Tuba City Arizona Advice

[FeMaMaFutureRN]

I am relocating from Florida to Tuba City AZ in the very very near future. I will be working as a New Grad nurse in the Tuba City Regional Hospital. I am traveling with 3 small children. I have never been to the reservation, but I have viewed several videos and such. I would like to know if anyone has had any experience with this facility. What do nurses with family do as far as child care. What activities are available for small children and how is life like in general on the reservation. Any comments will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

[trackhead, APRN]

I lived in Flagstaff for five years, and when I was a paramedic, spent a lot of time in Tuba City and other parts of the reservation flying patients out of there.

It's an entirely different world and culture. The Navajo, in my opinion, are very docile, and despite it being a run down and very poor place, I've never felt unsafe spending time on the reservation. That said, the Navajo have a high incidence of inter-family violent crime and rape, and of course alcoholism. It seemed the prefix of much of the illness on the reservation was alcohol, lots of GI bleeds, alcohol/assualts (blunt trauma), etc. Tons of renal patients from all the diabetes/obesity.

As far as the work environment, a lot of people have good experiences. I never had a negative experience flying patients out of hospitals all over the Navajo reservation. Always friendly staff, etc. But I did find communicating with my patients difficult, because culturally they are very different, especially the elders. Not in a bad or negative way, just different. You'll learn all that.

Tuba City is really close to the Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, and Flagstaff, all incredible places. And the Painted Desert surrounding Tuba City is amazing, in a completely isolated, vast, remote kind of way. I love it out there. Much of the Navajo Reservation is incredibly beautiful red rock desert, and exploration is unlimited. Canyon De Chelly, Kayenta, Window Rock, Shiprock, all worthy places to visit. Mexican Hat and the San Juan River areas of southern Utah are close by, the bluffs and canyons of Kanab in Utah. Seriously, you'll be at the heart of the red rock desert areas, some of my favorite places on earth.

http://jezebel.com/5912932/rape-on-indian-reservations-reaches-epidemic-proportions

[Dee_RN]

Did you ever go to Tuba City? I am possibly thinking about doing an assignment out there, and I have no idea what to expect.

[Maryballantyne25]

Hello, I'm moving to Tuba City for a nursing position. I'm from Ontario, Canada. How was your experience there? Was it safe? good work environment?