[babaz1010]

Hi Everyone-

This is my first time posting on this website and would LOVE your opinions. I am a 24 y.o. operating room circulating nurse currently living in New Hampshire. This was my first job out of nursing school and have had been here for almost 3 years, so needless to say this has been the only OR I have worked in. It's a small community hospital, Level 2 trauma center with 208 beds. I recently became CNOR Certified (WOOHOO!). My husband and I are contemplating moving for at least a couple years for an oppurtinity to get different experiences in our professions while living somewhere completely different. I have never moved before so I am extremely nervous of even the thought of moving so far from my parents.

My husband works at Fidelity Investments as a Finantial Planner, so we pretty much have our locations narrowed down to near Mission Viejo, CA or Raleigh, NC. I am looking online for hospitals near these areas to help find one that seems "compatible" to me, however I am having difficulty finding the information I need.

Do any of you live/work near these locations? If so, I would love your opinions on how you like these communities to live in and hospitals to work at. Thank You!

Christine RN, BSN, CNOR

[sandiegojames]

I work in La Jolla in the OR at Scripps Green Hospital. 10 ORs, no trauma. Great place to work, fantastic place to live. Very expensive even with the real estate market going to crap. About 45-60min south of mission viejo in the north county of san diego.

Mission Viejo is a great beach town, but even more expensive than san diego. Check out the hospitals in mission viejo, irvine, orange county...

feel free to contact me if you have any questions,
Jim

[babaz1010]

OK great. Thank you for the reply. I have some research to do. Is Mission Viejo area a good place to raise a family? I've been hearing a lot of great things about NC, but have not had anyone tell me about NC's hospitals to work at. Any advice is helpful!

[sandiegojames]

The answer is yes and no, I love having grown up here in San Diego. But as I said before it is very expensive. An 1800sf house is about $750,000 in a decent area. So it is a lot of pressure for someone who wants to have a family if they are far from their own family. Mission Viejo is nice, I don't know the hospitals well, but haven't heard anything negative from reps, rn's etc... so that's a start.

I'm guessing with your experience and credentials you will be starting at around $35/hr maybe a bit more, I understand Orange County pays a bit better than San Diego but probably not by much.

Mission Viejo and the surrounding area is more of a suburb/ beach town. There won't be any exciting city life for you.

[babaz1010]

$750,000 for a house, huh. That would be a tough pill to swallow.

[MsLeylaBar]

I'm not sure what the rate is in North Carolina nowadays, I lived there in '93 but there are 3 big hospitals around the triangle area, Wake Med, Duke and UNC. Duke and UNC always seem to advertise for OR nurses need. Call and they may even have some relocation assistance.

[babaz1010]

Relocating assistance would be a beautiful thing! I have already found a lot of information online about the WakeMed hospitals. I will look up info on Duke and UNC. I'll have to contact Human Resources too. I am a circulator and do not scrub. I would like to work somewhere where I can continue circulating only. I hope this is does not narrow my options too much, however it sounds like I'll have a lot of places to chose from.

PS- Hubby and I were talking... CA is out. NC is our first choice.

Christine