Shands at Gainesville/Florida Hospital Orlando???

[nurz2be]

I am still currently a nursing student and am beginning to decide where I might like to go once I graduate. I have been looking at Florida Hospital in Orlando and Shands in Gainesville. I want to go to a teaching hospital once I graduate for several reasons. I want to go to a hospital where I can be around research, teaching and learning are very important to my future in nursing.

Do any of you have experience with or do you have any advice for a nursing student who wants more?????

Thank you in advance

[Journey_On, BSN, RN]

I am still a nursing student myself, but I was a volunteer for about a year at Shands @ UF. I enjoyed volunteering there, and they are located on the university campus, so I think they are a pretty decent teaching hospital. I was always seeing students there. UF is well known for its strong academic programs, from what I heard. :)

There are also other Shands locations in FL, but based on what you wrote, I think Shands @ UF would be the one you should inquire about.

Have you checked out this thread yet?

https://allnurses.com/forums/f141/shands-chain-hospitals-gainesville-62538.html

Good luck!

[anc33]

There is a lot of research that goes on at UF. If you work at Shands you will undoubtedly come in contact with some of these patients but you will probably not be aware that they are enrolled on protocols. However, Shands does have on unit, the GCRC, that is dedicated to inpatient care of research patients. They are actually UF employees I believe.

Shands is not the best teaching hospital I have worked at but it is getting better. We need more young, motivated nurses there that are actually interested in starting things like journal clubs, etc to inject some life into the units. It is fast-paced and often frustrating but it is a rewarding experience.

I do no have any first hand experience with Florida Hospital but I hear that they do offer a good signing bonus.

[VU RN BSN]

I am also interested in working @ a teaching hospital in Florida. My previous hospital experience was not a teaching hospital.

Can any nurses share their thoughts / opinions on either Shands Gainesville or Florida Hospital Orlando??

[Preeps]

I would go to Gainesville if you are looking for a teaching hospital. I have only worked at Fl. Hospital so I have nothing to compare, but I have had other nurses who worked at Duke state that Duke was a much better place for nurses to learn than Fl. Hospital. One reason they cited was the way doctors treat the nurses. They said the doctors at Duke treated the nurses as co-workers involved in pts care, and they also taught the nurses. This is not the attitude of many doctors at Fl. Hospital.

[gatorgirl111]

We have clinicals at Shands, and I really like the nurses I've worked with. I have no experience with Florida Hospital but would definitely recommend Shands!