registered nurse

nursing assistant

respiratory therapist

psychologist

physician assistant

Valley Health

I was very excited to start working at Valley Health. I had been trying for years to get on at the company, but was continually dined for various reasons.

Once Valley Health started the final stages of their EpicCare rollout due to an alliance with Inova, they began hiring Super Users to help provide support to the healthcare providers that would need it during the go life. 

I knew the position was temporary, but they ended up cutting us out two weeks early and of two weeks pay. I noticed during my stint there that many of the Super Users that were hired on were sons/daughters of upper management at Valley Health, many of which did very little on the job. The company is very insular, caring only about "keeping it in the family". 

My favorite part of the job was having conversations with the many "peons" (ie custodians, nurses, security guards). Talking with them wasn't nearly as hard as talking with upper management, as they didn't judge you for what you said. 

I doubt I'll be looking any further into a position at Valley Health anytime soon. Most people I talked with are worried for their jobs, since management doesn't want to cut their own $300,000-500,000 salaries, so they cut out the little guys. There is also fear once Inova takes over, many more will lose their job due to overlapping roles.

It's not necessarily a question of if Valley Health will be overtaken by Inova, its just a question of when will they announce it. Who knows, maybe things will take a turn for the better afterwards once the corruption is gone.

In the OR, we are the operation that keeps the system organized and on time. We work to set up case carts for upcoming or emergency surgeries. We also work in the OR rooms to help open sterile pans and wraps to set up the rooms and prep for surgery. After surgery is completed we help in room turn over and again set up for the next case. During surgeries we are also running to take specimens to labs, whether it be a frozen, culture or routine. Also, attend to the needs of nurses to get supplies or equipment such as scopes, aquamantis, SCDs, and bovies. 
I am learning lots about procedures, medical terminology, as well as the importance of sterilization and the equipment and disposables being used during these surgeries.
The staff are very friendly and always eager to answer your questions, especially the doctors. They love to see a new employee that is ready to learn and experience their work. 
The hardest part about the job would be during days when we run 50 cases or more. We have to attend to every nurse and doctors needs while keeping the Core Rooms clean and organized and making sure all the cases have the supplies they need. 
The most enjoyable part of the job for me has to be interacting with the patients and making them feel comfortable as well as the warm welcome you receive from the staff around you. They are always there to answer your questions as a new staff member, and everyone is like family.

I enjoyed working with a large diverse group of patients. I feel that the work load was typical for an acute care facility. I have made many life long friends and enjoyed working with my co-workers. They were people you could rely on.
Unfortunately management and the practices of this company are poor. The respect and support from management was lacking severely. The CEO feels that nurses are over paid and underworked. It was common to hear things like, "well, if you don't like it, then you can always leave, I have a ton of other people to replace you with." These were the comments made by management. Yet many times there weren't enough staff and we worked short. So hire some of those people you threaten us with.
I think the thing that I learned the most was to trust no one. This is sad for such a large company. No one is secure in there jobs. At one point 8 of my family members worked there, now only 2 remain and we don't think that will last much longer.
This company doesn't seem to want to keep their senior staff. They find that new grads are cheaper. Yes this allows for new grads to obtain knowledge but senior and experienced staff are relied upon to "carry the load" for them. Most of the staff feel that this keeps patients from getting the best care possible. Staff kill themselves trying to give good care.
I just want to caution prospective employees. The turn over is high for this facility.

My job responsibilities include the following: Compassionate patient care in which my patients needs come first (example: bringing a pillow or blanket to a patient that is cold, readjusting their position for comfort, etc.), Excellence in Film Quality and Positioning, Trauma Positioning, Use of equipment ranging from CR to Digital in companies such as Siemens, Phillips, and GE, Extensive Experience in C-Arm (GE and Phillips) cases in the Operating Room doing all surgeries from General to Neurology to Urology to Orthopedic and so on, ESWL trained, Emergency room x-ray care, “Charge” Technologist on 2nd shift with supervisor duties like scheduling, fixing issues with Physicians, answering phone calls for all modalities, etc., Computer Super User in my department for all systems including PACS, RIS-IC and QA Station, Trained in my hospital’s Film Room and being able to print images from all modalities onto film or a disc, Experienced in Telerad systems to transfer patient images and such to other facilities that also have the capability, Responsible for knowledge of Infection Control, Radiation Protection Protocols, Being up to date on all WMC required information and policies, Responsible for being CPR certified, having all vaccinations, being tested for TB on a regular basis, Keeping up my ASRT Certification with the required CE Credits, Teaching x-ray students as this is a teaching hospital.

Depending on which area you were registering at you would register anywhere from 10 to 70 patients a day. Registering patients is repetitious job.  Collecting money from those whom may really not have the money but it is a requirement.  Looking for order on patients that forgot them was often very stressful on both the patient and the employee. 

 When registering patients you can be as kind and a nice and you will have that one patient that no matter what you do or go out of your way, they will not be happy.  You have to realize you do not know there situation in life so you cannot give back to them what they are giving you. Just know in your heart you have done everything possible to compensate that patient. 

Your co-workers become your family as you spend more time with them then you do your own family.  You have to realize each co-worker has different views and different personalities and adapt to them and not get caught up in negativity. 

The hardest part of that job was seeing patients that were in distress and sometimes not having all of the tools to perform your job duties.

The most enjoyable part of the job was meeting all the patients and working with my co-workers.

Shoddy management, but great benefits. Excellent PTO system gave you practically unlimited time off. Great insurance. Pay was alright for our area. What made this job difficult was management and HR couldn't get on the same page. We were often lied to about policy from management. Also, nurses were allowed to get away with lots of unacceptable behavior (poor treatment of patients, goofing off on the clock, shopping online on the clock, etc) that when pointed out to management was scoffed at and pushed aside. The comment "they're paid for what they know, not what they do" was made to us from head of HR at the time (this person is no longer head of HR; go figure). We were often forced to work when sick as doctor's notes do not excuse you for an illness. Three sick days are allowed and then you can be terminated. I myself worked with a bad flu (temp at 102 degrees) because sick days count against you even with a doctor's note. They call themselves a "non-profit entity" but their sole purpose is to make money and to push patients through quickly in order to make lots of money. This is shown in the fact that people who walk through their doors are not called "patients," they're called "customers" by management. Bottom line, I would not recommend this company to anyone. Good benefits do not overcome the bad management.

In 2015 I was originally drawn to this hospital because of the decent signing bonus and the progress it was making towards Magnet status. I soon learned that all of that was just a brochure and the truth was considerably darker. I came in with 5 years of experience and was told that I would have to go through the full 6 month orientation used for nurses new to the department. I quickly learned that only if you came from the area and lived there all your life were you treated as if you knew anything. If you were a traveler or outsider you never knew as much as they did and your opinion or choice of methods were rapidly discarded. People undid any work you did if it wasn't how they wanted it. People with lesser scopes of practice constantly told you how to do your job because it was wrong, despite the fact that they were never trained in the tasks. While very pregnant people rammed stretcher rails into my belly. I was scoffed at when I asked for time to pump. There was no separate lactation room, just a damp, moldy-smelling shower room with no air ventilation. I had to pump while I ate as I could only pump once in a 10 hour shift. I dried up within 3 weeks. I spent a year defending myself only to be told on my last day they believed I was bragging the whole time. I hope in the last several years something has improved there, but I do not hold my breath.

Presently, I work with an amazing team consisting of about 5 people on a shift to service a 600 bed hospital plus a busy ER department. The high turn over rate of Phlebotomists at my facility adds undue stress to the job. We are always hiring new Phlebotomists that need training and rarely stay over a year.

At the moment, it's a job. Looking for something closer to home ( I drive 100 miles a day for work ) . The stress is high and the pay is below par with other hospitals in the area. The equipment is in disrepair. Management does little to correct these situations and it hasn't changed in the past three years that I have worked there.We now share carts in a department with over 40 people. When brought up at a meeting, it was stated that Valley Health can't afford enough carts at 1500.00 each. I'm not being negative, just stating fact.

I have learned a great deal of skills including caring for difficult patients. Drawing blood from new borne babies, trauma patients and people from all walks of life, ethnicities and religious beliefs.

It's been a great experience but it is time to move on.

Valley Health doesn't care about it's employees. You will be expected to not only perform one full time job, but as many additional full time jobs as they can pile on you until you break. And you had better not get sick either, because if you get sick then look for a corrective action. You know, for being sick.
The benefits are the worst I have ever had, and I find that disgraceful considering that it is a medical provider. Again, they care nothing for their employees.
If you live somewhere that you can't get out in snowstorms you can either sleep on dirty old cots in some hospital room and not see your family, or again you can take a corrective action. OR, in some departments, work on your day off. Because that's such a great alternative...
The pay is low, not Walmart low, but still very low, at least for office employees. This area has a high COL and they are one of the main employers but that doesn't seem to matter. Live in a box but make sure you show up for work.
As for the workplace culture, you will be talked about behind your back and smiled at to your face. No one here is your friend. Absolutely no one.

While working for Valley Heatlh System, I worked at Winchester Medical Center and Page Memorial Hospital. Winchester Medical Center is a top 10 hospital in Virigina and its physicians, staff, and other personnel are the reason for this. They are very dedicated to their job and to taking care of the patients and the family. I enjoyed working at WMC because it was a good learning environment being a trauma center and a large hospital. At Page Memorial which is a critical access hospital only, it is a different environment. But an environment that I enjoyed immensely. The staff and physicians are like family there and they are very welcoming to new staff. While it is not a trauma center, they have a very busy ER dept that is very good at what they do. The staff of nursing and ancillary departments are exceptional people who do everything in their power to make the patient feel comfortable and get better as soon as possible. Both facilities with Valley Health System are excellent hospitals and both are great to work for.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Registered nurse 9 salaries reported	$38.56 per hour
Nursing assistant 5 salaries reported	$18.70 per hour
Respiratory therapist 4 salaries reported	$27.65 per hour
Psychologist 4 salaries reported	$118,450 per year
Physician assistant 3 salaries reported	$108,667 per year

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