Are you willing to move out of your city to find jobs?

Nurses Job Hunt

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This is something that has bugged me for a while. From the perspective of a single guy with no baggage, it is simple, just pack my stuffs and off I go. It seems to be not the case with most of my classmates, even for some single guys I know. Yes, I understand that once you have a house, family, and especially children, it's hard to move, but why not give it a chance? My aunt used to work in a hospital 2 hours away when she graduated and visited home during weekends or days she didn't have shifts. After 2 years when she had got enough experience, she moved back home. In my class, very few people people get good positions at hospitals of their choices. The rest are still waiting, yet they refuse to open their searches.

For me, at first I narrowed my search around the city (Houston), then after 1 month without any good result, I widen my search. Last week I have 2 interview and today I got another one, all with very big hospital systems, just not in Houston. 2 managers ask if I could relocate, and I said I'm totally fine with it. Of course it would be more comfy to work somewhere close to home, butI think sometimes in life you've got to make sacrifice to get what you truly want.

So, are you willing to go out of your city to find jobs?

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I am willing. I am exclusively applying near home until after I graduate and pass the NCLEX. Then I am willing to go anywhere.

but I refuse to move until I have an actual job offer. In writing.

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If I were childless and single, in a heartbeat. As it stands I have four children....but I live centrally in CT and would take a job just about anywhere (everything is within an hour's drive) so I agree, flexibility is key.

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At this point, I am willing to relocate to another county for a more tolerable/ideal position if I could find one. I'm still searching...

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If you don't mind, can you tell me which city did you apply at outside of Houston? I don't mind moving about 2 hours away from Houston because It's a drivable distance during my days off to come home to my kids and husband.

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I applied for almost 4 months in the philly area (where I'm from) before really branching out to literally every part of the country because I was hardly getting any bites. I'm single and no baggage, so I didn't really care if I had to move. I ended up getting a job two hours away in Baltimore, where a decent amount of my philly nursing classmates are also at the same hospital so it makes it a lot easier. I mean why not move if you have nothing holding you back. You'll get professional and life experience from it so I say go for it. You may end up at an awesome hospital in an awesome place and love it. Good luck!

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If you don't mind, can you tell me which city did you apply at outside of Houston? I don't mind moving about 2 hours away from Houston because It's a drivable distance during my days off to come home to my kids and husband.

I live in Katy, and so far 3 places have interviewed me

1- University if Texas Medical Branch in Huntsville for Nurse Clinician position: nearly 2 hours away

2- Scott & White for Hemodialysis: 2 hours

3- Kindred LTAC Channelview: 1 hour

Today UTMB offered me a job in Huntsville but Kindred promised to call me this week, so I will wait a few days to hear back from Kindred to see. I don't mind moving, I just don't want to waste money to rent a room in Huntsville because my situation is very unique

Meanwhile, my classmates are all waiting for some big hospitals like Memorial Hermann or Texas Children, and no one is getting call. The reason is that they have limited positions and too many want to get in.

Beside Texas, I also applied for some hospitals in Maryland and Cleveland Hospital in Ohio. Cleveland did contact me for an interview but since it takes time to get an endorsement, I decide to let it go.

Long story short: there are jobs if you look hard enough. Also, I'm not particularly picky. Most of my friends want to get med-surg positions, but for me, it doesn't matter. Just get me a job and I will do it. I think every single experience will count toward my future, not necessarily med-surg. One of my clinical instructors has been working as critical nurse all her life and never spent a single day in med-surg.

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Yes, I heard Kindred is hiring many nurses because they are letting go of the LVNs. I did apply at Kindred Pasadena location but haven't heard anything from them yet. I called HR and they gave me the nurse recruiter number. I just applied at UTMB in Galveston today and I think i will apply to the one in Huntsville. I know what you mean about wasting money to rent a room, but if I can't get a job here in town then I have no other choice. I rather spend 200-300 a month for a room vs. No income at all. I hope you get a call back from Kindred. I know that they will have another open house in April so I still have hope to attend that one but I'm just so tired of waiting and applying. Let me know which position you decide to take and good luck with job hunting!

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Usually the cost to rent a room in Huntsville is about $400-$500, so I could manage that. But if I got a job in Houston, then I won't have to spend that extra money because I need to save money for school and every single penny counts. And yeah, I heard the same thing when I was at Channelview because they don't let LVN give meds now. Not sure if it's the new state law or just them. But at least it's good news because there are more jobs for RNs.

So, I'll wait and see how it goes.

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also willing to move. i graduate next month and am applying to residency programs across the nation. once i obtain my license i'll be applying to actual positions. don't care where i wind up. nothing is holding me here :)

Yukinara,

you say it takes awhile to get an endorsement. you have an estimated time about how long? what about temp licenses? i'll be taking the nclex in a non-compact state (Minnesota) so i'm a little concerned if other states will even consider me if it's gonna take too long for me to start working for them..

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Sorry I can't give you the answer on that one because every state is different. You need to look at the state board of nursing website.

My suggestion is that you apply to hospitals within your states first, because it would be very very tiring to apply all across the nation (there are hundred hospitals and thousand nursing home in Texas alone). Just try some hospitals near rural area and see if they want new grad, then you can try other states. Usually when a hospital calls you, they want you to have the license ready to work immediately and not wasting time to go through the endorsement process.

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Specializes in Mental Health.

I am definitely willing to relocate but I would prefer to stay in my state. My boyfriend works as an IT analyst and his company lets him work from home nowadays which is very convenient for me : )

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