Travel Tennessee?

cvryder · Aug 2, 2007

Well, avoid Wellmont Hospital in Kingsport like the plague. They will tell you anything to get you to sign a contract, and when you get there you'll find it's all a lie.

Johnson City Medical Center is a good place, and as far as I know they use travelers. I'm more familiar with the Knoxville area and would recommend Fort Sanders, Park West, and St. Mary's. Baptist is good but I'd only recommend ICU and the cardiac floors. I haven't heard a lot good about UT Hospital lately. Most of the travelers I met when I worked at Baptist were with MSN but I think *every* agency has the place in Kingsport!

I've heard most of the Nashville hospitals use travelers, also Cookeville and Murfreesboro.

Good luck!

mmutk, BSN, RN, EMT-I · Aug 6, 2007

In knoxville I would go to Parkwest, and Fort Sanders. Beware of Baptist, UT, and Baptist West.

Jackson General is nice too, in Jackson, TN

Michellex1013 · Aug 11, 2007

I know someone that works at Erlanger in Chattanooga and loves it. Can't tell you if they take travellers. Vanderbilt in Nashville does have travellers.

Michelle

CowboyBoots · Aug 12, 2007

Any personal experiences in Nashville? I'm thinking of travelling there.

travelcrazyRN · Aug 12, 2007

Try posting a request on the TN board, you might have better luck.

KMB222 · Aug 15, 2007

I am currently working with cross country and RN network trying to get a pediatric position in Knoxville or Nashville. No luck yet as it is their slow season, I had hoped to start next week. I did come up and visit the hospitals 6 weeks ago. Vanderbilt Children's is beautiful (less than 3 years old) and Nashville is a great place to live. Knoxville children's was smaller, but everyone was very nice. Chattanooga was too small to use travelers. I live in FL and this will be my first travel assignment. My daughter starts college next week in Cleveland and I would like to be closer to her. Where do you live? What is your specialty?

Kay

stayseerrn · Aug 17, 2007

Being a Tennessee native, I might be able to shed a little light here.

First of all, Tennessee has been a really tough nut to crack as far as getting travel assignments. The healthcare system there is in dire straights, and they are trying to restructure their state-funded insurance program (TennCare). So, a lot of the hospitals are really tightening their belts. After the first of the year, they may loosen the purse strings and places might start posting again.

Okay, let's look at the three major areas of Tennessee: West, Middle, and East.

East Tennessee: Knoxville - would have to agree with the previous posters. However, University isn't all that horrible. Just understand it is a teaching facility, so you will have to deal with residents - A LOT OF THEM. Chattanooga: Erhlanger is a nice hospital, but as previously mentioned, it is a smaller hospital with a smaller budget. They do have T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital there, but it's budget is majorly restricted and hardly ever have travelers.

Middle Tennessee: Mainly, this means Nashville. Okay, everyone knows that Vanderbilt is the end-all-be-all of medicine. There are a lot of great things going on there and you will learn a lot. Just don't expect to make a lot of money there. They don't pay their staff much, so don't be expecting top dollar from them. Attached to Vandy is Monroe Carroll, Jr. Children's Hospital. It is a beautiful pediatric hospital with so many wonderful things going on there. But like it's big brother, do not expect an enormous salary there either (and I can speak from personal experience). With either of the Vandy Hospitals, people never want to leave there because you learn so much and the people are so incredible. So, positions hardly ever open. They literally have to blow people out of there with a stick of dynamite. Once one does open, you have to jump on it. Another great system of hospitals there is the Baptist system. But, they don't usually use many travelers.

West Tennessee: Jackson is the in the middle portion of west Tn. It is a nice city with two nice hospitals. Jackson General is nice, but is not without its flaws like any other place. It would not be my top choice for a place to work, but it is definitely not my last. Most "major cases" are shipped to either Nashville or Memphis. So, you will get really great at facility to facility transfers. Memphis is the other major place to work in Tennessee. It is the largest city in the state, but it is also the poorest. So, you have to be ready to deal with that. Now, hospitals that use travelers. The Med (Mid South Regional Medical Center) is the Level I trauma hospital for the greater Mid-South area (TN, AR, MS) so it is very busy. They get travelers from time to time, but since it is a public funded hospital, they can't afford to post those positions often. Plus, you have to be die hard to want to work there. It is definitely like the military, "the toughest job you'll ever love." You will be exhausted at the end of each shift, but will have had some opportunites to put your skills to test. LeBonheur is the pediatric hospital located just across the street from The Med, and I can speak from personal experience when I tell you that it is just as busy as the "big people's" ER. The ED at LeBonheur is one of the 10 busiest EDs in the country (not pedi ED, all EDs), seeing anywhere from 68,000 - 80,000 patients a year IN THE ED. So, you will work, hard. They also get major trauma, including GSW. The deciding factor between The Med or LeBonheur is if they are over 16 years, the Med. If under 16years, LeBonheur. However, the hospital has an amazing staff and can be a lot of fun. The use travelers sporadically. Mostly in the winter when the patient census skyrockets. So, be on the lookout for positions then. The St. Francis system has started using travelers. It is a for profit system. So, you pretty much spend most of your time kissing butts, not saving them. The one in Bartlett is their newest. It is a really nice ED, and used to be the best kept secret in Memphis. However, everyone has found out about them, and they have been running their butts off. The Methodist System (which LeBonheur is a part of) is a great system. They have several throughout the Memphis area. So, those are good. The only one I recommend staying away from is the Baptist Memorial Hospital system. Run from them as fast as you can. They have a horrendous reputation for the conditions the nurses have to work in. Yeah, they may offer great bonuses, even to normal staff, but they are trying desperately to keep people there.

Okay, this was majorly long, but I hope it helps some of you who are wanting to explore The Volunteer State. Like I said, being a native Tennesseean, I kind of have the inside scoop. Just keep asking your recruiters about openings, and sooner or later, one will open. Just hang tight!!!!!