UAB Health System (Birmingham/Alabama Locations) Travel Nurse Review

UAB Health System is one of Alabama’s most prominent healthcare networks, anchored by its flagship academic medical center in Birmingham. Known for its high acuity, diverse patient population, and strong focus on education, UAB attracts both staff and travel nurses looking to expand their clinical experience. Whether you're seeking a fast-paced ICU, a busy trauma ED, or a supportive PACU environment, UAB offers a wide range of units across multiple campuses, including UAB St. Vincent’s locations throughout the state. With a reputation for innovation and challenge, it is a strong resume builder for experienced travelers.

About the UAB System

• System Type: Major academic teaching hospital network

• Primary Location: Birmingham, Alabama, with affiliated campuses in East Birmingham and Saint Clair

• Hospital Size:

  • UAB St. Vincent’s (Birmingham): 399 beds

  • UAB St. Vincent’s East: 322 beds

  • UAB St. Vincent’s St. Clair: 82 beds

• Charting System: Cerner

• Scrub Color: Navy for RNs

• Ideal For: Travel nurses seeking high acuity exposure, strong clinical growth, and a fast-paced educational environment

📣 Travel Nurse Feedback (In‐Depth)

✅ What nurses like

• Many comments speak very positively of the system:

“I love bham and UAB!!” – one Facebook post“Very fast paced, teaching hospital … “If you can work at UAB, you can work anywhere.” – Chelsea J.

• Specific units:

PACU: “I’m in PACU right now and I can’t complain. Pretty easy job and cool people.”

ICU/MICU: “Worked in MICU … best group of people on MICU.”

Med/surg: “1:5 ratio. I enjoyed it. Probably one of my fave contracts just based on the people I worked with.”

• Teaching hospital benefits: Residents, advanced procedures, high‑resource environment.

• For many travel nurses, UAB is seen as a “top” place compared to others they’ve done.

⚠️ What nurses caution about

• High acuity + high workload:

  “The area surrounding the hospital has a LOT of homeless and is sketchy at night … Patients are very sick … 1:6 ratio and patients are very sick … no phlebotomy.”

• Ratios & support vary significantly by unit: Some report 1:5 or 1:6.

  “Depends seriously on the floor!”

• Parking / commute issues in Birmingham:

  “Parking is blocks away and you are shuttled by bus … employee parking deck $10/day now.”

• Some units have lot of new grads or high turnover, which may impact support for travelers.

  “New grads in the ER… turnover of patients high.”

• Some travel nurse complaints of being floated:

  “Floated to 7 different med‑surg floors … no phlebotomy … either you or the CNA draw labs.”

🧑‍⚕️ Unit Breakdown for Travel Nurses

✅ Med/Surg / Tele

• Reported ratio around 1:5, sometimes 1:6.

• High acuity: Chest tubes, heparin drips, cardiac drips as part of “med/surg” floors.

• Support may be lacking (phlebotomy, techs) especially nights or float shifts.

• Best if you’re experienced and OK with higher workload.

✅ ICU / Critical Care

• Viewed quite positively by many travel nurses.

• Some mention good teamwork, excellent colleagues, rich learning environment.

• Still: busy, high‑acuity, you’ll need to be ready.

  • Example comment: “Worked in MICU … best group of people … I love it!”

• For travelers: robust ICU experience, good resume builder.

✅ PACU

• Some positive feedback:

  “In PACU right now … pretty easy job and cool people.”

• Good fit for those who prefer procedural recovery environment rather than floor chaotic.

• Still check specifics: Are holds common? Is there mixture of post‑op neuro/ortho vs general? What is float expectation?

✅ ED (Emergency Department)

• Mixed reviews: Some love the energy and resources, others note heavy workload and turnover.

  “Worked in ER … Level 1 trauma … very busy, but great staff.”

• High‑stress environment; you’ll want strong ED experience and enjoy fast pace.

🧾 Final Take & Recommendation for Travel Nurses

Is UAB a good travel fit?

✅ Yes - if you’re ready for high acuity, strong exposure, teaching hospital environment, and you’re experienced.

⚠️ Less ideal - if you’re looking for a mellow assignment, minimal float, low stress.

For ICU and PACU: Probably the best fit. These units get the most positive feedback, good teamwork, good exposure, high resource environment.

For Med/Surg/Tele and ED: Great opportunities-but expect variability and sometimes heavy workload/support issues. Choose unit very carefully.

Bottom line: UAB offers top‑tier experience for travel nurses willing to step in, learn, and work hard. For a reset assignment or lighter role, you may want to compare to other hospitals-but if you want to build your skills and don’t mind a challenge, UAB is a strong choice.

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.