Piedmont

The system runs a Nurse Residency with applications three times a year (Fall 2026 cohorts already listed for Atlanta and Columbus), and it accepts ADN, BSN, and MSN grads as long as you hold an unrestricted Georgia RN license by your start date. Day to day you will chart in Epic. Employer materials lean on combined PTO with a cash-in option, 100% paid maternity leave with a return requirement, employer-paid military leave, adoption and fertility support, FSA, employer-paid STD/LTD and basic life, plus tuition reimbursement for nursing programs. Sign-on bonuses show up on other Piedmont campuses — examples include $5,000 for experienced Pre-Op at Fayette, $7,500 at Columbus, and up to $10,000 for MedSurg nights in Snellville — though Augusta-specific base rates are thin in the public record. Augusta itself sits roughly 8% below the national cost of living, with typical commutes near 22 minutes and common landing spots in Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Summerville, or across the river in Aiken County. What you should weigh honestly: nurses on review sites and forums describe supportive peers beside chronic understaffing, high acuity, and frustration with pay and upper management.