Another "moving to the area..." question

[RNfromMN, BSN, RN]

Sooo, after 6 years of living in the Cheese State, I'm moving back home to St. Paul. Gotta few questions from you locals :)

-Ideas on where I can get a job as a new grad? It's been 2 months since I graduated from school (NCLEX still pending) & I've barely gotten a nibble out here in WI. Do you think I'll find the same in St. Paul? Hopefully I can get the wheels going on this NCLEX thing, but do you think I can get hired as a new grad without it?

-I doubt there are many who've been in this particular situation, but I'm grappling with this whole WI to MN transfer. It's kinda extra-complicated since I haven't taken the boards yet. I contacted MN SBON & it kinda sounds like I have 2 options: 1) I can fill out paperwork & such to get my school records transferred to MN & take my NCLEX there or 2) I can try & get this NCLEX thing out of the way here in WI, then just get my license transferred to MN. I get the feeling that both options will cost about the same & probably take about the same amount of time. Anyone have experience with this? It's just really overwhelming to me - where do I start?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[AprilRNhere]

I don't know about the transfer, but I've heard there are plenty of jobs in the minneapolis/st paul area. The rest of MN though...rural MN has no shortage of nurses from what I was told. Good luck though! (the pay for MN nurses is good...rates 2nd in the US with cost of living adjustment)

[Imissthefall]

I don't know about the transfer, but I've heard there are plenty of jobs in the minneapolis/st paul area. The rest of MN though...rural MN has no shortage of nurses from what I was told. Good luck though! (the pay for MN nurses is good...rates 2nd in the US with cost of living adjustment)

Hi! I respnded to Steve's post. Check out www.startribune.com and go unders jobs. I typed in "RN New Grad" and like 4000 hits came up. I didn't go through them but I'm sure most are in the twin cities area.

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

I agree, you'll have better luck in the Cities than in Greater MN.

[AprilRNhere]

Mankato is about an hour and a half south of the cities and I know there are SOME openings there. I applied at ISJ there...but their interview process was odd. (long personality phone interview pre-screening) apparently I didn't have the personality they were looking for...they told me they were going to keep looking.

Luckily...I found a great job..working med/surg where I did clinicals.

[RNfromMN, BSN, RN]

Hi! I respnded to Steve's post. Check out www.startribune.com and go unders jobs. I typed in "RN New Grad" and like 4000 hits came up. I didn't go through them but I'm sure most are in the twin cities area.

That link was awesome - exactly what I was looking for. I can't believe that "new grad" thing worked. The only ads I've ever seen where new grads are actually welcome to apply have been for prisons & one summer camp out here in WI. Thank you so much!

I agree, you'll have better luck in the Cities than in Greater MN.

I'm glad you guys brought this up - my preference is the outskirts & I probably only would have looked at the 'burbs if you hadn't mentioned that most jobs are in the Twin Cities.

Thank you all for the responses. I've got 60 days before I'm headed back to St. Paul, so hopefully I can at least get on my way with interviews & such by that time - all your input will definitely help. I think I'm going to try & pull off taking the NCLEX here in WI. Again, hopefully this is something I can get out of the way in the next 60 days.

[jetson]

i took a quick peek at the MN BON website. i looks like about a hundred bucks can get one a "licensure by endorsement" from any other state including WI...so you could take the boards in either place...

[oMerMero]

If you know you are not going to work in Wisconsin, you can skip a step in the process and just apply directly to MN. You can take the NCLEX in any state, it doesn't have to be in the state you are applying to. I graduated in MN and working in MN, but I took the NLCEX near Milwaukee because I was there with my family.

[deeDawntee, RN]

Hey, before you go through all this trouble, have you considered living in western WI. I work in St Paul at United Hospital, and there are a lot of nurses who commute. Also, I know some of the border town hospitals like Lakeview in Stillwater is hiring, that hospital has a really great reputation. I believe it is a cheaper to live in WI, people love Hudson and River Falls and don't normally have difficulty with the commute, even in winter, it is Hwy 94, so it is salted an plowed right away.

[RNfromMN, BSN, RN]

Hey, before you go through all this trouble, have you considered living in western WI. I work in St Paul at United Hospital, and there are a lot of nurses who commute. Also, I know some of the border town hospitals like Lakeview in Stillwater is hiring, that hospital has a really great reputation. I believe it is a cheaper to live in WI, people love Hudson and River Falls and don't normally have difficulty with the commute, even in winter, it is Hwy 94, so it is salted an plowed right away.

It's like you're reading my mind deeDawntee. If the choice was totally up to me, I'd love to live in Prescott/Hudson area. That would be the easiest way to get around this WI/MN license transfer stuff.

Finally decided a few days ago to try & get this state board exam done here in WI. My lease is supposed to end in 2 months - hopefully hopefully, hopefully this will be enough time for me to get my paperwork in & be able to schedule my exam here. Otherwise, I'm sure there's gotta be a place in W. Wisconsin that will let me take the NCLEX.

I thought about trying to take the exam in MN, but it just seems like 10 more hoops to jump through in order to get my auth to test; I contacted the MN SBON & there's a $100 fee to pay (& I'm sure a million more forms to fill out), plus paperwork to fill out involving the SBON communicating with my school to verify that I graduated in order to take the test in MN.

Thanks so much for all the advice you guys - it's truly appreciated.

[deeDawntee, RN]

I think you would absolutely LOVE living in that area, I have thought of moving myself because it is truly beautiful with the St Croix and Mississippi Rivers. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. There is Regina in Hastings and River Falls Hospital as well, all who I believe are hiring. Eventually, may I suggest United? They really do take very good care of us, PM me if you need any information that I may be able to provide! It shouldn't be so dang difficult to move to a different state, for crying out loud!!!!

[RNfromMN, BSN, RN]

Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help. There is Regina in Hastings and River Falls Hospital as well, all who I believe are hiring. Eventually, may I suggest United? They really do take very good care of us, PM me if you need any information that I may be able to provide! It shouldn't be so dang difficult to move to a different state, for crying out loud!!!!

You did recommend United to me, remember? I'm the girl from WSP! Yeah, when I went to go check out Prescott a few months ago, I just fell in love with it - to live right next to the river like that... Might make for some tough winters, though. I also tooled around Woodbury for awhile...I can't remember the name of the hospital there, but it looked brand spankin' new. I noticed a Davita center there, too...don't know much about them, though.

It shouldn't be so dang difficult to move to a different state, for crying out loud!!!!

Those were my thoughts exactly! I'm finding newfound respect from all those RNs coming over from the Phillippines & such.