st vincents in little rock ar

Editorial Team / Admin · Oct 11, 2005

Hey guys I have a interview at st vincents infirmary inlittle rock later on today can anyone tell me what to expect with this hospital i just moved here and not sure about it
thanks

Hello, tattooednurse,:balloons:

St. Vincent's has had some problems in the past year with some physicians leaving. The facility was without certain specialists and was in a bind in that respect.

I have always thought St. Vincents in a great facility. UAMS is good, too. Baptist is another excellent facility.

I wish you luck with your interview.

Dixielee, BSN, RN · Oct 12, 2005

I affectionately refer to St Vincents as the hospital from hell when I am telling stories. I went there as a traveler a year or so ago and they had just lost 16 nurses including the nurse manager. They did get a manager while I was there and she was really great, but the upper admin's would never let her do her job.

Holding patients in the ER for 24+ hours, never go on divert even if you are slammed and have no more stretchers, dangerously short staffed, treating MI's in a chair because there is no place to put them, taking patients back from cath lab because there are no floor beds, etc. These are just a few of the situations you come up against. They routinely accepted direct admits from outside hospitals when the ER had been holding patients for too many hours. Many times the ER got the direct admits because there was no place to put them, but admin kept them coming...it's all about the revenue.

I was afraid I would lose my licence and was so thankful to get out of there safely. Maybe things have changed, but be very, very cautious. Don't take any sign on bonus, because you may live to regret it. They were offering huge bonuses before I left and many new nurses came because of them. Most, if not all, asked them to stop making the pay outs to them, because they did not plan to complete the 2 years promised, and began to pay the hospital back.

I would not go back for $100/hour. Nope, scary place. Staff was great, what few there were, ER docs were wonderful, but many were looking at alternatives to working there as well. Until upper admin makes a complete change of face, it will be a dangerous place to work, and even a scarier place to be a patient.

I live in Arkansas, and we have a big garden. There were many times on my days off, while working in the garden, that I actually hoped I would get bitten by a copperhead snake, so I would have a good excuse not to go to work. My husband finally brought me to my senses when he asked me if risking my license was worth it, for any amount of money. Yes, it was really that bad.

Don't let my words come back to haunt you when you are in charge, the place is out of control, and you are responsible and have no back up.

tattooednurse · Oct 13, 2005

thank you for the advice did they hae their admit ward when yuo were there? when i toured the facility I just saw a normal er no holds and beds open but I will take your words to heart