New grad BSN moving to Honolulu

nocturncal · Mar 16, 2014

Personally I love Queen's. It's a great hospital with a good amount of ancillary staff, support systems, they are a magnet facility. The staffing is pretty good. 4:1 med surg (maybe 5:1 in the day time depending if they are short). 3:1 for tele/chronic vent floor. 2-1:1 ICU. I think raising a family in Hawaii is a great, people are very welcoming.

The only thing I can think of is sometimes there is some reverse discrimination IMO that happens in Hawaii in general (if you are a mainlander, white, you might experience some discrimination). I'd say come with an open mind, don't have the "well I did it this way at blah blah blah" attitude and you'll be fine. Travelers I've spoken to have experienced it, and some have not. Not everyone is like this just a select few.

Housing can be very expensive, especially if you're going to be moving into town. I moved back from living in SF for 7 years (Hawaii is my home) so moving back felt a lot cheaper to me because SF was so expensive. The houses tend to be on the older side in town, so if you are looking to even rent something relatively brand new looking and cheaper, you're gonna have to rent out west (kapolei, makakilo, ewa, waipio). It is also way hotter weather-wise out west.

The other thing to consider is traffic. When I moved back from the mainland I was staying out west with my parents, I would have to leave at 5:30 to get into town by 6:30ish (and its only ~15 mile drive from my house to Queens). I moved into town and I walk to work now. Throw in an accident on the H-1 freeway and be prepared to feel like you're driving in a parking lot. Plus they're doing roadwork on a lot of roads now on the freeway and in town, so expect traffic at all times of the day

Traffic coming from the windward side (kaneohe, kailua) isnt nearly as bad, at least you have options when commuting (Pali Hwy, Likelike hwy).

Where are you from? Feel free to ask me anything, the Hawaii forums aren't as active as other forums so I'm trying to contribute as much as I can :-D

ml52789 · Mar 17, 2014

We are looking in to buying in Kailua; I'm glad the traffic isn't *as* bad!

Do you know anything/anyone who works for the military hospitals? I'm curious if they enjoy it vs a civilian hospital.

willowita, ADN, RN · Apr 4, 2014

Wow, reading through the HI boards is kinda grim. I'm moving to HNL in June. Brand new grad from the mainland. I'm willing to take anything NA, clerk, home health, SNF, LTC, whatever. I also have experience in another profession so I may have to go outside of healthcare if it's not looking so good. But hey, I gotta try it out and see if I can make it somehow. Thanks for the reality check! (really)

LVHI_RN · Apr 5, 2014

As long as you're open to work as an aide, tech, or secretary... you shouldn't have a problem. Which part of the island are you planning to live?

Ecstatic2014 · Apr 5, 2014

I spent a year in cali after I graduated, worked for an home health infusion company and then applied at queens randomly while I was away back here on vacay.
Pali Momi and Straub does hire new grads, but more often than not they're the aides that have been there 1+ years with their nursing degree. Also gotta say that Queens is moving towards hiring BSN only.

^^ Is it true that Pali Momi nurses do not have their own nurse union? I know that Straub, Pali Momi, Kap and Wilcox are under Hawaii Pacific Health. However, certain hospitals, such as Pali Momi, don't have unionized nurses. I just don't want to get over-worked and get taken advantage of with loopholes in employment laws here in Hawaii.

mcubed45 · Apr 5, 2014

^^ Is it true that Pali Momi nurses do not have their own nurse union? I know that Straub, Pali Momi, Kap and Wilcox are under Hawaii Pacific Health. However, certain hospitals, such as Pali Momi, don't have unionized nurses. I just don't want to get over-worked and get taken advantage of with loopholes in employment laws here in Hawaii.

Pali Momi is non-union. Staff there are pretty happy though. They'd have to be to stay non-union in such a heavily unionized state. They also get paid more than any other hospital. Unions go both ways. Workers get a lot of protection but it can also make change almost impossible. Then you've got the horrible co workers that are impossible to fire. And seniority that trumps all else.

Ecstatic2014 · Apr 13, 2014

Pali Momi is non-union. Staff there are pretty happy though. They'd have to be to stay non-union in such a heavily unionized state. They also get paid more than any other hospital. Unions go both ways. Workers get a lot of protection but it can also make change almost impossible. Then you've got the horrible co workers that are impossible to fire. And seniority that trumps all else.

^^ Thanks for the clarification, MCubed45. I really like Pali Momi, and I don't even mind driving out to Aiea if I do end up working there. I got a call for an interview last year. Interviewed with one of the nurse managers, but it ended up not working due to my nursing school schedule. I have been a part-time employee at Kapiolani a year ago. I am no longer in the HPH system, but I sure hope to land a tech job at Pali Momi. Then after passing NCLEX, I hope to work as an RN there.

And like you've told me, I spoke to a nurse manager at Tripler, and he said that no nursing union requirements means more leeway for changes, etc.

judbelete · Jul 17, 2014

Hello willowitta...

You mentioned you are moving to HI in June...how is it so far? I am also planning to get my license there and so far, the posts I read are all on the negative side for non-locals.

willowita, ADN, RN · Jul 23, 2014

Sorry for the late reply judbelete...

I just got my CA license and am now in the process of applying for a HI license through endorsement. In the mean time, I've taken a non-healthcare related job just to get some work and show I've held a job in Hawaii. My friend works in HR and she said that's the stigma against non-locals. They have no roots in Hawaii so recruiters fear they'll be gone in a few months. So her suggestion to me was just to work in Hawaii and show I'm trying to make a life here. After I'm licensed, I hope it gets better. But hey, I'm in Hawaii so not too shabby!

eukaryote · Jul 24, 2014

If you're a military spouse, you can work as a Red Cross volunteer nurse at Tripler. It's unpaid, but it counts as experience and I know of a few people who've eventually been hired that way. Otherwise, you need to have 3 years as a civilian nurse to work there as an RN. I know some nurses have gotten in working as a contractor.

Otherwise, the job situation for new grads is very grim. I am local and worked as a CNA after graduating, but ended up moving away for my first RN job. Please take the advice people give you very seriously. Of my graduating class, only a few local people had jobs within the year after graduating while everyone who went to the mainland pretty much got a job right away.

willowita, ADN, RN · Jul 24, 2014

That's disappointing to hear, eukaryote

It's a mixed bag of advice I've been getting. Some nurses here tell me give it a year and work as a CNA in the meantime. Others say move to the mainland. Not sure what the best course of action is other than just to take it a day at a time and just try. The job I'm holding out for in California will take me a year to get hired into so I'm just gonna stay put in Hawaii and see what happens in the meantime. I'm just seriously so over California, I need a mental health year in Hawaii if that's all it turns out to be. I know that's not an option for a lot of people but it's something I just have to do.

judbelete · Jul 28, 2014

OK thank you willowita.