recovery specialist

coordinator

sterilization technician

surgical coordinator

registered nurse - critical care

New England Donor Services

While the pay and benefits at New England Donor Services are above average, they are simply not worth the mistreatment and stress that come with the job. I genuinely regret working here. The cons far outweigh any positives, and no amount of compensation makes up for the toxic environment and lack of basic respect for employees.
There is absolutely no work-life balance. You're expected to be available for a 7-day stretch, covering both day and night shifts with only a one-day turnaround between them. Management is completely indifferent to your personal life—whether you have children, outside commitments, or simply need time to rest. Your preferences or limitations are ignored, and you're treated as if your life outside of work doesn't matter.
The most shocking part is that this job requires people who are patient, compassionate, and emotionally resilient—yet management demonstrates none of those qualities toward their staff. There is a total disconnect between the mission of the organization and the way employees are treated. Compassion for donors and families is expected, but there is none shown to the very people doing the work. Leadership seems to care far more about productivity and the bottom line than the health, growth, or morale of their team.
Training is rushed and poorly executed. New hires are thrown into high-pressure situations with minimal support, and if you ask questions or need help, you’re met with judgment and ridicule. You're made to feel stupid for needing clarification, rather than encouraged to learn and grow. It creates a hostile, fear-driven environment that stifles development and fosters burnout.
The work itself—supporting organ and tissue donation—is inherently meaningful. But that meaning is completely overshadowed by the chronic stress, poor leadership, and lack of respect for employees.
Unless there are serious changes in how staff are trained, supported, and treated, I would not recommend working here. The mission is powerful, but sadly, the workplace culture undermines it at every turn.


Very meaningful work yet  many of the managers do not care about their employees - at all. 

The hours are unsafe and there is lots of driving.  Working 24 hour shifts and expecting to drive hundreds of miles is very difficult and  perform at optimal level.

There are a couple of decent managers but many of them have no respect for their team's safety or wellbeing. 

It would be a great place to work if it wasn't all about numbers and metrics - there is no human element to the job even though we are there to save lives. It's ironic because our lives are in jeopardy almost every shift. 

Many people leave after a short time because management won't listen to concerns without getting defensive. 

There are no written policies so each department is run independently which creates havoc with expectations. No one knows what the rules are which promotes an environment of favoritism and uncertainty.

It's too bad they treat employees this way, because the work is truly important.

This organization is mission driven, I am sure there is not one employee that doesn't feel the value of the work that NEDS does. I am an office employee so I can't speak to the shift work that others have alluded to, but I can tell you that management DOES listen and act on staff concerns. The communication from the leadership team is transparent and thorough. Like many companies the organization had to change and pivot as a result of the pandemic and did so without laying off a single employee due to downsizing. Salaries are competitive and the benefits are incredible.

Toxic work environment. Reprimanded for things that others do daily but you are new so you just have to take it.  Many errors found during training with the examples that are supposed to teach on how to do something but instead leave you more confused. Only fallowed by lot of more confusion created when being given a different trainer almost every shift. Gossip creates a negative work environment. Tears shed often due to rules only applying to some and not others. Hardest part of the job is the software. A lot of lag making it difficult to learn smoothly and keep focused. By the time the next page loads you have forgotten half of what you needed. 

Overall NEDS is full lf very passionate, dedicated people; who all work towards a singular valuable cause. So you can feel like you're part of something important. However when it comes to work life balance and stress, not all depts are created equal. The Central Supply dept had absent management, and senior staff who treated it like HS; and they were the popular kids. You also work an odd rotating schedule, where every third week you're either working the weekend or 10 hour shifts. Also the amount of work to get done would entirely depend on how many recoveries were done in the 1-2 days prior, or earlier that day; so it would vary greatly.  

One thing I am big on is culture and diversity and that's exactly what I got here.  Working at NEDS has been an eye opening experience. I have been able to gain knowledge in areas I was looking to grow. I work with a very supportive team and have also been able to do a lot of learning on my own hands on. The environment is very inclusive and diverse. The staff is genuinely friendly  and the people care about the work they're doing. That's exactly what I was looking for in my next career move. Very happy to be working at NEDS. 

Really enjoyed working here. Great work/life balance with 10 24s a month and generous PTO. Meaningful work helping to review potential donors and initiate donor testing.   Supportive coworkers and immediate bosses were excellent. Well informed, personable, available, and reasonable while still upholding high expectations. 

Other roles at NEDS (FSC, DC, OOC, OSRC) can be significantly more stressful with a higher work tempo on shift. Often overheard criticism of upper level management from coworkers, but didn’t personally have any negative interactions. 

Management needs a lot of help and improvement In the Tissue Dept. I loved my job but got burnt out and felt unsupported. Intentions were good but not enough to stay. Felt like there was no opportunity for growth. Very little support for staff working nights. Needs better work culture. I hope they try to improve and focus less on numbers and more on the mission. Job felt like a sales position rather than focused on improving lives.

Management is not very supportive of their staff. They are approachable at times but when they are nothing ever comes out of what is being brought forward to them. 
Very long hours, usually more than 24 hours if you have to travel long distance. 
Day to day management of staff allocation very poor. 
No accountability of employees. 
Poor communication between teams

What is the best part of working at the company?
The friendships and the welcoming atmosphere at the company 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Not getting adequate help from management 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Great! Everyone is nice and the diversity is spectacular. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Working, staying busy. Interacting with different people from other departments.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Recovery specialist 3 salaries reported	$32.82 per hour
Coordinator 5 salaries reported	$74,400 per year
Sterilization technician 2 salaries reported	$23.50 per hour
Surgical coordinator 1 salary reported	$30.50 per hour
Registered nurse - critical care 1 salary reported	$107,500 per year

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