Department of State Hospitals
Health system in San Bernardino County, CA
- Hiring days
- New grads welcome on 1 role
From 4 postings and nurse reviews · Employer research Sep 6, 2026Sources
For the Department of State Hospitals hiring team
3 nurses and nursing students on Nursing Mastery who want to work in California are open to offers for your roles.
- Psych4 roles · 3 who fit
Is this your hospital?
Claim this pageFree to claim. Check your page, then ask the people who fit to talk.
The short version
You would care for a forensic and psychiatric population that some nurses find rewarding, with peers they often call supportive.
For experienced nursesSources
You would hear that schedules can feel reasonable and somewhat flexible, then also hear about mandatory overtime in high-stress roles.
For experienced nursesSources
You would find some room to move up, while many say promotions are slow, limited, and poorly communicated.
For new gradsSources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
Who it fits
Best fit
- New grads: 1 of 4 roles welcomes new grads
- Psych nurses: all 4 roles
Nursing here
- Union representation
Union roles reported
From employer postings
What nurses say
Themes from public reviews
Summaries of published reviews, with the original sources.
- coworkers and patient population
- Staff often like supportive peers and find forensic/psychiatric work rewarding, while others describe nepotism and a toxic climate that hurts morale.
Sources
- management
- Reviews frequently call leadership poor, hypocritical, and unresponsive to feedback, with little accountability.
Sources
- career growth
- Some upward mobility exists, but many say promotions are slow, limited, and poorly communicated.
Sources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
More review themes
- work-life balance and overtime
- Balance is described as reasonable with some schedule flexibility, offset by mandatory overtime and high-stress roles.
Sources
- site ratings split
- DSH overall is 3.7/5 (152 ratings, 61% would recommend); DSH-Napa is 2.6/5 (55 ratings, 43% would recommend).
Sources
The hard parts
Reviews frequently call leadership poor and unresponsive to feedback, with little accountability.
Sources
What to ask
- How is base pay set for the role, and which differentials apply?
- Which shifts are open, and what are the weekend, holiday and call rules?
- How long is orientation, and will I have one preceptor?
- What is the usual patient load, and how often do nurses float?
- Which hospital or site, and which unit, would I work on?
Common questions
Does Department of State Hospitals hire new grads?
1 of 4 roles welcomes new grads.
Which shifts are open?
Of the 4 roles with a stated shift, 4 are day shifts.
How do I apply?
Choose a role and press Apply. Your application comes to our team, we send it to Department of State Hospitals, and we tell you what happens next.
Roles from Department of State Hospitals
{"countryName":"United States","countryCode":"US","admin1Code":"California","admin2Code":"055","admin3Code":"","admin4Code":"","city":"","postalCode":"","streetAddress":"","latitude":38.48324,"longitude":-122.33442} · Health system employer
Licensed Vocational Nurse (Safety)
$5,082 - $6,361 per month
- LVN
- 8-hour days
- Registry Department
Nurse Instructor
$9,476 - $11,864 a month
- RN
- Day shift
- Tuition reimbursement
Registered Nurse (Safety)
$9,510 - $11,335 a month
- New grads welcomed
- RN
- Day shift
Supervising Registered Nurse (Safety)
$11,074 - $13,867 a month
- RN
- Day shift
Want to work here?
The hiring team at Department of State Hospitals sees your name and profile, never your email or phone.
Sources
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/California-Department-of-State-Hospitals-Reviews-E640432.htm
The short version, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/California-Department-of-State-Hospitals-Registered-Nurse-Reviews-EI_IE640432.0,40_KO41,57.htm
The short version, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026
- glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-California-Department-of-State-Hospitals-EI_IE640432.11,51.htm
What nurses say · as of 2026
- glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Department-of-State-Hospitals-Napa-EI_IE445266.11,45.htm
What nurses say · as of 2026
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Coming off orientation doesn't mean you stop asking for help. Find out who you can go to before the shift gets busy.
You can be nervous and still have a good first clinical. Show up ready to listen, and tell your instructor when you need help.
