[momof3heathens]

Idaho Falls has its pros and cons.... I grew up smack in the middle of New Jersey, so I have to tell you there is some culture shock! I think you mentioned Swan Valley....ABsolutely beautiful there! It is also right in between Idaho Falls and Jackson, so you can still obtain "culture" if you want it. Not that Idaho Falls has a Broadway or anything, but we do have a very good community arts program, and they revamped our old theatre a number of years ago, and bring some pretty big names in. We went to a Ray Charles concert a couple years before he passed away..it was dynamite! and we saw Manhattan Transfer and several other recognizables...it is especially fruitful if you like country (bleh!) music.

Land is Swan Valley is relatively cheap, especially compared to other states/areas. It is going up rapidly though, as people have been discovering how gorgeous it is. The Idaho Falls area in general has pretty good real estate prices.

NUrsing jobs here are available, but are not in nearly the dire straits that a lot of areas are. YOu will not find hugely competitive wages here. In general the wages in Idaho all suck. But its all relative. The cost of living is somewhat cheaper here, and nursing of course pays better than a lot of things. There do always seem to be jobs open at both hospitals. From what I've been told by people who have already gotten through a program and are working, the pay, perks, benefits, and overall attitude/environment is much better at MOuntain View Hospital than at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. There are also other hospitals within a (reasonable?) commute, depending on how far you are used to travelling....

Hope some of this helps a little...

[tencat]

Howdy. I lived in Eastern Idaho for six years, and unless you are A: Mormon, B: Think Rush Limbaugh is too liberal, or C: into the outdoors, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, there's not a whole lot to recommend. If you are at all liberal, I certainly would advise someone to stay away or they'll go nuts. Eastern Idaho is over 60% Mormon, and if you are not one, or interested in becoming one that can cause a lot of problems for you. There is some of the best scenery in the whole world, bar none, but we found that it didn't make up for the bads. Idaho is kind of a nutty place (I can say that because I grew up about 50 miles from Coeur d' Alene, too). There are some great people in Idaho, but there is also prejudice and racism (the Aryan Nations had their headquarters there for a reason.....). I think if one is aware of all these things, then hey, go for it! But I just think people ought to know. If one is conservative in politics, etc. then it is a great place to live. Low crime rate, friendly people etc.

[twigloo]

I too am looking at Idaho. I was there a couple of years ago and loved it. I am from Canada and will be graduating in the spring. I want to go to a hospital that provides good training for new nurses. Any suggestions?

[scrmblr]

Originally Posted by twigloo

I too am looking at Idaho. I was there a couple of years ago and loved it. I am from Canada and will be graduating in the spring. I want to go to a hospital that provides good training for new nurses. Any suggestions?

Well, I think I am pretty partial But I sure have had a good run with Mercy in Nampa. They gave me 12 weeks of orientation in the ER. I was also given the chance to get ACLS and PALS within 3 months of employment (payed for by the hospital) I just finished a payed telemetry/cardiac class (8weeks) I am also getting ready to get my TNCC (also payed by Mercy)

They have a new program right now. It is called an "externship" new grad nurses spend 8 weeks on medsurg (with a preceptor) 4 weeks on Ped's (with a preceptor) they spend 6 weeks in ICU/Stepdown and then they come to the ER for some more orientation with a preceptor.

I have had a wonderful time in my little hospital. My husband worked at Lukes for a few years and had a good experience. My personal experience with the bigger hospitals was that they weren't as interested in new grad's.

[CoryRN]

We have too many people moving to Boise, please stay away!! We like people to like Boise but we don't need anymore people moving here!!

Okay, if you must move here, St. Lukes and St. Als are both very good hospitals. The nurses I know make in the 20s/hr. It is true, Mercy doesn't have the best reputation, but the clinical time I did there almost 10 years ago was fine. I am an NP and I do send some of my patients to specialists who work out of Mercy. No complaints so far.

As far as places to live, those of us who live in the Boise area are led to believe that Caldwell is a pretty rough place to live. Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Star, Kuna.... all very nice overall. Low crime, good quality of life. Prices are going up however, thanks to all of the folks moving here!

Hope this helps.

CoryRN

[ohhshen]

Wow, that all sounds a bit scary, especially if your not Caucasion. Do other people feel this way too? I am checking out Boise as a possible re-location spot in my nursing career but if I will be treated poorly based on my race (especially my two daughters) I think I've got my mind made up already.

[CoryRN]

Originally Posted by ohhshen

Wow, that all sounds a bit scary, especially if your not Caucasion. Do other people feel this way too? I am checking out Boise as a possible re-location spot in my nursing career but if I will be treated poorly based on my race (especially my two daughters) I think I've got my mind made up already.

I hope you didn't take me too seriously when I said stay away. My comments were more directed at cost of living increases related to real estate price increases from the influx of people from more expensive markets. It has affected our home prices. We are still fairly affordable, so if you are going to come, sooner is probably better than later.
Also, Eastern Idaho and Boise are very different places. The Rush Limbaugh Mormon comments may be true for Eastern Idaho, but they certainly do not apply to those of us who live in Boise. We are not especially diverse in Boise, and yes, there are still a lot of Mormons. But there are a lot of Catholics, Baptists, Athiests, etc, etc, etc. Secondly, there are people of color here and they are treated very well. There is definitely not the underlying racist tensions that exist in some southern states. I have lived in those states and have seen it first hand. Consider Boise for what we have to offer. There are both city things and outdoors things to do. We need good healthcare providers, come for a visit. email me if you would like and I will give you any information you may want. I think if you can see Boise, you would love it! But keep it kind of quiet, we are still a bit of a secret nationally.

CoryRN

[scrmblr]

Don't be afraid to move to ID because of race issues! or religion issues. I think for a small state it has some nice diversity. We do have some "rednecks" and some mormons...We also have some wonderful cultural diversity with our basque population and hispanic communities.

feel free to email me with any questions you may have!

[superschoolnurse]

I moved to Idaho a little over 3 years ago and I love it here. There are areas around the big towns where you can buy some acreage but the towns themselves are not able to accomodate that. This is high desert so few trees; Boise calls itself the City of Trees but I am used to California where there are trees everywhere so I think it is funny due to it's lack of trees. We have four true seasons but the winters are not tough especially if you are used to Chicago. I am a school nurse so I do not know much about the hospital wages but I think they aren't bad for Idaho. I think the public schools are pretty good. Working in the system I can tell you that each building will be somewhat different because the administrator is key to a great school. I live and work in Nampa and I think we really do a great job. I love how many elementaries we have (California won't build a new school no matter how crowded they are) and secondary schools. If you come out for a look around and want to talk to anyone just email or PM me . Hope this helps.

[hipab4hands]

How do you like the Nampa area.
I was advised today that I will probably be out of job as of the first of the year. Due to the high cost of living in California, I'll not be able to remain here and will need to move out of state.
I've been checking the real estate section for your city and the housing is really affordable.
Any particular neighboorhoods that you would recommend to look at or to avoid. I'm hoping to come out to the area after the first of the year.