registered nurse

nursing assistant

registered nurse - operating room

recruiter

certified medical assistant

Kootenai-Health

I loved working for kootenai hospital. I was there  three years and worked 1N, 2N and Gastroenterology across the street. I loved working with the competent and compassionate staff. Kootenai is always advancing and growing (hence thier new expansion) the only reason I gave the job culture a 3 out of 5 stars is because the hospital began two new policies that I do not agree 100% with. First, the hospital is a non-smoking facility (I am a non-smoker so I don't mind) but they have taken it to the next level and began to drug test upon consideration for hire, for nicotine, and will not hire if found positive. I feel that if a employee wants to take thier break or lunch and sit in their car, then that is personal property and should not be a problem. I have seen security escort patients back into the building when caught smoking, although this could be a health risk and I do not know the individual that I seen or know his circumstances, I do know that we have behavioral health on-site and that patient could very well have been capable of smoking outside without being asked to leave. Second, the hospital has made the flu vaccine manditory for every employee and no longer allows staff to wear a mask, during flu season, and will fire any employee that has not had it by cut off date. although I understand the thought process of not spreading the flu, I feel this is more about keeping staffing ratios level and less about patient care. I personally dissagree with the flu shot, on the release form that you sign before taking the shot it lists people who should not take the shot including pregnant and people with auto-immune dissorders, although the hospital may make special considerations for those individuals, many people do not know they are pregnant (and it is most contriverssal in the first tri-mester) or if they have an auto-immune dissorder like myself and mistakenly take the shot. besides this you will not find a better hospital, I have worked registry nursing as a CNA for 13 years and seen many different hospitals and by far love Kootenai Hospital the most.

I have been working at Kootenai Health for almost 4 years.  Before I moved to the community I heard great things about Kootenai compared to Spokane based employers. When my family moved here it was my top choice to seek employment.  I found several positions I would be qualified for, and ultimately was selected for the one I wanted most.

In my time here I have seen a lot of changes with services offered and even the hospital building.  Some changes in this timeframe were not openly accepted at first, but in the long run have been the best for the employees, the company and the community.  Kootenai is very open with employee communication which I really appreciate. The CEO meets quarterly with all staff to explain what the current projects and goals are.  He along with upper management invites employee feedback and questions openly. It is hard to find such an approachable upper management these days. 

My department specifically has had changes too.  As mentioned in another review, there have been turnovers with staffing. Most have been due to the employee seeking employment closer to where they live or wanting a different role. There are also changes with the addition of graduating students who did clinicals here and at other facilities but chose to seek employment here due to the positive culture.  The majority of the department’s staff have been here for years and are committed to teamwork and the success of fellow employees and departments. 

My supervisor meets with me frequently to check in on what needs I may have to be successful in my position and encourages my professional growth. I consider her my mentor and appreciate the constructive criticism and opportunities to expand my knowledge.

Overall I think anyone would be able to find a job here that best suits their qualifications and goals in the medical or professional field.

In summary, this workplace offers a reasonable environment in terms of the nature of the work and most colleagues, but only if you're an individual without familial responsibilities or a social life. Their recent changes to the attendance policy are nothing short of appalling, showing a complete disregard for personal well-being and work-life balance, especially if you're subjected to on-call shifts. As a single parent, I find their allowance of only six sick days per year utterly inadequate, given that I lack the support system that others may have. Furthermore, they show little flexibility when it comes to unforeseen "life events."

The majority of the management team, with some exceptions, tend to exhibit favoritism and make promotion decisions based on arbitrary policies rather than actual experience. They also seem to prioritize educational background and resume contents over real-world skills and achievements, following the unfortunate trend of many organizations. Unless you have influential connections within the company, it's challenging to secure a position here. Frankly, this organization appears to struggle with financial management, and I wouldn't be surprised if they eventually get acquired by Multicare or Providence. The only silver lining is the compensation and benefits, provided you're an individual without dependents.

Despite their efforts to foster a familial atmosphere and promote a sense of unity, when difficult situations arise, they abandon their facade of caring and often pressure employees into resigning to avoid terminations. Unfortunately, their turnover rates likely remain high due to a lack of policies that genuinely support and assist their staff.

In conclusion, I strongly advise seeking alternative employment opportunities. Unless you're content with decent pay followed by abandonment, this workplace is best avoided. Wishing you the best of luck in your job search.


The one constant an employee can count on at KH is change; and I'm not talking about evidence-based change. From our insurance coverage monopolized mandating employees to use KH contracted providers only, higher monthly premiums and deductibles; our health insurance for a family of 4 is now $750/month. 
Multiple changes at the bedside happen constantly by administration without nursing and MD involvement. There's a complete disconnect between patient-care staff and management. They make you feel as though you are lucky to work for a "Magnet" facility and treat you like a replaceable piece of furniture.
I've lost 5 coworkers in the last month with experience ranging from 2-20yrs. There's no word from administration as to what's not working, only that those employees will be replaced with travelers. 
Administration needs to be clear on one thing....Doctors and nurses can do a good job taking care of patients without your assistance. We are trained to prioritize, triage, rescuisitate, stabilize and get the job done in multiple settings with limited resources, you (administration) don't have a paycheck or purpose unless you have knowledgeable, compassionate bedside staff. Involve them, try to figure out why there's burnout and higher than average turnover rates in every department, throughout the entire facility. 

Oh, and administration get some edible, affordable food with cafeteria hours that doesn't cater to just your schedule. Some employees take care of people with uncertain birth, death and care schedules....and those patient's families appreciate having a warm meal too.

The core leadership group is proactive and forward thinking, which makes my efforts more rewarding. They do genuinely seem to care about employees. Staff in the business offices are engaged, competent, friendly, and great to work with. Offers challenging, rewarding work, with opportunities to take initiative and make a difference, which is rare in a large, structured organization like Kootenai Health. Great culture in my department, as management lacks ego and power hoarding tendencies, and offers flexibility if you reliably perform (i.e., not someone who takes advantage and needs to be micromanaged). Adopted a hybrid workforce during the pandemic, and IT has been exceptional in facilitating that. 

Kootenai is one of the best employers in North Idaho, with highly competitive wages, depending on your role. Great benefits for the area as well ($10,000/year for health/vision/dental/life and an additional incentive/activity-based HSA program through Virgin Pulse, which grants additional funds). 

Downsides: Typical for Idaho, they offer no maternity leave, so you have to use PTO/FMLA, but they do have on-site childcare (long waitlist). Not as competitive with major healthcare employers (Spokane, Seattle) especially in Nursing & referrals/sign-on bonuses, but the compensation beats what most non-healthcare employers offer in North Idaho/Spokane by a large margin. 

When I first started at KH over 7 years I ago I felt valued. Leadership cared. The company seemed like  they valued their employees… but that has change dramatically in the past 3 years. KH has become money hungry. They care more about their growth & profit then they do rewarding their employees. They will go to lengths to hire traveling employees but laugh at staff when they are told “if you pay your employees more & treated with incentives, you probably wouldn’t have to hire travelers. KH has lost a LOT of nurses in a very short period. Employees aren’t referring their friends because they aren’t happy with KH anymore. KH CEO stated “everyone is replaceable” yet they can’t get anyone to want to work there. They low ball CNA’s pay compared to other locations. Supervisors & management don’t last long. High turn over. KH is no longer a pleasant place to be employed by. It’s very sad to see a local hospital go down the same path that other large corporations have gone down. They say they care but it’s truly all about the $, actions speak louder than words. This isn’t just my perspective, this is what I’ve heard from many of my friends and co-workers who are also currently employed at KH: nurses, CNA’s, techs, HUC’s, etc. 

Kootenai Health is a shining star of growth and potential.
I love my job at Kootenai Health. I have full benefits, I am compensated well, I work with engaged and happy coworkers. We make a difference in our community. As an exempt employee I have flexibility in arranging appointments for my children and the onsite daycare has made life much simpler for me. 
Management is committed to making Kootenai Health a desirable place to work. They are proactive in communicating about the need for change and how we are going to achieve hard things by working together. Leaders are encouraged create fun and productive work environments and are incentivized to help employees feel heard and valued. The patient is paramount in decision making. There is a desire to create a just culture that recognizes system issues rather than personnel issues.
The culture at Kootenai Health focuses on safety, compassion and engagement. We have grown exponentially in the past five years and have done well financially.
Some things I love: 
Redesigned onsite café has a ton of options including frozen yogurt, Panini's, salads, etc.
Great coffee shop in multiple locations
Employee wellness program that incentives activity/health
Onsite childcare option
Yearly culture training
Magnet recognized for nursing excellence
Tuition assistance

Do not expect to be valued unless you have a BS in Nursing.  As a member of the float pool/resource team, you will never be a member of the "team" no matter how well you do your job, as each unit is clique-ish.  Expect to be moved 4 times in a single shift and to be asked to "leave" (patient abandonment?) your patients with the charge nurse to be moved to a busier unit.  Expect you will see unethical things happen and unexpected deaths as the hospital has rid itself of all of the experienced nurses at the higher end of the pay scale in exchange for new graduate nurses to save money.  My float "supervisor" closed his doors in a meeting and screamed at me at the top of his lungs when I had to go above his head for resolution of an issue with him.  I was terrified of him and, despite the HR telling me he has done this to other nurses, the hospital continues to protect him--he "stepped down" to go to school, but was later propped back up.  Do not expect loyalty from the hospital when you are injured; they will deny you available lifting equipment and staff then blame you for your injury.  This was a great hospital under Joe Morris, but the new CEO, who allows the negligence and harrassment,  has got to go.

For $800/month insurance premium for myself, husband and 2 children, you would think there would be optimal care provided considering this is a community hospital, Nope. Money is more important that the health and freedom of choice of their staff and families.

As an employee of KH, myself and my children are only allowed to seek medical services at KH approved facilities which are not only sub-optimal, subject to waiting list and just plain unsafe for pediatric care, (which KH does not provide). The safety of my children should be a top priority for my employer, however this NOT THE CASE. KH would prefer monopolizing the area, rather that insuring their staff and families get the absolute best care that is recommended by the child's pediatrician. KH should be ashamed of themselves and their heinous & dishonest tactics.

This is a sad state of affairs for our community and I highly advise against employment for a company that puts the almighty dollar before appropriate care for children.

KH mission:

"We improve health one patient at a time in a friendly and professional culture committed to superior quality and safety."

Its actually quite funny....

Kootenai Health offers shift differentials for weekends and night shifts which is nice, I was able to work 3, 12 hour graveyard shifts, 2 of which were on weekends and the differentials made up for the lost 4 hours/week from day shift who worked 5, 8 hours shifts. Kootenai Health pays for employee benefits but requires you to get an annual check up and participate in work sponsored fitness activates. Their insurance rates for family members is ridiculous, one of my coworkers was paying $800/month to cover his wife and 3 kids. They don't give departments the budgets or upgrades they need unless they're a money making department like the ER or the Operating Rooms. The rest of the departments have to get by with broken and outdated equipment. The security team is a joke, they are overreaching and incompetent. They have had 3 employees get shot on company property in the last 30 years. 2 of which were inside the hospital. You only get 3 sick days/ year and face punishment if you go over that. My manager was sexist and only hired females to work on the same shift as her and then would pile extra work on the other shifts so that they didn't have to work as hard.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 4 salaries reported	$50.80 per hour
Nursing assistant 5 salaries reported	$23.46 per hour
Registered nurse - operating room 1 salary reported	$42.35 per hour
Recruiter 22 salaries reported	$59,705 per year
Certified medical assistant 1 salary reported	$28.67 per hour

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