Best Hospitals to Work for in Indiana

Nurses call the Hoosier State home for many reasons, including the hospitals who grade among the nation’s finest. The state boasts of of several recognized nationally for specialities and procedures. All of the hospitals below have been recognized as Magnet hospitals by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This designation assesses work environment, nursing excellence, innovations in practice, and patient outcomes as an indication that facilities created environments where nurses can flourish.

Indiana’s Top Hospital

• Ascension St. Vincent Evansville Hospital
• Deaconess Midtown Hospital
• Good Samaritan Hospital
• Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital
• Parkview Regional Medical Center

Best Hospitals in Indiana

Choosing the right hospital to work at is not necessarily about looking for the most prominent or prestigious facilities. But when an institution receives Magnet recognition, it means their nurses work in a singular environment and they’re supported to provide the best patient care possible. 

We listed these top hospitals based on information from reliable sources such as Medicare and U.S. News & World Report. 

Ascension St. Vincent Evansville Hospital

St. Vincent Evansville is rated high performing in heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure and knee replacement by U.S. News & World Report. 

The Level II Trauma Care hospital is part of the St. Vincent health system hospitals, the largest Indiana healthcare system and member of Ascension Health. 

The facility received the Patient Safety Excellence Award from Healthgrades two times in a row, in 2021 and in 2022, and it also received a four-star rating from the federal government.

Learn more about Ascension St. Vincent Evansville:

• Administration: nonprofit 
• Location: Evansville, Indiana
• Hospital network: 24 facilities 
• Employees: 3,000 

Deaconess Midtown Hospital

Deaconess Midtown Hospital has been ranked No. 2 in Indiana and is rated high performing in several procedures or conditions, including colon cancer surgery and heart attack, by U.S. News & World Report.

The organization has been granted the America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award from Healthgrades in 2022, an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group in 2021 for its excellence in hospital safety, and a three-star rating from the federal government. 

Learn more about Deaconess Midtown Hospital:

• Administration: non-profit 
• Location: Evansville, Indiana
• Hospital network: 11 facilities 

Good Samaritan Hospital

Good Samaritan Hospital is a member of the leading health system in southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois.

In 2021, the organization received several awards: the Joint Commission National Quality Approval Award and the Gold Plus Get With the Guidelines – Stroke Quality Achievement Award by the American Heart Association. It was also named the INspire Hospital of Distinction for Excellence in Infant and Maternal Health.

It has a three-star rating from the federal government.

Learn more about Good Samaritan Hospital:

• Administration: nonprofit 
• Location: Vincennes, Indiana 
• Employees: 1,900 (across the entire network) 

Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital

IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital is ranked No. 4 in Indiana and is rated high performing in heart attack, kidney failure and four other procedures or conditions by U.S. News & World Report.

The academic teaching hospital was granted the Pathway to Excellence Designation by the ANCC for its positive environment for nurses looking to grow their career. It has received the Patient Safety Excellence Award from Healthgrades in 2022, and the Blue Distinction (in cardiac care, maternity care and orthopedic care) from Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Ball Memorial Hospital is the only hospital in Muncie and has a three-star rating from the federal government. Also, its system, Indiana Health, is the largest in the state. 

Learn more about Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital:

• Administration: nonprofit
• Location: Muncie, Indiana
• Hospital network: 18 facilities 
• Employees: 36,600 (across the entire network)

Parkview Regional Medical Center

Parkview Regional Medical Center is ranked No. 4 in Indiana and is rated high performing in several procedures or conditions, including colon cancer surgery and heart attack, by U.S. News & World Report. 

Its nurse residency program earned accreditation from the Practice Transition Accreditation Program in 2020 by ANCC and the hospital received an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group for its efforts in hospital safety.

The facility also achieved accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program through the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS). 

The facility has a three-star rating from the federal government. 

Learn more about Parkview Regional Medical Center:

• Administration: nonprofit 
• Location: Fort Wayne, Indiana
• Hospital network: 14 facilities
• Employees: 9,400

What makes a best hospital in Indiana

According to America’s Health Rankings, Indiana was considered one of the top 40 states with better health outcomes in 2021. Find out what factors might make a patient’s health outcome better.

Benefits

The salary pays the bills, but it’s the employee benefits that boost productivity and retain talented professionals. That’s why organizations invest in dental plans, education and tuition reimbursement and other competitive benefits. 

Growth opportunity

Providing growth opportunities is another feature that best hospitals generally offer. As stated by Input Fort Wayne, at Parkview Health, if a nurse wants to be a leader, they help with mentoring, for instance. Another good option is to follow the nurse anesthetist (CRNA) or the nurse practitioner path.

Employee satisfaction

Any employee looks for high satisfaction in the workplace. It relieves the workload and also prevents occupational problems such as job fatigue and burnout. 

High patient satisfaction

Top hospitals, in general, implement processes with the ultimate goal of improving patient satisfaction. As a result, they stand out in measurements such as the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems scores by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Other factors that make a top hospital

You’ve just read that employee benefits, growth opportunities, job satisfaction and patient experience play an important role in the best hospitals. Here are a few more: 

Safety record is critical

Typically, top hospitals invest in infection control initiatives, reduce healthcare disparities and assist staff in making appropriate use of medical resources to meet the highest standards.

Hospital policies focus on customer services 

A customer-centric approach matters in healthcare. It can be achieved, in part, by promoting the patient’s bill of rights, with respect for patients and dialogue about diagnoses.

Latest technology and training improve healthcare

These days, adding technology is the best way to improve healthcare. Several applications already reduce the risk of medical errors, which positively impact hospital safety, patient satisfaction and other factors.

Ethics lead the way

The healthcare industry often faces complex scenarios, such as patients refusing treatment due to cultural beliefs. In such cases, moral values can provide guidance.

Next steps

Whether as an experienced nurse or recent graduate, working in one of the above-listed Indiana hospitals may be an exceptional part of your career, in which you will be able to enjoy competitive benefits, professional growth or flexible scheduling.

Looking for a job can be a daunting task if you don’t know what to do. But you can count on our easy guides to help you land your dream job as a nurse in one of the best hospitals in Indiana. 

Build your resume

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses has established guidelines for outlining your career goals, skills and experience. Read our guide and start optimizing your nursing resume.

Join a nurses association

Joining a nursing organization is always a good idea no matter whether you get a job at a high-performing hospital or not. You can check out our suggestions for nurses’ organizations and our analysis of nursing unions — the pros and cons.

Attend industry educational conferences and workshops

Attending nursing conferences is a great way to maintain employability. For educational help, or any other kind of guidance, check our advice page.

Keep up with continuing education requirements

You can improve your skills and keep learning by taking Continuing Education Units (CEUs). This is also necessary to meet the education requirements to work as an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) in Indiana. 

Access our free Indiana CEU courses today and start learning!

Search for job openings

Getting a job doesn’t have to be a slow process.

Incredible Health makes your job search easier and more efficient. Create your account and have the best hospitals applying to hire you!

Transfer your nursing license to Indiana

If you are not from Indiana, you’ll need to transfer your nursing license. It’s a nursing compact state, so you’ll have to apply for licensure by endorsement to get the multistate license. Nurses who come from another compact state have the benefit of using their old state license temporarily. 

No matter what your case is, we have prepared a guide to assist you.

Sources

• “ANCC Magnet Recognition Program®.” nursingworld.org. Accessed July 6, 2022.
• “Health Outcomes” americashealthrankings.org Accessed July 6, 2022.
• Medicare. medicare.gov. Accessed July 6, 2022.
• “Nursing Indiana Back to Health” ihaconnect.org. Accessed July 6, 2022.
• “Special Report: How is Parkview Health attracting and retaining nurses in Northeast Indiana?” inputfortwayne.com. Accessed July 6, 2022.
• “U.S. News Best Hospitals.” health.usnews.com. Accessed July 6, 2022.

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