Hello! I will be finishing up a BSN degree in Connecticut. My husband and I are looking to relocate somewhere in East Tennessee. We've been looking into the Pigeon Forge/Severville area and also Elizabethton/Johnson City area. My question is, what is the job outlook and opportunities for new graduate nurses? Are there facilities in these areas that hire new grads and how competitive etc. Also, I have done a few searches to see what the average RN salary is in these areas and I have seen around 65k/year. How much on average do new grad BSN RNs make in these areas? My husband is also a CNA, are there job opportunities in these areas for CNAs. He has over two years of experience. Thank you so much everyone for your help!!

THe highest paying jobs in Elizabethton/Johnson City nursing are Nursing homes or Assisted living - home health pays well too. Hospitals, Clinics and Dr offices pay the least pretty much in that order.

Alot of nursing homes will hire new nurses LPNs and RNs. I think the going rate for RN's is about 25 bucks. Also CNA work is plentiful too! I am not sure of the rate there anywhere from 8 to 12 I believe. In home care (not thru a service) as a sitter ranges about 10 bucks per hour to 100 per day (for 24 hrs)

Knoxville is just a short drive from Pigeon Forge area. There are several hospitals in Knoxville that hire new grads. UT Medical Center has a really good Intern program and have the application process open now. You can choose from several speciality areas inculding Emergency, OR, NICU and med/surg. Here's a link to check it out if your interested. http://www.utmedicalcenter.org/cms/Departments/Nursing/Students+and+New+Grads/2272.html

The starting pay for a new grad is around $18/per plus shift diff and weekends. Also look into some of the outlying areas like Blount Memorial. Morristown Hamben and LeConte(Sevierville) are Covenant Health faciliates and would be 30min drive or less. There are always several CNA positions available throughout the area with pay ranging from around $8 to $12 depending on experience. Hope this helps.

Covenant Health has a hospital in Sevierville that is great! LeConte Medical Center. It is a brand new builiding (about a year old) with all of the latest technology. Morristown-Hamblen Hospital is also Covenant Health, and that is a short drive from Sevierville. The Covenant Health web site is www.covenanthealth.com. Check it out!

As someone mentioned above, the new grad rate in the Knoxville area is probably going to be in the neighborhood of $18/hour plus shift and weekend differentials. But the cost of living in the area is really low, so it all works out.

Look at Johnson City Medical center awesome place to work , I relocated from California to work there and I do not regret it at all, and the pay is relative to living expenses here

As a new grad you definitely will not be making anywhere near 65k. After one year you could take a float position and with some night and weekend diffs it's a possibility.

There is also a large VA hospital in Johnson City and Kingsport and Bristol both are only a few miles from Johnson City and both have hospitals. Good Luck.:)

Look at Johnson City Medical center awesome place to work , I relocated from California to work there and I do not regret it at all, and the pay is relative to living expenses here

My husband and I are wanting to move back to East TN and were thinking that the Johnson City area would be a good place to try and get a job as an RN. As a new grad from out of state was it easy or hard to secure a position there? We are coming from GA and I will be graduating here. My husband wants to go to ETSU, so somewhere around that area would be good. Do they have a new grad program or a nurse residency program?

I've heard it's harder to get a job in Knoxville because it is so saturated with new grads. Is it the same there?

Thanks. Sorry for so many questions. I just can't wait to get out of GA!

I applied and then within a week I had three interviews, so I secured a job before moving out and I don't regret it! All three interviews were with Johnson City Medical Center different units good luck happy job hunting!!!

I applied and then within a week I had three interviews, so I secured a job before moving out and I don't regret it! All three interviews were with Johnson City Medical Center different units good luck happy job hunting!!!

That sounds great! I still have a year left in school, but I'm notorious for always planning ahead :) Did you immediately graduate and then move to TN? Did you get licensed in CA and then transfer it to TN? Where did you take your NCLEX?

Are you enjoying East TN? I can't wait to get back to the mountains!

Hey, I graduated in June 2010 took my NCLEX on July 2nd and couldn't find a job in California so I transferred my license to TN and moved here on October 17th, I like it here a lot slower then California but we are adapting. It's very nice here all in all!