Nursing at Critical Access Hospitals

Being a nurse in a Critical Access Hospital is a unique experience, when compared to a nurse in a large hospital, with specialized areas of practice. Critical Access Hospitals are small community hospitals with 25 beds or less. Included in the 25 beds are Observation patients, Acute Care patients, and Swing Bed patients as well as an Emergency Department. Swing Beds are for patients that are too weak, sick, or in need of more therapy before they can go home, but not sick enough to stay in a large hospital.

Why be a Critical Access Nurse?

• Use every skill you ever learned to take care of your friends, family, and neighbors.
• Be a valued member of your community who is known for your Healthcare skills.
• Have many learning opportunities that are paid for because of the need for those skills at your facility.
• Experience a wide variety of nursing scenarios such as ED, Acute Care, Clinic, Rehab Nursing, Long Term Care, and Outpatient, while never changing jobs.
• Work with the same team of people so you get to know each other’s skills and can be a constant support for one another. Historically, nurse shortages are less in Critical Access Hospitals.

Billings Clinic Critical Access Hospital Opportunities

Billings Clinic has two Critical Access Hospitals within our health system.

• Stillwater Billings Clinic is located in Columbus, MT, provides:
  • 24/7 emergency care
  • Primary care
  • Acute skilled nursing & Transitional care
  • Radiology services
  • Laboratory
  • Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
  • Specialty services include:
    • Cardiology
    • Dermatology
    • Endoscopy
    • OB/GYN
    • Orthopedics
    • Podiatry
    • Urology
• Billings Clinic Broadwater is located in Townsend, MT, provides:
  • 24/7 emergency care
  • Primary care
  • Acute skilled nursing & transitional care
  • Radiology services
  • Laboratory
  • Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
  • Specialty services include:
    • Cardiology
    • Pediatrics
    • Pediatric endocrinology
    • Podiatry
    • Urology