Questions about working in hospitals in NC. I'll be moving there soon.

[ChristopherB, BSN, RN]

I'm planning to move to North Carolina soon for several reasons. I want to be closer to Family, get away from the northern winters, and also have lower in state tuition costs. I've spent some time in various parts of the state and seemed to enjoy it no matter where I was. I currently have four years of Med/Surg ICU and Cardiac Low Level/Step down experience. Now I'm looking for a new place to work and want to hear form people that work in those places.

I'd like to to get opinions of people who work there about their employer. If you don't feel like talking about your employer in public, feel free to send me an email or private message with the details. Thank you for your time.

• What are the benefits your employer offers and their costs if any? Health Insurance? Dental Insurance? Vision Insurance? 401K/retirement/pension? My current employer pays the full cost of health insurance for employees, but dental and vision insurance cost extra. They match 2% or 3% of our retirement contributions. Sometimes I find this info on hospital web sites, but sometimes its vague or not detailed.
  
• Are 12 hours shifts available? How many 12 hour shifts are full time per week or month? My current employer requires thirteen 12 hours shifts every 4 weeks to be considered full time. I've heard of many hospitals that consider three 12 hour shifts per week full time.
  
• How much vacation time and sick time do you get? What are the policies about using it? My current employer gives us verbal warnings if we are sick more than 3 times in a 12 month period and a written warning if we are sick more than 4 times in a 12 month period.
  
• What would the hourly pay rate or annual salary be for a nurse with 4 years experience?
  
• Is it self scheduling or does someone else such as management or a scheduling committee make your schedule for you?
  
• What is the shift differential for night shift and weekends? I've heard many hospitals in NC offer a $3-$5/hr shift differential for night shift and some offer $7-$10/hr if you work on a weekend. The shift differential at my hospital has increased by fifteen cents since 1980. Its currently $0.75/hr and in 1980 it was $0.60/hr.
  
• What is the pay rate for overtime? Is there mandatory overtime? If I'm willing to work overtime, how often is it available?
  
• What happens when the census is low and the RN's get put on call or furloughed? How often does it happen? Do the RN's get paid at a reduced rate? Do they have to use PTO/Vacation time if they want to be paid when on call or furloughed?
  
• If it a magnet hospital and do you think it makes any difference in working there? I currently work at a Magnet hospital and it seem that te hospital does the bare minimum to keep their Magnet status and views nurses as easily replaceable, doesn't care about keeping experienced nurses, and many of the managers will "throw their nurses under a bus" when it comes to issues with other departments.
  
• What is the attitude of management toward staff and supporting staff?
  
• Is there a union for the nurses? How much are the union dues?
  
• Overall, how much do you like working where you work now?
  

Again, thanks for your time?

[icu_tobe]

I am currently a student but have 4 yrs experience and lots of rn friends. UNC is a great place to work. They have 15% pay dif for night weekends, 10% for nights, and 5% for weekends. Benefits are given to you and we usually get bonus's in the fall (maybe not 2010 bc of 2009 economy). I have had clinical in many other sites and was very disappointed. I love electronic orders and being a team member not a divided union. This hospital does top notch patient care and most nurses would do anything for the patient. the worst part is the parking and students walking the streets, overall, this is the best place to work for!! good luck

[elkpark]

I would strongly encourage you to find a job here before you move. NC did not have a nursing shortage before the economy tanked, and, since then, the same factors that have produced a glut of nurses in other areas (nurses returning to the workplace for because spouses/partners lost jobs, facilities/employers cutting back and tightening their belts, waves of new grads entering the nursing market twice a year, etc.) are also operating in NC -- plus, all the nurses (among others) who are always moving here from everywhere else in the country. :)

Job benefits and retirement plans are, AFAIK, pretty comparable to anywhere else. Salaries vary quite a bit across the state, depending on the location. They are lower in general (again, AFAIK from reading here) than in the North, but you will not find the cost of living to be dramatically lower in the more desirable areas of NC to live (like the Triangle area). Lots of facilities use 12-hour shifts. There are no nursing unions in NC (like the rest of the South, it is a "right to work" state and employers have been v. vigilant in keeping unions out). Like anywhere else, there are v. good healthcare employers in NC, v. bad healthcare employers, and every possibility in between.

Best wishes --

[ChristopherB, BSN, RN]

In my area, nurses' salaries aren't nearly as high as many of the larger cities in the north. I live in an area with quite a few nursing schools and the hospital keep salaries low and view the staff as easily replacable. From what I've read here, I might end up with abotu the same hourly rate.

I wasn't planning to move until I had a job. No point in moving the relocating to a different part of the state a little while later.

Thanks again!

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Just sent you a PM, ChristopherB