Which Healthcare system ?

[NWRN09]

As a new grad in June 2009 in Portland, I will be looking to find work in the local area in a Med/Surg unit or in critical care in a hospital. Can any of you give a little compare and contrast to the local healthcare systems? What is good and bad about Legacy, Providence and Kaiser ? I am aware that we don't have the so-called "nursing shortage" in our area and that you have to start hustling for a job a little before your preceptorship begins and I'm prepared to do that. Just wondering where is a good place to set my sights on.

Thanks in advance.

[ICU_chick]

Have you considered Corvallis? It's a smaller (and therefore no traffic) community about 1 1/2 hours south of Portland. The hospital there is Good Samaritan and has a critical care preceptor program in January. The hospital is also expanding and will double the size of the ICU and ER by next May. Just in time for you to get through the critical care internship...hmmm?

[Bluee]

If you are interested in Psych at all, the Oregon State Hospital in Salem is being redone and should be ready for operation in a few years or so. They will be hiring a lot of nurses.

Also, still on Psych, since the Portland area has a massive shortage of psych beds and facilities, a lot of for-profit companies are building their own small facilities and contracting and coordinating with the local counties, aka Multnomah. That should mean more openings for Psych nurses, and the pay should be just as competitive.

[annreese]

I have actually worked in all three systems that you spoke about. I have not worked at kaiser for a long time, but I was not all that impressed, maybe its changed, the doctors at that time did not respect us and we were rather marginalized. Legacy emanuel is a very good hospital, it gets a very wide range of patients into the ICU and med/surg, its the only burn center in the region, alot of traumas come in, I think the nursing population was very friendly. Providence I think is also very good, there several centers in the region, St. v's is very good, never had a problem when there, but again its been awhile since I worked there, I was there as a patient and it was very pleasant.