Advice for new nurse moving to CO

[ketorr]

Hello fellow nurses! I am looking for some advice from Colorado nurses. I am hoping to move from New Jersey to your beautiful state in the next 6 months or so, to be closer to my family. I have a BSN but I only have about 6 months of nursing experience, all of which is in medsurg. What do you think is the best approach to finding a job in CO? I have been looking in the Denver area but am willing to go (almost) anywhere. I am finding that most positions require a minimum of 1 year acute care experience and the ones that don't are hiring new grads only who have NO experience. I would *like* to avoid another medsurg position and work in pediatrics, but I am very open to any option. Anyone have any suggestions to help me with this move??

THANK YOU!

[megan_91]

Congrats and thanks for the info! I don't believe they have mental health unfortunately but it is something to think about! Good luck with everything!

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

I just accepted an offer for the STaRN program starting June 19th. You can find more info on the website but pay-wise you get $24/hr during orientation and then you start getting shift differentials after. You also don't qualify for benefits during orientation so that's something to think about.

HealthOne/HCA... pays dirt, 2 year contract or you owe money, and now with NO benefits and NO differentials? That is ridiculous. And yet people will probably fall all over themselves for the "opportunity" to effectively make about what you could as a cashier at the grocery store.

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

If you subtract the missing benefits (health insurance, PTO, 401k, etc) and differential from your hourly, you'll be making less than $20/hr.

[Mary C, MSN, RN, APRN, CNM]

Do you know the length of time it took to get your license?

[eckesler]

From the day I passed my NCLEX, it took eight business days to receive it via email. I called on day seven, and they said it would be 11-17 business days. I got it the next day!