Considering relocating to NC from NYC...seeking advice

[rn2be15]

Hi Everyone,

I have a BSN and have almost 2 years experience (1 of med/surg and the rest of mother/baby, postpartum experience). I was hoping to soon move to NC to the Raleigh-Durham area. I was hoping to get advice regarding as to where I should apply. I know that Rex, UNC, WakeMed and Duke at the big ones but I was hoping to get more information regarding them. I hope to go back to school within a year or two after moving down.

I'm coming from one of the best hospitals in NYC where I am being paid about $46-47/hr but the taxes kill me. I know I will not be paid anywhere near that in NC but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to take. I've lived in NYC all my life and I am hoping for a change of scene and quieter state of mind. NYC is too stressful!!!

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

I am being paid about $46-47/hr but the taxes kill me. I know I will not be paid anywhere near that in NC but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to take.

Don't get caught up with the per hr rate. You may be paid less per hr, but the cost of living is probably lower also. Which means that your disposable income after your bills are paid may be more in NC despite being paid lees per hr.

[quazar]

Don't get caught up with the per hr rate. You may be paid less per hr, but the cost of living is probably lower also. Which means that your disposable income after your bills are paid may be more in NC despite being paid lees per hr.

Agreed. When we were on the verge of a major move a couple of years ago, I did the number crunching via using a cost of living calculator. Here are two: Cost of Living Calculator - Cost of Living Comparison Index Tool

Cost of Living Calculator | NerdWallet - Personal Finance

Edited to add: as far as which hospital to work, it all depends on what type environment you want, and what kind of unit you want. "Big" Wake (aka main campus), UNC, and Duke are all tertiary care centers and trauma centers, so they have the level 4 NICUs and the sickest of the sick cases there. The smaller Wake campuses (North and Cary), Rex, and the smaller Duke campuses (Regional and Raleigh) have pros and cons to all of them. As far as mother baby is concerned, again, it depends on what kind of patient population you're looking to work with (mainly high risk versus low risk versus a healthy mix) and what kind of hospital you want to work in (teaching versus non-teaching). I have my own PERSONAL opinions about the hospitals but I'd rather not state those on the public forum.