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Career Resources / Top 5 Reasons for Nurses to Love Portland, Oregon

Tell people that you’re a nurse and you will instantly see yourself boosted in their estimation. Nurses are universally acknowledged as special, skilled, kind, and caring. Your commitment and dedication are respected, and your knowledge is unquestionable. Most people who’ve had more than passing exposure to healthcare recall the nurses who cared for them with greater clarity and appreciation than all other healthcare professionals, noting the more personal and compassionate attention that seems to come with the professional title.

Of course, being a nurse is more than what you do while you’re on the clock. Your work environment and the way that you feel about your job is impacted by external factors, and the city where you live and work plays a major role. For a high energy, eclectic, eccentric town, there are few places that shine like Portland, Oregon.

1. Portland is Home to World-class Healthcare

While Portland, Oregon’s official population is just under 650,000, the larger metropolitan area – which includes Vancouver, Washington — accounts for 2.5 million people, and most are served by the hospitals in the city. Portland has two nationally recognized children’s hospitals affiliated with their two largest hospital systems, Legacy Health and Oregon Health & Science University. These two systems and the other facilities in the area offer nearly a dozen options for patients, as well as for professionals, and as an academic research institution, OHSU adds to global knowledge about healthcare best practices.

2. Oregon’s Government Is Reaching Out to Solve Staffing Shortage

Like many other areas of the country, Portland area hospitals have been hit hard by the nursing shortage. In response, two important agencies, the Oregon Health Authority and the Department of Human Services have asked the state legislature for $40 million in emergency funding. Nurses have also encouraged hospital leaders to offer greater financial incentives to attract and retain qualified staff.  

A larger factor impacting nursing shortages in Oregon is the large pool of aspiring nurses being denied entry to nursing programs due to the lack of adequate nursing faculty. OHSU has been approved for a nearly $4 million grant to increase the number of nursing faculty and preceptors to mentor recently graduated nurses and nursing students. 

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3. There are Several High-Quality Nursing Programs in Portland

Aspiring registered nurses and nurses who are interested in advancing in their careers by pursuing advanced degrees have plenty of options in Portland. From Mt. Hood Community College’s LPN to RN program to DNP and PhD programs at Oregon Health & Sciences University, you’ll be sure to find the right fit for your educational needs and schedule.

4. Portland’s Nurses See Pay and Benefits Boosts Driven by Nursing Shortages 

Nurses working for Portland’s top healthcare facilities are rewarded for their education, experience, and skill with generous compensation that include comprehensive and creative benefits packages. Many facilities are offering sign-on bonuses, retention incentives, and relocation assistance for registered nurses moving into the Portland area, and nurses benefit from additional wellness and flexible scheduling initiatives.

5. Quality of Life for Nurses in Portland

When it comes to choosing a place to live and work, there are some elements you can put a number on and others whose value is more subjective. Portland has so many of these invaluable qualify-of-life aspects that the U.S. News & World Reports named it the 22^nd Best Place to Live in America, and the 42^nd Best Place to Retire. Contributing factors to this rating range from Portland’s outstanding mass transit system, its remarkable biking culture supported by nearby Nike, its arts and culture, and its innovative food scene.

Perhaps best of all is Portland’s cornucopia of outdoor activities. Winter sports on Mount Hood, camping under the stars, and watersports on the Willamette River are among the most active available, but Portland also has flower-filled parks and urban forests appropriate to its reputation as one of America’s greenest cities, and waiting to be explored and enjoyed. 

Portland is one of America’s friendliest and most interesting cities. A center of innovation and environmental awareness, this wonderful city has much to offer nurses looking for new opportunities. To learn more about the possibilities that await, start with Incredible Health’s innovative job search platform and get multiple job offers from top Portland employers. 

Career Resources / Minnesota Quality of Life for Nurses

Once viewed as little more than an extra pair of hands to assist physicians with housekeeping duties, today’s nurses are highly respected for their professional skills, education, and abilities. This is particularly true in Minnesota, a state that is globally recognized for being at the pinnacle of medical care. Minnesota nurses work in collaboration with physicians and other members of the care team to both advance the patient experience and shape the way their facilities function. They advocate for their patients, their communities, and themselves.

But the advantages of being a nurse in Minnesota go beyond professional opportunities and advancement. Minnesota offers all of its residents a friendly atmosphere and a superior quality of life, no matter whether you choose to live in the Twin Cities or any of the state’s suburban or rural areas. The Land of 10,000 Lakes is rich with water-based recreational activities and people who are “Minnesota Nice” and highly educated too — the state ranks 2nd in the country for residents who have earned at least an associate degree.  Workers at all levels benefit from a minimum wage that is above the federal standard, and the tuition freeze that’s been placed on higher education makes academic opportunities more accessible for all.

For healthcare professionals in general and registered nurses in particular, working in Minnesota places you squarely in the midst of the region now known as “Medical Alley” for its intersection of health technology companies and healthcare facilities. There are few things more exciting than being at the center of concerted efforts to improve patient care. 

1. Minnesota is Home to Internationally Recognized Hospitals and Health Care Facilities 

When you think of health innovation and world-class care, the Mayo Clinic is at the top of the list of facilities, and its international reputation has inspired the state to turn the surrounding area into a Destination Medical Center that includes the country’s largest and most comprehensive sports medicine practice. Minneapolis is also home to Hazelden, the nation’s largest nonprofit treatment provider for chemical dependency and originator of the 12-step program, and the University of Minnesota Health represents a unique collaboration between the school’s physicians and researchers and the surrounding community. 

2. Minnesota’s Excellent Health Care Innovation Means Robust Health

It makes sense but it also bears repeating: when people have access to great health care, they enjoy better health. Minnesotans are routinely viewed as being in better health than residents of most other states, and notably is the only state in the country where the leading cause of death is not heart disease. That may be directly related to the state also having lower rates of smoking, asthma, and obesity, but is also a reflection of the care provided by facilities like the Minneapolis Heart Institute (MHI). Part of Allina Health’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital, MHI is ranked in the top one percent of heart health innovation and has established the largest telemedicine program in cardiology, and offers hands-on services through dozens of locations in the state.

Minnesota is where you’ll find the century-old Children’s Minnesota, one of the largest freestanding pediatric health systems in the United States. It’s where skin-to-skin contact with newborns was discovered and where the nation’s first pediatric pain, palliative, and integrative medicine clinic was created. It’s also an innovator in the use of acupuncture and other alternative medicine treatments within the hospital structure, in healing centers focused on spirituality, and in community-based clinical education.

Finally, Minnesota’s primacy as a healthcare innovator goes beyond direct care. In-ear hearing aids, the world’s first wearable pacemaker, and other complex medical devices were all born in the state, and this drew more and more entrepreneurs, inventors, and healthcare companies. 

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3. Minnesota Nurses Enjoy Creative, Comprehensive Compensation 

Not only do Minnesota’s registered nurses enjoy the benefits of working for the nation’s most highly esteemed medical facilities, but they also earn higher average salaries than their colleagues in the rest of the nation and robust benefits that provide for themselves as well as their family members. Medical plans offer flexible coverage and premiums as well as pharmacy, vision, hearing, and dental benefits. Well-being programs offer credits toward health care premiums and Amazon gift cards in exchange for participation, while retirement savings plans and financial guidance are also common perks. Nurses interested in expanding their education are eligible for tuition reimbursement, while those who want to expand their families can receive adoption assistance including both financial assistance and leaves of absence.

4. Economic Advantages of Living in Minnesota

No matter how much money you earn, there are economic considerations that go beyond salary. Fortunately, Minnesota’s economy means that your income goes even further, and there are other advantages too. With multiple Fortune 500 companies and countless entrepreneurs making the state their headquarters, your family members will have plenty of opportunities to choose from. And though Minnesota’s progressive income taxes, sales tax, and estate tax can be a shock for some, the reasonable cost of living means that your money goes further. Groceries, utilities, and transportation are approximately two-to-five percent lower than in the rest of the country, and despite its high quality, the cost of healthcare runs 20% below the national average. 

5. Minnesota Offers a High Quality of Life for Registered Nurses 

Great recreational and outdoor activity options, plenty of sports teams to cheer for, and a great educational system are just a few of the things that have led to Minnesota ranking as one of the top states in the country for quality of life. Despite the length and low temperatures that characterize Minnesota’s winters and the unfortunate lack of public transportation, Minnesota’s residents enjoy a diverse arts and cultural environment, endless fresh air and forests, and the famous Mall of America and its indoor theme park.

Combine all of these advantages with the amazing job opportunities that abound for registered nurses, and it’s no wonder that we think of Minnesota as one of the best places in the country for nurses. To learn more, check out Incredible Health’s job search platform, where top Minnesota employers are waiting for you to log on so that they can reach out to you.

Career Resources / Nursing Opportunities in Minnesota

When it comes to being at the center of the healthcare universe, registered nurses can’t do much better than the state of Minnesota. The locale of what has come to be known as “Medical Alley,” the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul is home to one of the world’s best known medical organizations in the Mayo Clinic, the country’s largest health insurer in UnitedHealth Group, global leaders in medical device innovation, and academic institutions that are graduating leaders in public health and healthcare management, as well as highly skilled and educated medical professionals.

Health professionals in Minnesota take pride in their position as what they call “The Global Epicenter of Health Innovation and Care.” Through various associations and organizations, they are collaborating to transform the future of healthcare by providing better patient experiences and improved care. Minnesota’s state legislature is considering joining the Nurse Licensure Compact in order to attract more top-tier skilled nursing talent, and is also moving forward with a bill called the Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act which would assemble multiple committees made up of both management and healthcare workers to collaborate in setting safe staffing levels.

Despite significant nursing shortages throughout the state, nurses working in Minnesota enjoy the pride that comes with working at the pinnacle of care. Not only do they earn average salaries that are higher than what nurses nationwide are making, but they do so while working for hospitals and health systems that rank high for the quality of care they provide. According to the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Minnesota ranks among the best states overall for healthcare quality, and the Commonwealth Fund ranks the state third in the nation for health system performance, as well as for prevention and treatment, and fourth for healthy lives. The state also ranked third best for the health and wellbeing of its seniors based on factors including clinical care.

Perhaps most important of all, in 2022WalletHub ranked Minnesota the fourth best state in the country to work as a nurse based on opportunity and competition and second for salaries adjusted by cost of living.  Combine all of these professional factors with the state’s many social and environmental features and it’s easy to see why Minnesota is one of the best places in the country to work as a nurse.

Types of Nursing Jobs in Minnesota

Nurses in the state of Minnesota have their choice of excellent work settings. From positions teaching nursing students and advanced practice positions in one of the nation’s top-ranked hospitals and research institutions to providing care in long-term care facilities or remotely via telemedicine technology, nurse professionals can write their own ticket about the environment in which they choose to practice and the demographic that they want to serve. Whichever setting they choose they will find themselves respected, sought after, and highly valued. 

With so many options available to them, nurses considering a job in Minnesota need to do their research and find the spot that suits them best. Below you’ll find a few of the nursing employers we’ve found most generous and considerate of their nursing staff.

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Mayo Clinic

No list of Minnesota medical facilities would be complete without naming the Mayo Clinic. Located in Rochester, Minnesota, the not-for-profit hospital is consistently named #1 in the country overall by U.S. News & World Report and is top-ranked in fourteen specialties. In addition to its stellar patient care, the facility has been named an award winner in multiple categories associated with its commitment to its employees. It was named a ‘Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion’ by the American Association of People with Disabilities; ranked fourth in DiversityInc’s ‘Top Hospitals and Health Systems’ list; and was recognized as a ‘Military-Friendly Employer.’ 

For registered nurses, the Mayo Clinic Department of Nursing is among the world’s largest, and has been awarded Magnet designation for its excellence six times. Nursing professionals at Mayo are considered vital team members who work collaboratively with physicians, patient educators, and other health practitioners under a professional practice model. They participate in shared decision-making and benefit from state-of-the-art technology. The hospital offers a Nurse Residency Program for all nurses with less than 12 months of experience to ensure a successful transition from student to professional, and nurses receive both generous compensation and benefits that include pension and 403(b)/401(k) match, continuing medical education, paid time off and disability, relocation assistance, and more. Notable additions include up to $10,000 per child in adoption assistance and up to $12,000 for dependent scholarships, wellness programs and fitness facilities, parking and commuting, and a career investment program.

Allina Health

With 12 hospital campuses, 65 primary care clinics, and 14 urgent care centers, Allina Health is invested in the health of the people of Minnesota.  The system has earned both local and national recognition both for its exceptional care and for the excellent environment that its employees enjoy. Multiple Allina Health hospitals have been ranked among the best in the Twin Cities by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals rankings, and the hospital won high marks in five Racial Equity categories as well as in the Disability Equality Index Report. Allina’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital received Magnet Recognition designation for its quality patient care, nursing excellence, and innovations in professional nursing practice, and an “A” Grade for patient safety from the Leapfrog Group, while Mercy Hospital and Northwestern Hospital were both named to Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals list.

Allina Health hires both new grad nurses and long-tenured nurses. They are a leader in nurse-initiated research studies, offering a special interdisciplinary program in partnership with St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and offer nurses the opportunity to work with cutting-edge, time saving technology that improves care. Perhaps most importantly, Allina Health is committed to its nurses’ futures, offering pathways to advancement and work-life balance. Compensation is generous, and the facility offers bonuses to employees who refer candidates.

HealthPartners

The country’s largest non-profit healthcare organization, HealthPartners provides insurance, health, and well-being programs. Nurses can work for the organization in a number of roles, including both primary care and hospice, in positions including case management, nurse management, and telephone triage. Clinic nurses can work in over 50 specialties and receive essential support from colleagues who value and trust their skills and knowledge. 

HealthPartners nurses receive generous compensation and benefits including medical, dental, sick and vacation time, retirement contributions, and access to online courses that offer free CEU credits. They are also eligible for sign-on bonuses.

Working as a nurse in Minnesota offers countless professional and personal rewards, no matter what work setting suits you best. For information on available opportunities, start by visiting Incredible Health’s nursing job search page.