Advice Please - How soon to submit resumes?

[broadstreet]

After 13+ years at dear little farm town hospital (12 as a PTA, 1.5 as a med/surg RN), I'm moving far, far away to the land of CT. I will have completed the move by the end of January 2008. I've worked in the same hospital since I got out of PTA school, and I've never really had to apply for a new job before. I did read a lot of the resume info on here and found it to be super helpful.

I'm wondering how soon I should start sending out resumes. It doesn't seem right to do it now and tell employers "well, I can start as soon as five months from now!" At the same time, I don't want to wait until the last minute. Ideally, I'd like to have something set up to start in the beginning of February and spend the last two weeks of January moving and getting settled in.

This is my first move out my little town where I know everyone, and I'm already neurotically stressing about everything. If anyone could offer any advice it would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks in advance.

DF, RN