dixiejoe88

Talked to HR and some current nurses. Baptist's WOW program is a Baylor, meaning you work 2 days, they pay you for 3. They also pay benefits to part time staff. Further, as of a couple months ago, they were offering $20k bonus if you have 2 years experience in the specialty and a BSN. $10K bonus at the end of 1 year, 5k at 18 mo and last 5k at 24. I've also heard that Kentucky One facilities regularly have incentive shifts where you can pick up on a short unit at any of their hospitals for $10-$30 extra per hour. Sounds nice but makes me thing they must be stretched super thin to offer that kind of money.

Some of your diffilculty may be related to hospitals pursuing magnet status and trying to increase the # of BSN RNs vs LPNs and LVNs. The hospital I most recently worked at might have 50 RN jobs listed at any given time and only 1-2 LPN jobs.

Houston; bleh. I think these lists are fairly short-sighted as they are dealing only with tangeable financial benefits. With an awesome profession that (often) allows us to have 4 days off a week, proximity to recreation is important to me. I just left Charleston, SC and while the pay isn't great relative to cost of living (downtown) I was always torn between several options of fun outtings. Basically, there's a reason that hospitals in the cities on this list have to pay their employees more to retain them.

Interested in travel nursing in SLC or near a Utah ski resort. Do any of ya'll know if hospitals near the slopes hire seasonal nurses over the winter? Or do you know of how regularly travel nurses are utilized by SLC hospitals? Thanks in advance.

Where do you see that Baptist is offering sign-on bonuses?

Does anybody know about weekend only and/or Baylor programs? Any hospitals in the area still doing those? What about weekend shift differentials? I've also heard that due to shortages, the KentuckyOne hospitals offer bonus pay for short shifts. Any additional info on any of these would be much appreciated.

Very helpful information on this thread, thanks to all. I'm currently working a travel assignment at Baptist. There are definitely people leaving for Norton but nobody seems to be able to say why. They're about to switch from McKesson to Epic so some are dreading that "go-live" process. I've heard a few complaints about managers. My general (limited) feeling is that a few people left and it opened the flood gates. It's easier to leave when your friends are leaving (and your unit is short handed as a result.)

Going to look again at Summit County and VVMC seasonal positions this year. How's the traveling going Argo?

you asked, "what are some job opportunities available?" He responded, "the patient does not hire or pay you- the hospital does." He did answer your question, you should be thankful.

Does anyone know if their hospitals in Utah use travelers? Ever heard about what they make? I'd love to take a winter travel assignment in SLC.

Hoping some seasonal assignments start being posted in the next month or two. Argo, are you still working there? Things going ok?

I've checked their website fairly regularly, year-round and haven't seen the seasonal positions listed yet. Anybody have insight as to when these show up and if they're in the normal career section. Thanks! -Joe

"Also, that there is no Chemistry req is a bad thing." How's that? MUSC's accelerated BSN program has no chemistry pre-req and has a 95-100% pass rate.

Sorry I'm just getting back to you. You're looking at $25-$26/hr base rate w/ night and weekend differentials between $1-$7 depending on the hospital and what shift. I know very little about working at the VA. A friend's girlfriend got a job there as a new grad and I do know that the pay and benefits are substantially better than other area hospitals but she's nota fan of the environment. Looking to move elsewhere once her residency ends.

Hope you enjoy Charleston! Availability is good right now. Get a job before May when all of the new grads from the 3 local nursing programs finish up. Musc and Roper downtown are the two best places to work w/ MUSC having many more options. Pay will be similar ($25/hr base rate) w/ a couple bucks less an hour being paid at peripheral hospitals. I would suggest the shotgun method of applications to MUSC and Roper. Both apps are pains in the butt but you can apply to as many positions as you want w/ just one app (it saves your info). Where are you or do you plan to live in Charleston?

I've read that on other forums and heard it from other places. Unfortunate really. I supposed there's no shortage of people wanting to work there though. Do you think a year of ICU experience would be sufficient for landing a seasonal position?

You only have to have 1 year of ICU experience to take the CCRN exam. My hospital requires that I take a 6 month Essentials of Critical Care (ECCO) course that I've started. Each of the nurses on my unit from the last cohort that took the exam right after finishing the course passed. I understand that 2 years will make me much more marketable and fully expect to need to wait until then. That being said, is there any reason to not at least apply to seasonal positions or a travel agency after one year? Is there more at risk than rejection? Thanks for your input.

New nurse that grew up in the area and did both of my bachelor degrees in downtown Charleston. Affordable housing can be found in any part of Charleston if you have time to hunt. I live in an older 3 bedroom house downtown for $1100/month. If you want a nicer place in a very safe neighborhood your best bets are North Mt Pleasant, West Ashley, North Charleston, Summerville or (if you really hunt) James Island. I work downtown and for me, being able to ride my bike to work and leave 15 minutes before my shift outweighs the $300ish in extra rent I pay by not living in North Charleston. MUSC is the only hospital I've worked at but the consensus from my coworkers that have worked at other hospitals is that MUSC is the best. It's a teaching hospital so most md attitudes towards nurses are very understanding w/ a tendency to help you learn. The private hospital and VA just down the street pay better but the work environment isn't as good. Trident is a great place to start out but I don't know anybody that's moved to Roper or MUSC from Trident and not greatly enjoyed the change. If anybody ends up working at Trident, it will be easier to access from the cheaper areas to live. Cheers and good luck!

I'm an RN at the largest teaching hospital in the state. There are few LPN jobs posted at our hospital. Further, w/o a connection it is becoming difficult to find jobs that don't specify "BSN only." Most of the major hospitals in the area are pursuing magnet status. That being said, there is a significant aging population in Charleston and rehab hospitals, nursing homes and retirement communities that often hire new grads, ADNs and LPNs. Check out Vibra hospital in Mt Pleasant. I know several new grads that started out there, worked a year, then found a job at MUSC or Roper.

I'm a new-grad nurse (until June '15) in a Neuro ICU. I have a compact license, tech experience and plan to get my CCRN in June. I'm very interested in aiming for a seasonal position or travel contract in or near a ski area. My limited understanding is that many of these places hire seasonal staff (nov-mayish) for obvious reasons. If anyone has experience, tips are greatly appreciated. Is it better to look for openings through a travel agency recruiter or talk to specific hospital's recruiters directly? What else can I do to make myself more marketable to these hospitals. I'm obligated to remain in my unit until June but am elligible to pick up ER shifts soon and plan to. Thanks and happy new year!

I'd love to hear an update. I'm still a new grad (will be a year in June), NSICU nurse but am very interested in travel / seasonal work in ski areas.