Portland, situated on the banks of the beautiful Columbia and Willamette rivers, is Oregon’s largest city. Bursting with culture, amazing eateries and an abundance of activities for the outdoor enthusiast, this eco-friendly city offers a small town feel wrapped in the infrastructure of a bustling metropolis.

The Greater Portland area is home to two Providence Magnet facilities — Providence Portland Medical Center and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center – as well as three community hospitals — Providence Milwaukie Hospital, Providence Newberg Medical Center and Providence Willamette Falls Medical Center — making Providence one of Oregon’s largest private employers. Here are three reasons caregivers say you should consider applying to work with us in Portland.

1. “Portland is a really fun place to live.”

Portland is known for its parks and bicycle paths, microbreweries and coffeehouses, as well as its thriving art, theater and music scenes. Plus, it’s close to Mt. Hood, the Columbia River Gorge, and the Pacific Coast.

Providence Lead X-ray Technician Lynette says, “I love Portland. This is a very bike friendly city. There’s hiking trails, there’s rivers and all kinds of water sports and outdoor sports in the area. We’re only two hours away from the ocean. Plus Portland has a really, really good food scene.”

Providence Respiratory Therapist Cari adds, “There is live music three or four days a week and every weekend. We’ve got really fun theater and there’s outdoor concerts in the summer. You can float down the Clackamas River in the summer and go skiing in the winter. You can take a quick trip to Multnomah Falls, or the coast, or to the mountain for different nature hikes. Portland is a really fun place to live.”

Providence Nurse Manger Therese agrees, “Portland is pretty incredible. People treat each other really well here. I think we have courtesy for each other, so it’s easy to meet new friends here. There’s a lot of different clubs and events, there’s just a lot to do in this area.”

2. “Diversity and inclusiveness”

Portland’s unofficial motto is “Keep Portland Weird,” promoting the value of individuality without judgement. Providence Charge Nurse Janie says, “The Portland Metro area is a bubbly, friendly place. You get to see so many different people, you get to hear so many different stories. So excitement is always coming and going.”

Portland is widely known to be accepting of members the LGBTQIA+ community. It was the first major city to elect an openly gay mayor and has no shortage of gay sports leagues and queer-friendly spaces.Cari says, “I see diversity in my workplace. We have a couple people who are trans and actually transitioned while they’ve been here and have been fully supported by their teams and welcomed as they are.”

Portland Surgical Technician Anastasiya, who came from Ukraine, felt welcomed by the people at Providence. “Diversity and inclusiveness: I think it’s one of the biggest things that Providence has to offer. We have a lot of people from different countries and even different beliefs. We value every one of them.” Portland Housekeeper Derek also appreciates the diversity across the hospital saying, “My coworkers are different people from different cultures and areas of life. I think it’s nice to have a mixture of everyone.”

3. “I’ve been given flexibility for work-life balance.”

Providence teams support each other so that everyone can enjoy a healthy work-life balance. When Anastasiya’s daughter fell seriously ill, she felt she had to quit to take care of her. “I gave my two weeks’ notice to my manager and he said, ‘Anastasia, if you don’t mind me asking, why do you want to quit? Is there anything else we can do for you?’ I explained my situation and he said, ‘Spend some time with your daughter. Fix whatever needs to be fixed. We are going to keep your position. And if you want to come back, you will still have your benefits. Just take some time.’ And honestly, I could not believe it. I took some time off, I came back, and they offered me a different shift that works better. He was willing to help balance my work and life a little bit better. That helped me understand how important it is to have this community.”

Lynette also appreciates the way her team has her back — on and off the clock. “I appreciate the flexibility that I have with my schedule. I am able to go to my manager or go to my colleagues if I need to get a day off, and they’re flexible with moving things around, which hasn’t always been my experience at other places I’ve worked.”

Ready to experience the vibrant city living Portland offers, coupled with the acceptance and support Providence provides? Explore our open roles.