Are the jobs for RNs in Wichita? (Kansas City, Emporia: transplants, health insurance)

[Fiddlefeet]

Hi,

I'm looking at moving to Wichita quite soon and wondering how the employment situation for RNs looks.

Thanks.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by Fiddlefeet

Hi,

I'm looking at moving to Wichita quite soon and wondering how the employment situation for RNs looks.

Thanks.

The better question is "is there any city in the USA that does NOT have jobs for RNs?" Of course there are jobs for RNs in Wichita! I don't even have to look to know the answer to that one!

[kansas sky]

I have heard of areas where new RN's are having trouble finding work right now. I think NYC and the Bay Area in California have been mentioned. But as far as I know, the job market for RNs in the midwest is still very strong.

[Fiddlefeet]

Originally Posted by KevK

The better question is "is there any city in the USA that does NOT have jobs for RNs?" Of course there are jobs for RNs in Wichita! I don't even have to look to know the answer to that one!

Why Kev, don't be so sure. I've been a traveler for the past six years and things are NOT what they were.

[catwoman66]

I'm an RN in Kansas. The job situation here has definately changed, as it has in many places due to the economy. With more people out of work, they are reluctant to go to the doctor, because they have no health insurance. Hospitals are having trouble collecting on private pay patients. They are cutting back. I know of three KS hospitals that have conducted lay offs and two others that are discussing it. Hospitals in KS are cutting way back on their use of agency and/or travel nurses. They simply cannot afford the expense. I know of an RN who has been a travel nurse for over twenty years and she is having difficulty finding ANY contracts in the United States right now. If you are looking for a permanent hospital position, I would say that you could definately get hired at St. Francis or Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. Also, Western KS (Dodge City) still uses agency and travel nurses. This is because there are a lot of reasons why most people do not want to live in Western KS. Kansas City still has openings, but not nearly what they did a year ago. KU Med Center has a hiring freeze which involves a three month waiting period even though they have over 250 open positions in nursing and related medical areas. They receive partial funding from the state and the budget crisis in KS has reached the point where people were getting IOUs for KS income tax returns and state employees were told for two days this week that they might not get paid on Friday. It is a mess. It sounds like you have been doing travel nursing for quite a while. My advice to you is to anchor somewhere for now in a permanent job and wait a couple of years for the situation to improve, because I think it is going to suck for quite some time for temp RNs. Good luck.

[KansasKris]

I'm also an RN living in Wichita, but working in an outlying area. I have heard (very recently) that Via Christi (St Francis & St Joseph) & Wesley all have a hiring freezes on right now.

I work in a Critical Access Hospital and we are only allowed to have 25 patients maximum. Last Jan & Feb we were full both months, but this year we have been averaging only 8 -10 patients per day. Our floor nurses are having to take "low census days" and aren't very happy about it. One of the doctors in Emporia said the same thing was happening there....

We were planning on moving to NW Arkansas and I had a job all lined up there, but luckily I found out before quitting my old job that the hospital in NW Ark were having not only hiring freezes, but actually laying off employees. There went my job...

If you are planning on moving to Wichita, I would at least look online. I know Via Christi Regional Medical Center has a site, and I'm sure Wesley does also.

[Fiddlefeet]

Thanks, fellow nurses. That helps me alot.

[talbet]

Even RN jobs are slowing. I have a sister in law who works for Via Christi and she said that they just shut down the heart transplant unit for good. It was the only one in the area and it is gone. She also said that the hospital in Dodge City laid off all its Hospitality or cleaning staff. Now the RNs have to not only do their job but clean also and that Via Christi is looking at that situation to see if it may work for them. Things are catching up in Wichita, the economy is going to run over every one in every state in every town like a giant steam roller.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by talbet

Even RN jobs are slowing. I have a sister in law who works for Via Christi and she said that they just shut down the heart transplant unit for good. It was the only one in the area and it is gone. She also said that the hospital in Dodge City laid off all its Hospitality or cleaning staff. Now the RNs have to not only do their job but clean also and that Via Christi is looking at that situation to see if it may work for them. Things are catching up in Wichita, the economy is going to run over every one in every state in every town like a giant steam roller.

It was the only one but it did not do many transplants- about 12 to 16 a year. I looked into it for a relative of a friend and I told him that his mom should go to Chicago or Dallas where they have more experience. For that kind of operation I want a doc that does one a day and not one a month!

[emfarell]

My family will possibly be relocating to Wichita in the late fall. I am an RN and was wondering if someone can give me some insight as to what the hospitals starting pay rate is. I have been an RN in CT for 9 yrs and am currently making 31.00/hr. Is this possible to do there? Thanks so much for your input...