Erlanger
Academic medical center in Chattanooga, TN
- Hiring days and nights
- Nurse residency
From 12 postings, the employer’s site and nurse reviews · Employer research Jul 27, 2026Sources
The short version
A teaching hospital system in Chattanooga affiliated with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and UT College of Medicine. Days run on Epic.
Employer research, Jul 27, 2026
You can enter through an ANCC-accredited Nurse Residency with cohorts in January, June, and September that pairs clinical training, classroom time, peer support, and mentoring if you have under a year of experience.
For new gradsYou can work across inpatient Med/Surg and ED roles or ambulatory openings in Cardiology, Dermatology, GI, Neurology, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Primary Care, Urology, and Women's Services.
For experienced nursesHiring events have referenced sign-on for Med/Surg night shift plus relocation assistance, and Tennessee has no state income tax with Chattanooga's cost of living about 8% below the national level.
If you are moving hereSources
Who it fits
Best fit
- New grads: Nurse residency: Erlanger Nurse Residency Program · ANCC-accredited practice transition program · 3 cohorts per year · Applications: Cohorts in January, June, and September; filter openings by Nurse Residency
Nursing here
- Nurse residency
Erlanger Nurse Residency Program · ANCC-accredited practice transition program · 3 cohorts per year · Applications: Cohorts in January, June, and September; filter openings by Nurse Residency
Erlanger · employer research
- Preceptors and orientation
Program includes clinical training, classroom instruction, peer support, and mentoring for new grads and RNs with under one year experience
Erlanger · employer research
Sources
- Charting system
Epic
Erlanger · employer research
Sources
Benefits
Sign-on for Med/Surg night shift and relocation assistance referenced at nurse hiring events; residency offers clinical training, classroom instruction, peer support, and mentoring.
Published pay and benefits
- Hourly pay
New grad RN pay reported as $19.24/hr about 10 years ago (historical anecdote)
As of 2015
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
Sign-on for Med/Surg night shift mentioned at nurse hiring event; relocation assistance also referenced
As of 2026
Sources
Units hiring now
- Day surgery2 open
- East wing 21 open
- ICU1 open
- Med surg1 open
Hiring event posts reference inpatient roles and sign-on specifically for Med/Surg night shift.
Sources
Source location unconfirmedSource: facebook.com - PAT1 open
- RehabDays 11 open
- Same day care1 open
- StepdownNights 11 open
Emergency Department
East Hospital expansion includes renovation of the emergency department as part of $122M project.
Sources
Source location unconfirmedSource: timesfreepress.comPediatrics / Children's Hospital at Erlanger
Children's Hospital at Erlanger provides pediatric subspecialist care; NICU interest noted in community posts.
Sources
Erlanger Medical Group ambulatory
RN openings across Cardiology, Dermatology, GI, Neurology, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Primary Care, Urology, Women's Services.
Sources
Source location unconfirmedSource: erlangercareers.org
What nurses say
Themes from public reviews
Summaries of published reviews, with the original sources.
- Staffing levels
- Locals describe Erlanger as severely understaffed, similar to hospitals nationwide.
Sources
As of 2025Source: reddit.com- Hospital preference vs peers
- Some nurses prefer Memorial as better run; Erlanger and Parkridge noted for more location options.
Sources
As of 2025Source: reddit.com- Peds vs system reputation
- NICU nurse heard overall Erlanger is mixed but pediatrics/Children's is better regarded.
Sources
As of 2026Source: reddit.com
More review themes
- Glassdoor overall sentiment
- Overall ~4.3/5 with high recommend rates; RN Chattanooga subset also ~4.3; BSN RN subset lower at 3.5.
- ER patient throughput pressure
- Patient account of ER nurse pushing discharge due to bed need while awaiting admission.
Sources
As of 2026Source: reddit.com
The hard parts
Local nurses describe Erlanger as severely understaffed, in line with what many hospitals face nationwide.
Sources
As of 2025Source: reddit.com
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?
Living in Chattanooga, TN
Framed by Lookout Mountain and the Tennessee River, Chattanooga delivers an outdoor-first haven for nurses off the clock. Stroll across the Walnut Street Bridge, explore Southside dining, and settle into walkable Northshore. With a cost of living about 8.5% below the national average, your nursing paycheck stretches significantly further here.
Browse roles in Chattanooga- Metro price level · Chattanooga area
- 8% below the national average
- BEA index 91.5 (100 = national)
- Median gross rent
- $1,256/mo
- rent and tenant-paid utilities
- Median household income
- $64,523/yr
- all local households, not nurse pay
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2024 metro Regional Price Parities · Census ACS 2024
Common questions
Does Erlanger hire new grads?
1 of 12 roles asks for nursing experience, and none says it welcomes new grads. Its nurse residency: Erlanger Nurse Residency Program · ANCC-accredited practice transition program · 3 cohorts per year · Applications: Cohorts in January, June, and September; filter openings by Nurse Residency.
Which shifts are open?
Of the 3 roles with a stated shift, 2 are day shifts and 1 is a night shift.
Which units are hiring?
Day surgery (2), east wing 2 (1), ICU (1), med surg (1) and more.
How do I apply?
Choose a role and press Apply. Your application comes to our team, we send it to Erlanger, and we tell you what happens next.
Current openings at Erlanger
- RN
- Day shift
- Compact license OK
- RN
- Compact license OK
- RN
- Compact license OK
- +$6/hr differential
- RN
- Compact license OK
- Floating required
Sources
- erlanger.org/for-healthcare-professionals/for-nurses/nurse-residency-program
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
- erlanger.org/for-healthcare-professionals/for-nurses/nurse-residency-program/nurse-residency-faq
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
- erlangercareers.org/nurses.html
Employer website, The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
- facebook.com/ErlangerHealth/posts/our-nurse-hiring-event-is-this-saturday-were-hiring-rns-looking-for-inpatient-ro/1332681388890406
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Erlanger-Reviews-E18931.htm
What nurses say · as of 2026
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Erlanger-Registered-Nurse-Chattanooga-Reviews-EI_IE18931.0,8_KO9,25_IL.26,37_IC1144251.htm
What nurses say · as of 2026
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Erlanger-Chattanooga-Reviews-EI_IE18931.0,8_IL.9,20_IC1144251.htm
What nurses say · as of 2026
- reddit.com/r/nursing/comments/1rba2yj/insane_job_offer
Nursing here · as of 2015
- reddit.com/r/Chattanooga/comments/1t761e3/chattanooga_nursestell_me_all_the_hospital_tea
Nursing here, What nurses say · as of 2026
- reddit.com/r/Chattanooga/comments/1jksk5s/how_understaffed_is_erlanger
What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2025
- reddit.com/r/Chattanooga/comments/1hxv1vd/hey_guys_which_hospital_to_apply_for_memorial
What nurses say · as of 2025
- reddit.com/r/Chattanooga/comments/1pxwbu8/why_so_rude_at_erlanger
What nurses say · as of 2026
- timesfreepress.com/news/2026/may/27/erlanger-breaks-ground-on-multiphase-east
The short version, Nursing here
- uthsc.edu/comc/medical-education/documents/orientation-to-chattanooga-new-students.pdf
Nursing here
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Some shifts end with you crying in your car because it all catches up at once. That is allowed. Just say out loud, to someone you trust, that it was a bad one.
Get certified in whatever you keep gravitating toward. After my wound care certification it was like new glasses: I saw what I had not known to look for.