Relocating to California.

surgorthonurse · Apr 10, 2003

Caramel,

I am envious... My dream place to work..

If you hear of any openings......

caramel · Apr 10, 2003

Surgorthonurse you should come work in Ucla.i am sure they have loads of openings .they are recruiting like mad over here in England. come join us

Gomer · Apr 10, 2003

Originally posted by caramel
Hello everybody.
I am a british trained nurse .relocating to california (UCLA hospital).i just wanted to know what to expect if any of u lovely people have worked with this facility.I hear they are very short staff ,anything else i need to worry about .

Parking -- an impossibility at UCLA

Housing -- expect to pay at least $1000/mo for a 1-bedroom apartment, more if you have an ocean view.

Car insurance -- another $1000/yr depending on where you live (Westwood where UCLA is located is very high)

The Hunter Group -- a time management consulting firm that UCLA hired a couple of months ago -- lay-offs are expected but not for bedside nurses. Also, they are trying to eliminate outside nurses (which you would be considered). Very nasty people.

Other than that....LA and UCLA are both great and you will enjoy your stay here...a couple of great British/Irish type pubs, friendly people and the sun shines alot here. Welcome!

dabestrn · Apr 10, 2003

Hey, I am in LA. I work at St. Josephs hospital in Burbank, outskirts of LA. Have you ever been to California? Are you making this trip by yourself or coming with friends/hubby? Email me, I can tell you all you want to know.

Steven, RN

[email protected]

Dr. Kate, BSN, RN · Apr 10, 2003

Also, a great chance to go back to school.

But parking is really a nightmare at UCLA and expensive. I think it's a bit lower than at Cedars-Sinai, but that's not saying much.

Have fun.

-jt · Apr 11, 2003

Im surprised about the problem parking comments - I never have a problem there. But then again, I work there only on weekends day shift, so that might have something to do with it. And I only work their ICUs - the liver transplant unit is the dreariest place Ive ever seen - no windows except for a skylight in the middle of the room - and imagine 11 active GI bleeds - all bleeding at once.

Everytime I take a shift at that hospital, I tell them I dont do cardiac surgery or kids - so to kill 2 birds with one stone, guess where they insist on sending me? That cardio-thoracic surgery ICU is pretty hectic and the RNs can be assigned infants to the elderly. At least they spare me the infant.

Staffing in the ICUs is good - I cant speak about the floors but I have a friend on staff there who says they usually dont have it so well with staffing on the floors. A lot of the nurses are travelers, the patient care parnters (nurses aides) Ive worked with did their jobs well and were a pleasure to work with. My first experience with a doctor there was when one resident, without a word, came over & pulled the pts chart I was reading right out of my hands like I wasnt even there, turned & walked away with it as I was asking him what he was doing. Its like that every time with the residents. Its no excuse but it could be they suffer from "agencyitis" cause I cant imagine that in this day & age they deliberately treat nurses they know & see everyday so rudely too.

The nursing office is not so friendly to agency nurses either. Although youd think they would be thrilled that someone showed up for work, they dont even look at you. Last time I was there was Sept - it was a Saturday - a sunny 96 degrees - and as I was signing in, the supervisor hung up the phone & said "well that makes 16 per diem & agency cancellations for this shift". Then she told me to go do private duty on some 46 yr old rich guy who was post op nasal polyp removal & who was refusing to be discharged for the past 2 days. I told her I wasnt there for that & had been confirmed for ICU an hour before - which was the only reason I came in on such a gorgeous weekend. She then told me to do the private duty or go home - never once looking up from her desk. I guess the other 16 sudden holes in her staffing didnt matter much either. No wonder why those other agency nurses had no qualms about canceling at the last minute.

I dont know why this place would be considered a dream place to work. I find it to be just like any other big hospital and the work is the same.