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St. Francis Hospital ranked as the No. 1 hospital in Tulsa and Oklahoma in 2022-2023, according to U.S. News & World Report. From premature newborns to end-of-life care, St. Francis emphasizes a complete continuum of care that nurses and other healthcare professionals stand behind throughout their careers with this award-winning Tulsa hospital.
This guide provides an in-depth look at St. Francis Hospital as a healthcare employer. It highlights high-performing specialties that offer varied job opportunities and programs to support your career development. Use this insight to help guide your career decisions, whether you’re interested in working in Tulsa as a permanent or travel nurse.
Overview of St. Francis Hospital
St. Francis Hospital is a general medical-surgical facility serving Tulsa and eastern Oklahoma. With 1,112 licensed beds, it tops the list of the largest Tulsa hospitals. The acute care facility is also home to a children’s hospital and a heart hospital, providing nurses with opportunities to care for diverse patient populations. St. Francis Hospital Tulsa employs just over 5,000 employees, caring for 46,172 inpatients and 467,348 outpatients in the last year, per December 2022 data from the American Hospital Association.
About St. Francis Health System
Bill Warren, the founder of the Warren Petroleum Company, established St. Francis Hospital as a way for his family to give back to the City of Tulsa. It opened in October 1960 with 275 beds and became the flagship facility of the St. Francis Health System, Oklahoma’s largest healthcare network.
This not-for-profit Catholic health system operates eight hospitals in total:
- St. Francis Hospital Tulsa
- The Children’s Hospital at St. Francis
- The Heart Hospital at St. Francis
- St. Francis Hospital South (South Tulsa)
- St. Francis Hospital Muskogee
- St. Francis Hospital Vinita
- St. Francis Hospital Glenpool
It also provides primary and specialty care through more than 90 Warren Clinic locations and a home care division.
Employing about 10,500 staff throughout its network, St. Francis Health System is the largest private employer in eastern Oklahoma. Consistently recognized as one of Tulsa’s top employers, Forbes named St. Francis one of:
- America’s Best Employers for New Grads in 2022
- America’s Best Employer by State (Oklahoma) in 2019 and 2022
- America’s Best Employers in 2021
Locally owned and operated in Tulsa, St. Francis Health System is committed to extending “the presence and healing ministry of Christ to all who seek its services.”
Specialty Care at St. Francis Hospital
As one of the leading Tulsa hospitals, St. Francis Hospital provides tertiary care in many areas. Depending on your skills and interests, you may be able to land a nursing job in one of its many specialized departments.
Trauma Emergency Center
St. Francis Hospital is a Level II Trauma Center, providing comprehensive emergency care to residents of Tulsa and neighboring communities. It can accommodate more than 300 patients per day and is equipped for mass casualty response, with a 14-ambulance bay and two rooftop helipads.
Patients under age 18 receive treatment in a separate, adjacent Pediatric Emergency. The hospital also operates a Trauma Institute Clinic to follow up with patients discharged from the trauma center on an outpatient basis.
Comprehensive Stroke Center
Stroke patients arriving at the trauma center, as well as complex stroke patients from across the region, receive care at the hospital’s DNV-certified stroke center. The center has a neurosurgery ICU, a dedicated stroke response team and specially trained stroke nurses and staff to support patients and their families. The level of care provided by the center earned recognition from U.S. News, which ranked St. Francis Hospital as high performing in this specialty.
Children’s Hospital at St. Francis
In 1995, a 162-bed children’s hospital opened at St. Francis Hospital to deliver specialized pediatric care. The Children’s Hospital at St. Francis occupies five floors and accepts referrals from throughout the region. Nurses can work in 25 pediatric specialties, including:
- Pediatric Hematology and Oncology
- Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Neonatal Intensive Care
The hospital operates the region’s only Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), caring for about 850 newborns annually from Oklahoma and neighboring states. It comprises 30,000 square feet and has 58 beds, including 38 private rooms. The NICU’s specialized team includes neonatologists, clinical nurse specialists, neonatal nurse practitioners and lactation consultants.
Heart Hospital at St. Francis
The 168-bed heart hospital opened at St. Francis in 2004 to help prevent, diagnose and treat cardiovascular disease in the region. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is Oklahoma’s leading cause of death. The Heart Hospital is part of the St. Francis Heart and Vascular Institute. Cardiology nurses provide care within its key services, which include preventive screenings, non-invasive cardiology testing, cardiovascular surgery, vein care and cardiac rehabilitation.
Areas of High Performance at St. Francis Hospital
U.S. News also recognizes St. Francis Hospital as delivering exceptional care in the following adult procedures and conditions:
- Colon cancer surgery
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm repair
- Heart attack
- Heart failure
- Kidney failure
- Diabetes
- Stroke
- Maternity care
- Hip replacement
- Knee replacement
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Nursing Opportunities at St. Francis Hospital Tulsa
St. Francis Hospital has 15 nursing units, providing Tulsa nurses with an opportunity to apply clinical skills in a range of specialties, such as:
- Adult Behavioral Health
- Cardiac/Telemetry
- Cardiovascular
- Critical Care
- Progressive Care/Stepdown
- Dialysis
- Inpatient Rehabilitation
- Maternal/Infant
- Medical-Surgical
- Neuroscience
- Oncology
- Orthopedics
- Pediatrics
- Surgical
- Adult Trauma and Emergency
- Pediatric Emergency
Hiring Incentives
New graduates and experienced RNs are eligible for a signing bonus when committing to a 2-year employment offer from St. Francis Hospital, based on information on the hospital’s website on January 1, 2023. Relocation assistance of up to $11,000 may also be available for certain nursing positions, but restrictions apply.
Support for Nursing Career Advancement
As a nurse, you can open the door to more responsibilities and higher compensation by expanding your clinical knowledge and expertise. St. Francis supports new and experienced staff nurses in their career progression.
Nursing Career Ladder
The hospital’s clinical ladder program is designed to inspire RNs to perform at their best. Each level on the ladder brings added recognition and financial compensation. Nurses move up based on various factors, such as critical thinking, positive contributions to patient care, continuing education, leadership and evidence-based nursing practice.
After working for 1 year at St. Francis and 6 months in your current unit, you can apply to become a Clinical Nurse II. After working for 2 years at St. Francis, including 12 months as a Clinical Nurse II, and 5 months in your current unit, you can apply to become a Clinical Nurse III. You may also be eligible after receiving a national certification.
Continuing Education Support
Whether you’re working toward a higher degree or a specialty nursing credential, you may be eligible for financial assistance. Nurses employed by St. Francis for a minimum 6-month period may be eligible to receive:
- Up to $4,500 for tuition per calendar year (current as of January 1, 2023)
- Reimbursement of exam fees for your first national certification
New Graduates
Recent graduates who accept a contingent offer from St. Francis Hospital are eligible for a free Kaplan NCLEX review course before attempting their exam or reimbursement of another review course.
New RNs can work at St. Francis Hospital, the Children’s Hospital and the Heart Hospital in the following areas:
- Medical-Surgical
- Maternal/Infant Care
- Oncology
- Trauma and Emergency
- Adult Critical Care
- Surgical Services
Professional nursing orientation helps ease the transition to practice. Orientation includes classroom work and hands-on experience, lasting a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks, depending on the unit.
Employee Perks and Benefits
Your eligibility for specific benefits depends on your status and length of employment. For example, part-time nurses are eligible for medical and prescription benefits and begin accruing paid time off from the first day of work. However, you must be employed full-time to access dental and vision benefits. This information is current as of January 1, 2023, but a St. Francis recruiter can provide current eligibility details.
Some of the benefits offered by St. Francis Hospital Tulsa include:
- Medical, dental and vision
- Life insurance
- Retirement and 401(k) plans, with contributions from St. Francis Health after a period of employment
- Flexible spending accounts to use pre-tax dollars for medical and daycare expenses
- Paid time off, sick leave, family leave and medical leave of absence
- Employee assistance program for short-term counseling and referrals
- Fitness membership discount to Health Zone, a 70,000-square-foot facility with an indoor track, exercise machines, free weights and group fitness classes
- Ave Maria House daycare, dependent on availability
- Discounts at on-campus cafeterias and restaurants
Travel Nursing in Tulsa, Oklahoma
If you don’t live in the Tulsa area and are interested in temporary opportunities at St. Francis Hospital, consider a short-term contract as a travel nurse. Because of the demand for skilled RNs, many Tulsa hospitals may use the services of travel nurses to fill in staffing gaps and provide continued care to patients.
You can work as a travel nurse at St. Francis Hospital or another healthcare employer in Tulsa for a few months while exploring the area. You can also use the opportunity to get to know the hospital and the city without committing to a full-time role, giving you time to decide if you’d like to work there permanently.
Living in Oklahoma lets you work in one of the most affordable states in the nation. The cost of living is about 18% lower than the U.S. average. With lucrative salaries available for travel nurses in Oklahoma, you may be able to tuck away savings for the future.
The weekly salary for travel nurse jobs in Tulsa was $2,510 in mid-January 2023, according to the average wages listed with Vivian’s job postings the previous week. However, some positions were paying up to $3,250 per week. During this period, St. Francis had the most travel jobs, with Hillcrest Medical Center having the second-most jobs.
Amenities Near St. Francis Hospital Tulsa
Tulsa is the second largest city in Oklahoma, with a population of about 410,000. Located on the banks of the Arkansas River in the northeastern part of the state, the city offers easy access to outdoor recreation, shopping, dining, live music and cultural amenities.
St. Francis is on Yale Avenue, one of Tulsa’s busiest streets, so there are plenty of nearby restaurants and shops. However, the hospital also has its own on-site food court and a Starbucks cafe conveniently located above the main lobby of the hospital, serving its renowned coffee and grab-and-go soups, sandwiches and wraps.
St. Francis nurses who don’t want to live in Tulsa can live in a nearby suburb such as Broken Arrow, Owasso, Bixby, Claremore or Glenpool. According to the Tulsa Metro Chamber of Commerce, Tulsa has one of the shortest commute times in the nation based on metropolitan size. St. Francis Hospital provides ample employee parking and is accessible by Tulsa public transit.
Contact Information
St. Francis Hospital
6161 South Yale Avenue
Tulsa, OK 74136
918-494-2200
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