Be careful what you wish for: ULCA vs UCSF

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Specializes in Transplant/Surgical ICU.

So I am really confused. I just got an email notification that I have been selected to interview at UCSF neuro ICU. Problem is I live in LA and I just accepted a job at UCLA transplant/surgical ICU. What do I do? UCSF pays more but I hate cold weather. UCLA is close to friends, bf, and family but I have never been to San Francisco (like traveling). I feel like I should stay at UCLA, but I also feel very honored to have been selected at UCSF for an interview (good rep, hard to get into, and again pays way more!). Dont what to miss out on a cahnce of a life time. Oh, I live surgical/transplant ICU better than Neuro ICU. I actually got an offer at neuro ICU at UCLA but turned it down over SICU.

Any thoughts? Thank you

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I work in admin at UCSF and am waiting to get into a nursing program. I am a bay area native, and lived in SoCal for the past few years. Love the liberal atmosphere up here but the weather is killing me! It is so windy and cold! My advice is to come interview and visit for a few days and see how you like the feel of the campus, and the city before making the move. Decide which career your heart is in, if it is transplant you might just want to stay put, UCLA is an excellent medical center as well.

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Specializes in Transplant/Surgical ICU.

Oh my! I just noticed I have a bunch of typos on my post. ULCA? lol!

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I work at UCSF and highly reccommend AGAINST working there. They are under intense scrutiny from the State CMS after a number of sentinel events and are at risk of having their medicare/medicaid funding pulled. The result has been a monumental increase in paperwork for the bedside nurses, making it difficult to focus on the patient care. Morale sucks and management just keeps piling on new burdens to the bedside RN, covering their ass but leaving us exposed to more liability. Like to go home on time after a 12 hour shift? Not likely. There are so many sign offs for the change of shift it takes over a half hour per patient to do report in the ICU, and if you are new to the unit you will always have the doubled assignment making it impossible to fulfill all the new requirements and get out at a reasonable time. They do not have an electronic time keeping system and many nurses are afraid to sign the overtime sheet when they work past the end of their shift. This is truly a bad time to work at UCSF and a worse time to sign on as a new employee. If you don't believe me, take the job and see for yourself. Good Luck!

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You think the weather in SF is cold?! Girl, you've lived in Cali too long!!

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Specializes in Transplant/Surgical ICU.

Lol! I guess I have. I was born and raised in Rome, Italy so I should be used to 'cold' weather in the winter, but I love my sunny summers...

Anyway, I was offered the position at UCSF yesterday. I will be accepting the job, but I feel really guilty because I have already accepted a position at UCLA. So, I really dont know how I will be getting myself out of that position. I probably would have to make up an excuse...

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Wow congratulations! That must have been a tough choice to make, but sounds like a win-win situation. I wanted to move (I'm from OC) and apply for work up there, but after reading all the post from other new grads having difficulty finding work up there, I didn't bother. I should've applied anyway! Good luck up there, and I look forward to hearing an update of how you are doing! Hopefully I will be able to find something up there in two years, but the only thing I hate about SF is traffic and crazy drivers. Oh, and the parking! (or lack of)

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Stay where you are!

Based on everything you have said...you have the perfect opportunity.

And SF *is* cold! When the fog rolls in it is downright freezing! :)

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Specializes in Transplant/Surgical ICU.

UPDATE: I decided to stay in Los Angeles... Thank you all for your kind words and advice!

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I worked in ophthalmology at both UCLA and UCSF for five years a piece. You have a tough, life changing decision in front of you. Let us know your decision.

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Sorry, I had not read your last posting. I am happy you decided to stay in LA.

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Awww what happened? I guess it would be pretty drastic to move to an entirely new area while going through orientation. Congrats on deciding to stay though! I was looking forward to seeing how you made out up there. I start my new grad orientation this July in Long Beach, but I'm thinking in a few years I may want to give SF a try. Unlike you, I am not fond of 90+ degree weather. Well welcome back... even though you never really left :D

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