Your Guide to Opportunities in the South
Registered nurses are number six on the list of occupations with the most openings in Tennessee, with more than 2500 annually, according to America's Career InfoNet. This is consistent with other states throughout the south, where RNs are ranked no lower than eight.
TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH DEMAND
"Enrollment in undergraduate nursing education programs has increased by 11% over the past three years, even as our capacity to take additional students has declined due to shortages of qualified faculty, classroom capacity, and clinical site training opportunities," says Maureen Nalle, PhD, RN, president of the Tennessee Nurses Association. However, even the increased number of graduates has not kept up with demand. "There are many job opportunities available for RNs in a broad variety of specialty areas, including management," she says.
"Advanced practice nurses are also in demand, particularly in the specialty areas of neonatal nursing, psychiatric-mental health, and increasingly, in gerontological nursing and nursing administration," she says. RNs can prepare for these opportunities in MSN and PhD programs across the state, including the University of Tennessee (Knoxville and Memphis), Vanderbilt University in Nashville, and East Tennessee State University in Johnson City.
A tremendous growth in health care facilities has hospitals offering highly specialized services, and developing outpatient treatment options for a variety of clients, according to Nalle. The result is many creative employment opportunities for nurses at the basic or advanced levels of practice.
"The Tennessee Center for Nursing was established in 1996 to guide the ongoing development of an appropriate nursing work-force, and has been instrumental in evaluating workforce trends and developing strategies to address these issues across the state," she says.
TENNESSEE LIVING
But Tennessee is not all work and no play. "Clearly, one of the most attractive features of employment in this area is the proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains as well as lake areas, parks, and outdoor activities such as hiking, boating, and whitewater rafting," Nalle says. In addition, the Volunteer State is home to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis.
Beaufort Memorial HospitalHuman Resources Department955 Ribaut RoadBeaufort, SC 29902-5454Contact: Chris Watson, RN,Employment Manager/Nurse Recruiter(843) 522-5995Fax: (843) 522-5940Email: [email protected] site: http://www.bmhsc.orgPositions available: RNs forMed/Surg, ICU/PCU, ER,OR, PACU.
St. Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta5665 Peachtree DunwoodyRoad, NEAtlanta, GA 30342(404) 851-5841Email: [email protected] site: http://www.stjosephsatlanta.org
Southern Regional Health System11 Upper Riverdale Road, SWRiverdale, GA 30274Contact: Milrinette Nelson,BSN, RN, BC, PHR(770) 991-8040Fax (770) 991-8051Email: [email protected] site: http://www.southernregional.org
University Health Systems of Eastern CarolinaPitt County Memorial HospitalEmployment OfficeP.O. Box 6028Greenville, NC 27835Contact: Sheila Barnes(800) 342-5155Fax: (252) 847-8225Email: [email protected] site: http://www.uhseast.comPositions available:Experienced RNs: Up to$5,000 sign-on bonus; NewGrads: $2,500 sign-on bonus candidates!! assistance available to qualified and up to $3,000 relocation
VCU Health SystemP.O. Box 980066Richmond, VA 23298Contact: Gale Rose,Nurse Recruiter(800) 755-NURSEFax: (804) 628-8873Email: [email protected] site: http://www.vcuhealth.orgPositions available: RNs:Ambulatory Surgery, PICU,Cardiothoracic Surgery,Radiation Therapy, STICU.
WakeMed3000 New Bern AvenueP.O. Box 14465Raleigh, NC 27620-4465Contact: Jodi Cook(877) 213-3720Fax: (919) 350-8152Email: [email protected] site: http://www.wakemed.orgPositions available: CTSU,SICU, ICU, MICU, MobileCardiac Care Unit.
Western Wake Medical Center301 Ashville AvenueP.O. Box 8025Cary, NC 27512Contact: Diena Burton,Human Resources(877) 213-3720Fax: (919) 858-1053Web site: http://www.wakemed.orgPositions available: StaffNurses: Emergency, Endoscopy,Labor and Delivery, ICU,Med/Surg, Observation,PACU, Telemetry.