Nursing stands as one of the fastest-growing career fields year after year. As nursing programs continue to expand, hospitals are eager to employ new blood looking to drive into their medical careers and start healing the sick.
That being said, not all hospitals are created equal in terms of employment.
Beyond salary, there’s plenty to consider when it comes to determining whether or not a hospital is the right fit for you. Regardless, new nurses are often eager to take just about anything they can get, especially given the amount of job-seekers in the field.
The result? Getting stuck in a hospital nightmare.
Whether you’ve just accepted a nursing position or are on the hunt, keep in mind the four red flags for hiring hospitals that you should look out for. Any combination of the following could spell bad news and signal that perhaps it’s time to look elsewhere for long-term employment.
Lack of Organization
If a hospital is filthy or it seems like nobody knows what’s going on, it’s a rather obvious red flag. While such working conditions may not seem like a big deal if you can tolerate them, consider how it could potentially impact you. For example, a hospital that fails to adhere to standards related to disposing medical waste or handle patient concerns can ultimately put you and your career at risk.
After all, would you want a hospital with a terrible reputation on your resume?
Not only will an unorganized, chaotic practice potentially damage your own career, but also put your mental and physical health in jeopardy. If you come in on day one and things seem off, it’s probably time to bounce.
High Turnover Rate
Likewise, poor hospitals churn out nurses like clockwork. If you notice that the hospital is hiring massive amounts of employees all at once, that’s not a good sign. Similarly, if you realize that a bulk of the workforce is comprised of staffers versus hired hands, you can probably figure out that your hospital isn’t a good fit for long-term employment.
While some nurses may advise you to “take what you can get,” you should strive to work somewhere that wants you for years on end verses temporarily.
Bad Local Reputation
Word of mouth travels fast.
You should start by talking to other nurses to see whether or not your hospital’s reputation holds much prestige. Even a quick Google search help you understand if your organization has a less-than-stellar reputation. While a few negative reviews here and there are permissible, overwhelming bad feedback is not a good sign.
Poor Patient Care
If you want to assess your hospital objectively, there’s perhaps no better way than by looking at the patients themselves. What are some of the tell-tale signs of poor patient care? For starters:
• Discharged patients looking disheveled or worse off than they came in
• Long wait times for emergency and outpatient care alike
• Patients having unusually long stays when they should have probably been discharged days prior
If you got into the nursing profession to help the sick, working somewhere that doesn’t take care of its patients will quickly burn you out.
If plenty of hospitals in your area are hiring, so don’t feel as if you have to settle for the sake of starting your career. Instead, be selective but smart, focusing on finding hospitals that have good reputations and take care of their nurses and patients alike.
