Career Resources / NusringOpportunities in Nashville
Registered nurses have the opportunity to work in a wide range of settings and locales. Their training, knowledge, professionalism, and caring are valued in hospitals and homes, in research, business, and teaching environments. As a nurse, you’ll find doors opened to you wherever you’d like to go, but there are very good reasons to be a nurse in Nashville, Tennessee.
Not only is Nashville one of the best cities in Tennessee, but it was also ranked #25 on U.S. News & World Report’s best places to live in the entire country! Despite the fact that it’s a much-buzzed-about town, the cost of living has remained low, and real estate is affordable. There are plenty of wonderful neighborhoods to put roots down, and there is so much to see and do that you’ll never be bored.
In terms of opportunities, nurses will find that Nashville was built as much around healthcare as it was around music. It is home to more than 250 healthcare companies, including the headquarters of many of the nation’s top for-profit hospitals. And if you’re looking to raise a family, you’ll find that Nashville has an excellent public school system that prepares graduates for whatever future they desire.
Types of Healthcare Jobs in Nashville
Nashville is a healthcare worker’s dream. In 2019, one in eleven jobs in the city was in healthcare, and it’s projected that ratio will change to one in eight in the next few years. These jobs represent clinical work in ambulatory care, home care, and residential care, as well as local, national, and international healthcare management firms, life science research companies, and professional services firms. There are also several top-ranked nursing programs in Nashville that offer LPN-to-RN programs, ADN programs, Direct-Entry BSN programs, BSN-to-MSN programs, and Direct-Entry MSN programs where qualified registered nurses can establish themselves as educators for future nurses.
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With so many potential employers to choose from, it is hard to select the best nursing opportunities in Nashville. Here are some of our top choices based on salary, benefits, opportunities for growth, and reviews of previous employees.
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is consistently ranked among the nation’s best hospitals. It is also the largest comprehensive research, teaching, and patient care health system in the Mid-South Region. It consists of 7 adult and children’s hospitals, as well as over 200 clinics, and sees over three million patients a year. Vanderbilt has a staff of 40,000 individuals making it Middle Tennessee’s largest non-governmental employer.
Registered nurses will find that Vanderbilt nurses are highly respected and have multiple opportunities for career growth. The hospital hires nurses at the Associate Degree level up through Doctor of Nursing Practice. It offers competitive compensation and benefits, including student loan payment assistance, flexible shifts, and sign-on bonuses up to $20,000 for full-time positions.
- Ascension Saint Thomas
Ascension is a national, faith-based healthcare organization with over 150,000 employees, including 50,000 nurses, working at over 2,600 sites of care. Among its eight Tennessee hospitals are two Nashville facilities: Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown, with 683 licensed beds, and Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West, with 541 licensed beds. There are also numerous affiliates, medical practices, clinics, and rehabilitation facilities.
Ascension relies upon registered nurses as compassionate caregivers and has created an innovative model focused on a culture of inclusion, improved care, team communication, and openness. They offer customizable benefits aimed at work-life balance, health and financial wellness, and career progression. Many positions offer significant sign-on bonuses, parental leave, adoption assistance, paid time off, various health insurance options, long- and short-term disability, and tuition reimbursement.
- TriStar Centennial Medical Center
This 741-bed comprehensive facility is situated on a 43-acre campus that includes a heart and vascular center, a women’s hospital, a children’s hospital, a cancer institute, an advanced joint replacement institute, and a mental health care facility. The medical center, which was named to Merative 100’s Top Hospitals List, has over 3,000 employees and has invested heavily in enhancing patient experiences and expanding services over the last few years.
Registered nurses who join TriStar Centennial Medical Center will find the hospital prides itself on its family approach. They offer competitive salaries,a comprehensive benefits package, access to the larger HCA Healthcare system, which provides the ability to transfer within their 185-hospital network. Nurses will find plenty of career development and advancement opportunities, including tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, and other benefits, as well as sign-on bonuses up to $20,000.
In addition to hospitals, Nashville has rehabilitation facilities, private practices and clinics, home healthcare agencies, nursing schools, and a variety of businesses and service firms eager to have qualified registered nurses to join their teams.
For information on some of the many positions available in Nashville, visit Incredible Health’s nursing job search page.
