Poudre Valley Hospital

hope3456, ASN, RN · Aug 18, 2009

I worked for them a couple years ago - they are a good hospital. Decent pay and good staff to pt ratios, and FC is a great community. I did feel that nursing opportunities were pretty limited in northern CO, especially having limited experience I was pretty much just taking what i could get. I worked on a unit that i really didn't have an interest in but didn't have really any other options at the time. From what I observed the turnover is low and they don't have difficulties attracting experienced RN's from other locales who pretty much want to move to FC for the quality of life. If you look at their website http://www.pvhs.org you will see that there is a relief position for the medical floor, i didn't see anything for the oncology unit. I would recommend making darn sure you have a job in place BEFORE relocating.

linden-nurse · Aug 18, 2009

Thanks for your information. I do not plan of moving unless I have secured a position. Thanks again

miki8483 · Aug 29, 2009

I currently work here as a float RN. Decent pay (could always be more:)) A lot of the staff are great and fun to work w/. There are not many positions open here but try MCR which is a PVHS sister hospital in Loveland, CO, which is about 15-20min south of FTC. GOOD LUCK!!

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Aug 30, 2009

I hear nothing but good things about PVH 3 of my neighbors work there as RN's and many students in my Nursing program work there as other roles.

Satori77, ADN · Sep 2, 2009

Me and my family are moving to Ft Collins next month. Great area, great schools (we have 2 kids) and closer for my husband to work. But I am discouraged by the (seemingly) lack of jobs up there. I read on another thread that PVH will hire students from certain schools like FRCC with a contract. Does anyone know more about this? Can anyone attending this school get a contract, or do they only take certain students? What are the details of the contract? Does it help to work at the hospital in another capacity, like a CNA, while in school?

hope3456, ASN, RN · Sep 4, 2009

According to that other post they are not offering the 'contracts' anymore (which would be a good thing) but when I worked there it was pretty much impossible to get an acute care position (as a new grad) w/o one. The way it worked was that before you started nsg school you would apply with them for a 'contract position' and if selected they would pay your tuition if you signed a contract to work with them for 2 years.

Satori77, ADN · Sep 5, 2009

So is it pretty much impossible to get any type of position with them right out of school? Even med/surg? What about other hospitals in that area? Is there anywhere that a nurse can get a job in Ft Collins??

I wouldn't even be started school for a couple of years, so maybe things will be different then. I just hate to go to school, unable to find work afterwards. And I don't want to move. I am wondering if I should go into another health care related field...

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Sep 6, 2009

me and my family are moving to ft collins next month. great area, great schools (we have 2 kids) and closer for my husband to work. but i am discouraged by the (seemingly) lack of jobs up there. i read on another thread that pvh will hire students from certain schools like frcc with a contract. does anyone know more about this? can anyone attending this school get a contract, or do they only take certain students? what are the details of the contract? does it help to work at the hospital in another capacity, like a cna, while in school?

if i were you i would go straight to the horses mouth and ask them, their contact info is on the website. there are many students in my nursing program that work at pvh and have given conflicting stories regarding contracts and i was told something a few weeks ago from the nurse recruiter. so to get factual answers i would contact them directly.

this is directly from their website

[color=#669966]information for new nursing graduates

congratulations on the completion of your nursing program! listed below is information about our program for new graduate rns, as well as answers to frequently asked questions (faqs).

due to contractual agreements with local schools of nursing, we generally have adequate new graduate registered nurses to fill our open positions.

this goes along with what i was told, i was told the contracts were not with individual students like has been done in the past but that they have agreements to hire i think it is 25 students a semester between 3 different schools. (something close to that i can't remember and would have to go search for the email). students are chosen during their last semester when they are doing their internships (or is it externships i can never remember which is which) they also list positions for new nurse grads for er two times a year on the website that is not part of the contracts. again this came straight from the nursing recruiter.

pvh though is not the only medical centers around here. are you a student already or planning on being one??

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Sep 6, 2009

So is it pretty much impossible to get any type of position with them right out of school? Even med/surg? What about other hospitals in that area? Is there anywhere that a nurse can get a job in Ft Collins??
I wouldn't even be started school for a couple of years, so maybe things will be different then. I just hate to go to school, unable to find work afterwards. And I don't want to move. I am wondering if I should go into another health care related field...

If you won't be starting school for a couple years I wouldn't even worry about it. What the market is today does not mean it will be that way in a few years and you said a couple of years and add to that the 2 years in the program, so that is 4-5 years from now. So so so much can change in that time.

hope3456, ASN, RN · Sep 6, 2009

PVH's webpage is very vague - apparently needs updated. Even on the premise that they are hiring 25 students a semester from their 'contracted schools' which include UWyo, UNC and FRCC - that is at least 120 RN grads a year (if not more), and many with BSN's. I'm sure not all of them apply to work at PVH but it would be interesting to know how many new grad applicants they get as opposed to how many job offers are extended i.e. how competitive?? And how many FRCC students? Same with the other hospitals in northern CO.

And a word of warning, do not believe everything that the H.R. dept or the nsg recruiters tell you....they do not do the hiring, the dept. manager does. Their objective is to bring in as many applicants as they can so they look like they are doing their jobs. I know this has been discussed elsewhere on allnurses. And hospitals change their policies all the time - hiring 25 per semester may be the plan now but not in 1 year, 3mo, ect. Who knows - they may go on another hiring freeze. And hiring may pick up too but IMHO Satori's concerns are validated if the area nsg schools continue to graduate as many RN students as they currently are.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Sep 8, 2009

Yes obviously things change, I was giving the poster the most current information I was given, not how I knew things to be a few years ago but how I was told they are as of today. The web-page isn't outdated as it was just updated, it didn't say that same stuff a few months ago so it was just recently changed. I have regularly checked that section of PVH website for the past 3 years. But as I stated to the previous poster, there is no telling what the job situation will be in a few years down the road. Of course the posters concerns are valid, I never stated they weren't :) Just stating that so much can change especially when you are talking 4-5 years from now that I wouldn't worry over it now. They are moving here for her husbands job not moving here with her the only one working and will be trying to find a New Graduate RN position right now.