Prairie St. John's
Specialty hospital in Fargo, ND
- 132 beds
- Sign-on bonus up to $12,000 on 2 roles
- Hiring days
- New grads welcome on 2 roles
From 3 postings, the employer’s site and nurse reviews · Employer research Jul 28, 2026Sources
The short version
You would be walking into Prairie St. John’s in Fargo, a freestanding psychiatric hospital that has been here since 1997 and now runs a rebuilt main campus that opened in January 2023. Postings describe a ~132-bed behavioral health hospital with inpatient care for children, adolescents, and adults, plus substance-use programming, partial hospitalization, residential, IOP, and clinic services.
Employer research, Jul 28, 2026
A six-month temporary RN assignment posts at $65/hour for 12-hour AM shifts, 36 hours plus mandatory pickup to 40, every other weekend and holiday, with no benefits.
For travel nursesSources
You can step into an in-house Psychiatric Nurse Residency Transition-to-Practice orientation that carries 20 CEUs, and postings state new grads are welcome to apply.
For new gradsSources
As of 2024Source: jobs.uhsinc.comFull-time RN roles on PM or NOC list a $12,000 sign-on bonus alongside base pay from $34/hour.
For experienced nursesSources
As of 2024Source: jobs.uhsinc.com
Who it fits
Best fit
- New grads: 2 of 3 roles welcome new grads, and there is a nurse residency
- Psych nurses: all 3 roles
Nursing here
- Nurse residency
In-house Psychiatric Nurse Residency Transition-to-Practice Orientation (20 CEUs)
Prairie St. John's · employer research
Sources
As of 2024Source: jobs.uhsinc.com- Career development
Career development opportunities across UHS and 300+ locations; diverse programming to expand experience
Prairie St. John's · employer research
Sources
As of 2024Source: jobs.uhsinc.com- Tuition support
Tuition savings to continue nursing education with Chamberlain University; tuition reimbursement listed on careers/postings
Prairie St. John's · employer research
Sources
As of 2024Source: jobs.uhsinc.com- Loan assistance
$6,000 student loan reimbursement; SoFi Student Loan Refinancing Program
Prairie St. John's · employer research
Sources
As of 2024Source: jobs.uhsinc.com- Charting system
Epic
Prairie St. John's · employer research
Sources
- Scheduling
Full-time 40 hrs/week repeating two-week schedule; PM 3:00pm-11:30pm; temp AM 7:00am-7:30pm 12-hr with every other weekend/holiday; OT and shift coverage available; part-time too
Prairie St. John's · employer research
Sources
As of 2024Source: jobs.uhsinc.com
Benefits
Medical, dental, vision, income protection, retirement/savings with 401k match, FSAs, PTO, discounted stock, pet insurance, licensing fee reimbursement; $6,000 student loan reimbursement; temp roles posted without benefits.
Published pay and benefits
- Hourly pay
Temporary RN 6-month assignment AM 12-hour shifts; $65/hour; no benefits; 36 hrs/week plus mandatory pickup to 40; every other weekend/holiday
As of 2024
Sources
- Hourly pay
Full-time RN PM or NOC from $34/hour; Fargo ND 58103; 40 hours/week; overtime available
As of 2024
- Sign-on bonus
$12,000 sign-on bonus for full-time RN (PM or NOC / AM or PM shift postings)
As of 2024
Sources
- Benefits
$6,000 student loan reimbursement for RN
As of 2024
Sources
The units
Behavioral Health / Psychiatric Inpatient
Largest freestanding behavioral health facility in region; inpatient psych for children, adolescents, adults; substance use; Joint Commission accredited.
Sources
Behavioral Health / Psychiatric Inpatient
LPN review cites unsafe staffing ratios and awful pay relative to abuse staff endure.
Sources
Source location unconfirmedSource: glassdoor.com
What nurses say
Themes from public reviews
Summaries of published reviews, with the original sources.
- Pay vs mental health cost
- RN said pay was above average but came at cost of own mental health; cited poor training and terrible management.
Sources
As of 2024-04-18Source: indeed.com- Management and staffing
- LPN review: great coworkers and psych experience but terrible management, awful pay, unsafe staffing ratios.
Sources
As of 2022-09-21Source: glassdoor.com- Overall ratings
- Glassdoor overall about 2.7/5 with 40% recommend; RN-specific page showed 1.0 from one review; Indeed RN Fargo ~2.5/5.
Sources
More review themes
- Patient safety concerns
- Local Reddit thread alleged facility not safe for patients and described staff harassment and overuse of chemical restraints.
Sources
As of 2024Source: reddit.com- Coworkers and psych experience
- Some reviews highlight rewarding psych work and good coworkers despite management complaints.
Sources
As of 2022-09-21Source: glassdoor.com
The hard parts
Nurse and LPN reviews describe unsafe staffing ratios, thin training, and management that leaves some people paying for the work with their own mental health.
Sources
Fargo's Prairie St. John's cuts 16 positions
Sources
As of 2009-10-23Source: dl-online.com
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 Fargo, ND
Anchoring a critical regional healthcare hub along the Red River, Fargo stretches your nursing salary with a cost of living roughly 9% below the national average. Off-shift, swap gridlock commutes for a walkable downtown along Broadway, where restored brick storefronts house local roasters, taprooms, and an unmistakably tight-knit Upper Midwest community.
Browse roles in Fargo- Metro price level · Fargo area
- 9% below the national average
- BEA index 90.9 (100 = national)
- Median gross rent
- $946/mo
- rent and tenant-paid utilities
- Median household income
- $66,998/yr
- all local households, not nurse pay
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2024 metro Regional Price Parities · Census ACS 2024
Common questions
Does Prairie St. John's hire new grads?
2 of 3 roles welcome new grads. Its nurse residency: In-house Psychiatric Nurse Residency Transition-to-Practice Orientation (20 CEUs).
Is there a sign-on bonus?
Yes, on 2 of 3 roles, up to $12,000.
Which shifts are open?
Of the 3 roles with a stated shift, 3 are day shifts.
How do I apply?
Choose a role and press Apply. Your application comes to our team, we send it to Prairie St. John's, and we tell you what happens next.
Current openings at Prairie St. John's
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- 7:00AM-3:30PM
- New grads welcomed
- Sign-on bonus
- RN
- 7:00AM-3:30PM
- New grads welcomed
- RN
- 12-hour days
- Travel contract
Sources
- dl-online.com/business/fargos-prairie-st-johns-cuts-16-positions
The hard parts · as of 2009-10-23
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Employee-Review-Prairie-St-John%E2%80%99s-E2584998-RVW69317497.htm
Nursing here, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2022-09-21
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Prairie-St-John%E2%80%99s-Reviews-E2584998.htm
What nurses say · as of 2024
- indeed.com/cmp/Prairie-St.-John's/reviews
The short version, Nursing here, What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2024 · 2026-07-28
- instagram.com/reel/DYKLcuzAB1z
Nursing here
- jobs.uhsinc.com/careers/jobs/339193
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2024
- prairie-stjohns.com/careers
Employer website, Nursing here
- reddit.com/r/fargo/comments/1hljdwx/prairie_st_johns
What nurses say · as of 2024
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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.