New Graduate Nurse Residency

Animas Surgical Hospital

Animas Surgical Hospital, LLC

Durango, Colorado

Eligibility: Telemetry

Posted Jul 17 · New grads welcomed

Unit and setting: Hospital
License: RN license
Term: Permanent

Do you qualify?

New grads: Welcomed, residency program New Graduate Nurse Residency

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Your six-month RN application plan

Start about six months before graduation. Some programs open earlier; use each employer’s application dates.

Graduation month

6 months before
Shortlist units
Check application windows. Gather clinical experience, references and your expected graduation date.
Find residencies
4–6 months before
Apply as windows open
Apply before graduation when the program allows it. Keep the cohort date and license deadline with each application.
Explore new grad jobs
2–3 months before
Meet the unit manager
Ask about overtime, a shadow shift, preceptor continuity and the schedule after orientation.
Prepare your questions
Around graduation
Confirm your start
Coordinate NCLEX, the required license and your start date. Get relocation and repayment terms in writing.
Plan your license

Why start this early?

Advocate describes a 6–9 month application runway for several regional RN programs. These milestones are a planning guide, not deadlines for every employer. See program calendars.

What it pays

Against similar roles: In range for Colorado staff rolesColorado staff postings that state pay run $34/hr to $54/hr, the middle half $39/hr to $48/hr, across 986 postings.

Support on this unit

The posting does not state the assignment size, and nothing published names it for this unit.

Orientation: Residency program

The workplace

Animas Surgical Hospital

Hospital: Animas Surgical Hospital, LLC
Address: 575 RIVERGATE LN UNIT 100, DURANGO, CO, 81301
Beds: 12

Directions to the workplace Organization profile

The team behind this role

Preceptors and orientation

Clinical rotations with Pueblo Community College; high school internships via Business Education Connection; partnership with Southwest Colorado AHEC

Animas Surgical Hospital · employer research

Sources

As of 2023Source: animassurgical.com

Scheduling at this employer

Scheduling

Full-time overnight PCU RN posted; OR Circulator day shift +1; PRN/part-time OR and PCU options; flexible full-time shifts noted for residency

Animas Surgical Hospital · confirm this unit

Sources

As of 2025Source: talents.vaia.com

Explore Animas Surgical Hospital

Worth asking

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Your fit

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Original listing

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Under the direction of the department manager or supervisor this position assesses, plans, organizes and evaluates all aspects of patient care for assigned unit/patients. Hourly range: $34.14 - $54.00 (rate does not include overtime or bonuses which are not guaranteed). Utilizes the nursing process to provide quality patient care according to established standards of care which includes planning, implementing, evaluating and adjusting plan of care, and discharge planning based on expected patient outcomes.

Admits, transfers, and discharges patients. Completes ongoing patient assessment and documents according to policy. Demonstrates appropriate application of age specific standards, policies and procedures and guidelines in caring for child, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.

Collaborates and works cooperatively with physicians and other members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team.

What's around it?

Animas Surgical Hospital, LLC · Durango, CO

Durango, COFrom Census ACS 2024.

Living costs about 3% above the US average

Median rent: $1,636/mo
Household income: $78,602/yr, all local households, not nurse pay

Life in Durango, CO

NeighborhoodsDurango offers diverse residential pockets ranging from historic street grids to hillside developments. The in-town Grid and Historic Downtown feature Victorian-era single-family homes, renovated bungalows, condos, and apartments within walking distance of Main Avenue, commanding premium prices. Neighborhoods like Needham and Crestview provide family-friendly streets, larger lots, garages, and elevated views, while Animas City and Florence Heights offer direct access to the Animas River Trail. Subdivisions such as Sky Ridge, Jenkins Ranch, and Hillcrest Estates sit near Fort Lewis College on the mesa, featuring newer builds and trail connectivity. Healthcare professionals seeking more affordable housing options often look south of town or commute from regional communities like Mancos, Cortez, or Aztec, New Mexico.

Durango offers diverse residential pockets ranging from historic street grids to hillside developments. The in-town Grid and Historic Downtown feature Victorian-era single-family homes, renovated bungalows, condos, and apartments within walking distance of Main Avenue, commanding premium prices.

Neighborhoods like Needham and Crestview provide family-friendly streets, larger lots, garages, and elevated views, while Animas City and Florence Heights offer direct access to the Animas River Trail. Subdivisions such as Sky Ridge, Jenkins Ranch, and Hillcrest Estates sit near Fort Lewis College on the mesa, featuring newer builds and trail connectivity.

Healthcare professionals seeking more affordable housing options often look south of town or commute from regional communities like Mancos, Cortez, or Aztec, New Mexico.

Sources

As of Sep 16, 2026Source 1: bhhscoloradoproperties.com Source 2: youtube.com Source 3: reddit.com

Getting aroundCommuting within Durango is generally swift and low-stress, with average local drive times clocking in around 12 to 13 minutes. The city hosts two hospitals that anchor local healthcare services, easily reached via primary arteries like Main Avenue and regional corridors connecting through the valley. Those living south of town report scenic, manageable drives outside of peak rush hours. However, Durango sits roughly three hours from the nearest interstate and several hours from major metropolitan centers like Denver, meaning travel relies heavily on two-lane mountain highways that require extra vigilance during winter conditions.

Commuting within Durango is generally swift and low-stress, with average local drive times clocking in around 12 to 13 minutes. The city hosts two hospitals that anchor local healthcare services, easily reached via primary arteries like Main Avenue and regional corridors connecting through the valley.

Those living south of town report scenic, manageable drives outside of peak rush hours. However, Durango sits roughly three hours from the nearest interstate and several hours from major metropolitan centers like Denver, meaning travel relies heavily on two-lane mountain highways that require extra vigilance during winter conditions.

Sources

As of Sep 16, 2026Source 1: realestate.usnews.com Source 2: yourdurangorealestate.com Source 3: facebook.com

OutdoorsOutdoor recreation is built directly into daily life, with 35 city parks and over 300 miles of multi-use trails within 30 minutes of downtown stewarded by Durango Trails. The paved Animas River Trail winds directly through the city for walking, running, and cycling, while challenging footpaths like the Animas Mountain Trail, Hogsback Mountain, Rim Trail, and Cascade Canyon showcase panoramic views and waterfalls. Water enthusiasts can raft and fly fish along the Animas River or soak at Durango Hot Springs. Surrounding public lands include the 1.8-million-acre San Juan National Forest, the Weminuche Wilderness, and Hermosa Creek Wilderness, with downhill skiing and snowboarding half an hour north at Purgatory Resort.

Outdoor recreation is built directly into daily life, with 35 city parks and over 300 miles of multi-use trails within 30 minutes of downtown stewarded by Durango Trails. The paved Animas River Trail winds directly through the city for walking, running, and cycling, while challenging footpaths like the Animas Mountain Trail, Hogsback Mountain, Rim Trail, and Cascade Canyon showcase panoramic views and waterfalls.

Water enthusiasts can raft and fly fish along the Animas River or soak at Durango Hot Springs. Surrounding public lands include the 1.8-million-acre San Juan National Forest, the Weminuche Wilderness, and Hermosa Creek Wilderness, with downhill skiing and snowboarding half an hour north at Purgatory Resort.

Sources

As of Sep 16, 2026Source 1: durango.org Source 2: yourdurangorealestate.com Source 3: colorado.com

Others hiring in Durango, CO

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Moving for this role?

Check the commute at your shift’s start and end, upfront housing costs, and whether moving assistance must be repaid if you leave.

Living in Durango

Durango stands apart as an authentic mountain town where high-caliber outdoor living seamlessly intersects with a rooted, year-round community. For relocating nurses, the city serves as a healthcare hub anchored by two regional hospitals, supported by easy commute times that average under fifteen minutes. Daily life centers around the rushing Animas River, the Animas River Trail, and more than 300 miles of singletrack climbing toward the San Juan National Forest and Purgatory Resort. In-town living in neighborhoods like Historic Downtown, Needham, and Crestview puts farm-to-table dining along Main Avenue—from El Moro to Steamworks Brewing—right at your doorstep. However, mountain living requires clear-eyed tradeoffs. Housing inventory is fiercely competitive, cost of living runs high, and the city sits hours away from major interstates and metro airports. For healthcare professionals who prioritize wilderness access, four genuine seasons, and an active small-town lifestyle, Durango delivers exceptional quality of life.

AI area guide

Sources

As of 2026-08Source 1: bhhscoloradoproperties.com Source 2: yourdurangorealestate.com Source 3: blueskyhomesandland.com Source 4: agavedurango.com

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Shortlist units

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What it pays

Support on this unit

The workplace

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Worth asking

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Your fit

Original listing

What's around it?

Durango, COiFrom Census ACS 2024.

Life in Durango, CO

Moving for this role?

Nurses on this role

Nurses on this role

The team behind this role

Life in Durango, CO

Moving for this role?

Nurses on this role

Durango, COFrom Census ACS 2024.