Nursing in SC?

maryb · Jul 5, 2001

I don't live in SC, but I worked there for 4 months as a travel nurse doing home health 4 years ago. The pay for the permanent nurses seemed median, and the cost of living was comparable to north MS, where I live, and is relatively low. It also depends on where in SC. Some areas are VERY expensive (Charleston, for example), and others are less so. Good luck!

delirium · Jul 5, 2001

Thanks for the input, Maryb.

How did you like it there?

R.

JennieBSN · Jul 5, 2001

I lived in Charleston, SC for 6years. My best friend and some family members still live there. It is NOT expensive AT ALL. When people hear what we paid for for our house here in Raleigh/Durham, they about fall over.

The area is BEAUTIFUL, and I would go back in a MILISECOND if my husband would consent. Unfortuately, the economy is very depressed there, and it would be next to impossible for him to find a job there as an electrical engineer. As a nurse, you could find a job very quickly there, however. The pay for nurses is mediocre. Starting salary for a new grad is around $14/hr.. My best friend, who is a nurse in the peds cardiac ICU at MUSC down there makes around $16/hr now after being a nurse for 6 years now.

Other areas to consider are Greenville, which is gorgeous and CHEAP, and Columbia. Although Columbia is kind of an urban jungle, which I don't like about it. Again, I have family in Columbia and Greenville, so I know the areas and cost of living WELL. You might also want to look at Myrtle Beach (not my scene, though...) or places like Pawley's Island, Hilton Head, and BEUFORT...another place I would move to in a milisecond. Places like Pawley's Is. and Hilton Head are VERY expensive, however. I don't know what nurses are paid there, so you would be wise to look at that first.

Anyway, as you can probably tell, I love SC and miss it very much. It's a wonderful place to live for the most part.

kewlnurse · Jul 6, 2001

HMMMM, several people have moved from here some witha little experience some witha few years, some went to greenville, some charleston, not sure about the others, anywho, not single one was making less than $20/hour, signing bonusewere between 3 -8000, plus some had paind moving expenses. I have also hear that since your not a union, Everything is negotiable. A few weeks ago the paper here (Western NY, aka, hell) had an add for Myrtle Beach (the only reason i don't live there is because of the wife) $8000 sign on , $1500 moving expenses, Sounds like the Native SC's are getting screwed.

lalaxton · Jul 6, 2001

Hi!

Just moved from Myrtle Beach last summer. Although I was working as a NP I did do some PRN as RN and so do have some insight. The hospital in Myrtle Beach (Grand Strand Regional Medical Center) is a HCA hospital and is offering about $20/hr for RN's with experience as well as sign on etc. It's a small hospital (110 beds) but a busy ER and even do open hearts. Another option is Conway Hosp. about 10 miles inland, same size but with a smaller town feel to it. They offer comparable salaries. I worked with 2 nurses from Ohio who had been there for a few years and decided to go back because they could make more money back home and they needed more stimulation than a small town hospital could offer.

As far as rent, we paid $950/month for a 3 bedroom 'patio home' on a golf course, about 15 minutes from the beach (without traffic which is rare in the summer) and 20 minutes from the hospital. The closer you are to the beach to more expensive it is. Lots of reasonable housing if you want to buy. Lots of great shopping and restaurants. Of course living in a resort community is not without drawbacks, appart from constant traffic (worse on weekends) you also have to put up with things like 'biker week' where 10,000 + motorclycles descend on the town for 7 days and traffic in some places is at a standstill. Great if your single but sometimes a hassle if you are not into the party scene...

delirium · Jul 6, 2001

Thanks so much for all of your responses. This gives me some great info to go on.

I wonder, though... with the pay for RNs still relatively low (compared to other areas, and I'm here in the midatlantic region where the pay is good but everything costs an arm and a leg), is the cost of living low enough where it would make up the difference?

I've heard that there are great old homes for sale in parts of the state for great prices (and I'm definitely looking to buy... after we sell this one, of course).

Thanks again everyone for all of your help.

I really appreciate it.

Take care,

Rebecca

P_RN, ADN, RN · Jul 7, 2001

Columbia, SC http://www.columbiasc.com

http://www.palmettohealth.org/jobs/index.html (this is where I worked) in Columbia

http://www/thestate.com (this is the Columbia Newspaper) look Sunday at the classifieds.

http://www.provhosp.com/ (this is the Catholic Hospital-they have 2 campuses) Great Heart and Eye Hosp

http://www.lexmed.com/ (this is across the River. Very Good Hospital-where I would go unless it was a major trauma.

______________________________________________________________________________________

Charleston Charleston.net (the web site for the News and Courier newspaper.) site is down today. check their Sunday Classifieds.

http://charleston.about.com/citiestowns/southeastus/charleston/cs/healthcare/index.htm

Medical University of SC Hospital

St. FrancisBon Secours

Trident Hospital (2 campuses N. Charleston and Summerville-private hosp.)

The site for Charleston.net is down today. I know they have on it the classifieds from the News and Courier. Check Sundays ads. You can also check the housing market. I like the Summerville area about 15 miles west of Charleston. It's upscale enough but not too busy. My son lived near the ocean on James Island and the prices there were out of sight.

I don't know much about Greenville-Spartanburg. Possibly enter a search for hospitals?

I sincerely doubt that there are hospitals giving $25/hr and huge recruitment bonuses. The only ads I have seen like that are for scabs @ $4000 a week.

In Columbia and Charleston there are also VA hospitals. They pay quite well. At Ft. Jackson (Columbia) there is Moncrief Army Hospital. They have civilian employees in addition to military.

Hope this begins to help. I worked in Columbia.

Not the worst place to work, but a BIG hospital! It is also affiliated with the medical school as a teaching hospital, and also is the high level trauma center and newborn NICU for the center of the state. Palmetto also has Baptist in Columbia and Baptist in Easley-up towards Greenville. I don't know much about that one.

Catsrule16, RN · Jul 7, 2001

From the looks of you website, it looks like you are going to need a nursing school to finish your degree. Depending on what part of the state you are going to be in as to where you should go to school. In Columbia, this is a great place to go for your ADN.Midlands Technical College

In the Charleston Area, This is another great program. Trident Technical College. In Greenville, there's Greenville Tech

There are a lot of good programs in the state.

I went through the progam at Midlands Tech and loved it. Good Luck and Welcome to the Palmetto State!