Hi! I am new to the boards. They are great. I have read lots of interesting information-good and bad. I guess I am just scared about what is going to happen to my life in this new found career. I have just started this RN journey. I have lots of questions. The biggest question is a what-if. I would like to relocate. I live in northwestern PA and am curious about the rest of the country especially Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina. I cannot be a traveling nurse (I have a family). I would like to know some good places to start my career. Of course I am looking for a great place to live and a good employeer. (If there is such a thing:D ) I read a lot of nurses are frustrated. I hope not to be one of them. I am very much interested in working at the Univeristy of Virginia or somewhere in North Carolina--Winston-Salem, Charlotte, or Asheville. Where are some good places to look into??

Thanks for any responses!!!

UNC in Chapel Hill is a good place to work from what I've heard. I understand though that NC pays low for nursing compared to some areas of the country.

One problem I've encountered in that area is that some hospitals still run on DOS programs. It makes charting intereesting, much less colaboratign with hospitals outside the region. SO keep your eye out for computer technology.

Both Moses Cone and Novant Health were at a recent career fair looking for Nurses. Moses Cone is in Greensboro and Novant/forsyth is in Winston.

The Mid-Atlantic region is supposed to be above average for nursing salaries. There are a lot of hospitals around Baltimore, but I'm not a nurse yet so I can't speak from experience. Of course Johns Hopkins is here, and it's a very large system. There's also the Maryland Trauma center, and University of Maryland medical center. Plus lots of other hospitals, too many to name.

DC is close, too. But it's very expensive to live there, or in the surrounding areas of MD and VA.