Kkmars

Thank you guys for all your opinions. I ended up picking UNC Rex! A lot of things played into consideration but UNC Rex outweighed Duke in my opinion.

Hello! I'm graduating in December with my BSN and I have received offers to work in the ICU at both UNC Rex and Duke. I'm super indecisive because I know both will give me great opportunities! For the people who work at Duke or Rex Could anybody give me some input to help me with this decision? I know Rex is more family friendly, a lot of 30+ year olds who are married and have kids, and I'm younger and single so I don't know if I would fit in and make friends considering I have never lived in the triangle before and I won't have family around. I've heard Duke has a big reputation because they know their the best, so they don't always treat you so well. I'm up for the challenge so I won't let that deter me but I just know to keep my guard up. On the flip side, they will get all the challenging patients and with their hospital being huge I would meet more people my age. I'm having lots of questions about both of the places. Any suggestions and honesty would be appreciated!

I have been to behavioral health. It is a little different there because they aren't a part of the tower but that all depends because now they have a lot of nurses in the ED for behavioral health and they get floated from behavioral health hospital to ED too because we get ALOT Of IVC patients. So just depends on if you're gonna be permanent in behavioral health or you will have to work in ED too. Wilmington also has a lottttt of drug use especially downtown and the hospital is usually full of psych patients. Leland is a good area because it's calm and down to earth BUT the only thing I hear a lot of people dislike is the bridge that you have to get on and off. When it's traffic time it takes a long time to get to Wilmington and back. I have a few friends in Leland and when it's the morning and 5pm traffic it can be really hard.

Hello I wanted to ask if you got an offer at Duke. If so where at and if you took it! Congrats if so! If you are at Duke, how are you liking it so far? I have a couple of questions because I received an offer and would like to know how things have been going for other new grads.

To answer your question about pay I'm not sure since I will be a new grad but I know new grads start out making $22.40. Wilmington has the worst hospital pay ever. They use it as an excuse because they say well you're at the beach and won't need a vacation so why pay more? It's monopolized. If you're gonna live here you're definitely gonna have to expect a pay cut for ANY job and it's really sad that that's how they treat people here considering cost of living.

I am going to be completely honest with you. I worked for NHRMC for over a year (just recently quit) and I am a nursing student so I have also had clinicals there and been all over the hospital. I am now about to graduate and I would say RUN! NHRMC has the Nurse eat their young type of environment. None of the nursing students who work there now want to stay. The only ones who are staying are the ones who have family and children here and cannot leave. I would have loved to work for NHRMC but I learned by working for them they had this mentality of "everyone wants to work here so we are always watching you, you're always being judged, even during clinical" I have been to other hospitals in the surrounding areas and have been greeted so nicely. They are honored to have me there and make me feel welcomed whereas NHRMC never did that for me. It made me feel like I had to show them why they should pick me even though they are in dire need of nurses. I honestly would not recommend that hospital to anybody. When I did my clinicals there I made sure to ask a lot of the nurses why they were there or what they liked about working there and the only thing I ever received was "I'm here because this is the only hospital in Wilmington" DO NOT choose a hospital that only gives you one place to work. These people are burnt out, fatigued, and hateful. They don't like their jobs and you can tell. As far as housing, wilmington has limited housing. It can be very hard to find housing. I currently live in a 2 bedroom apartment and I pay $900 a month without utilities included. I don't know what you're looking for but houses go off the market pretty fast here. Please just think about all of these options before you move here. It is not what it seems! I graduate very soon and will be moving out of here (I came here just to go to school). I got a position at a hospital in Raleigh! I thought wilmington would be a great place, and it is! I love the atmosphere but the hospital will not give you a great experience. You will be burnt out. I hope this helps! I wish you the best of luck!