Wondering if I can get the opinions of some RNs who've worked teaching hospitals and regular hospitals.
As a soon to be new RN, is it tougher to do that first year or two when you not only have to wrangle seasoned MDs, but have to deal with newbie MDs too (teaching hospital)? Or is the environment more open for constant teaching, meaning it would be good for me too? I've heard an opinion that there is more autonomy for an RN when MDs are not crowding things. And, also I've heard that it can be easier when you must have intervention, to get it when they are all over the place... I've heard that teaching hospitals can be a major drain, when you have attendings at a constant level of irritation, and newbie residents at a constant level of paranoia interrupting your day. This I would think would add another layer to the stuff a new RN already has to deal with?!
Wow, thanks for all the responses :heartbeat. There is one big teaching hospital about a half an hour from me, a big level one trauma center. Very busy, like an airport with FFL sometimes seeming to land constantly. It's got some good surgeons on staff. Another hospital about the same distance from me in another direction is attempting to go level one, is not a teaching hospital... had clinical there... gonna be a long hard road for them, I don't have confidence in them.
It seems like ordered chaos at the big trauma center, but if I was in an MVA I'd want to go there. The "commercial hospitals" around here all have luxury private rooms etc., but the nursing staff seem whiny and ****** often. Maybe it's due to the whole customer service thing they have to push as you guys have suggested.
Guess I'm rambling. Wonder if ordered chaos is easier in the end than whiny and ****** for a new RN environment. It seems your first year can make or break you.
When I got my email telling me off for using it it said something like "don't use language you wouldn't use in a professional setting". I notice they haven't done the same with all words, especially the British ones.
I've worked at one teaching hospital, and currently work at a smaller community hospital... and I have to disagree with some of the others. Yes, the teaching hospital had more interesting cases, more learning opportunities, but IMHO all of that was for the advantage of the doctors. The only educational programs I saw for nursing were ones that nursing themselves came up with. There were so many residents and medical students around that the patient never had any idea who their doctor was, and half the time neither did I! Perhaps it was just where I worked, but I often felt that the nursing staff had one agenda for the patient, and the medical staff had another, and they never conferred with each other, so the patients were almost always left wondering what the heck was going on, and then they'd ask me, and since I was the absolute lowliest of the low, no one ever told me anything about their goals for the patient... ugh! Just thinking about it makes me stressed!
In contrast, where I work now I know every doctor who admits patients to our floor, and WOW most of them know me by name as well! More importantly, the patients know who they are being treated by, and the treatment plan is discussed and agreed upon with not only nursing and medical, but usually involving input from dietary, PT, OT, and case management as well (we are a neuro floor, so the majority of our patients end up not going home, but to rehab). When there is something interesting going on with one of the patients, such as an LP, or a ventric the MD's and PA's are quick to let the nursing students on the floor in on it.
I could go on and on, but in the end I'll just say I didn't even apply for an RN job at the teaching hospital when I was graduating. I felt that my nursing skills would just stagnate there, and I would never have the opportunity to earn the respect of my medical colleagues since they come and go so quickly. But, again it may have been just the floor that I worked on. My hubby works at that same hospital in the ED and loves it! My advice would be to try both out as a tech, or an aide, and see what fits. Trust me, if they don't treat you with respect as an aide, you don't want to work there as an RN!
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
i've worked in teaching hospitals and community hospitals and prefer the teaching hospital. i actually like being part of the educational process for doctors as well as pharmacists, rts, nurses, pt's and every other discipline. i like the complex, sick patients we get from the community hospitals. i like the research and the new technology. what i don't like is the inner city location, but you can't have everything!
Yes, the teaching hospital had more interesting cases, more learning opportunities, but IMHO all of that was for the advantage of the doctors. The only educational programs I saw for nursing were ones that nursing themselves came up with.
Well, of course the other departments aren't developing nursing educational programs, just as the nursing department isn't putting on inservices for the docs, RTs, PTs, etc. However, in my experience, many of the educational offerings are multidisciplinary, or they are intended for the physicians or other disciplines but nurses are welcome to attend and participate if they wish to. I've gone to, and benefited from, many educational inservices/rounds/etc., over the years that weren't intended for nursing staff -- but nobody stopped me from attending when I showed up! :)
However, in my experience, many of the educational offerings are multidisciplinary, or they are intended for the physicians or other disciplines but nurses are welcome to attend and participate if they wish to. I've gone to, and benefited from, many educational inservices/rounds/etc., over the years that weren't intended for nursing staff -- but nobody stopped me from attending when I showed up! :)
Well, I attended an educational lecture that I was interested in at the teaching hospital I worked at and got such incredulous looks from the med students who were there that it cured me from ever wanting to attend another...
Well, I attended an educational lecture that I was interested in at the teaching hospital I worked at and got such incredulous looks from the med students who were there that it cured me from ever wanting to attend another...
Oh my god that is so condescending and awful I have personally experienced a similar situation,when i was in psych rotation the psychiatrists who was I guess giving an educational lecture for the psych students invated me and my partner to come along and during his speech I dared! to ask a question about one of the topics he previously discussed (I really was interested because over all he was a very good lecturer and quiet an amazing doctor) and the psych students gave me the look "how dare she this "only nurse"?! LOL
On the other hand I did have the residents teaching me lowly nursing student at that time a medical procedures involuntarly of course (,I dont think I would have balls at the time nor did I ever had to ask and it wasnt a teaching hospital) so I guess we cant stereotype and claim that all the future,present and past MDs are condescending types,just stay away from the arrogant ones.
Also to be honest with you I dont care to learn about the new emerging interesting,cool diseases at this present time of my life,I am a begginner/novice nurse who fist want to become proficient in old,boring,traditional disease and then jump to discover the exotic,fascinating,heroic tales.
I've worked in both, and prefer the teaching hospital....and for all the reasons previously listed.
I really like working w/ the residents for the most part. There are a few here & there that act like deities whom we are there to serve, but most realize that we know the patients, and that we don't call them unless there's a problem. Our attendings are great as well - they will generally back us up if there's a problem.
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netglow, ASN, RN
4,412 Posts
Wow, thanks for all the responses :heartbeat. There is one big teaching hospital about a half an hour from me, a big level one trauma center. Very busy, like an airport with FFL sometimes seeming to land constantly. It's got some good surgeons on staff. Another hospital about the same distance from me in another direction is attempting to go level one, is not a teaching hospital... had clinical there... gonna be a long hard road for them, I don't have confidence in them.
It seems like ordered chaos at the big trauma center, but if I was in an MVA I'd want to go there. The "commercial hospitals" around here all have luxury private rooms etc., but the nursing staff seem whiny and ****** often. Maybe it's due to the whole customer service thing they have to push as you guys have suggested.
Guess I'm rambling. Wonder if ordered chaos is easier in the end than whiny and ****** for a new RN environment. It seems your first year can make or break you.