Best Hospitals to Work for in Minnesota

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There are plenty of good reasons for healthcare professionals to make Minnesota their home. The state boasts three of the Watson Health Top 100 Hospitals. All of the hospitals on our list have been recognized as Magnet hospitals by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This gold standard designation assesses work environment, nursing excellence, innovations in nursing practice, and quality patient outcomes as an indication that facilities have created environments in which nurses can flourish and be empowered to lead in patient care. 

Best hospitals in Minnesota

The Minnesota hospitals listed below have all achieved magnet status and their emphasis on both patient outcomes and nursing excellence have earned recognition by U.S. News & World Report, Watson Health, Medicare, and others. Our rankings are based on this information, as well as feedback from top employment websites including Glassdoor and Indeed.

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Abbott Northwestern Hospital

Abbott Northwestern is a Magnet Hospital. It has repeatedly been named the Best Hospital in the Twin Cities and second in Minnesota in U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Hospitals, and was also nationally ranked in two adult specialties. Its staff has won national acclaim from The Joint Commission, the American Nurses Credentialing Center and more. It received a four-star rating in both patient surveys and for overall performance from Medicare, and ranked 20^th in Newsweek’s 2022 list of The World’s Best Specialty Hospitals. 

Notable facts about Abbott Northwestern include:

• Administration: Not-for-profit
• General medical and surgical facility and teaching hospital
• Location: Minneapolis, MN
• Hospital network: Allina Health – 12 hospitals
• Employees: 29,000+ (across the network)

Children’s Minnesota

Children’s Minnesota is a Magnet Hospital. It has been repeatedly recognized as a Best Children’s Hospital by U.S. News & World Report, with special recognition for its collaboration with the Mayo Clinic in cardiology and heart surgery, as well as for its pulmonology and lung surgery department and its joint nephrology program with Masonic Children’s Hospital. The hospital has also received acclaim for its leadership in LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality

Notable facts about Children’s Minnesota include:

• Administration: Non-profit
• Acute care children’s specialty hospital
• Location: St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN
• Hospital network: Two hospitals, 12 primary care clinics, 9 specialty care clinics, and 6 rehabilitation sites
• Employees: 5,458

Mayo Clinic Rochester

Mayo Clinic has the distinction of being top-ranked for quality more often than any other health care organization.  Among the many organizations that have endorsed this Magnet Hospital are the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which awarded it five stars for overall performance; independent, national nonprofit organization the Leapfrog Group, which awarded it an “A” for patient safety; and U.S. News & World Report, which consistently ranks Mayo Clinic as No. 1 hospital in the nation.

Notable facts about Mayo Clinic include:

• Administration: Nonprofit
• Academic medical center
• Location: Rochester, MN
• Hospital network: Rochester, MN; Jacksonville, FL; Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ
• Employees: 73,000 across three main campuses and other sites

St. Cloud Hospital

A four-time Magnet Hospital designee, St. Cloud Hospital has been named a top hospital by numerous esteemed organizations, including being listed as a 100 Great Community Hospitals by Becker’s Hospital Review, as one of America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News * World Report, and earning a 4-star rating from Medicare or Urology, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, and Pulmonology & Lung Surgery. 

Notable facts about St. Cloud Hospital include:

• Administration: Not-for-profit
• Location: St. Cloud, MN
• Hospital network: CentraCare
• Employees: 6,500

What makes a top hospital in Minnesota?

Great hospitals do more than provide high-quality patient care. They also value their employees, treating them with respect and providing them with generous wages, comprehensive benefits, and a supportive work environment.

Benefits 

Today’s benefit offerings go far beyond salary and traditional offerings of health insurance, paid vacation, and sick time. To attract and retain top talent, many hospitals offer 401K or pension plans, onsite childcare, laundry services, tuition reimbursement, and even financial assistance for first-time home buyers.

Growth opportunity

Starting with a new employer is always exciting, but you have bigger plans for your future. The best hospitals encourage their nurses to explore career growth and facilitate a path to advanced nursing positions that offer higher salaries and greater responsibilities and autonomy. 

Employee satisfaction

Nursing is a vocation and a passion, but it can also be stressful. Nurses are at high risk for job fatigue and burnout, and hospitals are increasingly recognizing the need for extra emotional support. Minnesota was recently recognized as the second-best state in the country in terms of the working environment for nurses, and the best hospitals keep employee satisfaction high by offering flexible schedules, wellness counseling, and placing an emphasis on work/life balance. 

High patient satisfaction 

There’s a real feeling of pride that comes from working for an outstanding hospital. Positive patient outcomes are the goal of every healthcare professional. When patients express their thanks and high levels of satisfaction, it has a direct connection to staff satisfaction.

Other factors that make a top hospital 

Top hospitals distinguish in many ways, including a dedication to enhanced patient safety, a dedication to customer satisfaction and the community that surrounds them, offering state-of-the-art equipment, and upholding high ethical standards.

Safety record is critical

According to the CDC, one out of every 25 patients treated in a U.S. hospital is diagnosed with at least one infection related to hospital care. The best hospitals have dedicated themselves to transparency in reporting their safety records and to adhering to protocols designed to minimize infection. 

Hospital policies focus on customer services 

Patients may not think of themselves as a hospital’s customers, but facilities that focus on treating patients and their families with respect, warmth, and dignity rank high in customer satisfaction. Hospitals that recognize the importance of customer service also value their staff and extend the same interest to them. 

Latest technology and training improve healthcare

The best hospitals are those that are constantly striving to improve the care that they provide. They do this by recruiting top-of-the-line talent and investing in state-of-the-art technology that enhances their ability to diagnose and treat patients. 

Ethics lead the way

A hospital’s values are reflected in everything that they do. It shows in the way that they treat their patients as well as their employees. It is also reflected in their commitment to the greater community. Great hospitals work to improve healthcare delivery and processes in a way that is guided by their moral principles, beliefs and values.

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Next steps

Working for one of the high-quality Minnesota hospitals listed above is a goal for every nurse. It can be the start to a promising career or the pinnacle after providing skilled and compassionate care. 

No matter your experience, applying for a new job takes preparation, organization, and a strategic approach. The guidance below will make a real difference in your journey. 

Build your resume

Your resume should highlight all of your accomplishments, from your education and any certifications you’ve earned to the jobs you’ve held and the skills that you’ve gained. To make it stand out, use action verbs, and take the time to carefully read the description of any job posted and make sure that your resume echoes the language that the hospital has used to show that you are what they’re looking for. 

Join a nurses’ association

Sometimes getting the job that you want is a question of knowing the right people. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Nurses Association represents 22,000 registered nurses in the state. Though unions aren’t for everybody, joining professional nursing organizations can make a big difference in your exposure to job opportunities.

Attend industry educational conferences and workshops

Demonstrated interest in expanding your skills and knowledge is an excellent way to set yourself apart from other job candidates. Attendance at educational nurses’ conferences will expose you to the latest technologies and protocols and boost your ability to network with other professionals. 

Keep up with continuing education requirements

Minnesota has rigorous continuing education requirements for nurses, whether LPNs, RNs, or APRNs. Incredible Health offers free accredited Minnesota CEU courses that are easy to access. They can be completed quickly and you’ll get instant access to your course completion certificates.

Search for job openings

Sometimes the hardest part of finding a new job is the search itself. You could scour the hospital websites or search job boards, or take a new approach and have the hospitals come to you! With Incredible Health’s popular recruitment tool, you create a profile of your skills and goals (including wanting to work at a top Minnesota hospital). The hospitals are constantly searching our site for top talent, and will apply to hire you!

Transfer your nursing license to Minnesota

Minnesota’s state legislature is currently considering becoming a Nursing Compact State, but the bill has not yet been approved. If you don’t have a Minnesota nursing license and aren’t licensed in one of the bordering states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, or Wisconsin), you’ll need to apply for a Minnesota state nursing license.  

Sources

• “Abbott Northwestern Awards and Ratings.” Allinahealth.org. Accessed June 25, 2022.
• “Abbott Northwestern Hospital.” health.usnews.com.. Accessed June 25, 2022
• “Find a Magnet Organization.” nursingworld.org. Accessed June 25, 2022.
• “Healthcare-Associated Infections.” cdc.gov.. Accessed June 26, 2022.
• “Pride a key factor in healthcare employee satisfaction: LinkedIn survey.” healthcaredive.com. Accessed June 26, 2022. 
• “Amid nurses’ burnout, Minnesota provides second-best work environment for the profession.” thecentersquare.com. Accessed June 26, 2022.
• “The World’s Best Specialized Hospitals 2022.” newsweek.com. Accessed June 25, 2022.
• “Watson Health Top 100 Hospitals.” ibm.com. Accessed June 25, 2022.