Oregon Nesties
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Portland area ER/NICU
Hello Ladies!?
?DH and I are moving to the Portland area sometime in the next 9 months and we have been busy researching job opportunities. We are both nurses (DH in the ER and myself in the NICU) and are used to working at large busy teaching hospitals that are the "best" in the area for our respected specialties (ie - Level 1 trauma for him, Level III/IV NICU for me).?
We do not know much about the Portland area and I don't trust hospital websites (they all attempt to make themselves sound great). I would love some local opinions on good hospitals for us to arrange interviews with when we visit there this spring! Any ideas? If anyone is a nurse and has an idea of the typical pay for someone with 3-4 yrs I would love to hear that as well! 
Re: Portland area ER/NICU
I've heard that the best NICU is at Legacy Emanuel in North Portland... OHSU is a fantastic teaching hospital, and they have Doernbecher Children's Hospital up there also, I don't know anything about their NICU though. But when my niece had a really random problem with her foot and no Dr could tell what was wrong, they had to spend several nights up at OHSU... DH and I were both born there also (26 years ago).
A few of my girlfriends are NICU and L&D nurses, so let me email them and see what they say also!
I am a nurse in acute care at Doernbecher Children's Hospital (which is associated with OHSU) and I can honestly say that I love my job and I love this hospital. I work with an incredible group of people who are supportive, helpful, skilled and committed to helping our kiddos. I should, but don't, know what number corresponds with the highest, but I know we take the sickest/most traumatic cases in both the NICU and the ER. I have not met anyone in management in the ER, but the NICU manager is very nice, and all the nurses up there are very protective of and committed to their babies.?
I don't know much about the ER, but I've visited it once as a patient (well, my DH was a pt.) and it was very busy. I also know they just added a pediatric specific wing which will be opening in January (I think...sorry!).?
We are a teaching hospital, which means we deal with a lot of medical students and residents. It can be confusing dealing with new doctors (especially since they switch quite often), but we (nurses) have a pretty good relationship with our docs (Attendings especially)?and our opinions/advice are appreciated.?
?OHSU is a union hospital and our contract dictates our rate of pay. You should be looking at $34-35 and hour base pay (plus higher acuity and eve/night shift differential). If you're interested, our ONA website is here and our contract is here. I don't believe the Legacy system is unionized.
Legacy Emmanuel is also a very good hospital. I've had two close friends of mine have babies in the NICU and they both have wonderful reviews. I thought the management of their acute care floor was pretty awful (and the staff weren't very helpful), but their PICU was really great (I had 2 rotations there when I was in school). I know both Legacy Emmanuel and Legacy Good Samaritan also have busy ER's and I think Emmanuel also has a high trauma level too.?
?I hope that was helpful, I'd be happy to answer any more of your questions. You can email at stephanie.geist@gmail.com if I can help you out with anything else.?
I love my job, and I love this city. If you and your DH choose Portland, you'd be making a good choice, and I'd be happy to help you get settled in any way I can. Good luck!?
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