Sacramento Pay

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Jun 9, 2016

I sent you a PM

nursejoti84 · Jun 9, 2016

I'm interested in knowing this as well!

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Jun 16, 2016

I presume that NickiLaughs has answered your questions regarding compensation. KP definitely pays a higher rate but UC Davis has much better benefits (except for medical where KP wins).

Beyond that, though, the two are quite different.

The environment at UC Davis is much more nurse-centric than at KP. Kaiser is very doc-centric and the nurses have little influence on the processes while UC Davis takes the Magnet designation very seriously and invests heavily in staff education, research, and continuous improvement.

UC Davis also provides ample opportunities to change departments. Been in the ED for a few years but want to work in NICU or L&D? Go for it. At Kaiser, you are what you are and you'll only be hired into positions for which you're already qualified.

Personally, I think Kaiser is someplace to work only if you're looking for very specific things that KP has to offer like excellent medical coverage (if you want to be a member of their HMO), a favorable location, or higher hourly rates. Otherwise, I think UC Davis is the better place to work. It just has a better vibe to it.

inkognito · Oct 23, 2016

I presume that NickiLaughs has answered your questions regarding compensation. KP definitely pays a higher rate but UC Davis has much better benefits (except for medical where KP wins).
Beyond that, though, the two are quite different.
The environment at UC Davis is much more nurse-centric than at KP. Kaiser is very doc-centric and the nurses have little influence on the processes while UC Davis takes the Magnet designation very seriously and invests heavily in staff education, research, and continuous improvement.
UC Davis also provides ample opportunities to change departments. Been in the ED for a few years but want to work in NICU or L&D? Go for it. At Kaiser, you are what you are and you'll only be hired into positions for which you're already qualified.
Personally, I think Kaiser is someplace to work only if you're looking for very specific things that KP has to offer like excellent medical coverage (if you want to be a member of their HMO), a favorable location, or higher hourly rates. Otherwise, I think UC Davis is the better place to work. It just has a better vibe to it.

Do you work at UC Davis ED?

I applied there and waiting for them look through my application. Can you recommend a recruiter maybe?

I'm in Colorado, working on medsurg floor and need to change that environment. I work at Magnet status teaching hospital as well, but my floor has retention issues and it keeps getting on my way to get into ED. Also, the COL is very high (higher than in Sac area) with 27.31 base with my 2+ years of experience.

I applied to the ED training program. I am BSN with ACLS, BLS, NIHSS and soon to be TNCC.

I could use and advise or any recommendations.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Oct 26, 2016

Do you work at UC Davis ED?
I applied there and waiting for them look through my application. Can you recommend a recruiter maybe?
I'm in Colorado, working on medsurg floor and need to change that environment. I work at Magnet status teaching hospital as well, but my floor has retention issues and it keeps getting on my way to get into ED. Also, the COL is very high (higher than in Sac area) with 27.31 base with my 2+ years of experience.
I applied to the ED training program. I am BSN with ACLS, BLS, NIHSS and soon to be TNCC.
I could use and advise or any recommendations.

If you have no ED experience, you're probably not going to have much chance. The only people that I've seen them hire from the outside come with substantial ED experience.

inkognito · Oct 27, 2016

If you have no ED experience, you're probably not going to have much chance. The only people that I've seen them hire from the outside come with substantial ED experience.

UC Davis has a training program for experienced nurses without ED experience. I'm aiming for this one. But recruitment team working so slow, and very reluctant to answer any questions. It looks like they not aware of that position posted on their own website. At least the recruiter that I contacted via LinkedIn was very surprised.

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Oct 27, 2016

I presume that NickiLaughs has answered your questions regarding compensation. KP definitely pays a higher rate but UC Davis has much better benefits (except for medical where KP wins).
Beyond that, though, the two are quite different.
The environment at UC Davis is much more nurse-centric than at KP. Kaiser is very doc-centric and the nurses have little influence on the processes while UC Davis takes the Magnet designation very seriously and invests heavily in staff education, research, and continuous improvement.
UC Davis also provides ample opportunities to change departments. Been in the ED for a few years but want to work in NICU or L&D? Go for it. At Kaiser, you are what you are and you'll only be hired into positions for which you're already qualified.
Personally, I think Kaiser is someplace to work only if you're looking for very specific things that KP has to offer like excellent medical coverage (if you want to be a member of their HMO), a favorable location, or higher hourly rates. Otherwise, I think UC Davis is the better place to work. It just has a better vibe to it.

Oddly enough I have a completely different experience. But I worked in that hellacious ED for 2 years before the PTSD got to me. The rest of the hospital is a good place to work, UCD ER eats their young and the senior staff is extemely unsupportive until you prove yourself. We went through 3 educators and 2 nurse directors. Everyone will say the ED is def doc centric and if magnet status was based on that ER we wouldn't have it. Yes the pension at UCD is good but they take 10% of your income for retirement which if you do the math on a job that pays 10 to 15$ more hourly perhaps that difference if invested correctly could cover that. The other perk is there is no premium cost on health insurance at kaiser for you and the family whereas it was pretty pricey through UCD, and the parking costs monthly for UCD could be expensive depending on your shift and how far you felt comfortably walking around the campus. We received a couple near rapes on the campus from people who thought the area would be safe after dark...it's not really.

Additionally while I have worked at kaiser they have had training programs for experienced nurses to be trained in L and D. Also, same day surgery, PACU and IR will also take and train the ED nurses. The specific kaiser ED I work at the docs and nurses work side by side and we are divided into teams, it isn't uncommon to be on a first name basis and many hang out together and do various activities outside of work. Clearly the ED is its own animal. However this is one specific kaiser and I'm well aware not every kaiser is the same, most are very different.

Hope this answered additional questions.

inkognito · Oct 27, 2016

Additionally while I have worked at kaiser they have had training programs for experienced nurses to be trained in L and D. Also, same day surgery, PACU and IR will also take and train the ED nurses. The specific kaiser ED I work at the docs and nurses work side by side and we are divided into teams, it isn't uncommon to be on a first name basis and many hang out together and do various activities outside of work. Clearly the ED is its own animal. However this is one specific kaiser and I'm well aware not every kaiser is the same, most are very different.
Hope this answered additional questions.

I'm ready to move on from med-surg and always wanted to be in ED. I get too attached to my floor patients when I have them more than one shift, and I take it home. When I worked at CDU unit for 1.5 years, I was a happy person. Unfortunately, even if the circumstances would change, I still can't afford to live in Colorado. The prices are climbing up and our wages stay the same. I'm ready to buy a house.

Any insides whom to contact in UC Davis or Kaiser to get into this training programs? I applied for one at UC Davis, but HR person believes the program is for baby nurses.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Oct 28, 2016

Any insides whom to contact in UC Davis or Kaiser to get into this training programs? I applied for one at UC Davis, but HR person believes the program is for baby nurses.

Kaiser is tough to get in to although the ED at UC Davis serves as something of a pipeline for them. I'm not aware of Kaiser having any program for hiring floor nurses from the outside and training them to be ED nurses. They are an employer of choice and are pretty selective.

The training program at UC Davis is their nurse residency program and it is exclusively for new nurses.

Cold calling the recruiters at either facility is not likely to get you anywhere. Personal references and direct introductions can work but beyond that, you've just got to hope that your name floats to the surface.

In your case, having no ED experience, I think it's highly unlikely that you will get hired into the ED at either UCD nor any of the Kaiser facilities. Your best hope would be to get a job on the floor and then try to transfer.

bgxyrnf, MSN, RN · Oct 28, 2016

The specific kaiser ED I work at the docs and nurses work side by side and we are divided into teams, it isn't uncommon to be on a first name basis and many hang out together and do various activities outside of work. Clearly the ED is its own animal. However this is one specific kaiser and I'm well aware not every kaiser is the same, most are very different.
Hope this answered additional questions.

I wonder if that's in part due to age. The older docs tend to be less amiable with the nursing staff.

inkognito · Oct 28, 2016

In your case, having no ED experience, I think it's highly unlikely that you will get hired into the ED at either UCD nor any of the Kaiser facilities. Your best hope would be to get a job on the floor and then try to transfer.

I feel like I'm not expressing myself correctly as I mentioned it couple of times, that the training program for UC Davis ED is only for experienced nurses without prior ED experience. Maybe, it is a mistake on their website, idk.

I don't know anyone in Sacramento to ask for a personal reference Prior, I always had luck talking to HR through LinkedIn. And of course, I'm not calling recruiters.

I have to admit, that it takes an unusual amount of time for recruiters to get back to me this time. Maybe the area is overflown and recruiters not that "hungry". We shall see