University of Colorado Hospital (Denver, Aurora: home, school, income)

[MannyfromCali]

Hello,

Anybody here work at the univesity hospital in Aurora? As an RN-ICU, I am interested in people's impression of it as a place to work. I know that it is a Magnet facility which are supposed to be supportive of nurses and pt. care. What about the culture, the politics, are nurses satisfied working there for the long term, are they unionized? I'm the type that does not want to bounce from hospital to hospital. I am looking for a favorable and supportive working environment as the primary requirement for the job. Please tell me what you know of this place. For that matter, are there other hospitals in Denver known for nurse employee's being very satisfied in their work environment?

I'm moving to the Denver area next year, God willing, so I would like to get some idea of what the Denver hospital scene of nursing is like. Having a target hospital would make it easier to decide on where to live. Thanks.

[Katiana]

I don't think any of the hospitals in the Denver area are unionized.

[sumisu]

Hi Manny -

My wife's an ICU nurse at Porter Hospital - near the University of Denver. Centura is the parent company and they have another newer hospital in Parker. Good luck!

[MannyfromCali]

Non-union is good. Porter Hospital huh, I'll add that to my list of hospitals to check out. Any other hospital worker in this forum to tell me of Denver hospitals?

[the dood]

i just started as a new grad RN. it has, by far, the best residency program i have seen yet. i went to school in california and no hospital there offered the things i got at UCH. i havent been there too long, but so far it seems like a fantastic place. everybody goes above and beyond to be courteous to each other. during orientation i met numerous RNs who had been there 20+ years so i know that says a lot about their retention. they have fantastic benefits and also offer raises based on performance. so far it seems like they take really good care of their nurses. the new anschutz campus is also state of the art and a very nice facility to work in. they strive for, encourage, and require evidenced based practice, research, and continuing education (even though CO doesnt require it to renew a license)

hope this helps some....

[bluecrew]

Thanks for the info, coming from a future new grad, I appreciate the input. I will be graduating in May and looking in the same area. I thought they gave off a good impression on their website, and it's good to hear that coming from someone who is a new employee.

[MannyfromCali]

Thanks for that info "the dood." I currently work at UCI Medical Center in So.Cal. They are good people to work for. Your info is very encouraging. Now some facilities prefer to hire and train new grads for both aculturation and low inital wage costs to the facilities. Have you sensed any aversion to hiring experienced nurses mainly for wage reasons? I plan on moving to the Denver area next year, your input is appreciated.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by MannyfromCali

Thanks for that info "the dood." I currently work at UCI Medical Center in So.Cal. They are good people to work for. Your info is very encouraging. Now some facilities prefer to hire and train new grads for both aculturation and low inital wage costs to the facilities. Have you sensed any aversion to hiring experienced nurses mainly for wage reasons? I plan on moving to the Denver area next year, your input is appreciated.

I don't think so, but wages here are not as high as in Cali, and the nursing shortage is not very acute. It can sometimes be hard to find full-time, benefitted jobs.

[MannyfromCali]

Initially, I would be looking for a part-time benefitted position. My wife, also an RN currently works in a Coumadin Clinic and would also be looking for a part-time spot in that specialty. Are there any of these clinics in the Denver area? We anticipate a significant decrease in income but we live a simple lifestyle, nothing extravagant. The only costs we anticipate out of the ordinary are activities we want our 6 year old daughter to be involved in. What is the work environment in
the Lutheran hospital like?

[Katiana]

I worked in Home Health for Lutheran Hospital. It was fine, the normal stuff. I never worked in-pt. Lutheran is not a big teaching hospital. If you are interested in those, look into University, Denver Health, St. Joseph's, Pres. St. Luke's, Children's. I do not know if there are any Coumadin Clinics in the Denver area.