Any Bay Area new grads tried Corrections/Psych Nursing?

[Kingfish72]

Hi,

My wife and I are planning on moving to California (preferably the Bay Area) in early 2009. I'm an ICU nurse with experience, but she will be a new ADN grad (gets out in December).

I've been reading the threads here about how difficult a time new grads are having finding jobs there around the Bay, and I was wondering...my wife is very interested in both Corrections as well as Psych Nursing. I'm wondering if her odds might be better with San Quentin (maybe even Vacaville) around, and a willingness to work Psych?

Does anybody have any info on new grads' success (or lack thereof) landing jobs in those specialty areas around the Bay?

Thanks! Any help or input is greatly appreciated.

Kingfish

[PACIFICWHALES]

I don't know about the whole thing. But San Quentin pays 10k a month.

I am wondering about the same thing. Bay Area jobs for nurses are scarce.

Why Why Why?

Pacific:)

[Kingfish72]

Anybody know anything? 55 page views, SOME of you new grads out there must have tried this road...somebody throw me a bone?

[BonnieSc]

No, I didn't have any luck with corrections or psych nursing, but I've heard rumors that others have.

[natnurse23]

hi,

i am a new grad and i started in psych in los angeles though. i absolutely love it and am glad i went this route. if she wants to go this route then go for it. you will get plenty of everything in psych. i have heard there arent as many jobs there but prisons may be different.

my 2cents is is she doesnt have any other experience than school

clinicals in psych, then do a acute psych setting first if possible.

most prisons will give you an orientation but from what ive seen its

only enough to do your job there. and she will need that experience in dealing with that population and not just for safety reasons.

many prison nurses have alot of autonomy and must be able to make

decisions on whether to send a pt. out as many times she may be the only rn on duty(in some places) good assessment skills are needed, especially when people know exactly what to say to get what they want and if you are brand spanking new, and you are just trying to remember the basics, not to mention get around the behavioral and possibly aggression issues..that can be alot to swallow at once.

there is a reason they pay that much. i have only been on my unit

1 month and i have already learned way more than i ever did in school. prisons arent going anywhere anytime soon!

good luck to you in whatever you guys decide.

[ranxerox]

hi,

I had a really bad experience working in San Quentin. They pay 10k a month, and still can't keep nurses? Something is wrong. It is not a supportive environment. Some of the guards don't like the nurses giving care. The older nurses who have been there forever and have been paid didly are not happy about the new nurses taking thier over-time. The administration is forever building cases for removing one nurse or another ( it's apperantly very difficult, so they have to start almost immediately building a case ). The system is dangerous to your license, as there is a lack of supplies, acute cases in places that shouldn't house them, etc. I don't recomend it.

-me