The List: Top rated workplaces on the East Coast

We’re keeping a running list of the best workplaces in the country based on the ratings in our Nurse’s Guide to Hospitals, and this week we’re taking a look at facilities along the East Coast. The five workplaces that made the list are located along the eastern portion of the U.S. from Florida to Pennsylvania in a myriad of city sizes.

Want to learn more about workplaces in other regions? We’ve got you covered with our past lists of the best of the best in big cities, small towns, the West Coast and the Midwest.

But this isn’t just about checking out the articles; you can make your own mark by visiting The Nurse’s Guide to Hospitals and rating and providing comments about your own workplaces, whether you’re working there now or have in the past. Even better, if you’re looking for a new place to work and have any questions about the facilities, leave them in the comments and the community will help you find the answers.

1. Doctors Hospital
Coral Gables, Fla.

A city with about 50,000 residents, Coral Gables is a suburb of Miami and home to the University of Miami. The town is about a 20-minute drive from Miami, and just over an hour’s drive from Key Largo, Fla.

Doctors Hospital is part of the Baptist Health South Florida system, which includes a number of facilities in and around the Miami metro area. The system has been named one of the 100 Best Companies by Fortune magazine every year since 2003, and Doctors Hospital received regional recognition in six different specialties by U.S. News & World Report for 2012-2013.

2. Duke University Medical Center
Durham, N.C.

Duke University Medical Center works in conjunction with the school’s Medical and Nursing schools, both of which are ranked in the top 10 in the nation for their respective categories by U.S. News. Naturally, the Medical Center also is ranked as one of the best facilities in the U.S.

The hospital has been awarded the Magnet designation, and employs nurses recognized in a list of North Carolina’s Great 100 Nurses. If you are interested in learning more, the hospital even offers a live chat function with a nurse recruiter on its website twice a week.

3. North Carolina Memorial Hospital
Chapel Hill, N.C.

Just down the road from Duke is another facility associated with a university health system. North Carolina Memorial is part of the University of North Carolina Health Care system, and is in the “Research Triangle,” the area of North Carolina that includes Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Durham, and is named for the research universities in each city.

The hospital also is a Magnet institution, and offers a New Graduate Nurses program every year for those getting started in their careers.

4. AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center
Galloway, N.J. & Atlantic City, N.J.

Venturing out of the South, the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center has two New Jersey campuses, one in Galloway and another in Atlantic City. As the region’s largest health system, the company employs more than 5,000 employees.

The facility was the first in South Jersey to receive Magnet recognition and also has earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval. In addition to the usual benefits, the hospital also offers nurses tuition reimbursement and onsite continuing education programs.

5. Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Hershey, Pa.

Associated with the Penn State College of Medicine, the medical center is nationally and regionally recognized, and is nationally ranked in three pediatric specialties by U.S. News. The hospital also has received Magnet recognition and is DAISY award participant.

The hospital employs more than 1,500 nurses, and offers multiple opportunities for ongoing professional development.