Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm looking to move to the Raleigh/Durham area and I wanted to get some feedback from others who may know the area well. I recently went to visit and drove by all the hospitals in the Raleigh/Durham area and wanted to know which were good hospitals to work at as a registered nurse.
I like the larger hospitals, however could work at a community hospital if it's a good one. I've heard mix reviews from some people already, that WakeMed does not treat their nurses and staff well... I don't know if that's true. I got great feedback on UNC Chapel Hill and Duke. I do like teaching hospitals and I am not sure if Duke Raleigh, WakeMed (Raleigh or Cary) and REX are. Again only from one other source.
Any feedback would great whether it's from another RN or someone that lives in the area and knows what hospitals they would trust going to.
My wife and I are both intimately involved with the Duke and UNC systems, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend either of them. With the challenging economy, I have no idea what it's like trying to get an RN gig at either place right now.
If you like large (800-1,000 beds) teaching hospitals with solid nursing (and med school) programs, then Duke and UNC are where it's at for you. I imagine there's cross pollination teaching-wise with Rex (part of UNC system) and Duke Raleigh and Durham Regional (both part of Duke's system), but those are all much smaller hospitals (300-400 beds, IIRC). Plus there's the VA hospital right across from Duke that collaborates with a lot of faculty and research.
I just moved from CT to the Raleigh area and started working at Duke Raleigh. I interviewed and toured both, reviewed their documentation methods and spoke with staff. I was really turned off by "Big Duke" for the MD driven feel, paper documentation, med carts in 2009? Really!, the need to pay for parking, the lack of a community feel. I realized I gave up the opportunity to participate in 'one of a kind' cases. What I found was a RN lead community magnet hospital that is growing even in this economy. The facility is beautiful, a real pleasant environment to work in. I still feel like I'm going back ten years in documentation but it is computerized. I like that there is a clinical ladder as well as plenty of opportunities to participate in leadership councils.
I don't know where you are moving from but I lost a lot of $$$$ moving down here. Hope this helps.
I've heard that they are not hiring new full time nurses and only hiring part-time with no benefits at UNC. They are accepting lateral transfers from dept. to dept., but I've heard they are not hiring from the outside....unless you are interested in part-time.
My husband and I are both nurses - I'm an NP, he's an RN. We're both at Duke Medical Center in Durham and really enjoy it. We've been there just over a year. Coming from the Northeast, we were pretty shocked at the pay scales - husband took a HUGE paycut. My salary as an NP is about the same. I really enjoy the comraderie of a teaching hospital, practicing evidenced based medicine etc. That being said, I am now working at Duke Raleigh one day a week, and 4 days at "Big Duke". I am also enjoying the time I spend in Raleigh. It is really a nice community hospital with strong ties to Big Duke but it is not a teaching hospital. All of the Duke facilities are Magnet Hospitals.
I have a close friend who works at Rex Hospital in Raleigh and she loves it there. It is also a Magnet hospital and an affiliate of UNC but not a teaching hospital. WakeMed is a very large community hospital, also non-teaching. I tell most people to go to each hospitals HR website and peruse the available positions. Rex always seems to have the fewest openings which says something - not too many people leave!
Parking at Duke and UNC is awful. You have to pay at Duke, the amount is dependent on where you are assigned in proximity to the hospital. Nurses working off shifts (evenings and nights get pretty good parking assignments). Not certain about parking assignments at UNC - I was offered a position there but would have had to park about 3 miles away and get shuttled in.
We are also very involved with "Big Duke" and love it. This is a transient area, lots of people moving in and out...but the housing is afforable compared to other places we have lived. There are some good preschools, a few good public schools, and several private schools, if you are interested. We love the area, the resturants and shopping too!
I just moved from CT to the Raleigh area and started working at Duke Raleigh. I interviewed and toured both, reviewed their documentation methods and spoke with staff. I was really turned off by "Big Duke" for the MD driven feel, paper documentation, med carts in 2009? Really!, the need to pay for parking, the lack of a community feel.
I had a similar feelings about my experience at Duke when I worked there.
I'm looking to move to the Raleigh/Durham area and I wanted to get some feedback from others who may know the area well. I recently went to visit and drove by all the hospitals in the Raleigh/Durham area and wanted to know which were good hospitals to work at as a registered nurse.
I like the larger hospitals, however could work at a community hospital if it's a good one. I've heard mix reviews from some people already, that WakeMed does not treat their nurses and staff well... I don't know if that's true. I got great feedback on UNC Chapel Hill and Duke. I do like teaching hospitals and I am not sure if Duke Raleigh, WakeMed (Raleigh or Cary) and REX are. Again only from one other source.
Any feedback would great whether it's from another RN or someone that lives in the area and knows what hospitals they would trust going to.
Thanks a bunch!
i am also an rn transplant from up north-upstate ny- I came from a teaching hospital U of R (strong memorial hospital) -- i am now employed at wakemed raleigh--love it. Great atmosphere --i have not experienced any negative issues-yes --the pay is lower but the cost of living here is also lower--we were paying high taxes in ny 6500.00 per year down to 850.00 --so i guess i got a raise..lol--wakemed has no parking fees , i do 3 - 12hr shifts --self schedule. my floor -staff to pt ratio is 3/1 or 4/1 with a charge nurse and an admit/discharge nurse. i've been here 1 year and was welcomed with open arms--check it out--best of luck
My wife and I are both intimately involved with the Duke and UNC systems, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend either of them. With the challenging economy, I have no idea what it's like trying to get an RN gig at either place right now.
If you like large (800-1,000 beds) teaching hospitals with solid nursing (and med school) programs, then Duke and UNC are where it's at for you. I imagine there's cross pollination teaching-wise with Rex (part of UNC system) and Duke Raleigh and Durham Regional (both part of Duke's system), but those are all much smaller hospitals (300-400 beds, IIRC). Plus there's the VA hospital right across from Duke that collaborates with a lot of faculty and research.
A note on the VA hospital, I know a number of MDs and a couple therapists who switched from Duke to the VA, and they are much happier and swear they will never go back (they felt like billing machines at Duke). I don't know if the experience for RNs would be similar, but it's probably worth a look.
i am also an rn transplant from up north-upstate ny- I came from a teaching hospital U of R (strong memorial hospital) -- i am now employed at wakemed raleigh--love it. Great atmosphere --i have not experienced any negative issues-yes --the pay is lower but the cost of living here is also lower--we were paying high taxes in ny 6500.00 per year down to 850.00 --so i guess i got a raise..lol--wakemed has no parking fees , i do 3 - 12hr shifts --self schedule. my floor -staff to pt ratio is 3/1 or 4/1 with a charge nurse and an admit/discharge nurse. i've been here 1 year and was welcomed with open arms--check it out--best of luck
I have to agree, coming from WNY, well anywhere in NY period, the taxes are outrageous!! So while you may not see as much in your check, you are also not spending as much for your cost of living. Now being a radiologist and not a nurse I can't vouch for any open positions, but my time at REX in Raleigh, I can say this is one of the best hospitals I have ever worked for. You may want to check out Cary-WakeMed. My sister-in-law is a nurse in the NICU and she loves it there.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
