Any advice re McAllen would be greatly appreciated

[introspectiveRN]

Hello there!

I am currently living in NW GA and am a new grad RN. I am a single mom of two girls ages 11 and 8 and their dad and I are still friends/co-parenting and want to relocate together if possible. He works in manufacturing but is also interested in changing fields. I start my first job in med/surg next Monday but I am hoping to relocate sometime next year. The area where I am currently living is okay but, it is a place of extremes. If you are not a member of one of the following groups...it is very lonely:

A) suburban/abercrombie/cell-phone attached/overachieving/married

B) rural to the point of being semi-literate (married or no)

I am looking (have been for some time) at good places to move to. Here is my dream list and I am wondering if anyone can enlighten me a little more about whether or not McAllen might "fill the bill" (I was interested in San Antonio and Ft. Worth but not sure if housing will be within my reach).

-A place with other transient folks who are open to making new friends (around here, most everyone does everything with their extended family)

-the people are generally happy/content and it is a family-focused community...but allows for single parent families equally.

-A place with great schools (I would be willing to live "rent poor" to get them...no problem). Both of my girls are active in Girl Scouts (love Scouts!) and in the "gifted" program at their school.

-Some place where I can afford a house in a safe neighborhood...even if it's just a "cracker-box".

-Some culture/museums/activities that don't cost an arm and a leg.

-(Big dream here) a home fellowship/home-cell meeting (non-denom.)

sigh....that is the abbreviated version of my shopping list...any input would be so appreciated.

thank you,

Deanna

[ZASHAGALKA, RN]

McAllen pays some of the highest rates in the nation, cost of living adjusted.

Would you like to know why? It's one of the WORST places in the nation to work as a nurse. I'd avoid McAllen.

I'd also avoid the DFW area because of 'group one'; a blackball organization that works in that area. Look it up in the search engine here if you want to know more.

Central Texas is a good place to work. I live North of Houston. I have all the cultural benefits of not 1, not 2 not 3, but 4 major cities at my disposal (Houston, Austin, San Anton, DFW). But, I don't have to deal with the stress of city life.

And yet, the local hospitals have to compete with the major cities for nurses and so, the salaries are comparable.

If I were you, I'd draw a ring around those four cities, and look for somewhere to work within that circle.

I WOULDN'T work in McAllen, unless you are just fine w/ working in adverse situations. It's not just that the borders bring about many more pts that keep those hospitals always overwhelmed; it's that there nothing to do in what amounts to being - in the middle of NOWHERE (and you can't even explore Mexico as that area of Mexico is DANGEROUS for Americans). As a result, constantly overwhelmed hospitals with no hope of encouraging nurses to come except for huge bonuses and salaries.

Well, they aren't worth it. That's MY take and I have lots of friends that tried it and fled well before their contracts were over.

~faith,

Timothy.

[introspectiveRN]

Thank you so much, Timothy....what you have said makes perfect sense. I will look more closely at the cities that you mentioned. I had wanted to avoid any area that used Group One; I have worked so hard to become a nurse, I do not want to do anything that would threaten my future and from the sound of it, the potential for Group One abuses are legion. It has always made sense to me to be suspect of any area that has enormous sign-on bonuses, low retention etc. etc. which explains McAllen's predicament.

I appreciate the wisdom and advice that you have sent my way. I may PM you later with some more pointed questions. Thanks again-

Deanna