A non existent nursing shortage in CALI?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 14, 2008

California is a huge state. Some parts of the state suffer from a nursing shortage, while other regions do not.

sweetnoel · Mar 15, 2008

I agree with the post that some areas of calif may not have nursing shortages. Do some research of the hospitals in the area you are thinking of moving to. I recently looked at hospitals in the LA area and came across many openings for new grads! Don't be discouraged.

caliotter3 · Mar 15, 2008

There are listings upon listings at various hospitals in certain areas, but you have to read what the listings are for. RN mostly. Specialized areas and experience mostly. It depends what area you want to live in and what you are willing to sacrifice in order to get a job. The better areas and employers to work for are going to be in high demand and difficult to land a job with. That is essentially the same anywhere. If you don't mind the lower wages and less desirable living environments, then you can most likely find a job a lot easier than if you want to live in the more desirable areas.

I suggest that you hook up with a travel agency and try a few assignments in different parts of the state so that you can get a taste for what is out there before you commit yourself to a move. Try before you buy. Good luck.

SoCalGem · Mar 15, 2008

I always see job listings for my area.

eandgsma · Mar 15, 2008

There is a shortage of experienced nurses in So Cal. There are lots of new grad positions for med/surg type floors. But there are lots of people who want specialties right out of school. Those positions are few and far between compared to the amount of people who apply for them.

shodobe · Mar 16, 2008

There are many areas that still suffer a shortage of nurses. The problem, in my opinion, is too many people want to move here from out of state and want to live in the most desirable areas, San Diego or the Bay Area! These are expensive areas already saturated with nurses. The hospitals in these areas have the ability to pick and choose the nurses they want, and they want experienced nurses! There are alot of areas throughout the state that still remain desparate for nurses, experienced or not. Too many posts from "outsiders" who inquire about positions in these high demand areas get replies back that they are not taking applications at this time, only to assume there is no shortage. New grads are going to find it very hard to get a job in these areas, just a fact! Leave your options open to where you want to live because eventually you just might get a job where you really want to live.

suzanne4, RN · Mar 16, 2008

They will be looking at your experience as an RN; they do not use the LPN experience as RN experience when hiring in most cases.

As mentioned above, there are certain areas where it will be tough to get hired as a new grad, and others will be quite easy.

Best of luck to you. But definitely do not move until you have the NCLEX-RN exam passed, it will make it easier for you to get hired.

NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN · Mar 17, 2008

Everywhere I go, there are jobs for nurses RN and LVN...If you're going to be picky and only want to work in an acute hospital, then you might have a problem...Other than that, there are plenty of positions available in the Bay Area and along the coast...not sure about other areas....good luck!