St. Mary's Hospital - Grand Junction

Kir · May 20, 2008

I haven't worked for St Mary's for about 8 years. I can tell you that when I did I loved it. Good nurse pt ratios, decent docs...I love GJ. If you are in to the outdoor stuff it is the place for you! Drive 45 min one directions to ski, 45 min in the other to hike, mountain bike etc. If you are arty there is a niche for you as well. There is a theatre available, large art community etc. The weather is pretty hot in the summer but the winters are pretty mild. I wish I could go back...Im stuck on the far Eastern plains of Colorado now.

kharing · May 20, 2008

I haven't worked for St Mary's for about 8 years. I can tell you that when I did I loved it. Good nurse pt ratios, decent docs...I love GJ. If you are in to the outdoor stuff it is the place for you! Drive 45 min one directions to ski, 45 min in the other to hike, mountain bike etc. If you are arty there is a niche for you as well. There is a theatre available, large art community etc. The weather is pretty hot in the summer but the winters are pretty mild. I wish I could go back...Im stuck on the far Eastern plains of Colorado now.

Thanks for your response! I have been looking up stuff on the town and hospital online - not much info out there.

souzahanson · Jun 26, 2008

To your question about St. Mary's Hospital in GJ. I'm working here now, and have been for about 4 years. I started as a traveller RT and did the excelsior program for nursing. I'm now a critical care nurse (for the last 6 months). From being an RT, I was able to work with pretty much everyone in the entire hospital and got to know alot of them well. I've worked at many hospitals in the last 20 years, and I have to say that St. Mary's has the absolute nicest staff anywhere! You know that there's always a "bad apple" in every bunch, but overall the entire staff from physician to house-keeper is treated with the same friendly attitude....given the same respect. I've made alot of good friends here! And, the hospital decided to pay me a year of nursing experience for every year of respiratory experience I have, which is fabulous!! My best friend just finished a 1 year intensive BSN program. She lives in Kansas City and has worked at the same hospital for over 20 years (even as a respiratory supervisor). They wouldn't give her a penny more for all of her respiratory experience, so she took an unbelievable cut in pay to become a nurse (and she did clinicals and has a BSN, which I didn't and don't, respectively).

St. Mary's is a big hospital, but we're a small community here.

The downside...the weather! It is unbelievably hot here....miserable. And, the price of housing is ridiculous. Grand Junction is number 2 in the nation in rising housing costs.

The

cabanaboy · Jul 3, 2008

We moved here from Denver 2 years ago for my wife to go to nursing school. The small city community is a nice change, and both hospitals in town are expanding. My wife has had a good experience in the short time she has been at Community Hospital.

I would pretty much agree with what others have said here regarding Grand Junction. The exceptions being that I wouldn't say the weather is miserable or housing is ridiculous. I guess it depends what you are comparing it to.

Good luck in your decision!