What do you know about HCAs???

yogalove · Nov 8, 2011

No one knows anything about HCA facilities? Really??!! Hoping someone can give me some input. Thanks!! **

kc810m · Nov 8, 2011

Hello RNyogi,

I'm from KC, MO and there are several HCA hospitals in the area....somewhere in the neighborhood of 4-7 different HCA hospitals.

I personally have experience working at an HCA facility. Unfortunately it is as you fear. You are severely understaffed, the nurse to pt ratio is rediculous and the overall moral of the staff is very very bad.

There is a reason agency's pay more for HCA facilities, it's because they are dismal places to work. Now I've only worked at one of the facilities, so who knows, could possibly be different at another hospital??

It's kind of funny, the local HCA hospitals here have their own agency called All About Staffing. The turn-over is so high there they have their own agency! I would steer clear but that is one persons opinion.

ukjenn231 · Nov 10, 2011

I have not worked at them, but I have read horrendous things about the HCA. If you google the forum "delphi forum for traveling nurses" there are pages and pages about how awful it is for travelers. I am currently working in FL and one of the staff nurses transferred from an HCA hospital, which she told me horror stories about. However, when I was desperate for an assignment in FL I resorted to calling All About Staffing because I thought, well I could do that for 13 weeks to be in my preferred location. Thank goodness it didn't work out :)

gwenystefany · Nov 11, 2011

Yes, what I've read is pretty true. I am currently working for an HCA facility in TX and have been for 3 years. Always short staffed, poor management/organization, and numbers and money oriented (for profit). I work in the ER and to me it's always a crazy day. I have worked in other ER's not HCA affiliated, and they seem to run more smoothly. I'm PRN, so my rate is higher anyways, but even the full time rates are higher compared to other hospitals in the area. The stress is not worth it though. Which is exactly why I am about to start traveling :). Hope this helps!

dixeychick · Nov 12, 2011

I currently work for an HCA facility... and this will be the last time. It's horrible.

hspanielRN · Nov 12, 2011

I have worked for a for profit hospital in the past and I went home crying everyday. low staff morale, high patient ratios, standard of care is terrible

jdickrn · Nov 17, 2011

My last assignment prior to my current one was at an HCA facility and I couldn't get through that 13 weeks fast enough, I will NEVER work for an HCA facility again. All of your supplies are the cheapest of the cheap, the staffing ratios are inappropriate in my opinion, morale was horribly low. I set a very high standard for myself very early on in my career as far as the level of care that I want to provide to my patients, and I also prefer to surround myself with a group of nurses that intend to give a very good level of care to their patients as well- I did NOT find that at the HCA facility, I have never seen a group of hospital nurses and doctors not care about the patient care as I did there. Substandard care was just the norm and noone seemed to have any intentions on changing that. There were a ton of travelers on my unit and we all hated the facility, some were crazy enough to renew their contracts for financial reasons, money is not the most important thing to me when I'm traveling, you should ask yourself what are the most important things to you as you go about traveling.

yogalove · Nov 17, 2011

thanks everyone!!! these horror stories are scaring me....

i talked to a friend who did travel nursing for some hca facilities. she agreed with what was stated...there is a high patient to nurse ratio. but, she also said that if you think about it, all you have to do is get through the 13 weeks of work, and when you're not at work you're in a cool new place. she thought it wasn't that bad. (i guess it probably really depends on the facility you're working in too...) is there anyone else that agrees with her?

jdickrn · Nov 18, 2011

I will agree with the fact that when you're working 3 days a week for 13 weeks that yes, you can get through it especially when you have adventures on your days off. Just remember that the 3 days you're at work you have a nursing license to protect.

bagladyrn, RN · Nov 18, 2011

thanks everyone!!! these horror stories are scaring me....
i talked to a friend who did travel nursing for some hca facilities. she agreed with what was stated...there is a high patient to nurse ratio. but, she also said that if you think about it, all you have to do is get through the 13 weeks of work, and when you're not at work you're in a cool new place. she thought it wasn't that bad. (i guess it probably really depends on the facility you're working in too...) is there anyone else that agrees with her?

i have taken hca contracts in the past when i really needed to be in a specific place for various reasons. i have, however, never extended or done a repeat contract at an hca contract even though i have done many extensions and repeats at other facilities.

these contracts are never easy or pleasant, but being old, tough and an experienced traveler i can get through them when i must. i would not recommend them for a new traveler. you could very well end up chewed up and spit out and it could ruin the concept of travel nursing for you.

emergently · Nov 18, 2011

I know that given the choice I would never work for one again. Ditto the above comments. Did a lot of per-diem on various units at an HCA facility a while back, only thing that made me go back every shift was my empty wallet. Horrible patient load (one night I had 28 telemetry patients as an assignment). Everything is about the bottom line. Crap equipment, poor staffing, no budget for education, etc. It was the only game in town, so I had no choice at the time.

It's not about the patient, it's about the shareholders.

Really left me sour on HCA, and for-profit facilities in general.