Considering relocating to San Antonio, Dallas or Austin

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Apr 7, 2010

Your job prospects would likely be better in San Antonio, as the local employment markets in Dallas and Austin are totally flooded with too many nurses at the present time. Many nurses from other states are relocating to the Dallas and Austin metro areas to find work. Many nurses in the area who were retired are now reactivating their licenses to re-enter the job market. In addition, there's a glut of new grads that are being churned into these job markets every few months whenever the local nursing programs graduate a class of new nurses.

m2nurse · Apr 7, 2010

thanks for the info

apocatastasis · Apr 7, 2010

It's easier to get a job in SA than in Austin, for sure, but be sure you really want to live here. I moved to SA for work 8 months ago from Austin as there were no jobs in Austin, both main hospital systems were on hiring freezes. I had big hopes for SA but I HATE it. Absolutely hate it. I have several coworkers who commute or have moved from Austin and they say the same. To each his own.

Also keep in mind that compared to Dallas and Houston, SA and Austin pay considerably less... and Austin is easily the most expensive city to live in in Texas.

mn_nurse · Apr 8, 2010

I moved from SA a couple of years ago. Jobs are still available there. I worked at the VA and University Hospitals. Pay is low, but so is cost of living. Don't know much about SW general. I know a couple of nurses that had clinicals there, but I have not heard anything negative. If I was forced to go back to TX I would choose Austin. Younger city, higher pay, more nightlife.

m2nurse · Apr 10, 2010

apocatastasis, can i ask why you hate san antonio so much? people, hospital?

apocatastasis · Apr 10, 2010

apocatastasis, can i ask why you hate san antonio so much? people, hospital?

well, i'm from new orleans and have lived in houston and austin... and i'm 25 years old and gay, so i'm probably coming from a different angle than you might be. for me, san antonio just seems to be severely lacking in several departments... namely, night life, arts, and athletic scenes just don't compare to the above cities. i think the satire of the "keep austin weird" campaign sums it up well: "keep san antonio lame."

i work nights, and overall sa has struck me as a very conservative, straight, family-oriented, daytime-oriented town. things like coffee shops seem to either stay closed or close early on sundays, and some of them remain closed on mondays. i often find myself with limited options as far as entertainment... i don't mind drinking but i don't want to do it all the time... i'd like to have a 24 hour coffee shop or bookstore or something to get me out of the house at least!

i'm an avid road cyclist and runner... but i'm afraid to bike on the streets of san antonio and it's hard to find time to get out to the hill country (~45 minutes from downtown, where i live). coming from austin, where there is so much to do and to see, with easy access to multiple natural swimming holes and trails even in the middle of downtown, this has been a very bitter pill to swallow.

as far as my hospital goes, i love my co-workers and most of them really know their stuff. but i work at a downtown hospital for one of the main hospital systems, and overall it is very poorly run. i work icu, and our turnover rate is extremely high (we have 50-60 nurses on staff, of which 15-20 are brand new and on orientation, replacing 10-20 nurses who had been there for years). when i have to go down to the floors for rrts or codes, i am really frightened by the nurses and how unsafely they practice.

some people love sa and some people hate it...and there are nice things about sa too, i don't mean to be entirely negative. i guess i just had bigger hopes for a new start in a new city, and i feel really let down. your mileage may vary. :)

Katie5 · Apr 10, 2010

I find it curious that you had to throw in your sexual orientation. I mean even without that, the message you were trying to pass across came clear.

apocatastasis · Apr 10, 2010

I find it curious that you had to throw in your sexual orientation. I mean even without that, the message you were trying to pass across came clear.

She asked, why I hated it. San Antonio is not a gay friendly city. That's a pretty big deal to me. Number one on my list, in fact.

m2nurse · Apr 10, 2010

Apocatastasis, I understand now. I agree , some cities just don't compare. I enjoy nightlife and outdoors as well;might be a problem for me also. Good luck, sounds like u might have to relocate though.

m2nurse · Apr 10, 2010

I think it's important mentioning sexual orientation, it does make a difference

NurseAdida · Apr 11, 2010

I find it curious that you had to throw in your sexual orientation. I mean even without that, the message you were trying to pass across came clear.

What curious about it? You wouldn't wanna move to a place where people hated you for having a certain sexual orientation, religious belief, skin color etc would you?