Abbott Northwestern Hospital Reviews

Pros

Top management works hard to engage employees. Some department managers are more competant than others. ANW has not escaped the anxieties of a downturned economy, but does try to solicit ideas from all employees for improved organizational health. Most RNs here are motivated, highly skilled, and supportive of their coworkers.

Cons

It's slim pickings on extra shifts, and many nurses are in rotating shift part-time positions. Like most places these days, more and more is added to expected charting and it's beginning to feel like work speed-up.

Advice to Senior Management

Work towards minimizing rotating shift positions.

Pros

There is truly a wonderful sense of pride working for Abbott. Staff from all professions (from housekeeping to RN to MDs) work collaboratively for the good of patients and visitors. We have a wonderful staff of volunteers that help out in numerous departments. We have world-renowned doctors, many advanced practice nurses, and a culture in which education and professional/personal improvement are always encouraged.

In addition to the wonderful staff, there are many achievements that ANW was been awarded. We are listed as one of the top hospitals in several areas by several different surveys. Patient satisfaction is a number one priority. We are currently applying for Magnet designation; a goal the nursing department has been diligently working on for the past few years.

There is truly a culture of collaboration at ANW. This is one of the reasons that patient's choose ANW over other hospitals in the area. We have many ancillary departments that specialize in certain areas to provide the best care possible to patients. Registered dieticians are available for questions, patient teaching, and diet recommendations. Spiritual care staff is available for staff, family, and patients around the clock for several different religions. We have a huge integrative medicine department that provides aromatherapy, massage, music therapy, and accupuncture among their list of services. Social workers are available seven days a week to meet with patients, staff, and family to provide for discharge planning and assistance or to help in difficult decision making processes. There is an ethics department that consists of staff from several disciplines that is available for difficult situations. Security & behavioral health team up to help across the hospital when a patient becomes a danger to themselves or others. And security is quick to respond when a situation arises that doesn't involve a patient. Housekeeping and maintenance are quick to respond 24 hours a day to any page they receive. As a nurse, all of these departments make it possible for me to do my job to the best of my ability and to know there are resources available when I need them.

Speaking of a great resource, the nursing department formed a Rapid Response team several years ago. This is a team of highly trained nurses and respiratory therapists that can be called to the bedside across the hospital to respond to situations in which the bedside nurse has questions or concerns about the patient's condition. Because of this team, we've been able to get these patients transferred off of a medical unit and to the ICU quicker and with better hand-off communication.

At Abbott, as a nurse, you'll never feel alone! We welcome new grads as well as nurses with varied levels of experience. And, management is willing to work with you. We have several different shifts available from casual positions to full time positions around the clock! When I graduated from nursing school 2 years ago, there wasn't another hospital that I wanted to work for. I love Abbott and wouldn't trade it for the world. There is always room to grow and improve yourself. Just this year, Abbott rolled out a "be fit" wellness program that didn't just focus on physical health, but rather the health of your whole being. Financial health, mental health, work-life balance, and physical health were all included. Employees saw improvement in some areas and new initiatives in others. This is a program that will be carried into 2009 and truly transform our staff into being the best role models for our patients that we can be. Again, just another way that ANW is at the forefront of employers.

Things to watch for: check out the "backyard initiative", community giving campaign, and all the medical research being done at ANW.

Cons

Abbott is located in the heart of the Twin Cities. For most of us, that means a commute through traffic in the morning, either going to work or going home. And, while security does their best to secure the hospital grounds as a safe place, crime is still an issue in the area.

There is a huge volume of patients and family that visits the hospital each and every day as well as a large staff on each shift. It can be somewhat daunting at first.

We are not a level-1 trauma center, but we are a level-1 heart and stroke center.

Advice to Senior Management

Keep looking for ways to improve EMPLOYEE satisfaction. As employees are more satisfied we will pass that on to our patients and visitors. Continue to make yourself more available during the "off-shift" hours. A night staff nurse should not go weeks without seeing any of their senior management. Continue to engage employees in decision making processes at all levels. Attempt to avoid cutting jobs at the bedside in this economic downturn.

Pros

The lab is large and complex. They help pay for further education and also support you along the way.

Cons

Lab Techs only work in one department. The pension was recently discontinued and replaced with 403 contributions. They actually contribute a smaller percentage than they used to, and totally placed all of the risk on the employees. The lab employees are not unionized and are led to believe they are better off this way.

Advice to Senior Management

There are many openings because the benefits are subpar. People would also be more likely to stay here if they were more easily allowed to move between departments.