Winston Salem

[szccdw]

Anyone know anybody working for Baptist or Forsyth Medical Center in Winston Salem, NC? One of my closest friends is going to work for Baptist but knows nothing about it. I explained this wasn't very smart and that while she was on Christmas break she should have called and set up an appt with the recruiter to tour the floor of the area she is interested in working in. She is going there because they are a teaching hospital and that's the type of environment she wants to be in but I still think it would have been smarter for her to at least visit the place and talk with some of the employees instead of requesting an application, filling it out, mailing it back and never having stepped foot in the place and going in blind. She says she doesn't have time to look into facilities being it's her last semester of school but some things you've got to make time for. This is your future and your career and you don't want to make a mistake you might later regret. Once again I am trying to get some information for her on Baptist (working conditions, ratios, etc....) and I just personally was interested in hearing about Forsyth Medical Center. Thank you.

[barefootlady, ADN, RN]

Know 2 nurses who have worked for Baptist, both said the nurse:patient ratio was high, pay ok to start but raises are low. Orientation depends on department you are working. Parking was a nightmare and stress level was high. I guess they were mostly looking at going there for a learning experience and got it. Hope your friend is happy there..

[nekhismom]

Well, Baptist is a Magnet hospital. i did a rotatino through the NICU during my senior year of nursing school. It was amazing, but not what I expected. I did personally speak to some of the RN's there on the side. Everyone seemed happy, from what I saw. In my opinion, the pay was low, especially for a new grad. THey have the clinical advancement ladder, but I wasn't too happy when I looked at it. You can check out their website, i think it's http://www.wfubmc.org, but not really sure.

I have heard that Forsyth pays better than Baptist, but I'm not really sure about the working conditions. I know they are planning on building an 80 bed ER there, and i have some friends who have signed on to work there but haven't started yet.

SOrry I couldn't help more!

[Elenaster]

Keep in mind that Baptist is a huge hospital and working conditions will vary from unit to unit. The really good thing about Baptist is they have a year-long nurse internship, where new grads have support outside their home unit for an entire year after graduation. There are also support groups, classes, and designated contact people to help guide and encourage the new grad. As far as I can tell, the program is working well. If a new grad is unhappy with her placement, she can transfer after 6 months and I think the intern coordinators will assist her with finding a more desirable position.

If you all have more questions, PM me or post again here. I'll try to check back soon.

Good luck!