From the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains to Glacier National Park, Montana is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. More than 2,000 Providence caregivers serve Missoula and Polson at two hospitals and other care facilities throughout the western part of the state. Here are five great reasons you should consider applying to work with us in Montana.

1. You can build a life—and even a house

Many caregivers relocate from other parts of the country to build their lives in Montana. In Ultrasound Tech Ciara’s case, she and her husband built their own home, too.

Before moving to Montana, Ciara lived in California and was having a rough time at her job. When she vented to her Montana-based aunt, to whom she’s very close, Ciara’s aunt recommended she apply at Providence St. Patrick Hospital in Missoula. After she was hired, Ciara moved with relocation assistance from Providence. “It was very helpful and smooth. It felt like I was taken care of even before I started.”

Ciara met her husband in Missoula and, when considering where they wanted to live, the pair decided to build their own house. “There is so much land and you have opportunities to build your life out here,” she says. “I didn’t know anything about construction. I learned so much. It was such an adventure.”

Throughout the home-building process, Ciara says she was supported by her managers and team at St. Patrick. “Everyone here knew our journey and our goals. When there were inspections I needed to be at, they were always so kind, rearranging schedules to accommodate me.”

Ciara loves the life—and the home—she and her husband have built in Montana. She says, “Moving was the best decision I ever made.”

2. You can enjoy the “extreme outdoors”

Registered Nurse Genevieve was a travel nurse for many Providence and non-Providence facilities before she decided to take a full-time role at Magnet® recognized Providence St. Patrick Hospital. “It was a no-brainer that I was definitely going to work at Providence.”

Genevieve calls her manager “the best manager I’ve ever had” and adds, “I love my coworkers, I love the team I work with, I love the patients that we take care of. I just really love working here.”

And, she says, she loves living in Montana, too. “Missoula’s amazing. That goes without telling, but we can’t tell too many people. It’s like our best-kept secret.”

Genevieve says Western Montana offers endless outdoor activities, including cross-country and alpine skiing, snowboarding, back-country trekking, water sports, hiking and camping. “But the coolest thing about it is that it’s super wild,” she says. Montana is definitely an extreme outdoor state.”

When asked why she decided to stop traveling as a nurse, Genevieve says it was time. “I was ready to settle down. There’s something to be said about just living in your own home and working where you live.”

Even though she jokes that she wants to keep Montana a secret, Genevieve hopes her friends would consider coming to work at St. Patrick, too. “If one of my friends wanted to work here, I’d tell them apply,” she says, adding with a laugh, “I’ll refer them and get the referral bonus.”

3. You can bask in extraordinary friendliness

When CT and X-ray Tech Ben started working at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson, he immediately noticed a friendliness that he appreciated. “People make eye contact and smile in the halls,” he says. “I see kitchen staff laughing. I joke around with the security guys.” And, he adds, his coworkers are generous. “They say, ‘Hey, if you need help with this, or if you want to carpool, we can do that. The generosity is pretty top shelf.”

Ciara says the friendliness is strong in Missoula, as well.

“When I’m driving, everybody will wave to me that I don’t know,” she says. “Everyone’s really nice and welcoming. That wasn’t what I was used to.”

4. You can feel like you live in a movie—or are always on vacation

Ben says he loves to hunt and fly-fish and Montana’s the perfect place for those activities. “Polson has the best of everything,” he says. “It has clean water and a big lake to fish. We’re surrounded by beautiful mountains. It’s like the movie, A River Runs Through It. It’s hard to believe that this place does exist. It’s perfect. It’s paradise.”

Certified Nursing Assistant Ekaterina, who’s originally from Moscow, Russia, agrees. “I live on Flathead Lake,” she says. “It’s a gorgeous northwest secret, I think. I have a cherry orchard, which is another thing that not many know about Montana, because we’re so high on the elevation. But this huge lake gives that microclimate so there’s a lot of fruit growing here as well.” Ekaterina says her land, with views of the orchard and lake, makes her incredibly happy. “For me, this is like a vacation. I was even thinking, how can people live and work and go to school in a vacation spot? But they do!”

5. You can connect with other cultures

Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Polson is on the Flathead Indian Reservation, which is home to three tribes, the Bitterroot Salish, Upper Pend d’Oreille and the Kootenai. Says Director of Nursing Erin, “We live and reside on the reservation, which is sacred ground. So, as you can imagine, we get to do our sacred work on sacred ground.”

Surgical Tech Cheryl says that the school system has small classrooms and teachers who prioritize teaching children to appreciate the heritage of living on the reservation. “It’s come-as-you-are; everyone is welcome,” she says. “A lot of the high school kids help the younger kids. That makes it more of a family.”

Ekaterina appreciates that the hospital welcomes the tribes’ cultural traditions as part of care—and that it provides learning opportunities for employees. “Leadership invites people here to represent their culture, to teach us about it,” she says. “They respect the tribes’ traditions so much, and it makes me feel happy. We all deserve to do what we feel is right when we’re weak and sick and need a little help.” As an example, Ekaterina remembers a time when a woman’s family brought drums into her hospital room.

She says, “You hear that rhythm and that tone, and you realize the significance of just how important it is for them and their culture. This is their way to make the woman feel less afraid or worried or sick. I was like, ‘This is beautiful.’ This is their land and their place. I think it’s great to be part of that.”

Want to work with us in Montana?

Join our 2,000-plus compassionate caregivers in Polson or Missoula. View all jobs in Montana to find the role that’s right for you.