sentara, riverside, naval hospital, clinics and schools in Hampton Roads

[sameasalways, ASN, RN]

Thinking of moving to Hampton (Yorktown) in August. Currently I work on a ortho/med/surg floor..we get all the post-ops for the entire hospital unless of course they go to ICU. I have been working there since September of 2009 (began in August 2009 with the new grad intern program). I am a single mother and have two teenagers and I am interested in what agencies/hospitals would be best for someone who is eventually wanting to get her Masters degree (but does not yet have her Bachelors degree). I know at the hospital I work at now, that within the hospital itself there are GREAT differences between each floor (even though each may call themselves a "med/surg" floor). Like I said, ours is the only floor that gets the post-ops. The other floors that call themselves med/surg seem to be more for chronic patients or dialysis patients. I would be interested in women's health or psych nursing just for a change, or also working in a medical clinic. Does anyone have any ideas where I should look or where I should stay away from? (Including specific floors at individual hospitals). Thanks. BTW I was told that the York county schools are best...does that sound accurate? My children will be in middle and high school. Any advice on specific school or district to keep them out of is helpful as well. Thanks!

[Palliative Care, DNP]

I work at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center and we have a floor that is ortho/med surg, an oncology medsurg, a diabetic medsurg, a womens medsurg that gets mostly postop, and they are creating a basic medsurg for everything else. Stay away from Maryview!

[sameasalways, ASN, RN]

Thank you! I have not looked in to that facility yet. So far I have only been to the Sentara and Riverside websites. I will probably be living in Yorktown and have heard the tunnels can be horrible. I have seen it a few times as I travel up to VA every week or almost every week and stay a few days at a time. I have not had to make a commute to work with the tunnels yet. As previously mentioned, any ideas on schools to avoid are welcome. My son will be a sophomore and the other son in 8th grade. They are both much more academic than athletic. Thanks!

[AndyRN]

I'm also looking to move to the hampton roads area next year. I've looked at all the hospitals websites... Mom_to_4, can you send me a PM to let me know why one should stay away from Maryview. I'm currently working at on a rehab unit but will be willing to try something different. Thank you.

[sameasalways, ASN, RN]

I just received a call from Sentara recruiter in Norfolk. Since my fiance lives in Yorktown she was concerned about the drive to Sentara Norfolk. The position she was calling me about is one of the positions I was the most HIGHLY interested in. I am wondering if anyone who has lived in Norfolk or around Norfolk has suggestions for apartment complexes that are zoned into good middle/high schools. My children are 15 and 13. Thanks.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Given that your fiance lives in Yorktown ... you might want to try to live halfway in between Yorktown and Norfolk ... maybe in Hampon itself.

[JMUnsg10]

There are several places you could try if you're really interested in York County, which has pretty good schools. Williamsburg/James City county schools are very good too if you're interested in another area. But in general if you wanted to live in York County you have Riverside Regional Medical Center, they are a trauma 2 hospital in Newport News that stays pretty busy. There's also Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News which is where I work. We stay busy but the hospital is pretty good. It's a part of the Bon Secours Health System.

There's also Sentara Careplex in Hampton, which would be closer to York County. OR if you want, you could try Sentara Williamsburg which is the opposite direction, but would be an easy commute from York County. The problem with you living in York county and going all the way to Norfolk is the tunnels are typically trouble to get through in the mornings and in the evenings. In the summer time, it's more or less all the time.

All of the hospitals in the area have their pros and cons, but there are more to choose from if you're really wanting to stay in the York County area.

[ghostchili]

Sentara has almost a monopoly in the area, and they are on electronic charting vs. the paper charting Bon Secours is on. I don't know what Chesapeake uses. The benefit to Sentara is that once you're hired onto a unit, it's very easy to transfer between hospitals. This means you can work in Norfolk General, Careplex, or even Williamsburg, and then if you decide to move around in the area, you can move hospitals as well. Sentara also has a hospital near DC if that becomes an option, and they recently chomped up (sorry, "partnered with") a hospital in North Carolina. I recommend Sentara pretty much because it seems you need to be more flexible, and Sentara also has a lot of physicans groups in the area if you want that.

[sameasalways, ASN, RN]

Thanks so much for all your advice..I was told Tabb and Grafton were good schools. I have an interview tomarrow on the phone with Sentara and am really excited about the opportunity. I like the idea that there are lots of opportunities within Sentara and its nice to be in an area with more than one hospital to work in. Housing is quite expensive, which appears to be the only downside here. Thanks everyone!

[kbdavis]

Chesapeake is on computer

[bciaol]

Norfolk Sentara is a terrible hospital to work for...I would stay away if you have any other options