Graduating Wednesday!

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

Hey all,

Just saying hi to all you alls out there! I'm a 25 y/o male graduating in WA from an ADN program. I have to make a decision now.

I really want to relocate to a warmer climate and am pretty much able to go anywhere as I have no obligations here. I just don't know exactly where.

I how important one's first RN job is and I want to make sure I make a good decision. The three places I'm seriously considering are San Diego, Tucson, or Rio Grande Valley in South Texas.

All those places are really cool but each has their pros and cons. I love Texas but all the hospitals there seem to be for profit (Tenet and HCA) and that scares me. The cost of living though is so low and I could make dang good money. San Diego is nice and close to the water but the cost of living is high. Tucson's UMC is raved about by many nurses but there's no ocean that close by! See my dilemma?

My preferences for a residency/internship program would be Telemetry or OR I think.

Any advice from you nurses who know about these places? Any thoughts on what would be best for me starting out?

Thanks so much in advance!

Zach

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

I don't know about specific places, but I can offer general guidelines on how I would approach the decision-making process. I guess the question is what is more important - your work life or your away-from-work life (I know which one it is for *me* .) If all things are equal professionally (i.e. all areas are hiring and you can reasonably assume - and you can - that there are going to be good and bad places to work regardless of where you go) then go with what makes you personally happy. But please - don't saddle yourself with too much debt if you feel the cost of living in one place is too high.

And who's to say that you can't pick one place and move later if it doesn't suit you. Assuming you're unattached and can just pick up and go when you want (a glorious position to be in for the moment - cherish it! :)) then don't feel like your life is riding on one choice.

Congrats on your graduation!!!!

[Angelica]

I thought about moving to Tucson myself. I like the town, even without an ocean. I know that's no help to you -- just my personal preference.

Congratulations and good luck to you!

[Mkue]

I like the above suggestions just wanted to say

Congradulations and Good Luck, Best Wishes:chuckle

[EricTAMUCC-BSN, BSN, RN]

Congratulations on completing your program! I am currently going to school in South Texas. I have never been to Tuscon or San Diego, but I can tell you about the Rio Grande Valley. The Valley is a major site of international trade and is growing rapidly. The valley is a nice place to live because the sun is always shining and you are close to tourist spots like South Padre Island, Matamoros, and Progresso. However if you are looking to work in a hospital with the latest technology and methods this may not be the place for you. I love south Texas because it is beautiful, but after leaving central Texas I realized I had put myself at a disadvantage. South Texas hospitals are 5 years behind central Texas Hospitals. Neuces county ranked second in the nation for malpractice litigation this year. Overall the people in south Texas are friendly. Many of the patients here live in poverty and Diabetes Melitus is a major problem for the Mexican American population. I have received great experience while in South Texas and been allowed to do and see things I would not have been able to at home. However, I plan on leaving shortly. My experiences differ from other's in South Texas partly because I work at an inner city hospital, which can be frustrating at times.

[zacarias, ASN, RN]

Eric,

Thanks for the info on RGV. I visited some of the hospitals in like Brownsville and Harlingen, do you really think they are behind technologically? One thing that concerns me is that a lot of the RGV hospitals are owned by national healthcare corporations. That seems scary to me but of course I've never faced that issue. (all hospitals where I'm from are not-for-profit)

Z

[RainbowzLPN, LPN]

Congrats on graduating, Zach!!! :balloons:

[funnygirl_rn]

Congrats to you!! Yippee!