went right back home to Houston...never wanted to actually work there)

The town is very small minded and annoying in general. (AMAZING food though)and nurses don't speak up for their rights here (well, no one speaks up here, unfortunately and as a person from a big city with such a sense of democracy, this bothers me.) So they just accept anything. And yes, The Commute is right about the patient ratios...but that's in the Med-Surg type areas.... I have seen up to 10!!!!!! The ICUs, Dialysis, and ER are good places to work, IMO. I honestly preferred Doctor's and Specialty before Laredo Medical Center. (there are so many imported nurses at LMC....not that it's a problem, but there is a reason behind it) Besides that, if you don't speak spanish (I don't) it will be difficult....although there are actually many nurses there that don't speak it AT ALL..... and they are managing just fine, because a translator is ALWAYS around lol.

My advice to you is that they NEED nurses....you NEGOTIATE your worth....dont be like everyone else who puts up with their crap.

CCHP-RN · Dec 25, 2012

As far as payrates are concerned.... they are pretty sucky for new grads (but the more experience you have the easier it will be for you to negotiate.) As of Aug 2011, the pay at Laredo Medical Center for a brand spanking new BSN grad with ACLS/PALS/BLS is $18.50 for orientation time and $19.50/hr after orientation. Doctors Hospital is $19.50. Specialty Hospital is $24 hourly and they SAY that they will give good raises after 3 to 6 months up to $27. (but that hospital is very small....and so not very easy to get hired there.) (I went to nursing school in Laredo.... just graduated in May.....and went right back home to Houston...never wanted to actually work there)
The town is very small minded and annoying in general. (AMAZING food though)and nurses don't speak up for their rights here (well, no one speaks up here, unfortunately and as a person from a big city with such a sense of democracy, this bothers me.) So they just accept anything. And yes, The Commute is right about the patient ratios...but that's in the Med-Surg type areas.... I have seen up to 10!!!!!! The ICUs, Dialysis, and ER are good places to work, IMO. I honestly preferred Doctor's and Specialty before Laredo Medical Center. (there are so many imported nurses at LMC....not that it's a problem, but there is a reason behind it) Besides that, if you don't speak spanish (I don't) it will be difficult....although there are actually many nurses there that don't speak it AT ALL..... and they are managing just fine, because a translator is ALWAYS around lol.
My advice to you is that they NEED nurses....you NEGOTIATE your worth....dont be like everyone else who puts up with their crap.

Any updates to pay in Laredo? Someone told me that starting pay for RNs at Doctors Hospital is $35-39/hr... That just blows me away! (December 2012)

moncj66 · Dec 31, 2012

. I went to school there and graduated in may and majority of the people in my class that signed on to work for LMC start around $21.50. I think $35/hr is very high for laredo, they usually underpay the nurses there unless your a travel nurse that may be accurate.