Any advice on getting a job in california???

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:uhoh3: Hi, can anyone give me any advice on the best way to get a job nursing in california. I have spoken to a couple a agencys but the ones that are actually being helpful and returning my calls dont recruite for that area. can anyone recommend anyone they have had dealings with???? Also i have heard the job is quite different in the states does anyone have any experiences of working in the US who could enliten me ??? :uhoh3:

I am processing mine independently. I have just received the ATT from Georgia board, so roll on NCLEX soon.

I did try some agencies, OGP inclusive, but i wasn't happy with the terms and as someone pointed out, you might be placed in an under priviledged hospital + you'll be in a 2 year contract with a heavy pull-out penalty fee.

Stateside might be a good agency as once they find you a job, you deal with the hospital directly, not the agency and they have clients in Sacramento CA.

After NCLEX, I'd directly seek employment with a hospital and we can negotiate terms of contract.

It's not as daunting as it sounds but it's a long process.

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It is amazing what you find out here.

I am with OGP and waiting for placement. I am a Paeds nurse and have been waiting for placement for months. I passes my Nclex last Dec03 and wanted texas but they are now saying there are very few openings and there may be some coming up in California.

I am rather disappointed that early last year they said I would be there by Nov and it has caused me all kinds of porblems as I have sold my house renting contents in Storage, and have a family!

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It isn't the long time that California takes before issuing the ATT letter, but the length of time for processing for the green card thru California. Even if you go to another state to take the exam, your problem is going to be with working in California, the green card needs to be processed by the Visa Office there, which is back-logged.

But I will repeat myself again, as I often do, to tell you that it is not recommended to go thru California for initial licensure. They will not issue you a hard copy for your license until you actually have a social security number in hand. So, lets say after 8 months of waiting, you decide that you wish to go to another state. Yuo can't...............you will be unable to get your license endorsed over since you do not actually have one, only a letter telling you that you have met all of the requirements. California will not actually issue you a number until you have the SSN#.

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I AM WITH OGP, AS YOU CAN SEE BY MY POSTING, MY LICENCE WAS ISSUED THROUGH VERMONT, YOU NEED TO HAVE PHASE ONE IMMIGRATION APPROVAL BEFORE BEING GIVEN A TRAVEL DATE AND PLACEMENT, ONE OF THE OTHER NURSES ON THIS SITE ONLY WAITED 30 DAYS FOR HERS, THEN YOU NEED A DATE FOR YOUR EMBASSY INTERVIEW ONLY THEN WILL OGP LOOK FOR A PLACEMENT FOR YOU, MY LICENCE WAS ISSUED HERE, AFTER I WAS OFFERED THE JOB, MY SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER DIDNT COME THROUGH FOR MONTHS, AND MY GREEN CARD WAS EVEN LONGER, BUT DIDNT HAVE A PROBLEM WORKING HERE. OGP ARE USED TO WORKING WITH IMMIGRATION AND THE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICES. DEPENDS WHERE OGP HAVE JOBS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME THAT YOU GET ALL YOUR DATES ETC. AS TO WHERE THEY PLACE YOU. LOTS OF INFO ON THE TRAVEL NURSE THREADS. ALTHOUGH THEY MOSTLY COME FROM AMERICAN RN'S WHO DONT HAVE 18 MONTH CONTRACTS AS THEY DONT HAVE THE HASSLE OF IMMIGRATION.

It is amazing what you find out here.

I am with OGP and waiting for placement. I am a Paeds nurse and have been waiting for placement for months. I passes my Nclex last Dec03 and wanted texas but they are now saying there are very few openings and there may be some coming up in California.

I am rather disappointed that early last year they said I would be there by Nov and it has caused me all kinds of porblems as I have sold my house renting contents in Storage, and have a family!

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Cariad

I have my Rn with New Mexico board and have had to postpone 3 green card interviews so far as OGP don't seem to have any jobs for Peads nurses anywhere at present! My next interview is schedulled foir Jan 21st so they have 3 weeks to get me a job or it will be cancelled again.

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This is one of the biggest problems of signing with an agency. You are restricted to the positions that they have contracts for.

This is why I suggest that you are much better off doing things on your own, especially if you are from the U.K.

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tumshie,

thats a real bummer, luckily enough for me I got a couple of job intervies while I was waiting for my embassy interview. I was offered one and was then offered another position in a different place if I didnt want to come here. I came from a medical ward but am now working on the surgical ward. I have done 1 day in the ER and 1 night on the ICU, but other than that I work on the surgical floor. are you just paeds trained or do you have your general as well? hope you get a job interview soon. good luck

Cariad

I have my Rn with New Mexico board and have had to postpone 3 green card interviews so far as OGP don't seem to have any jobs for Peads nurses anywhere at present! My next interview is schedulled foir Jan 21st so they have 3 weeks to get me a job or it will be cancelled again.

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i did it on my own, it is not so difficult as it seemed. suzanne was a great help. i am now hired in a hospital in southern california.

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See, it can be done.................... :)

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I am 2 years on in the process of wanting to work in USA. I tried to do it by myself and emailed lots of Hospitals in USA- only one replied to say they weren't recruiting from overseas. I was most distressed. The only way I have been able to move forward is join an agency and I must say I am most concerned to read comments on OGP and would appreciate if the person who wrote some of them could let me know what I have let my self in for as I have a young family.

I took the NCLEX yesterday.

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undefined

I am 2 years on in the process of wanting to work in USA. I tried to do it by myself and emailed lots of Hospitals in USA- only one replied to say they weren't recruiting from overseas. I was most distressed. The only way I have been able to move forward is join an agency and I must say I am most concerned to read comments on OGP and would appreciate if the person who wrote some of them could let me know what I have let my self in for as I have a young family.

I took the NCLEX yesterday.

I did post a response to your question about recruiting agencies in the UK - as I am new to this website maybe it did not get posted.

I have many friends who are applying to go to the US and been doing a lot of research myself. Have some family in the US and nurses who moved to the US. And one of them wrote me a long email with these points to remember:

1. An agency should not charge Nurse any service fees at all, they are paid by the hospitals etc.. Some of them do ask nurse to pay for own NCELX or VisaScreen which is ok

2. Measure an agency by it attitude to the nurse, do they place you where you wish to live (its a major decision) or they do force you to work where they have jobs?

3. Are agencies prompt in responding to a nurse? do they set up interviews in a reasonable time or you wait for 3 to 6 mths before you hear from them

4. It is important agency understands US immigration or they will not be able to keep you informed as i believe it takes 12 mths to process the visa.

Sharing what some of my friends experienced when they were looking for US jobs, some of them have offers some are already in the US and some are shopping like me. Once i do the rounds will let you know. Hope it helps.

Good Luck

L

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.
undefined

I did post a response to your question about recruiting agencies in the UK - as I am new to this website maybe it did not get posted.

I have many friends who are applying to go to the US and been doing a lot of research myself. Have some family in the US and nurses who moved to the US. And one of them wrote me a long email with these points to remember:

1. An agency should not charge Nurse any service fees at all, they are paid by the hospitals etc.. Some of them do ask nurse to pay for own NCELX or VisaScreen which is ok

2. Measure an agency by it attitude to the nurse, do they place you where you wish to live (its a major decision) or they do force you to work where they have jobs?

3. Are agencies prompt in responding to a nurse? do they set up interviews in a reasonable time or you wait for 3 to 6 mths before you hear from them

4. It is important agency understands US immigration or they will not be able to keep you informed as i believe it takes 12 mths to process the visa.

Sharing what some of my friends experienced when they were looking for US jobs, some of them have offers some are already in the US and some are shopping like me. Once i do the rounds will let you know. Hope it helps.

Good Luck

L

Hi

Thanks for your reply, I did sign on dotted line for O'Grady-Peyton back in Aug last year, I had first looked into their company as far back as 1997. up to now I have no complaints about them they have kept their side of the bargain, but i am concerned about the support I will get from them once in the US. Especially reading all the negative stuff written on here.

I have to go with the flow now as it will cost me too much to back out at this stage. But I do like to beprepared for what I may face. Somebody sent me a message today to say they had been with OGP in Us since June and had no complaints.

So fingers crossed it will only be 18 months out of my life

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