Psych nursing in SF

[Marcus119]

Hi all,

I’m an RN working inpatient psych in the Sacramento area and am considering relocating to SF next year. I understand there are two inpatient psych wards in SF: Langley Porter and a psych unit that’s part of Saint Francis Hospital. Wanted to hear from anyone that works at either of these. Are you happy there? What are the staffing ratios like? Do you have security/do you feel safe? And what’s they pay like? Feel free to PM anything you’re not comfortable posting publicly.

[TronJames4, BSN]

Hi, not sure if you ended up getting any information since this post if from a few months ago. I don't work at these hospitals but the psych community is close in the bay area and many of us work with people who have worked at other psych hospitals or have friends there. I currently work inpatient psych and emergency psych in San Jose. I have co-workers who have worked at Saint Francis and really liked it there. It is Dignity Health so they pay very well. I also know people who work at there adolescent psych inpatient, Saint Mary's, and they really like it there as well. I have also heard really good things about Langley Porter, it is part of UCSF so the union contract should be available online. As long as it is a union hospital in the area they tend to stick to the nurse/patient ratios (1:6).

In SF there is also SF General (county hospital) inpatient psych and CPMC (Sutter) inpatient psych. It is also a short drive/commute to Alameda County and San Mateo County.

Feel free to PM me with any questions. I would also like to know about psych hospitals in the Sacramento area if you wouldn't mind sharing or PM me. Thanks

[Marcus119]

Hi. Thanks for your response. I actually just got hired at one of the inpatient psych units in SF, though I don’t want to say which one publicly. If you want to work psych in Sacramento area then you want to either work for Sutter Center For Psychiatry or you want to commute to Woodland Memorial Hospital out in Woodland. WMH is Dignity Health and they do 12s. It’s a great place to work. I’ve heard good things about Sutter Center for Psych but haven’t worked there myself. They’re 8s. You absolutely do NOT want to work for Heritage Oaks Hospital or Sierra Vista. I used to work at heritage oaks and it was truly miserable. Sierra Vista is the same company and colleagues have told me they’re just as bad. Let me know if there’s anything else specific you want to know.