Sentara Obici Hospital | Suffolk, VA

Location: Suffolk, Virginia

Facility Type: Acute care hospital (part of the Sentara Health system)

Bed Size: Reports vary (176 beds cited)

Charting System: EPIC

Scrub Colors: Navy/royal blue

General Rating: 3.7–3.8/5 on review sites (Vivian)

Recent Review Trend: Mixed - good team/learning experiences in some units; significant concerns around staffing, management, ratios in others.

📋 Multi‑Unit Insights for Travel Nurses

✅ ED (Emergency Department)

• Feedback:

  • A traveler posted:

    “My best travel ED contract was at Sentara Obici Hospital in Suffolk, VA. Busy as heck but the team made it worth it.”(Facebook group)

  • Another post: Looking at 7‑7 night shifts in ED at Obici.

• Strengths: Good team environment reported; night shift specifically mentioned positively by one traveler.

• Considerations: Busy ED = high acuity. Require clarity on hold/backlog protocol, tech support, and nurse:patient ratios.

• Questions to ask: What’s the typical nurse:patient ratio in the ED? How many hold/overflow patients are there at night? What support staff (CNA, PCT, transport) is available?

✅ PACU (Post‐Anesthesia Care Unit)

• Feedback:

  • Less specific public commentary for PACU at Obici compared to ED/Med‑Tele.

  • Some hints that units like step‑down and L&D had more favorable experiences (which might suggest PACU could also be better).

• Strengths: PACU likely less impacted by some of the heavier surges seen in med‑tele floors; may offer more procedural/OR recovery type work which can feel “cleaner” than floor chaos.

• Considerations: Because feedback is sparse, you’ll want to verify specifics: patient acuity, vented or non‑vented PACU holds, tech/monitor support.

• Questions to ask: What is typical PACU patient load (1:1, 1:2)? How many patients in recovery hold state vs. routine post‑op? Are there ventilated patients or ICU holds in PACU? What is orientation like for travelers?

✅ Med/Tele / PCU / Step‑Down

• Feedback:

  • Several Facebook posts speak to concerns in med/tele/PCU units at Obici (and by extension other Sentara hospitals) such as ratios of 6 each, limited monitors, tech support lacking.

  • “They do PCs up to 6 each. They assign tele patients + med patients + hold patients.”

  • Review site comments: “Overworked and underpaid… no breaks, overwork, no growth” for Suffolk VA campus. Indeed

• Strengths: Some reviewers mention good teamwork on certain floors; the hospital size can mean some med/tele units are smaller and more manageable.

• Considerations: This is likely the highest risk category for travel nurses here. Ratios may be high, float expectations heavy, tech/training less robust.

• Questions to ask: What is the exact ratio on the unit you’ll be doing? Are there frequent floats? How many hold/overflow patients? What support staff is available (CNAs, PCTs, monitors)? What is the culture and turnover like on that specific unit?

✅ ICU (Intensive Care Unit)

• Feedback:

  • A traveler posted:“Solid experience in the ICU. Mostly med-surg ICU patients, some cardiac. Float expectations were clear, and the team was supportive overall.”(Facebook group)

  • Another post: “I worked nights in the ICU—ratios were usually 1:2 but did get pushed to 1:3 at times. Not bad for a smaller hospital, but nights were heavy.”(Private traveler forum)

  
  

• Strengths: Community hospital ICU with a generally supportive team. Typical 1:2 ratio allows for good patient care most shifts. Acuity manageable if you're experienced.

  
  

• Considerations: Floats may occur within the critical care cluster depending on census. Night shifts may have limited CNA/tech support. Charting in Epic.

• Questions to ask:

  • What are the typical nurse:patient ratios in the ICU (days vs nights)?

  • Are travelers floated? If so, to what units and how often?

  • Is there CNA or tech support consistently available?

  • How many ICU beds are typically staffed and occupied?

🧠 Overall Culture & Management at Obici

What’s Positive:

• Some staff review comments highlight “great staff/team” and “friendly surgeons” etc. Indeed+1

• Free parking and decent location (Suffolk) come up as perks.

What’s Challenging:

• Management and structural complaints: favoritism, micromanagement, and staffing shortages appear consistently in reviews for the Obici campus. Indeed+1

• Reviewers caution that while Sentara system is large and brand‑recognized, the smaller satellite hospitals (like Obici) may not get the same resources as larger main campuses.

• Reviewers for travel roles at Sentara note: competitor systems might offer better assignments depending on unit selection. Indeed

🧾 Final Take & Recommendation for Travel Nurses

Is Obici a good travel fit?

✅ Yes – if you negotiate unit, shift, and expectations carefully.

⚠️ Less ideal – if you’re looking for low stress, low float, and strong support structure.

For ED and PACU: Likely more favorable. ED has positive reports of team culture. PACU has limited data but is generally less impacted by staffing strain.

For ICU: Moderate reviews. Typical ratios are reasonable, and team culture seems positive, but support may be lighter on nights. Best for ICU nurses with experience and flexibility.

For Med/Tele/Step-down: Approach with caution — may carry heavier load, higher turnover, more float, and less support.

🧠 Bottom line: Pick the right unit, get clear metrics, and be ready to advocate for yourself. If you’re experienced, adaptable, and value team environment more than perfect conditions, Sentara Obici can work. If you're looking for something calm and structured as a reset assignment, you might want to compare to other facilities.

Disclosure: The information provided in this guide is what I use to send my travelers and is obtained through ChatGPT, utilizing prompts I frequently use as a travel nurse recruiter. The content is designed to help travelers make informed decisions about potential destinations.