Best Paying Hospitals in Tennessee for Nurses

Best Paying Hospitals in Tennessee for Nurses

Nurses are found everywhere that healthcare is needed and offered. They are found in hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, etc. They serve an important purpose in these areas as they are the ones that assist the specialists and general doctors in the care of patients. Tennessee is a beautiful state in the United States of America with people who care for each other. This article explores nursing in Tennessee, as well as the best paying hospital in Tennessee for nurses.

Who is a Nurse?

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a nurse as a licensed healthcare professional who practices independently or is supervised by a physician, surgeon, or dentist and who is skilled in promoting and maintaining health. This means that they work in collaboration with these specialists to care for patients. They provide patient care by administering injections and ensuring that patients take their medications as prescribed by the doctor. They also educate the families of sick patients on how to care for their loved ones, especially when they are discharged from the hospital to be cared for at home.

Nurses are like the hands and feet of physicians. Without them, a healthcare establishment feels less like one. Since nurses are an important part of the healthcare system, care needs to be taken in preparing them for handling lives. This means that they have to go to school to study for a degree and get the field training required before they are certified as nurses. 

Now that we know who a nurse is and how important they are in the delivery of healthcare, let’s look at the state of Tennessee.

Tennessee

This is a state in the United States located in the Southeastern part of the country. It has three Grand Divisions namely: East, Middle, and West Tennessee. These divisions are geographically, culturally, legally, and economically distinct.

The state is estimated to have a population of about 7.2 million people and is ranked as the 16th most populous state in the United States. In Tennessee, tradition and culture are still very much alive and the people are quite friendly. The cost of living is relatively low.

Tennessee and the Healthcare System

According to an article published in ‘The Tennessean, Tennessee is not ranked highly when compared to other states in the US. This further extends to the ranking of the United States in terms of healthcare. It simply means that the United States is not ranked highly in the world standard of healthcare.

While the whole country is not ranked highly in healthcare, Tennessee still has a role in making its state healthcare rank high in the country. To make this happen, Tenncare was introduced. 

Tenncare is a program that provides insurance for individuals who qualify for Medicaid. The aim is to provide healthcare to people who cannot fully afford it at a minimal or no cost at all. This is one of the ways to improve the healthcare system of Tennessee. Overall, the healthcare system of Tennessee is on its way to becoming better with different initiatives and strategies being implemented by the state.

At the core of the healthcare system in Tennessee and the delivery of care lies the nurses. They are the supporting structure that ensures that the quality of care gotten by Tennesseans and even foreigners is high. They also are the supporting structure in the drive to create and sustain high healthcare quality in Tennessee. To that effect, let’s look at the degrees that nurses in Tennessee can obtain before they start practicing their nursing careers.

Nursing Degrees In Tennessee

Nursing generally has three degrees that nurses use to practice in the field. However, one degree has a better chance of higher pay than the others. These degrees are

  • Nursing Diploma
  • Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN)
  • Bachelor of Science Nursing Degree (BSN)

A nursing diploma was the primary standard for practicing nursing in times past. It is more like an entry-level course in nursing. However, that gave way to the Associate of Science Nursing degree. The ASN, which takes about 2-3 years to complete gives you a more solid pathway to the field of nursing. It prepares you for a career as a registered nurse.

While the ASN gives you a solid path, the BSN offers you a more solid pathway and career in the field of Nursing. Most employers prefer hiring individuals with a BSN degree over those with lower degrees. BSN holders also have a higher chance of earning more than those with lower degrees. 

To obtain a BSN degree, it takes 4 years of study where the various nursing careers are exposed to the students and the experience needed to function in the field acquired.  Both ASN and BSN holders take the NCLEX exam which qualifies them to practice nursing. 

We will now look at the best hospitals in Tennessee.

Best Hospitals In Tennessee

The best hospitals in Tennessee that made it to this list are in no particular order. They are:

  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville
  • University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville
  • CHI Memorial, Chattanooga, 
  • Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH), Memphis
  • Baptist Memorial Healthcare, Memphis
  • Ascension Saint Thomas, Nashville 
  • TriStar Centennial Medical Center, Nashville
  • Parkwest Medical Center, Knoxville
  • Holston Valley Medical Center, Kingsport

Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville (VUMC)

VUMC is the largest non-governmental organization and the largest employer of labor after the Government in Tennessee. This medical center is Tennessee’s largest comprehensive research, teaching, and patient care medical center. VUMC has different clinics and hospitals and other parastatals under it in different regions of the state.

CV and cover letter writing service
Do You Need A Well Written CV and Cover Letter? Contact us today

University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville

The University of Tennessee Medical Center is located in the Knoxville area of Tennessee. It is the region’s academic medical center. UTMC provides patient-centered care and because it’s an academic medical center, they also are at the forefront of research, technology, and treatments of patients.

CHI Memorial, Chattanooga

CHI is an acronym for Catholic Health Initiatives and is part of Common Spirit Health. It is a faith-based health, not-for-profit organization founded by Sister of Charity of Nazareth. The medical center exists primarily for the healing ministry of the church.

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH), Memphis

Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare (MLH) is located in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a healthcare system that was founded by the United Methodist Church. It started as a way of caring for the sick in the Mid-south. However, it grew into a healthcare system that partners with other hospitals to provide quality care to patients.

Baptist Memorial Healthcare, Memphis

This is another healthcare organization that was founded by the church and was started as a way of providing quality healthcare to those who are in need of it. While it started out not so big, it has grown to be a healthcare organization that renders quality healthcare to the people.

Ascension Saint Thomas, Memphis

This is a healthcare organization and system, located in Nashville Tennessee, and provides specialty care to patients. It was founded and is run by the Catholic church. It is one of the largest not-for-profit organizations in Tennessee. They have a wide range of hospitals under it and are in different locations. 

TriStar Centennial Medical Center, Nashville

This medical center provides medical care to patients at a cost that is effective and light for patients to handle. Their line of interest is making life better for everyone and they do that through the healthcare treatment that they offer to patients. 

Parkwest Medical Center, Knoxville

Parkwest medical center is a medical center that aims to provide the best clinical treatment and care to its patients. It is not a not-for-profit organization and has the slogan ‘well-treated’ as a mantra to guide the services and care they offer. 

Holsten Valley Medical Center, Kingsport

This medical center partners with BalladHealth to provide healthcare services to different countries and states under their jurisdiction. They provide excellent patient care to patients and offer robotics-assisted surgeries. 

Having looked at the best hospitals in Tennessee, let’s now look at the best paying hospitals in Tennessee for nurses.

Best Paying Hospitals in Tennessee for Nurses

The average salaries listed here are as found on the Glassdoor website, which they arrived at after taking the median of salaries reported. They are:

Hospital/Medical CenterAverage Salary
University of Tennessee Medical Center$56/hr
Ascension Saint Thomas$55/hr
Parkwest Medical Center, Knoxville$55/hr
TriStar Centennial Medical Center, Nashville$55/hr
CHI Memorial, Chattanooga$52/hr
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville$44/hr
Baptist Memorial Healthcare, Memphis$41/hr
Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Memphis$41/hr
Holsten Valley Medical Center, Kingsport$38/hr
A table showing the best paying hospitals in Tennessee for nurses

Conclusion: Best Paying Hospitals in Tennessee for Nurses

The nursing profession is one of the oldest professions of all time. A career in nursing is one of the noblest causes in life. You can become a nurse by going to school and acquiring the necessary certificate, as well as work experience, to work as one.

Editor’s Recommendation

CV and cover letter writing service
Do You Need A Well Written CV and Cover Letter? Contact us today

Igbojianya Oluchukwu

Content is the life of anything that works in life. It can be written, visual, audio, or a combination of all forms. It is my duty and pleasure to give you valuable content. I am Igbojianya Oluchukwu, a Content Creator and Writer.

Hello!

Click to join the job group

Job Updates!.