Where should I work in Detroit, MI????

RNpatterson · Nov 18, 2010

I'm in an accelerated BSN program and we finish next year. I'm hoping to work at Henry Ford Detroit when we're done (they have a Critical Care residency for new grads that I'm interested in) so if anyone has any info on the Henry Ford System (esp in Detroit) I'd like to hear as well.

Christine - have you looked into Ann Arbor? The University of Michigan health system is amazing (and ultimately I hope to work at the U and set roots in A2)... Level I trauma with over 300M in NIH funds each year. :)

NightOwl0624 · Nov 20, 2010

For what it's worth:

The DMC is in the process of being purchased by Vanguard to be a for-profit hospital. You should be able to find a lot of information about this the Detroit Free Press or Detroit News online. I did some clinicals there and liked it, but don't know what it would be like to work there.

Beaumont has a very good reputation (marketing?) in the area, but has had some financial problems in the past year or so and did go through some layoffs. I think it is more "physician oriented" than other hospitals. When I went through orientation at Henry Ford, there were several Beaumont nurses coming over. I don't know anyone who works there now. But like I said, they have a very good reputation around here!

I've worked at Henry Ford a little over a year. They have been profitable; there were no lay offs, but did hold raises for 2 years. They just announced raises next year - good thing, because the pay is low compared to other hospitals. I like the system itself and am happy here.

As far as your your experience and what you want, I don't think Henry Ford would disappoint you. The main campus in Detroit is a level 1 trauma and we see everything imaginable here. Some of my friends work in SICU and MICU and they really like it. (I work on a medical floor)

Good luck to you - it is nice hearing about someone moving into Michigan!

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Nov 20, 2010

My husband and I are relocating to Detroit, Michigan from San Diego, CA! I have already interviewed for five positions, all of which I am extremely excited about, but completely at a loss for which position to choose. My background is in Critical Care, I have spent the last four years in a Level I Trauma/Surgical ICU combined unit (I am finding this is an extremely rare situation, though I'd ideally like to find a similar setting to work within). So here are my options:
Henry Ford MICU
Henry Ford SICU
DMC ED
DMC Staffing Group
Beaumont Cardiac ICU
Beaumont Neuro ICU
I know next to know about these hospitals (at least from a staff nurse perspective) and I'm looking for insight, advice, information about all or one of these. Please help!!!!
Thanks so much.
Christine

I've worked at Henry Ford SICU. I would definitely recommend that unit. If you are used to a combined trauma and surgical ICU, this unit would fit that profile. The hospital is a designated Level I Trauma Center so they do get a good amount of patients that fall in the trauma category. The SICU also admits solid organ transplants (kidney, liver, pancreas) and non-trauma surgical ICU cases (bowel obstructions/perforations, critical OB cases, critical ortho cases). The attendings are awesome and very nurse-friendly. There is a Trauma/ICU fellowship and a General Surgery residency so you would be dealing with a lot of residents and fellows. The nursing staff are great and gets along well, at least when I was there. The only downside is the location as it is in the heart of Detroit and depending on where you are going to live, you may have a good amount of driving (and that means driving in the snow during winter).

Christy1019, ASN, RN · Nov 22, 2010

I work at henry ford detroit campus in the ER but have coworkers that have gone to or come from MICU/SICU, I personally love the ER, as we are generally very busy with traumas and everything else that comes with being an inner city er. The MICU/SICU units are both good units but from what coworkers that returned to ER from there said they both can be quite "cliqueish" sp? i know that may seem trivial but many of them stated it was enough for them to transfer back to er. I also have coworkers from detroit receiving ER (dmc) that absolutely hated it, i honestly haven't heard good things about there, or beaumont er, however i don't know anything about beaumonts ICUs, just that as previously stated, they have had a lot of lay offs in the past two years d/t decreased profits because they are a "for profit" hospital and metro detroit has been suffering through major economic decline i.e. job losses/loss of insurance, therefore many patients are not admitted to beaumont. Luckily henry ford, being a not for profit facility gets reimbursements annually for medicare/medicaid etc and thus has not had to lay off staff.

sorry, kind of long winded but i'm at the 11th hour of my 12hr shift and my mind is scattered lol

hope i helped somewhat

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Nov 22, 2010

Hi Christy, I've worked at Henry Ford ER as well. That was actually my starting point at Henry Ford and I would agree that it was a great group of techs, nurses, residents, PA's, and attendings to work with. It's all first name basis over there regardless of job title. It is veeery busy though. To make things clear, I worked in the SICU as a nurse practitioner so maybe I didn't experience the cliques as much as I would have had I worked there as a staff nurse. I always thought the nurses were getting along OK, in fact, the SICU nursing staff parties tend to be "legendary" if you know what I mean. The CTSICU side of SICU can be a little cutthroat but they have recently separated that from the rest of the SICU and the separate unit is now called CVICU (combined with CCU).

I do hesitate to recommend the ER for someone who is moving from California. I am now working and living in Northern California after actually leaving Henry Ford and Michigan and I always tell folks that Michigan's ER's do not conform to any staffing ratios. I could have over 14 patients at Heny Ford at one busy hour in the ER and that could be overwhelming for someone coming from a state that requires strict nurse to patient ratios as the OP is. The SICU (and the other ICU's at Henry Ford) follow the standard of 1:2 nurse patient ratios and even 1:1 depending on acuity. That might be easier for someone who is used to this kind of patient care. But yes, I agree with you that the ER at Ford is awesome as well.

an6el177 · Nov 12, 2012

My husband and I are relocating to Detroit, Michigan from San Diego, CA! I have already interviewed for five positions, all of which I am extremely excited about, but completely at a loss for which position to choose. My background is in Critical Care, I have spent the last four years in a Level I Trauma/Surgical ICU combined unit (I am finding this is an extremely rare situation, though I'd ideally like to find a similar setting to work within). So here are my options:
Henry Ford MICU
Henry Ford SICU
DMC ED
DMC Staffing Group
Beaumont Cardiac ICU
Beaumont Neuro ICU
I know next to know about these hospitals (at least from a staff nurse perspective) and I'm looking for insight, advice, information about all or one of these. Please help!!!!
Thanks so much.
Christine

christineBdriscoll, Crazy girl, what made you leave SoCAL? (j/p...I left too b/c DF now works for GM)

where did you finally decide to work? I'm from Newport Beach, CA working in the ER for 2.5 years. It was not a level 1 Trauma just b/c of the location of the hospital in the beach communities made it difficult to navigate too (despite have a helipad). We were a stroke receiving center and a saw a lot of cardiac/stroke patients.

I'm taking a travel assignment while living in R.O. and have been trying to decide where to work. Henry Ford? Beaumont (R.o./Troy/whichever), St John's, Mc Laren, etc? I would love to stay in/around R.O. and getting my feet wet at a Level 1 Trauma is something I'd like to get into and get my TNCC and CEN.

Anyone know anything about these hospitals? I'm on my first travel assignment w/ Oakwood Annapolis ER and it's ok and they already offered me a job but I declined. Meeting other RN's (both staff and travel), they've told me that Beaumont is "crazy right now" b/c of the acuity in the ER can be 8:1 w/ 3-4 Level 3s and 2-3 Level 2's and maybe a level 1. That's just not safe to me. I heard Detroit Receiving has a "team nursing" approach which seems interesting to me. St. John's I've heard lots of nice things about, especially in Pontiac. Henry Ford and Mc Laren I haven't heard many things.

Anything you can contribute would be appreciated!

P.s. I'm posting this question to another forum as well. Thanks!