RN moving to Augusta, GA area this July...info on hospitals and potential jobs pls!

bigrigcowboy · May 22, 2010

Welcome to Augusta. In addition to the great climate, Augusta is fortunate to have 6 major hospitals (pretty good for a town our size). My suggestion is to start on the websites of the following hospitals: 1) University Hospital, 2) Doctors Hospital, 3) MCG Hospital {medical college of Georgia}, 4) Eisenhower Medical Center {on post at Ft. Gordon}, 5) VA Hospital and 6) Trinity Hospital.

jb2u, ASN, RN · May 23, 2010

Welcome. To add to bigrigcowboy...

1. University Hospital - great cardiac hospital. They have neuro icu, stroke unit, med/surg icu, and cardiac icu (built into the cardiac towers building). The cardiac floor is now used for both icu and tele patients. Basically, you can go from being a tele nurse to a cardiac icu nurse or icu to tele on any given day (some like this, most do not). That being said, I really like this hospital. They also have a busy ER, palliative care floor, cath lab, and an outstanding women's center.

2. Doctors Hospital - Their claim to fame is their burn center. They get people from all over the southeast. They also have a rather nice rehab facility.

3. MCG - The main ER facility. They have all the icu's and a trauma icu. They have the children's medical center and a psych floor. They also have all the students and residents, if you like dealing with that. Not a bad place to work, I hear they are the highest paying facility, but the parking suuucks as far as I'm concerned. You may have to park down the street and shuttle or walk your way to the hospital.

4. Eisenhower - I do not know much about them. I have been told that it is a great work environment, and those that work there seem to be happy with it.

5. VA - well, it's the VA. Good benefits (I guess), but I always hear complaints about the VA no matter what state. Some say the pay is great, others say the pay is low. They also have an uptown and downtown facility. I'm not sure which one is better or how they differ.

6. Trinity - small hospital. They have a bariatric floor, one icu, L&D, and small ER. Very friendly staff, people will know that you are new just by seeing you and introduce themselves with a smile. They just received status to handle STEMI's in the cath lab. The pay is one of the lowest in the area.

added one more to cowboy's list...

7. Select specialty hospital - Personally, I would not want to work here, but I've heard the pay is good. Plus, they are the only one's that I see still given sign-on bonus for full time. At least I think they still do. They are an intermediate hospital. They can take vent pt's on the floor that are not ready to go to a rehab facility, but are ready to be d/c'ed from the hospital.

I can say this....as an rn, you will have options in Augusta as far as where to work!!!

DelanaRN, MSN, APRN, NP · May 24, 2010

Thank you so much! I previously did an internet search on Augusta hospitals and came up with this list. I began applying for jobs through the hospital websites in April but haven't heard much from any hospital but Select Specialty...and we just keep playing phone tag. I am trying to pep myself up by saying I am not hearing much back because I can't begin work until late July, early to mid August, and when people/companies post jobs, they aren't thinking months out. It's rather depressing though, I will tell you. I appreicate your taking the time to respond. I will go back to these websites and try again.

Welcome to Augusta. In addition to the great climate, Augusta is fortunate to have 6 major hospitals (pretty good for a town our size). My suggestion is to start on the websites of the following hospitals: 1) University Hospital, 2) Doctors Hospital, 3) MCG Hospital {medical college of Georgia}, 4) Eisenhower Medical Center {on post at Ft. Gordon}, 5) VA Hospital and 6) Trinity Hospital.

DelanaRN, MSN, APRN, NP · May 24, 2010

Thank you for taking the time to make/add to the previous posters list and to add such wonderful, enlightening detail. As someone who has never visited or been to the area, any information provided is extensively helpful. As mentioned in a previous reply (see above) I went to the hospital websites and began applying back in April and all through the month of May. I haven't heard back from anyone but Select Specialty. SS and I keep playing phone tag, as I still work full time as a Hospice RN Case Manager, and I do not answer my phone when I am with patients. I will be trying to call them again tomorrow. I am not sure if I am not hearing back from these hospitals because:

A. I only graduated with my RN last year, so am basically a new grad in some respects, esp in the eyes of an acute care setting.

B. My nursing experience thus far is solely Hospice, first as an on call LPN for nights and weekends, and then upon completion of my RN degree to Case Manager. I love my patients and enjoy my work, but have already become burned out with the long on call nights/weekends. Additionally, I would like to get back into the hospital setting and work my 3 twelve hours shifts and then go home, not to mention the added bonus of sharpening my acute care clinical skills and making myself more marketable in the future.

C. I can't begin work until late July or early to mid August...perhaps that might be a deterent to some.

D. I still have a Missouri address as I will not be moving to Augusta until late June/early July.

I will continue to apply online. Additionally, I am working on a packet that would include a cover letter and resume tailored to the position(s) I am interested in, and including letters of reference. I will then forward them to the nursing recruiter at each hospital. When I arrive to the area, I will then personally deliver a second packet to each facility in person. I pray that will make a positve impression on those with authority to hire and I will be considered for areas I would love to venture into such as postpartum/L&D/nursery or ER. Of course, that is kind of unlikely with no formal training in those areas other than clinical rotations, so I will of course be looking into Med-Surg as well.

In addition to those you have listed, I also applied to Aiken Regional as SC is a compact state and I enjoy the more rural hospital atmosphere. It seems that it will take some time to obtain my GA license, and if I could be hired at ARMC, I wouldn't have to get a GA license at all.

If you can think of any legitimate nursing recruiter names in the area or can give me some good places to start, I would greatly appreciate it. Again, thanks so much for your reply.

Regards, Delana

Welcome. To add to bigrigcowboy...
1. University Hospital - great cardiac hospital. They have neuro icu, stroke unit, med/surg icu, and cardiac icu (built into the cardiac towers building). The cardiac floor is now used for both icu and tele patients. Basically, you can go from being a tele nurse to a cardiac icu nurse or icu to tele on any given day (some like this, most do not). That being said, I really like this hospital. They also have a busy ER, palliative care floor, cath lab, and an outstanding women's center.
2. Doctors Hospital - Their claim to fame is their burn center. They get people from all over the southeast. They also have a rather nice rehab facility.
3. MCG - The main ER facility. They have all the icu's and a trauma icu. They have the children's medical center and a psych floor. They also have all the students and residents, if you like dealing with that. Not a bad place to work, I hear they are the highest paying facility, but the parking suuucks as far as I'm concerned. You may have to park down the street and shuttle or walk your way to the hospital.
4. Eisenhower - I do not know much about them. I have been told that it is a great work environment, and those that work there seem to be happy with it.
5. VA - well, it's the VA. Good benefits (I guess), but I always hear complaints about the VA no matter what state. Some say the pay is great, others say the pay is low. They also have an uptown and downtown facility. I'm not sure which one is better or how they differ.
6. Trinity - small hospital. They have a bariatric floor, one icu, L&D, and small ER. Very friendly staff, people will know that you are new just by seeing you and introduce themselves with a smile. They just received status to handle STEMI's in the cath lab. The pay is one of the lowest in the area.
added one more to cowboy's list...
7. Select specialty hospital - Personally, I would not want to work here, but I've heard the pay is good. Plus, they are the only one's that I see still given sign-on bonus for full time. At least I think they still do. They are an intermediate hospital. They can take vent pt's on the floor that are not ready to go to a rehab facility, but are ready to be d/c'ed from the hospital.
I can say this....as an rn, you will have options in Augusta as far as where to work!!!

jb2u, ASN, RN · May 25, 2010

I think the problem is the HR departments. Your best bet would be to try to talk to the manager on the floor you would like to work. I worked with one guy in ICU that just walked up to the ICU and said, "my name is ***. I just moved here, and I am a critical care nurse." He asked for the charge nurse, asked if she would show him around the unit, and then asked what the manager's name was and what a good time to reach her would be. He ended up getting the job. The manager met him and asked him to submit an application to HR. After that, she followed up by calling HR and saying "hey, I want to hire this guy *** did you get his application yet?" If he would have went straight to HR, he probably would still be waiting on a call!!

I'll give you a little more info on Augusta later. I wish you all the best with your job search.

jb2u, ASN, RN · May 26, 2010

OK..here is my take on Augusta (and please keep in mind that I really do not care too much for Augusta).

Pros (IMHO)

1. If you love golfing (I do not), welcome to the home of the masters. Augusta lives on this one week tournament. Some businesses claim to operate in the red until this week. People rent out their homes for thousands of dollars for this one week.

2. The weather really is not that bad. Summers are humid and hot, but the winters are, for the most part, snowless. I guess if you like snow this would be a negative. I personally like snow, but you can always vacation somewhere and leave the

shoveling to someone else when you leave.

3. Cost of living is low.

Cons (IMHO)

1. Crime is a little too high for me. Mainly caused by wanna-be thugs and poor parenting. There is a gang problem here, but

the police are taking it seriously. The mall also stepped up security and that seems to have helped a lot there. I think they saw what was headed their way if they did nothing. Crime is also high because of the bad economy. That being said, if you know when and where to go, it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

2. The public school system is in desperate need of help. If you have kids, stay out of Richmond county. You would be better off going to Evans (Columbia County) or North Augusta (which is actually South Carolina). In fact, I'd say stick to these areas even if you do not have kids. It will cost you more for a house in Evans, just so you know.

3. Not much to do. There is an attempt to get bigger acts (concerts, musicals, etc.) that seems to be working out. Putt-putt golf courses are poorly kept in my opinion. If you are into clubs, plan on driving to Atlanta. There is one main mall. The other one is still abandoned from years ago. There are several movie theaters. There is the usual Target and Wal-mart.

4. It is poorly managed. Augusta is the second largest city in Georgia. I couldn't believe it when I heard that, but it is true. Augusta really could be so much better than it is, if it was managed properly.

Like I said, keep in mind that I really don't care for Augusta. Most people here, I think, like it because this is where they are from, or they love golf. Well, I am not from here, and I hate golf. I am from Florida, and I am used to having many, many things to do, as far as entertainment goes. I do not live in Augusta, itself. I live in North Augusta. When I got

here, it didn't take me long to get out of Augusta. North Augusta is just across the river in South Carolina. We still go to Augusta for shopping and the movies. North Augusta is very small. We do have a Wal-mart, but not a Target. There is not a movie theater or mall, either. However, Augusta is just a 15 minute drive away. I hope you come here and fall in love with it. It may be your flavor. I do not want to put just a negative spin on it. Like I said, this is just my opinion.

If you want to know anything else, please don't hesitate to ask!!

Sincerely,

JB

DelanaRN, MSN, APRN, NP · May 26, 2010

Hello JB! Thanks for all the information! It is so very helpful and I truly appreciate the time you took to type all that out.

I have rented a house in Evans, GA. I heard about the crappy Richmond county school early on. I looked into purchasing a home in Grovetown or Evans, but our house is still on the market south of Kansas city and the market stinks as a seller...additionally, I only plan on living in/around Augusta for 2 years or so and then move to Kentucky, which is my true "home". Having this house on the market has really soured me to having to sell another house in 2-3 years. My problem is that my only experience is Hospice. I want to get into a med-surg, er, or postpartum/L&D unit with the latter being my first choice, although I realize the liklihood of getting that type of position is low with no experience in the area...so my best bet is med-surg.

I don't know much at all about Golf...have no real interest in going to see the masters either.

Thanks again!

Miss10 · Aug 21, 2010

Hi Delana RN

I am new to the area as well, I just graduated in May and passed my boards in July. I am looking for a job now. Have you found a job yet, If so where?

Miss10

Cmunst45636 · Sep 29, 2010

Im curious how the new grad market in augusta? I see jobs posted..but wondering if they are taking new grads? I dont graduate till July 2010, but my family and I are thinking of relocating there. Any input would be great!! :nurse:

DelanaRN, MSN, APRN, NP · Oct 1, 2010

Im curious how the new grad market in augusta? I see jobs posted..but wondering if they are taking new grads? I dont graduate till July 2010, but my family and I are thinking of relocating there. Any input would be great!!

I was offered 2 jobs when I first got here. I applied for ALOT of different jobs. I never heard back from MCG, University, or Trinity initially. I started working at Select Specialty Hospital. I have been there 6 weeks and although at first I hated it, it is growing on me. However, the 12+ hour shifts are playing havoc on my family life, especially my 5 year old who is having behavior issues at school, so I am not sure if I will be staying. The experiences you would gain here are very valuable. The nurse to patient ratio is a bit high for the acuity (5-6/1) of the patients and I personally feel it is difficult to provide personalized service to each patient when you are running at 180 miles per hour...however, with time management you can manage to squeeze a bit of one-one in with your patient and really listen to their needs. I hate to leave there as they have invested time/money in training me...however, I will likely stay PRN no matter what happens with full time.

I did go on 2 interviews yesterday and they went very well. One called to offer me the job yesterday afternoon and the other should let me know early next week. I also received another call about a Hospice job as that is where my primary experience lies. I am trying to put it in the hands of God so I make the right decision.

Trinity is hiring in the ACE unit which is Acute Care Elderly. I got a call from them last week. However, I have enough on my plate right now to consider without adding another. They will not take walk in resumes.

So, try Select and Trinity if you want hospital experience. Go to Indeed.com and look for a list of jobs in your area.

Good luck!

DelanaRN, MSN, APRN, NP · Oct 1, 2010

Hi Delana RN
I am new to the area as well, I just graduated in May and passed my boards in July. I am looking for a job now. Have you found a job yet, If so where?
Miss10

As previously mentioned, try Trinity and Select Specialty Hospital. The good thing about Select is they do offer a 90 day training program or internship to help prepare you for life on the floor.

Polish your resume and really focus on your positive skills. Being a blank slate in nursing can also be a positive.

Good luck and blessings to you!