Paula -
I am not a nurse yet (hopefully entering ADN program this fall!) so I can't help you on the specific employment question. But I am originally from Richmond, and now live in Northern VA

(land of miserable traffic and ridiculous cost of living)!
You will love Richmond though - it is a great place to live. Virginia is very beautiful, IMHO. The piedmont area is probably the prettiest as you get out toward the mountains. Richmond itself doesn't have any particularly breathtaking natural features, but the weather is pretty darn nice and there are so many great places to live around the city and its environs.
There are a number of hospitals in the area besides VCU and Childrens, including St. Mary's, MCV, and Johnson-Willis. I have never heard anything negative about any of them, and my dad is an MD. Good luck with your move and relocating - wish I were you!!
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