Anyone from the Monterey/Salinas Area ??

What area do you wish to practice in? And does the facility offer a new grad orientation beginning when you want it? Those are two main questions that you also need to consider.

I'm living in Salinas and work in Monterey. IMHO, avoid NMC like the plague. They pay less, have recently been in danger of closing due to financial issues, and have their own union which is very weak.

I've not heard anything horrible about SVMH, but do know that when my fiance was offered a job there as a new grad they wanted her to sign a contract committing herself to like a year or 2 (I can't remember which). I'd never sign away a year of my life, but that's just me. Also I think I recall hearing that the ortho floor isn't the place to work, but that's just hearsay. I'd suspect they have more options for new grads than CHOMP because they are a bigger hospital right now, but CHOMP is going through some major renovations, expansions, and upgrades.

CHOMP is a wonderful place to work in many ways, but it's a unique setting and I don't know how I could really put it in words that would explain what I mean. Nonetheless, the pay is good, insurance sucks (but I think the other hospitals do too), and admin seems to care about the employees for the most part. And as a new grad, my fiance has been very fortunate to have worked with a very supportive group of nurses from the director to her coworkers on the telemetry floor, so I know it's a wonderful environment to work in, although the floor itself is high high acuity and very demanding.

For what it's worth, while we are returning to TX in a month, we both absolutely love CHOMP and are going to very much miss working here. However, I'm not saying SVMH is a bad place to work; it might be the best for you because I'd guess they are pretty competitive salary/benefits wise, although CHOMP has a ton of money that comes in from the billionares in the surrounding communities. People put this hospital in their wills. Good luck to you.