Vantaggi
Grande Ronde Hospital (GRH) is a great place to work and is very supportive of its nursing/medical staff. Being located in rural NE Oregon, we typically air-transfer many of our critically ill patients that require a higher level of care. We do have a 5-bed ICU, 19-bed MS floor, and 10-bed ER (with a hallway bed for overflow). Overall, the staff in each department enjoy their work and feels supported and well-compensated. The nurses have a strong union and are able to effectively bargain for rights and benefits. The salary is bargained by the union and is competitive within the state of Oregon, which is one of the higher-paying states for nurses. While the pay is near that of hospitals in the metropolitan areas, the cost of living is comparable to rural Idaho; thus GRH nurses enjoy the best of both worlds (big city pay, small town expenses).
Svantaggi
GRH is a small, 25-inpatient-bed, critical access hospital that has limited specialties. Some may not like living in a small, remote town that is 3+ hours from the nearest major cities (Portland, OR, and Boise, ID). Winters are long and cold (November through February). Not a very diverse workforce (the medical staff are predominately conservative, caucasian, and christen/LDS).