New grad looking in SF

U.S.A. California

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I'm graduating in April with a BSN and moving to SF. I have no idea where to begin looking and I'm wondering where are the best places to work/where I should look for jobs? I'm not sure what the pay/benefits are like between different hospitals. Also not sure how hard it is for new graduates to find jobs. Any and all advice would be appreciated!

SDnursing, ADN

23 Posts

Not sure where you are from but I sure wouldn't plan on a move to SF until you actually have a job locked down. The Bay Area is a large place and you should be open to taking a new grad job anywhere you can get one. I am assuming you may not be from California? New grad job market is tough here IMO. Certainly tough enough that I wouldn't plan to limit my job hunt to one part of the Bay Area. Just keep an open mind in your job search.

PaigeW

3 Posts

My husband has a job in San Francisco and I want a job some what close so I won't have to commute very far. I am open to outside the city, but we will probably be living in the city

SDnursing, ADN

23 Posts

Ok well that changes things. You have a reason to move there(husband has a job). I would still make plans to work outside the city though. Of course be hopeful of landing a job in SF but have backup plans is what I am saying. Depending on your husbands income situation you may have more time to wait and see. However the best advice that I can give a new grad is take the experience you can get.

Specializes in ICU.

He might be the only one working so hope that you can make the rent of 3500+ parking.

Girl look, experienced nurses can't get jobs in the Bay area and you can forget about the within the city of San Francisco.

db2xs

733 Posts

I like to try and stay positive for new grads but pretty much it is very difficult for new grads to find work in SF. If you can get into any new grad programs, that will be your best best. Have you started applying?

PaigeW

3 Posts

Thank you, the positivity is appreciated! I haven't yet. I don't really know what the options are so I was hoping for some specific suggestions if you have any! And I'm open to outside of the city as well, I just would prefer to keep my commute under 30 minutes.

caliotter3

38,333 Posts

You are not going to find a commute of less than 30 minutes in that area.

Specializes in ICU.
Thank you, the positivity is appreciated! I haven't yet. I don't really know what the options are so I was hoping for some specific suggestions if you have any! And I'm open to outside of the city as well, I just would prefer to keep my commute under 30 minutes.

Maybe look at wine country or stockton once you screened the entire bay area.

db2xs

733 Posts

The only new grad programs I can think of in the Bay Area are UCSF and Stanford. They are highly competitive. When I say "highly," I mean highly. There are other new grad programs in the area but they are appx. one to three hours away from SF (think Ukiah, Modesto), which, if you want to get a foot into the nursing door, you might want to seriously consider them. I know many people who had to do that--live in Modesto for at least a year before moving back to the East Bay. I was living in SF but moved to Los Angeles for a new grad program. There were at least two or three other new grads in my cohort who had done the same thing.

Sutter has a new grad program too but only for Samuel Merritt students.

db2xs

733 Posts

If you are willing to do long-term care first, you might be able to get a job in a skilled nursing facility/assisted living facility.

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