Career Resources / 5 Reasons Memphis for Nurses
Nursing can be challenging, but it’s also one of the most rewarding careers anybody could possibly choose, especially if you choose to do it in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis offers a small-town feel in a big-city setting. It’s home to a rich music scene, plenty of job and educational opportunities, and some of the best food in the world. From a healthcare perspective, Memphis boasts both physicians and facilities that are regularly ranked as among the best in the nation. The city is home to Tennessee’s foundational source of medical education, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, as well as the world-renowned St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It’s a great place for a nursing professional to work and call home.
- Memphis is Home to Top Nursing Employers
With 16 area hospitals, urgent care facilities, nursing homes, private practices, and more, Memphis offers nurses a wide range of work environments from which to choose. Among them is the top-rated Baptist Memorial Hospital, which U.S. News & World Report rates high performing in 12 procedures and conditions, and the Methodist Hospitals of Memphis which is nationally ranked in three children’s specialties. Whether you’re interested in working with veterans or children, in an acute care setting or in home health, you’ll find plenty of options and a community that is working hard to ensure that nurses know that they’re valued.
A recent article in Memphis Magazine profiled the efforts that Memphis employers are making to attract and retain qualified registered nurses. In addition to financial incentives, Memphis nurses are offered health and wellness benefits, schedule flexibility, and even seasonal shifts based on children’s school schedules. Regional One Health has created a specialized nurse residency program that exposes nurses to diverse patient-care settings, and Memphis hospitals are even offering to help pay nursing school tuition for those who commit to work for them afterward.
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- Nurses in Memphis Have Top-notch Graduate Programs Close at Hand
Living and working in Memphis offers registered nurses remarkable opportunities to continue growing in their careers. The city is home to one of the nation’s top-ranked nursing schools, the University of Memphis’ Loewenberg College of Nursing, which offers MSN and PhD programs in Nursing with concentrations in Nursing Education, Advanced Practice, and Executive Leadership as well as an Accelerated RN to BSN to MSN program. Memphis is also home to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, the first college of nursing in the state, and home to programs including a 12-month second-degree accelerated BSN program and a Doctor of Nursing Practice program with eight concentrations and three dual DNP concentrations, as well as a Ph.D. in nursing.
- Nursing Shortages Drive Pay Raises, Sign-on Bonuses, and Benefits in Memphis
As is true of many cities across America, Memphis is facing a significant nursing shortage that has driven facilities to extreme measures – and that works to the advantage of any registered nurse considering working in the town called the Home of the Blues. Nurses in Memphis have been offered substantial pay raises and sign-on bonuses, including a $20,000 bonus that Methodist Le Bonheur paid to keep full-time nurses on staff for two years and $10,000 paid to part-time bedside nurses. The average salary for a Registered Nurse is $58.26 per hour in Memphis. On top of that, hospitals are working to attract and retain their staff with benefits that go beyond the typical health insurance and sick leave to include such offerings as yoga and mindfulness classes.
- Economic Advantages of Living in Memphis
Memphis boasts a cost of living that is 15% below the national average, and according to the city’s chamber of commerce, there are a number of contributing factors that keep prices low. First and foremost, Tennessee imposes extremely low taxes on its residents, and there is no state income tax. Utility bills in the city are the lowest in the nation. The economy is growing, and as that happens the city is adding more jobs, led by the hospitality and tourism industry. Still, healthcare and social services represent one of the top industries in the area, amounting to over 14% of the population and over 39,000 healthcare and social assistance professionals working within the city.
- Quality of Life for Nurses in Memphis
There are many reasons why living and working as a nurse in Memphis is so appealing. The city itself is ranked the fourth best place to live in Tennessee by U.S. News & World Report. Its affordable housing, schools, and expanding opportunities are attracting both young professionals and significant economic investment, and tourists flock to its historic sites and music venues. The metropolitan feel of the city is offset by its small-town vibe.
Additionally, Memphis has engaged in an innovative program called the Memphis Medical District Collaborative meant to strengthen community and improve both sense of place and opportunity in a previously troubled area of town. The 2.6 square mile district is anchored by eight of the city’s top hospitals and healthcare organizations, including Baptist College of Health Sciences; Memphis Bioworks Foundation; Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare; Regional One Health; Southern College of Optometry; Southwest Tennessee Community College; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital/ALSAC; and University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Together they employ tens of thousands of people and have improved the safety, housing opportunities, employment, and social life of the district. Working within the district has provided nurses and others a real sense of purpose and civic engagement.
Nurses looking for real opportunities, a strong sense of community, and an excellent quality of life will find Memphis a wonderful place to live and work. To learn more about the opportunities available in this wonderful city, start with Incredible Health’s innovative job search platform and get multiple job offers from top Memphis employers.
