JOB focus

Source:

AJN, American Journal of Nursing

July 2005, Volume :105 Number 7 , page 94 - 99 [Free]

Article Content

Throughout New England, New York, and New Jersey, RNs rank in the top five occupations with the most job openings, according to the most recent figures from the Career InfoNet Web site. The eight states in this area are also home to more than 27% of the nation's Magnet facilities.

MAINE

In Maine, the mean salary for RNs is $24.06 per hour; in the Portland metro area, $26.24. Some of the largest employers are Maine Medical Center, Portland; and Maine General Medical Center in Augusta and Waterville.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Here nurses earn an average hourly rate of $23.46, and $24.39 in the Manchester area. New Hampshire also has no state income tax on wages. Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, and Concord Hospital, Concord, are two of the state's largest employers.

NEW JERSEY

Garden State RNs earn $27.80 per hour, but rates tend to be higher in the metro areas in the northern part of the state, such as Bergen-Passaic at $29.36. Hackensack Medical Center, Hackensack is one of the largest employers.

MASSACHUSETTS

Nurses in the Bay State earn a mean hourly rate of $28.79; but this rises to $30.26 in the Boston area. Two of the states largest employers are in Boston: Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital.

CONNECTICUT

This state's hourly rate for RNs is $28.38. Nurses in the Hartford area earn an average of $29.34 and St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, one of the state's largest employers is here. Another large employer is Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven.

RHODE ISLAND

RNs in Rhode Island earn a mean hourly rate of $26.09, a little less in metropolitan Providence, which is $25.35. Two of the states largest employers are Women and Infants Hospital, Providence; and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital, North Providence.

NEW YORK

New York State RNs earn an average of $28.54 per hour, but the rates vary from $20.45 in the Jamestown area to $32.65 in New York City. Lincoln Hospital, in the Bronx, and Mount Sinai Hospital, in Manhattan, are two of the largest employers.

VERMONT

Vermont RNs earn an average of $22.66 per hour, and one of Vermont's largest employers is Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington.

Your Guide to Job Opportunities to New England, New York, and New Jersey

Fletcher Allen Healthcare

Human Resource

111 Colchester Avenue

Burlington, VT 05401

Contact: Karen Vincent

(800) 722-9922

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.fletcherallen.org

Arizona needs nurses. The Arizona Department of Economic Security predicts that Arizona will need 59% more nurses in 2012 than it had in 2002. This is the highest percent-age change of any state that reported data, and translates to more than 20,000 more nurses.

"The nursing shortage is the most critical issue facing hospitals and hospital systems in Arizona today," says the Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association (AzHHA) Web site. In a statewide effort to address the problem, the AzHHA has initiated its "Campaign for Caring." One of its goals is to attract and support more qualified and satisfied nurses and healthcare professionals in Arizona. This effort includes educating an adequate supply of qualified nurses, and having them reflect the gender, ethnic and cultural composition of patients in the state. Arizona has five times the national average of Native Americans and twice the national percentage of Hispanics, according to the 2000 U.S. census figures.

LIVING IN ARIZONA

Arizona is a blend of cultures and the landscape is diverse. From the spectacular Grand Canyon toward the north, to the beautiful deserts with the mild winters in the south, Arizona is a state to fall in love with.

It has become a popular destination for part-time winter residents and retirees alike, but it is also feeling the effect of illegal immigrantion. The U.S. Census Bureau predicts steady growth in Arizona's population through 2025. All of this impacts the health care system and the need for nurses. According to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, RNs here earn a mean hourly rate of $24.87. Nurses in the Phoenix-Mesa metro area earn $25.35. Many of the state's largest employers are health care related: Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale; Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix; Banner Desert Medical Center, Mesa; and University Medical Center, Tucson are some examples.

Your Guide to Job Opportunities in Arizona

Abrazo Health Care

Arrowhead Hospital

18701 N. 67th Avenue

Glendale, AZ 85308

Contact: Laura Curtis

(623) 537-3470

Fax: (623) 572-4578

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.arrowheadhospital.com

Maryvale Hospital

5102 W. Campbell Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85031

Contact: Chevez White

(623) 848-5899

Fax: (623) 848-5959

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.maryvalehospital.com

Paradise Valley Hospital

3929 E. Bell Rd.

Phoenix, AZ 85032

Contact: Maureen Lessig

(602) 923-5633

Fax: (602) 923-5665

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.paradisevalleyhospital.com

Phoenix Baptist Hospital

2000 W. Bethany Home Road

Phoenix, AZ 85015

Contact: Chris Pilley

(602) 246-5326

Fax: (602) 246-5769

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.phoenixbaptisthospital.com

Phoenix Memorial Hospital

1201 S. 7th Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85007

Contact: Steve Austin

(602) 824-3079

Fax: (602) 824-3420

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.phxmemorialhospital.com

West Valley Hospital

13677 W. McDowell Rd.

Goodyear, AZ 85338

Contact: Paula Hoversten

(623) 882-1928

Fax: (623) 882-1565

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.wvhospital.com

Banner Health

To speak to a Recruiter Monday-Friday call

(866) 377-JOBS (5627) between 7 a.m.-7 p.m. PST

Web site: http://www.BannerHealth.com

CHW Chandler Regional Hospital

475 S. Dobson Rd.

Chandler, AZ 85224

Contact: Viveca Hill, Nurse Recruiter

(866) 754-6774

Fax: (480) 821-3298

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.chandlerregional.com

Northern Arizona Healthcare

Flagstaff Medical Center

1200 N. Beaver St.

Flagstaff, AZ 86001

Contact: Human Resources

(800) 446-2324

Fax: (928) 773-2579

Web site: http://www.NAHealth.com

Verde Valley Medical Center

269 S. Condy Lane

Cottonwood, AZ 86326

Contact: Human Resources

(888) 249-9995

Fax: (928) 639-6387

Web site: http://www.NAHealth.com

Northwest Medical Center

6180 N. Corona Rd., Suite 102

Tucson, AZ 85704

Contact: Human Resources

(520) 469-8549

Fax: (520) 469-8050

Web site: http://www.NMCHealthSystem.com

Northwest Medical Center-Oro Valley

1551 E. Tangerine

Oro Valley, AZ 85737

Contact: Human Resources

Fax: (520) 818-0597

Web site: http://www.NMCHealthSystem.com

Scottsdale Healthcare Shea

9003 E. Shea Blvd.

Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Contact: Human Resources

(480) 882- JOBS (5627)

Web site: http://www.shc.org/employment

Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn

7300 E. 4th St.

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Contact: Human Resources

(480) 882- JOBS (5627)

Web site: http://www.shc.org/employment

Sun Health

10474 West Thunderbird Blvd.

Sun City, AZ 85351

Contact: Recruitment Department

(800) 486-5576

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.sunhealth.org/careers

Tucson Medical Center

5301 E. Grant Rd.

Tucson, AZ 85712

Contact: Bruce Megenhardt

(800) 526-5353, ext. 41543

Fax: (520) 324-5277

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: http://www.tmcaz.com

Yuma Regional Medical Center

2400 S. Avenue A

Yuma, AZ 85364

Contact: Professional Recruiter

(800) 726-YUMA (9862)

Fax: (928) 336-7677

Email: mailto:[email protected]

Web site: Apply online at http://www.yumaregional.org

Interested in a flexible and rewarding career, with the excitement of exploring new regions and enhancing your nursing skills at some of the most prestigious medical centers across the nation? Consider travel nursing.

"I think it's important for nurses to know that while travel nurses have always been a valued part of the staffing model, we are actually seeing an increased interest among hospitals in using travel nurses to supplement their staffing needs," says Beth L. Machado, senior vice president for recruitment at American Mobile Healthcare. "What this means for travel nurses is that they have more choices about what acute care facilities and cities they'd like to work in."

WHAT'S NEW IN TRAVEL

Machado says the industry is evolving. Assignment lengths can vary from four weeks to two years, in addition to the traditional 13-week assignments. Travel companies, such as American Mobile Healthcare, are responding to the increasing expectations from nurses for more customer service. And the increase in hospital admissions and the trend for mandated nurse-patient ratios is being watched for its impact on openings for travel nurses.

WHO TRAVELS?

"This is a field for newer nurses, the tenured nurse, career-builder nurses and nurses who may either be close to retirement age or who are looking to supplement their retirement income by taking an occasional travel assignment," Machado says.

She explains that travel nurses need a degree from an accredited nursing program in the United States or Canada and at least 10 months of acute care clinical experience in a specialty such as OR, ER, ICU, Med-Surg, and others. Also required are a valid professional practice license or certification and proof of the right to work in the United States.

"One thing I'd like to point out is that travel nursing provides an excellent career option for nurses who may be burned out and are looking to leave the profession," she says. "Instead, they can reenergize their passion for nursing, be rewarded, and can choose to stay in travel nursing or eventually return to permanent staffing with a better outlook on their career."