Thinking of moving to NYC

[yeyaRN]

Hello everyone, well, I have been reading through posts here for a while, trying to find discussions about moving to nyc and such, the thing is I am ready for a change and this past year I visited nyc and loved it. So here I am looking for advice, tips, etc that would help me in this goal of mine. Through reading all the posts I could find I see that most hospitals want a nurse with experience and a BSN. Well, I am not without experience but I am also not with "tons" of experience, here is the story, I have a bachelors degree in another science (Microbilogy) and I have my associates in nursing, I also have over a year of experience from an emergency room where I started as a new grad, and hopefully when I make the move it will be close to 2 years. THe place I work at now is not by any means a trauma center, or a magnet hospital..this is not to say that we dont see crazy things, we are just a small er. I consider myself a smart person, I pick up on things easily, I am friendly, easygoing, dedicated to my goals, have great references, I will also be doing my Masters in nursing (online) by the time I move there, and I am also bilingual.

So, because I am not one of those people who can just get up and move I am making sure to research before I make this move, I have already contacted some traveling agencies and such, but also feel that I could benefit from a longer orientation period if I do get hired at one of the many hospitals up there.

I have also started to research the areas, neighborhoods, rents, etc, amount of money that I could actually spend on rent after taxes (hello roommates! ) to live close to a hospital.

So, I dunno...I am just interested to see what everyone has to say here, which hospitals are willing to "orient" not a brand new nurse but a nurse who comes from a small hospital/emergency room.

I look forward to everyones replies! and maybe I can make some new nurse friends in the city?

[Ronin185]

i knoe of some places in florida that are comparable to living in the city. If its something you want to do then do it! its a great place to work . The money is better here than in other places, ive heard Cali is even better and pt loads are lighter, i could be wrong, though. i started 2 years ago and base was 73 k. with night diff and CEN cert im making close to 82k after 2 years. I may leave and go somewhere closer to home due to the high stress and acuity in my hospital. The commute isnt making sense anymore for me ,but we will see. good luck

[yeyaRN]

Ronin185 thank you for your input, if you dont mind me asking, how long were you a nurse before you started there? I've heard about cali and yes it sounds great, I thought maybe I could go there later on in my career, I am just excited about the idea of getting out of florida. :)

[Ronin185]

i worked as a paramedic for 16 years before getting hired. it took me 8 months to land the job. It was hard because i was a new grad and some thought my school wasnt " a true nursing school" so there was some hesitation. all in all it worked out for the hospital and myself.

[yeyaRN]

Ronin, thank you for your input, if you dont mind me asking another question, how long was your orientation period as a new grad? and do you know how long they orient new employees into your ED? I also went into the ED as a new grad so that is why I am interested :)

[Ronin185]

i was oriented for 6 months since i was a new grad. nurse with experience is usually 2-4 weeks depending on how experienced they are. at my place you cant just throw someone in there...lol but from what i see for job openings there are plenty of ed fellowships.

[HIPAA]

I think this image sums up the NYC job market:

http://newdeal.feri.org/images/ab32.gif

[yeyaRN]

well I have been applying like crazy and so far i have spoken with some nurse recruiters but nothing solid yet

[yeyaRN]

Yes! I got a job! start this next week!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

[thekidisback]

congrats! more info please! where did you get hired?!

i'm also an associates nurse (currently in an online BSN program) with 11 months experience in med-surg. i feel like there's hope!

i actually prefer something a little easier though like a clinic/doc office. but if it's a hospital hiring associate nurses, then why not!? i'll take that too.

[yeyaRN]

I am so sorry, I was so excited about it, I got a job in a hospital in Brooklyn in the ED which is what I wanted.

Advice I have for everyone is: bother people, email, call, etc the nurse recruiters, go in person. Get certified. Apply for all jobs and take what you can get so you can get experience.

I have about 3 years of exp. in emergency nursing, not a bsn but working on it. So if you dont have one start working on it cause in nyc you need it to survive and get those interviews.

Also network with your friends, email all your friends, tell them you are looking.

Oh and try to have copies of your resume with you, and practice interview questions, you never know when you are going to meet someone.

I am so excited about it, finally.

[RNFiona]

Just let it be known....NYC ER nursing is very different than ER nursing elsewhere. Enter with an open mind