re: nursing in North Carolina

P_RN, ADN, RN · Mar 10, 2002

Do you like the mountains or the beach? Do you want a teaching hospital or a private one. Towards the Atlantic the beaches are awesome, barrier islands. The middle of the state Charlotte (The Queen City) is one of my favorites and on up there is Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina.....Duke....etc....all in the "Research Triangle." Now MY ALL TIME favorite part is the mountains! I LOVE the NC mountains. The towns near there are smaller than the rest of the state, but you are not all that far from South Carolina ...Greenville-Spartanburg....or Tennessee...Knoxville etc.

What ever you want, you will find.....and by the way.....check out South Carolina too......"Smiling Faces Beautiful Places".....we have Myrtle Beach, Charleston, Columbia, and the aforementioned Greenville-Spartanburg.

Welcome and "come on down."

All41 · Mar 10, 2002

I am located in Winston-Salem. I work at NC Baptist Hospital in the OR. It is a great place to work. Winston-Salem is half way between the mountains and the coast. I would be glad to assist you with information on other locations in NC. [email protected]

Mary Dover · Mar 10, 2002

In NC here too. Yep - it's a beautiful place. I'm only about an hour from the beach and it's just a few more hours in the other direction to the mountains. An old tourism ad said "I Like Calling North Carolina Home", and for me that's the truth. Several hospitals in the state that are worth checking into. Come on down y'all. You might love it.

4XNURSE · Mar 10, 2002

Originally posted by P_RN
...Greenville-Spartanburg....or Tennessee...Knoxville etc.
and the aforementioned Greenville-Spartanburg.
Welcome and "come on down." [/b]

Stay away from Mary Black Memorial in Spartanburg.

You can contact me for reasons, - off the BB.

ken :devil:

Joules · Mar 10, 2002

Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville is a pretty nice hospital. Greenville is just a short drive from Atlantic Beach (maybe 2 hours or so). Has a temperate climate (shirt-sleeve weather today) and people are very friendly. Very seldom will you encounter pt's such as the ones on "this nurse's" posts. The hospital offers a variety of specialities, generous sign on bonuses, fair salaries, will help with relocation and further education. Actually the salary I make at PCMH is one of the best in the area. Cost of living is reasonable--however, area is economically depressed and other good-paying jobs are scarce. Has reasonably-priced insurance for staff. Doctors are generally nice to work with (there always will be those few that are rude and arrogant wherever you go). Most of the time, nurses are respected by the doctors and there is a collegial atmosphere, conducive to learning. Has clinical ladder program, great preceptorship/orientation (12 weeks for new grads in ICU units). Is hiring new grads right into ICU's. My advice would be to stay away from the general medical or surgical floors. You have 6 patients on dayshift and 8 at night :eek: --way too many, way too sick patients, way too busy. Can't keep these floors staffed (for good reason); so don't get sucked into that. Of the intermediate floors, the cardiac intermediate unit is great--the others are just plain horrid (medical intermediate/surgical intermediate--you may end up with 4 patients on a vent in these places:eek: ). You may enjoy the ICU's--the cardiac intensive care unit is the best (IMHO), but also have a cardiac-surgical intensive care unit (doctors are mean, nurses can be, too), a medical intensive care unit and a neuro-trauma intensive care unit (also GREAT unit) -- all offering positions. Staffing ratio is great in the ICU's--two patients per nurse. Floating charge. Lot's of support when you need it, day or night. Don't know much about the children's hospital. I do know, however, that the NICU nurses can be brutal to new grads, so beware. :eek: L& D and birthing center are good floors with supportive nurses.

lever5 · Mar 10, 2002

Pitt is one of the hospitals that require you to take that Performance-based Development System test. Not hard to pass if you know what to expect. But not like any test you have taken before.

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Mar 10, 2002

Lever, (this is off topic, please forgive me) when are you going to come out with your Preparing for the PBDS web page? Can't wait to see it!!!! It sure will be a big help.

kewlnurse · Mar 10, 2002

What are we talkin salary wise, My brother ni law work in one of the hospials in the Raleigh are (no clue which one) calime wih ot he makes 6 digits?

CC NRSE · Mar 10, 2002

i'm kinda looking at that area (raleigh, durham, chapel hill) myself, for a travel position,....i have been quoted anywhere between $24-$26/hr. pay is not all that great. i am making more than that here in texas!!!!! :eek: have also heard really good things about greenville sc (pitt i think) but i also know they pay less than north carolina. some of the best paying travel positions right now are in new york. some paying as much as $50/hr!!!!! just don't know if i could handle all the cold weather and snow. even for $50/hr!!!! :)

Jolie, BSN · Mar 10, 2002

I left Charlotte 10 years ago, and how I wish I could go back! Bought my first, brand new house in a nice neighborhood for $125,000 and paid yearly real estate taxes of $800! Enjoyed a mild, 4 season climate, and spent many weekends in Hilton Head or Myrlte Beach! Pay seemed reasonable at the time, as compared to cost of living. I'd go back in a minute!

To CC NRSE, There is a Greenville in both NC and SC. Pitt would be in NC. Enjoy, if you decide to go!

lever5 · Mar 10, 2002

Worken' on site. Have to have girl child's help. 25 years old, hard to catch.