Need for Nurses in Northern CA?

[whitescrubs2012]

Dear CA Nurses,

In your experience, what is the need for nurses in Northern CA? I'd imagine that supply meets demand in the immediate vicinity of SFO and the N. Bay area...or maybe that's not so?

I'm curious about Petaluma, Sacramento, Vacaville, Vallejo, Oakland, Santa Rosa, Sonoma Valley, and anywhere in that general area (and I know that covers quite a span of miles and communities).

I'll be a new grad nurse (w/ and ADN; MS and BA in other areas) in about a year and am interested in a few MSN programs in the N. CA region. Will I have a prayer as an ADN, or is there so much competition, even outside of SFO, that ADNs are overlooked? Are there any areas of Northern CA that *really* need nurses?

Thanks very much for any insights and info you can share!

[RNnicu42]

I live in the south bay but have been looking for jobs in that area. I havent had any luck. I had an interview at UCSF but that is the only place that I have heard back from. I think the north bay is just as bad as the rest of california. It is very impacted with nurses, especialy new graduates.

[noahsmama]

Supply of nurses far exceeds demand, especially when it comes to new grads, in the entire Bay Area. It took me 5 months to find a job in 2008. A lot of 2009 grads took a year or more, and I believe it was pretty grim for 2010 and 2011 grads too, in fact I think a lot of them are either still unemployed or have moved elsewhere to find jobs. A friend of mine who graduated when I did and got a new grad job, only to be laid off before she wasn't even off orientation (through no fault of her own -- the hospital decided to lay off all of its new grads half way through the program) moved to a small town in rural Texas for 2 years just to get the experience she needed to eventually get a new job and move back -- and part of the reason she got the job here, besides the 2 years of experience, is that she happens to be fluent in Cantonese.

I don't know if ADNs have worse luck than BSNs but I think most likely they do, since many Bay Area hospitals "prefer" BSNs (I don't know of any that require a BSN though).

Sorry to be so grim, but people are moving OUT of the Bay Area to get jobs, not in. You could always turn out to be one of the lucky ones, but it's definitely not a great market to be job-searching in!

[caliotter3]

I have always heard that people from the immediate SF area who could not find work, expand their search to the areas you mention, usually with just as bad results. One used to be able to move to SoCal with reasonable expectations of finding work, but those days, too, are long gone.

[elprup, BSN, RN]

No luck way up here past sonoma county for new grads. Ukiah has a new grad versant program you could try, but be sure to apply first day they announce because they close taking applicants within days.I have noticed Redding looking for nurses, and way up north in Arcata. Best thing to do is locate all hospitals, clinics, endoscopy centers, long term care centers (if you dare as a new grad) and email your resume with cover letter and willingness to relocate. You never know. Lately, it seems we can do everything right, and still not find a job after college. And no it doesn't matter that you do not have BSN. Heck, all the jobs that did not work out for me was because I had my BSN (i had the knowledge but not the clinical experience). Just do everything you can. I moved my teenagers twice in one year, I refuse to move them again. Good luck, it sucks here in CA.

[Mossback]

The employment situation for new grads in the Sacramento area isn't very rosy. Although there are new grad positions available, the supply of candidates far exceeds the number of jobs. For many new grads, the search for a suitable position is proving to be long and frustrating.

Unfortunately, ADN graduates are finding it particularly difficult to land hospital jobs. Most new grad positions in hospitals are advertised as "BSN preferred" or simply list a BSN as a minimum requirement for applying.