Western State Hospital
Specialty hospital in Staunton, VA
- Sign-on bonus up to $3,000 on 1 role
- Hiring days
- New grads welcome on 1 role
From 1 posting and nurse reviews · Employer research Sep 20, 2026Sources
The short version
A state psychiatric hospital where nurses rotate through adult acute admissions, geriatric, and extended rehabilitation units. Pay is posted publicly on the state jobs board: RN I hiring range of $79,268 to $113,219, with hourly differentials listed shift by shift.
Employer research, Sep 20, 2026
New graduate RNs start on a posted hiring range beginning at $79,268, with a $7,500 sign-on bonus tied to a one-year written agreement.
For new gradsSources
As of 2026-09-20Source: jobs.virginia.govShift differentials are spelled out by hour rather than left vague: $7.00 for third shift weekends and holidays, $6.00 for second shift weekends and holidays.
For experienced nursesSources
As of 2026-09-20Source: jobs.virginia.govNursing work spans adult acute admissions, geriatric, and extended rehabilitation units, so psychiatric experience can go in more than one direction.
For experienced nursesSources
As of 2026-09-20Source: jobs.virginia.gov
Who it fits
Best fit
- New grads: the one role welcomes new grads
Nursing here
Benefits
RN new hires to state service can receive a $7,500 sign-on bonus with a one-year written agreement; LPN new hires are listed at $3,000. Employees point to the state health plan and retirement package as the strongest part of the offer.
Published pay and benefits
- Annual pay
Registered Nurse - New Graduates (RN I) hiring range minimum
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Annual pay
Registered Nurse - New Graduates (RN I) hiring range maximum
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Annual pay
$79,572.00/year
RN II starting pay
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Annual pay
Licensed Practical Nurse Day Shift hiring range maximum
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Annual pay
Autonomous Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner salary range in Staunton, VA
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Shift pay
$5.50
RN 1st shift weekend differential per hour
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Shift pay
$5.50
RN 2nd shift weekday differential per hour
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Shift pay
$6.00
RN 2nd shift weekend/holidays differential per hour
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Shift pay
$4.00
RN 3rd shift weekday differential per hour
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Shift pay
$7.00
RN 3rd shift weekend/holidays differential per hour
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Shift pay
$3.00
LPN 1st shift weekends and holidays differential per hour
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Shift pay
$3.50
LPN 2nd shift weekdays, weekends, and holidays differential per hour
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
$7,500.00
RN I new hires to state service / DBHDS with 1-year written agreement
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
$3,000.00
LPN sign-on bonus for new hires to DBHDS
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Sign-on bonus
$15,000.00
Registered Nurse Supervisor sign-on bonus
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
- Benefits
$10,000.00
Registered Nurse Supervisor retention bonus
As of 2026-09-20
Sources
The units
Adult Acute Admissions
Western State Hospital · Staunton, VA
Nurses provide care across adult acute admissions, geriatric, and extended rehabilitation units.
Sources
Geriatric
Western State Hospital · Staunton, VA
Facility operates adult acute, geriatric, and extended rehabilitation units.
Sources
Extended Rehabilitation
Western State Hospital · Staunton, VA
Facility houses extended rehabilitation units and Psychosocial Rehabilitation Learning programs.
Sources
What nurses say
Themes from public reviews
Summaries of published reviews, with the original sources.
- Staffing shortages and overtime
- Staff note frequent understaffing and mandatory overtime, reporting it strains work-life balance and creates physical safety hazards for nurses and patients.
Sources
As of 2024-10-16Source: glassdoor.com- Management and workplace culture
- While some appreciate learning opportunities and supportive peers, others report strict oversight of hours, lack of shift flexibility, and felt undervalued by leadership.
Sources
As of 2026-09-20Source: glassdoor.com- Benefits and mission
- Employees praise state health benefits, retirement packages, and the rewarding experience of caring for a unique psychiatric population.
Sources
As of 2025-05-14Source: glassdoor.com
The hard parts
Reviewers describe frequent understaffing and mandatory overtime, and say it wears on both schedules and safety; others mention tight control of hours and little shift flexibility.
Sources
As of 2024-10-16 · 2026-09-20Source: glassdoor.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 Staunton, VA
Tucked into the Shenandoah Valley, Staunton pairs preserved Victorian architecture along Beverley Street with a cost of living about 9% below the national average. Shifts at regional medical centers give way to performances at the Blackfriars Playhouse and Blue Ridge trailheads, offering nurses an easy, character-rich Virginia mountain pace.
Browse roles in Staunton- Metro price level · Staunton area
- 9% below the national average
- BEA index 91.1 (100 = national)
- Median gross rent
- $1,024/mo
- rent and tenant-paid utilities
- Median household income
- $65,581/yr
- all local households, not nurse pay
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · 2024 metro Regional Price Parities · Census ACS 2024
Common questions
Does Western State Hospital hire new grads?
The one role welcomes new grads.
Is there a sign-on bonus?
Yes, on the one role, up to $3,000.
How do I apply?
Choose a role and press Apply. Your application comes to our team, we send it to Western State Hospital, and we tell you what happens next.
Current openings at Western State Hospital
Licensed Practical Nurse - LPN Day Shift
Up to $56,115/year
- Sign-on bonus
- LPN
- 7:00 a.m.–7:30 p.m.
- +$3/hr differential
Sources
- facebook.com/100063918257344/posts/ready-to-kickstart-your-nursing-career-with-purpose-were-looking-for-compassiona/1232956112178319
Nursing here · as of 2026-09-20
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Western-State-Hospital-Washington-Reviews-E122126.htm
Nursing here · as of 2026-09-20
- glassdoor.com/Reviews/Western-State-Hospital-Virginia-Reviews-E1749760.htm
What nurses say, The hard parts · as of 2024-10-16
- jobs.virginia.gov/jobs/registered-nurse-new-graduates-staunton-virginia-united-states-2744bb19-15a8-4972-b2ef-f7e5f909f3af
The short version, Nursing here · as of 2026-09-20
Help improve this pageShare what it’s like, fix a detail, or add a useful photo.
Hiring here? List this unit.
Claim or manage this pageFrom nurses, to nurses
“But time has helped to settle the question and a trained nurse’s position now is largely what she herself makes it.”
Most of what a dying person's family needs is to hear that nothing has gone wrong, that this is what dying looks like, and that they are caring for them well.