HELP!!!! Thinking of transfering to Vegas

MikeyJ, RN · Nov 26, 2006

thinking very hard of transfering to vegas.
i have a friend who just moved out there (lived there before) he has been trying to convience us to move out there.
i already have my info packet for my application. (no fingerprint cards inside) working on getting all my transcripts etc.
any info would be greatly appreciated.
work places?
where to live? (have family 3 kids)
i will relocate first for awhile before family comes out.
apts?
pay? (as hhc only making $14.50 here in mid-state illinois is there a big diff.?)
any hints on getting license?
like i said any thing that you could think of would be greatly appreciated.
thanks,
angie

you didn't state whether you were lpn or rn -- i assume you are lpn from what you were making in illinois.

i am a bsn student (have not yet graduated); however, i am pretty up-to-date on whats going on here. :)

lpn positions are definitely not as plentiful as rn jobs; however, we still have quite a few openings for lpns (especially at sunrise hospital). i am sure all of the hospitals have at least a few openings for lpns's, but i have noticed sunrise has the most (http://www.sunrisehospital.com). you stated you are in hhc -- i have no idea what hhc agencies pay around here (although i am sure it is pretty good). i know nevada (specifically las vegas) has one of the best pay rates for nurses in the country -- but on the flip side, we have one of the largest nursing shortages in the country. we have horrible nursing-patient ratios (some med/surg nurses are carrying loads of 9 / 10 patients!).

regarding the area, las vegas is expensive to live in. the most expensive part of living in las vegas is the housing. apartments are ridiculously expensive and homes average around $275 - $350 k for a decent home in a decent area. you state you have kids -- thus i would probably look at henderson or summerlin areas. they are more expensive, but they tend to have better school systems and are more family friendly.

one of the benefits of living in las vegas is we have no city tax or state income tax. you are only federally taxed which makes your take-home checks more than you are normally accustomed to. i personally enjoy living in las vegas. the downfalls of living here are, #1 cost of living #2 traffic (our city is very congested w/ traffic) and #3 summer heat. otherwise i love our city. there is usually something always going on for the family -- we also have mountains, hiking, skiing only a short drive away from the hustle and bustle of the city. if you have any questions, feel free to pm me! :)