re: Indian Reservation Nursing Originally Posted by LuRN 
I'm thinking of moving out to Gallup to work at the IHS hospital as a new grad and it sounds like you're a great person to ask this burning question...
What am I getting myself into?? I'm excited about the possibility of moving and doing something brand new, but it's so hard to get an idea of what it's really like. I'm moving from NC and I've never been to that area of the country. I'm up for a challenge and I've lived abroad more than once, but it feels like I'm diving into this blindly. Any suggestions or insight would be greatly appreciated!
I originally moved to the reservation back in 1988 from the Balto./Wash. area sight unseen - had never been west of the Mississippi in my life. (I moved even further out - Chinle, AZ). It is very different than what most of us are used to. One of the things that was hard at first was the distance between places and being able to drive for 25-50 miles without seeing towns, houses or any sign of what I then thought of as "civilization". Now I think nothing of driving 2-3 hours to go do anything. Living in Gallup wouldn't present so much of that as it is the "town" where most from the eastern side of the reservation come to do shopping, etc., so everything you really need is here. (They actually now have a Starbucks!). For most "big city" stuff though Albuquerque is only 2 hours away.
The housing here may not be what you are used to - much of it is older, but if you ask your coworkers it is possible to find housing that is in safe areas and in decent shape - just not many amenities (No apt. complexes with pools, exercise rooms and spas, etc.)
If you enjoy outdoors there is much to do and see in the area, lots of new experiences. If it is the same as when I started with the IHS, you are only obligating yourself for a year, why not go for it? At the very least you will gain great work experience, at best you may find that like me, you fall under the spell of the southwest and keep returning long after you've gone on to other places.
Let me know if there is any specific information I can help you with. Good luck!
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