registered nurse

registered nurse - emergency room

registered nurse - medical / surgical

nurse practitioner

clinical technician

RWJBarnabas Health

As a recent nurse in this field I thought this would be a great career for me doing something I love the most helping people. So far my experience in this field has been very much the opposite at St. Barnabas Medical Center Livingston, New Jersey. Working in the operating room I thought would be a great start and an amazing experience to see another side of nursing most do not get to see but so far the time I have been in the OR has been nothing less the crazy and I will keep that time anonymous for retaliation reasons blank. The turn around time of employees here is very high and it seems do to the management of the operating room and the treatment of the employees. I’ve seen so many new faces in here its hard to keep up with names they come and go so fast. I often wondered why and as time went on I started to see clearly the issues that led to this high volume of turnaround. Most of the issue is the lack of appreciation for employees by management, the favoring of people by management. I have seen bad places and this takes first place. The way management talks to you is also an issue. We have Wednesday meetings once a week where they discuss new things and go over other stuff. This past Wednesday I was shocked and wow was all I can think when our VP of the OR and Director of the operating room came in and said to the entire OR that if you don’t like it here then you can go find another job! I have never worked at a place where this is how you address your associates/employees. My heart sunk for a minute and after the meeting we all spoke about it on our breaks and lunch’s and realized this is not the place to be if this how our  Upper management handle issues going on In the operating room. It shows clearly this management team is not suited to handle their jobs and handle situations within the operating room. So we all asked how do you have faith in this management team to lead and guide us through the tough times. The answer was simple “you can’t”.  Co-workers do not help each and most of non existent and this makes your day very difficult. I can write all day with all that is wrong with this hospital and operating room but to make quite simple “ Stay Far Away” work somewhere else that will treat you as a human being and as some one who is part of the team! Management is the terrible, horrible or how ever you want to say It. It’s so bad that 2 managers have left to work elsewhere and many other employees have left taking jobs elsewhere as well. You been warned!

- The float pool manager often didn’t respond for days when I reached out with questions, making it difficult to plan and get support.

- Despite submitting my availability in advance, I was frequently canceled or flexed the day of, always right before my shift. This forced me to rearrange plans at the last minute.

- New CNAs are, and still continue to be, hired regularly, while existing CNAs like myself are repeatedly flexed or canceled. This made it extremely difficult to rely on the position for consistent hours. It was frustrating to see more aides being brought in when those of us already on staff were constantly being canceled or flexed from shifts we scheduled weeks in advance. Why continue hiring new staff if you're not fully utilizing the ones you already have?

- There was no clear rotation system in place to ensure fair scheduling. As per diem float CNAs, we make our schedules weeks in advance for specific timeframes. When I was canceled or flexed, there was no clear process to prioritize me for the next shift I had already scheduled. Instead, CNAs who had worked the day I was canceled and also scheduled themselves again for the next day were given the chance to work, while those of us who were canceled the day before and also scheduled for the following day were canceled again. It would have been much fairer to implement a rotation system where CNAs who missed shifts due to cancellations would be given priority for the next available shift. A proper rotation system would have ensured equal opportunities for all CNAs to work and maintain consistent hours, reducing the feeling of unfairness.

Although I genuinely enjoyed my role and valued the relationships I built with my coworkers, the lack of support from management and the ongoing scheduling issues ultimately led me to step away. I sincerely hope that improvements are made to create a more supportive and equitable environment for future staff.

This only applies to new employee, those applying close to minimum wage, specially if you have no car and depends on carpools or public transportation.

I live 2 miles from the job and I am so lucky. I do not have a car because I am a poor person. I work so dam hard doing 2-3 jobs all at the same time forcing my way out of poverty.

However there are problems
Interview: 8 miles away (13 min ride, or 1 hour tain)
Onboarding: 8 miles away (13 min ride, or 1 hour train)
2 Day Orientation: 14 miles away (23 min ride, or 2 hour train)

Tell me...WHY??
WHY do I need to travel and spend that much for an interview, onboarding, and 2 days of orientation?

I am trying my best to get out of poverty but good opportunities for no college degree like me has this much to spend. They should be more considerate to minimum wage jobs by having interview, onboarding, and 2 day orientation NEAR the job they're applying. 

Can't it all happen where you applied? and not make them travel that much for a minimum wage when clearly those people are on those jobs for a reason...they are poor.

I heard they did this because they plan on making everything happen in one place.
Doctors, Nurses, Office Workers, and all $80/hr people all sit down beside $9/hr doing Interview, Orientation, and Onboarding ALL at the same time. 
(Yes, It is not an exaggeration. I did sat beside Doctors that probably had 5+ cars, 2+ mansions, and don't mind traveling that much unlike a poor guy like me)
...I do not care about those people since they can afford 20+ cars, 20+ mansions, and travel 10 hour for their job riding a jet but can this company at least be considerate to the minimum wage new employee like me?

This is my warning to those hardworking people fighting poverty.
You will encounter the same problem as what I had mentioned.

Oh, I forgot to mention.
Calling for anything (schedule or questions) is harder than getting another job.

A typical day at work consists of about 10 patients per technician on average. Patients come in at all stages of pregnancy so the ultrasound they get varies depending on where they are in the pregnancy and other factors of the patients health. I am skilled at first trimester screenings, anatomy, growth, biophysical profiles, viability, and transvaginal ultrasounds which pretty much covers them all.
 I really do enjoy my work and one thing I've definitely learned while on the job is that my job is not only to perform the exam , but also to provide some sort of comfort to the patient who in many cases is nervous and uneasy. I can do that simply by being kind, engaging in conversation, and giving them as much information as I can without overstepping my boundaries. 

The management at my job does a really great job at making sure there is a nice work flow and that everything gets done. There are currently 8 sonographers and the managers make sure everybody does about  the same amount of scans, gets to lunch at a decent hour and that everything is pretty much fair across the board. I am currently a per diem employee and I see that they consciously have me in mind to see when they can fit in some hours for me, I really appreciate that. They are great people to work with. 

My coworkers are also some of the nicest people I have ever met, they are always there if I have a question or need help whether it be work related or personal. 

I would say the hardest part of my job right now is the fact that there is not a fulltime position for me and knowing that although I really enjoy working there I have to find a job that is more stable. The most enjoyable part is definitely the great doctors, management and coworkers that I get the pleasure of working with.

I’ve worked as an ED tech at Clara Maass for two years and some change and RWJUH Rahway for five months. The length of my stay at these two jobs might give you a story already. I’m a nursing student and at Clara Maass I was exposed to a lot of things because of the high volume. A lot of unique cases came through the door. For the staff, the nurses were so appreciative to the techs. The ratio was reasonable for the most part. Sometimes it was hard to adjust because you’d get a high volume of psych patients so you’d have to sit, or it’s a good day and there’s not a lot of sitting involved. The management really pushed teamwork in this facility because if one person does something wrong, everyone goes down. it doesn’t matter. Some things about the building were very outdated but the team work definitely outweighs that.

For RWJUH Rahway, complete opposite. You need to look out for yourself in the day shift. Night shift probably the best part of my shift and sometimes it’s only two hours! The nurses will mingle with the Director of Nursing for the Emergency Department at the nurses station with their phones out and they’re having a grand old time. While the techs have such a high expectation to get patients to the floor or radiology, get to the patient’s bed alarm, get to the call bell, get to that urine sample that needs to be run, all within 5 mins. I kid you not I was asked to do all of this when I got in at 9am AND there were only two of us. One time a nurse asked me to ask for the patient’s weight when we were both two feet from the patient’s room. Another time a nurse asked me to do a C. Diff stool sample and next thing I see she’s on her phone at the nurses station. We aren’t permitted to do stool samples. I truly don’t know how some of the staff have been there for years. The double standards and high expectations in this department were insane and unrealistic. 

Operating Room is a very stressful place to work day in and day out and is like this everyday. The air is thick from the negative atmosphere. No clear direction from the management team and the OR director. No recognition from management or the director unless they need you to stay then they acknowledge you and the work you do. Morning huddles are a laugh they ask if anyone has a bright spot and everyone stays quiet and so does the OR director when leading the huddle and same with management. Help..what help! No one is around to help maybe its because we are short staffed from everyone quitting. More traveling nurses and surgical technicians then our own staff and getting worse. Travelers don’t even want to renew their contracts here. The rooms are a mess you are left stuff in your room from the previous case or shift. Management and Director know this and yet ignore it and do nothing about it. You don’t get breaks or lunch on time because of short staffing and even to get relieved for end of shift is just as bad. Need a support assistant lucky if they even have on their Vocera or respond to overhead page. One side of the Operating Room support assistants stand around outside your door and don’t come when you call for them when assigned to your room but you are assigned to the other side of operating room and the two guys are always available. Complain to management nothing but excuses with nothing being done. Some staff can walk around and do nothing while you are taking advantage of and worked like a dog. 
This operating room needs new leadership from the Director on down other wise things will never change. The OR VP needs to be more involved in here to clean up the issues or it will just keep getting worse! 
Need a job go somewhere else! It’s not worth it here or see it for yourself you’ll be another statistic in the leaving statistics.

Typical day at work is getting your room prepared for your cases throughout your shift. As easy as it sounds its really not that simple its more stressful. You do not have all the right equipment in your room most of the time, what the schedule says and your case sheets says are two different things so now it’s a mad dash to try and get the correct stuff. The stuff we do need most of the time is either broken, not enough when the same cases are booked in other rooms or you cannot find it. You could use some help and anyone who could help is not available or God knows where. You call for some kind of assistance and you mise well have not even bothered as support here non-existent. You get assigned rooms and then taken out because another nurse wants that room cause it’s easier for them so they complain to a manager friend and your out of room you setup and sent to a different one. 
You go for equipment in the equipment rooms and what a safety hazard all day everyday. Your your is assigned A support assistant and majority of the time they don’t respond to your call, vocera is not logged in, you look outside your room and just see not one in that area. Bring all these issues up to any manager and don’t expect any actions to be taken. Clearly it is a place for most to work and just collect a check. It’s disturbing and wearing on you. 
There are more traveler nurses and Surg. Techs coming in because no one wants to work here. for myself I am seeing why ever time I am scheduled to work in misery!  Another one bites the dust and then another and another as people keep quitting! No one seems to even care. 
Instead they threaten you with if you don’t like it here then leave... yeah that was one of our staff meetings with our Director of OR and her boss.

8 0 (      Bad

My work day begins with making rounds to 7 separate work area's. Checking voice mails and emails. Reviewing and working daily reports and making plans for improvement on any items that need attention.  Participating in management conference calls and meetings. Rounding with employees to ensure excellent service is provided to every patient,  Analyze billing files and following up with appeals to  insurance carriers for incorrectly processed claims. Working with referring physician offices on a variety of matters.

 I have learned that by establishing teams and brainstorming for ideas leads to successful results on any project or improvement plans. I have also learned that patient satisfaction is what drives the success of the business. I have hardwired myself with training on Service, Quality, People, Finance, Growth and Community which  are the pillars of a successful business.  Alignment, action and accountability leads to the road of profound leadership. 
 
Upper Management where I report is extremely busy and are not always accessible.  My co-workers are fabulous we work as a team and rally for a win.  

The hardest part of my job is being a front line worker with not enough time for my Administrative duties which causes a lot of long hours and working from home.  

The most enjoyable part of my job is bring a smile to a patients face who is filled with anxiety about their personal and family health  issues.  Helping them understand the process of testing to making payment arrangements that they could more comfortingly afford; while getting the best health care services possible.  These things make this job enjoyable and worthwhile. Every employee should feel that they have meaningful work,

I work in the Emergency Room. My job is very demanding and everything must be perfect. 
I work days. It starts off slow but within an hour or two we start getting busy and the day stays that way. SBMC's Emergency room sees about 250 patients a day, over 90,000 patients a year. Multi tasking is a must, so is customer service. My job requires me to interview and register the patient, place calls from the SBMC doctors to the patient's doctors and other medical experts with in the SBMC hospital for doctor to doctor consults, Collect copays and discharge the patient's chart once the discharge orders are given. Band the patient with their correct demographic information when they enter the emergency's waiting room, correcting any demographic mistakes, handle heavy volume of calls that come into and out of the emergency room. Place patient into SBMC's various census so that patient will be able to leave the emergency room and go directly upstairs to a bed on a medical floor once the emergency room doctor places the order. Same goes for observation on the medical floor or within the ER. Being the only CPAR in either Pediatrics or Fast Track and making sure your patients are properly banded, registered, admitted up to the floor, if necessary, placing and answering phone calls, answering the patient call bells, making patient call backs, collecting patient copays and discharging the patient out of our system when they go home is very demanding. Accuracy is a must. And I am also assigned new CPARs to train!. It gets very busy but I love it.

I worked in the maintenance department for 3 years. I had been a foreman for a commercial company working on hospitals and office buildings,before starting at St. Barnabas,  so I knew all building codes and proper construction techniques. When I started at St. Barnabas , I was shocked to see them using materials like paints, and wood products that were NOT permitted to be used in commercial buildings, and especially in a hospital. I brought this to the attention of the Supervisor. His response, which he used every time I pointed out a code violation was  " I'll look into it, " but nothing was ever done.  The foreman knew less about commercial construction than some first year apprentices I had working for me. He exhibited sociopathic behavior, and everyone in our department asked to be transferred to no avail. He was forced to take anger management classes. When I quit, I even went to the head of our union, and told him of the conditions. He asked, " What do you want me to do ? " I was speechless, and then just said, " do your job, and protect your members ."  I found that the reason the foreman was never demoted or fired was because he was hired because his family knew Richard Codey. My department was a mess. Other people told me that their departments were fine. So, that's why I call this place a mixed bag.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 645 salaries reported	$56.06 per hour
Registered nurse - emergency room 238 salaries reported	$55.57 per hour
Registered nurse - medical / surgical 209 salaries reported	$55.27 per hour
Nurse practitioner 67 salaries reported	$73.60 per hour
Clinical technician 8 salaries reported	$22.98 per hour

Working at RWJBarnabas Health: Company Overview and Reviews

RWJBarnabas Health

RWJBarnabas Health Ratings

Popular jobs at RWJBarnabas Health

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected