Hampton Roads: Riverside vs. Sentara vs. Bon Secours

[FutureMSN-FNP]

Hello everyone,

The three major non-government health systems in Hampton Roads are Sentara, Riverside, and Bon Secours. Can anyone give me some insight into what a new RN would expect as an employee at each? Specifically:

*Orientation--What it consists of/what you do (attend classes, shadow, take care of patients or just watch, etc.), how long it is, and how you are paid for it (minimum wage or your actual base pay)

*Nurse/patient ratio (the real one, not the one they tell you in the interview)

*Base pay per hour (and unit/department you are referring to)

*Shift differential

*Weekend differential

*Holiday pay and # of mandatory holidays

*Do the mandatory holidays rotate or have you had to work the same ones every year even if the actual policy is to take turns?

*Eligibility requirements for benefits

*Which benefits are offered to full timers

*Education reimbursement eligibility and amount offered ($ per year or per semester, etc)

*How raises are calculated and how much to expect per year (For example, one employer I had required us to write an essay and the max increase they said they could give us if we were eligible for the full amount was literally 25 cents per hour.)

*Turnover rate (i.e. Do a lot of people quit, or do people feel valued and stay for a while?)

*Pros and cons of management/the culture of the company

*Does the staff GENERALLY work well together? (Are particularly good or bad MD/RN, RN/CNA, management/staff, etc. relationships more common in one health system over another? This goes back to the culture of the company question.)

*Type of systems they use (i.e. pyxis, kronos, paper, etc)

*Are breaks automatically deducted regardless if you got one (like at Riverside--30 min deducted even if you took less or didn't take one at all), or do you clock out and back in resulting in a paycheck that reflects the actual amount of hours worked?

*Any additional info about these 3 health systems or their specific facilities that you find relevant?

If you don't feel like answering the specific questions, please at least put in a vote for which health system you recommend to new RN grads in Hampton Roads (Riverside, Sentara, or Bon Secours). I know federal and travel agencies are probably the best, but I am specifically asking about these 3 health systems.

Thank you for your help!