Lexington Health
Academic medical center in Columbia, SC
- 607 beds
- Sign-on bonus up to $25,000 on 7 roles
- Hiring days and nights
- New grads welcome on 4 roles
From 8 postings, the employer’s site and nurse reviews · Employer research Aug 8, 2026Sources
The short version
You would be walking into Lexington Medical Center, a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia that has anchored Lexington Health since 1971. The network employs more than 9,000 people, runs nearly 80 physician practices, and includes community medical centers, a Cancer Center of Excellence, and the state’s first HeartCARE Center.
Employer research, Aug 8, 2026
You join a year-long Nurse Residency with three cohorts a year, twelve weeks of paid precepted time on one or two units, and apply areas spanning med-surg, critical care, ED, OR, and PACU.
Med-Surg, Critical Care step-down, and Labor & Delivery RN roles list sign-on bonuses up to $20,000, with nursing differentials and incentive pay for specialty certifications.
For experienced nursesNurse residency posts list up to $8,000 sign-on, up to $5,250 student loan repayment, a free NCLEX review course, and tuition reimbursement.
For new grads
Who it fits
Best fit
- New grads: 4 of 8 roles welcome new grads, and there is a nurse residency
Nursing here
- Recognition
Magnet recognized
Lexington Health · employer research
- Nurse residency
Nurse Residency Program · 3 cohorts per year · Applications: Summer (May grads): app Jan, interview Feb/Mar, starts July; Fall (Aug grads): app May, interview Jun/Jul, starts Sep; Spring (Dec grads): app Aug, interview Sep/Oct, starts Feb. Areas: adult acute care, critical care, ED, OR, PACU.
Lexington Health · employer research
- Preceptors and orientation
Year-long residency includes 12 weeks paid precepted experience on one or two units; coordinator support/mentoring; some employees want better mentorship/training for new hires
Lexington Health · employer research
- Career development
Advancement opportunities available per reviews; incentive pay for specialty certifications; shared governance model
Lexington Health · employer research
Sources
- Tuition support
Tuition reimbursement offered; free NCLEX review course for nurse residency
Lexington Health · employer research
- Loan assistance
Up to $5,250 student loan repayment for nurse residency; qualifying employer for student loan forgiveness
Lexington Health · employer research
Sources
As of 2026Source: jobs.lexhealth.com- Scheduling
Self-schedules; weekend optional positions; weekend option/Baylor position in critical care; L&D example 7:30pm-7:30am; IICU 7am-7:30pm or 7am-3:30pm; Office RN M-Th 8-5 Fr 8-12
Lexington Health · employer research
Benefits
Sign-on bonuses (up to $20k RN; up to $8k residency; up to $4.5k office RN); up to $5,250 student loan repayment for residency; tuition reimbursement; free NCLEX review for residents; nursing differentials and certification incentive pay; relocation eligibility on select RN roles; qualifying employer for student loan forgiveness.
Published pay and benefits
- Annual pay
Predicted/estimated salary range for RN Labor & Delivery West Columbia
As of 2026
Sources
- Shift pay
Nursing differentials; incentive pay for specialty certifications
As of 2026
- Sign-on bonus
Up to $20,000 sign-on bonus for Registered Nurses (Medical Surgical)
As of 2026
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
Up to $20,000 sign-on bonus for Registered Nurses (Critical Care Intermediate/Step-Down)
As of 2026
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
Up to $8,000 sign-on bonus for Nurse Residency
As of 2026
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
Sign-On Bonus up to $4500 for Office RN Internal Medicine Associates
As of 2026
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
$20,000 sign-on bonus for RN Labor & Delivery Full Time PM/N Shift
As of 2026
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
$2,500 sign-on bonus for Nurse Technicians (Med-Surg and Critical Care postings)
As of 2026
- Relocation
Relocation eligibility for select positions (Med-Surg and Critical Care RN postings)
As of 2026
- Benefits
Up to $5,250 student loan repayment for Nurse Residency
As of 2026
Sources
- Benefits
Extra pay based on experience and specialty certifications (e.g. CEN) per RN review
As of 2025-08-11
Sources
Units hiring now
- ERDays 11 open
- Med surgDays 11 open
- OncologyDays 11 open
- OrthopedicsNights 11 open
- Urgent careDays 11 open
Adult Acute Care / Med-Surg
Nurse residents rotate two med/surg areas over 12-week orientation; units include 4th/3rd/6th/7th South Medical, 5th South Renal, 6th East Bariatric/Neuro, 7th East Women's/Col.
Sources
Source location unconfirmedSource: academics.lexhealth.comCritical Care (ICU/Intermediate)
Nurse residency offers Critical Care (ICU/Intermediate); active RN and RN Care Manager postings in Intermediate ICU (IICU) West Columbia 7a-7:30p and day shifts.
Sources
Emergency Department
Nurse residency apply areas include emergency department; Urgent Care (Community Medical Center) also listed under residency programs.
Sources
Operating Room
Residency programs include operating room as an apply area.
Sources
PACU
Residency apply areas include post-anesthesia care unit.
Sources
Labor & Delivery
Full-time RN L&D West Columbia PM/N 7:30pm-7:30am; hospital delivers more than 4,000 babies yearly; U.S. News Best Hospital for Maternity.
Sources
Office RN / Physician Practices
Office RN at Internal Medicine Associates; M-Th 8-5, Fr 8-12 day shift; duties include injections, phlebotomy, prescriptions, pre-cert.
Sources
Source location unconfirmedSource: talents.vaia.com
What nurses say
Themes from public reviews
Summaries of published reviews, with the original sources.
- Supportive culture and teamwork
- Employees describe a friendly, inclusive atmosphere with strong collaboration and focus on well-being.
Sources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com- Pay vs workload
- Benefits are generally praised but many say pay does not match job demands and could be higher to retain staff.
Sources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com- Management disconnect
- Some praise hands-on leaders; others report upper-management disconnect and want more support and accountability.
Sources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com
More review themes
- New-hire training gaps
- Advancement exists but several want stronger mentorship and training especially for new hires.
Sources
As of 2026Source: glassdoor.com- Pay raises and certification pay
- Long-tenured RN reports annual raises including during COVID and extra pay for experience and certs like CEN.
Sources
As of 2025-08-11Source: indeed.com- Overall RN ratings
- Indeed RN overall 3.8; work-life and pay/benefits 3.7; culture 3.6; advancement 3.4; management 3.3. Glassdoor overall 3.8 with 74% recommend.
Sources
The hard parts
Several employees say mentorship and training for new hires still fall short of what they needed, even with the formal residency structure.
What to ask
- How is base pay set for the role, and which differentials apply?
- When would a sign-on bonus have to be repaid?
- 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 Columbia, SC
Anchored by premier hospital systems, Columbia delivers a cost of living about 6% below the national average. Trade high overhead for shaded bungalows in Shandon, post-shift paddles where the Saluda and Broad rivers meet, and lively evenings across the Vista's brick-paved warehouse district. South Carolina’s capital offers nurses exceptional clinical pace and real room to breathe.
Browse roles in Columbia- Metro price level · Columbia area
- 6% below the national average
- BEA index 93.7 (100 = national)
- Median gross rent
- $1,204/mo
- rent and tenant-paid utilities
- Median household income
- $55,529/yr
- all local households, not nurse pay
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2024 metro Regional Price Parities · Census ACS 2024
Common questions
Does Lexington Health hire new grads?
4 of 8 roles welcome new grads. Its nurse residency: Nurse Residency Program · 3 cohorts per year · Applications: Summer (May grads): app Jan, interview Feb/Mar, starts July; Fall (Aug grads): app May, interview Jun/Jul, starts Sep; Spring (Dec grads): app Aug, interview Sep/Oct, starts Feb. Areas: adult acute care, critical care, ED, OR, PACU..
Is there a sign-on bonus?
Yes, on 7 of 8 roles, up to $25,000.
Which shifts are open?
Of the 6 roles with a stated shift, 5 are day shifts and 1 is a night shift.
Which units are hiring?
ER (1), med surg (1), oncology (1), orthopedics (1) and more.
How do I apply?
Choose a role and press Apply. Your application comes to our team, we send it to Lexington Health, and we tell you what happens next.
Current openings at Lexington Health
Sources
- academics.lexhealth.com/nursing-education/nurse-residency-program
The short version, Nursing here, The hard parts · as of 2026
- academics.lexhealth.com/nursing-education/nurse-residency-program/how-to-apply
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Lexington-Health-Reviews-E19688.htm
The short version, Nursing here, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2026
- indeed.com/cmp/Lexington-Health-6/reviews
Nursing here, What nurses say · as of 2025-08-11
- jobs.lexhealth.com/LMC/go/Nurse-Residency/9123000
The short version, Nursing here, The hard parts · as of 2026
- jobs.lexhealth.com/LMC/go/Critical-Care-Intermediate-CareStep-down/9122700
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
- jobs.lexhealth.com/LMC/go/Medical-Surgical/9123100
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
- lexhealth.com/about/quality-excellence/awards-recognition
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
- lexmed.com
Employer website
- talents.vaia.com/companies/lexington-medical-center/rn-labor-delivery-34456714
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026
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