Best City/Area for New Graduate

PMFB-RN, RN · Oct 18, 2006

Could I get some opinions on what City/Area is best for recent nursing graduates considering salaries/working environment/weather/cost of living/culture/schools.

*** I suggest Madison Wisconsin. Very low cost of living available within a short drive (plenty of nice houses for under $100K in out-lying towns). Good starting wages. Currently $27.70 base pay for new grads at Meriter, about $2 less at UW Hospital. Diffs for NOCs & weekends can add $6/hour more Four fairly large hospitals in town including a VA and the UW. UW is state of the art and if you are interested really advanced stufff that's the place.

Wisconsin's public schools are among the best in the nation. Plenty of good hunting and fishing near by plus all the Badger sports in town. Madison is pretty liberal but the rural areas surrounding are much more conservative. Any other questions please feel free to e-mail me at: [email protected]

Good luck!

allnurses Guide · Oct 18, 2006

Halinja,
Thank you for the response. What I was wondering and trying to get some opinions on is Where and Why newly graduated nurses have actually chosen to live and work. I'm trying to figure out why someone unless you're born there like me in Pennsylvania and have family there would possibly choose to live in Pennsylvania (I did list a Few positives) or any other similiar area (ie Columbus, Louisville, Detroit, Kansas City, Omaha and on and on and on...
Unless you are making ALOT of money who would actually chose to move here (Pa) or any of those other places. I understand about cost of living but doesn't Anaheim or San Diego area look ALOT better as examples only? I'm mean nurses do work there, right? I mean, if I'm not making alot more money in Spokane why would I move there? All other things being the same I'd rather be a little poorer due to the cost of living in a nicer place. Who would move to Buffalo for 22/hr.?????????
I've heard that all nurse's in CA are unionized and therefore make more money than other states? Is that not true? $35.00 /hr in Anaheim even after cost of living looks ALOT better than $22/hr in Atlanta or Birmingham or PA. Am I missing something????

Good lord

You WANTED people to respond to your original post asking for suggestions about nice places to live, work as a nurse, raise a family... low cost of living, etc... so I made a nice, heartfelt response.... and you respond by throughly insulting where I live. Nice.

And then you turn around and get mad because people weren't responding to you fast enough. Whatever. You have answered your own question.

If you are so intent on living life in the fast lane and living in NYC, LA, San Fran, Miami, Chicago, etc... then MOVE there fer chrissakes.

And there's PLENTY to do in both Louisville and Columbus, thankyouverymuch and drive through.

:troll:

gemini901d · Oct 18, 2006

I'm sorry if you were offended but I don't really think that I said anything disparaging about Louisville or Columbus for example. I've never been to either place. I was at least certainly no more disparaging than about my own home town of Scranton, PA. I simply included them in the same similiar category. A mid America category that could included 90% of the country. Our AAA sports teams play each other. I was just wondering if there were any compelying reasons why one would switch from one of these similiar cities to another. Although I was born near Scranton and have lived my life so far there I have no dillusions that it's Miami, LA or even Anaheim. The single, solitary reason that I could see someone remaining in Scranton (my only reason) is it's cheap, cheap, cheap. There would be no other reason for anyone to ever move here willingly. But there are plenty of people moving to places like Vegas, Tampa, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego and I understand if you could swing it. I was just wondering which of the moveable places would be possible or best for a recent graduate nurse.

allnurses Guide · Oct 18, 2006

I'm sorry if you were offended but I don't really think that I said anything disparaging about Louisville or Columbus for example. I've never been to either place. I was at least certainly no more disparaging than about my own home town of Scranton, PA. I simply included them in the same similiar category. A mid America category that could included 90% of the country. Our AAA sports teams play each other. I was just wondering if there were any compelying reasons why one would switch from one of these similiar cities to another. Although I was born near Scranton and have lived my life so far there I have no dillusions that it's Miami, LA or even Anaheim. The single, solitary reason that I could see someone remaining in Scranton (my only reason) is it's cheap, cheap, cheap. There would be no other reason for anyone to ever move here willingly. But there are plenty of people moving to places like Vegas, Tampa, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego and I understand if you could swing it. I was just wondering which of the moveable places would be possible or best for a recent graduate nurse.

That's fine. It's just that you came here asking for opinions about what places would be good for a new graduate, and you seemed to be looking for a place that would have a low cost of living, have good schools, have some culture, things to do. But then you have shot down just about every suggestion so far, because to me you seem pretty dead-set on living in areas that are KNOWN for high cost of living. Not only that, but many of the areas you have mentioned, such as Phoenix and Tampa, are known for high crime rates. Orlando is a **VERY** expensive place to live decently.

And yes, I don't care if you ARE from Scranton PA or wherever, your tone is still very insulting. I get insulted by people who are FROM Louisville who are constantly down on the place because it isn't New York City. Makes me feel like crap because I happen to like the place and think it's darn cool.

So... I mean, if you are really dead-set on living in a jet-setting, high cost of living area with lots of sun and 80-90 degree weather year round, then great, visit all of those places or try to talk SPECIFICALLY with folks who are from those places and get some ideas. Talk to nurses in those areas and find out what kind of homes they are living in/able to afford. You're liable to find a lot of people who say they are living in a fairly nice 2 bedroom apartment somewhere, especially if you explore southern CA. Since you've got a child (children?), find out about schools and crime rate.

You are going to find out that WHEREVER you go.... nurses are not rich. Us nurses in KY still struggle, and I'm willing to bet that nurses in Orlando or SoCal struggle even more.

Broaden your mind a little bit. I mean c'mon... you mentioned DENVER on your list of unliveable places??? Hello????? Denver and Colorado are each one of the most desireable places to live in, in this country!!!! If you want warmer temps year round, what's wrong with Dallas? (another city you mentioned). It's a HUGE metro area in a state that has a TON to offer. You could even go one better and try Houston... even warmer and near the beach. Cost of living there MAY be a bit higher than in Mid-America, but I don't believe it's anything like parts of Florida or SoCal.

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Oct 18, 2006

I'm sorry if you were offended but I don't really think that I said anything disparaging about Louisville or Columbus for example. I've never been to either place. I was at least certainly no more disparaging than about my own home town of Scranton, PA. I simply included them in the same similiar category. A mid America category that could included 90% of the country. Our AAA sports teams play each other. I was just wondering if there were any compelying reasons why one would switch from one of these similiar cities to another. Although I was born near Scranton and have lived my life so far there I have no dillusions that it's Miami, LA or even Anaheim. The single, solitary reason that I could see someone remaining in Scranton (my only reason) is it's cheap, cheap, cheap. There would be no other reason for anyone to ever move here willingly. But there are plenty of people moving to places like Vegas, Tampa, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego and I understand if you could swing it. I was just wondering which of the moveable places would be possible or best for a recent graduate nurse.

Wow, you are making some assumptions there. Not everyone wants to live in Vegas, Tampa, Orlando, etc.

I lived in the Ft. Lauderdale/West Palm Beach area my entire life. After I graduated from nursing school, I moved to... ta daaaa... PITTSBURGH. I love the change of seasons. Give me white Christmasses and the rain of colorful autumn leaves. Give me the rolling hillside farmlands and wide open spaces just outside the city. This place has character and tradition. I could go on. My point is, different strokes for different folks. You couldn't move me back to South Florida if you paid me. My sister still lives there and loves it and you couldn't move her if you paid her.

You sound like you know what you want out of a city. Why not just narrow it down to those places and ask about them?

Mudwoman · Oct 18, 2006

If I had a BSN and could relocate anywhere, I would concentrate on getting a job at an ANCC Magnet Status Hospital. Here is a short list.

Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Englewood NJ

Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia PA

Capital Health System, Trenton NJ

Catawba Valley Medical Center, Hickory, NC

Bayfront-St Anthony's Health Care, St Petersburg, FL

Hackensack Univ. Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ

High Point Regional Health System, High Point, NC

Inova Fairfax Hospital, Falls Church, VA

Jersey Shore Medical Center, Neptune, NJ

Kimball Medical Center, Lakewood, NJ

James A. Haley Veteran's Hospital, Tampa, FL

Mayo-Rochester Hospitals, Rochester, MN

Medical Center of Ocean County, Point Pleasant, NJ

Methodist Hospital, HOuston, TX

Middlesex Hospital, Middletown, CT

The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI

Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL

North Carolina Baptist Hospital of Wake Forest Univ., Winston-Salem, NC

North Shore Univ. Hosp, Manhasset, NY

Poudre Valley Hospital, Fort Collins, CO

Providence St Vincent Medical Center, Portland OR

Riverview Medical Center, Redbank, NJ

Robert Wood Johnson Univ Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ

Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL

St Francis Medical Center, Trenton, NJ

St Joseph's Candler, Savannah, GA

St Joseph's Hospital of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA

St Joseph's REgional Medical Center, Paterson, NJ

St Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, TX

St Luke's Regional Medical Center, Boise, ID

St Mary's Hosp Medical Center, Madison, WI

St Peter's Univ Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ

Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, Bennington, VT

Univ of Alabama Hospital, Birmingham, AL

Univ of Colorado Hospital, Denver, CO

Univ of Kentucky Hospital, Lexington, KY

Univ of TX M D Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX

Healthcare organizations granted Magnet Status have high patient satisfaction as well as high nurse satisfaction. Employers report low turnover rate. Nurses are given more control over their nursing practice.

If I could, I would be moving to an area that I could get a job at one of these hospitals or at least to an area that at some point I could get a job at one of these hospitals.

lauraelena · Oct 18, 2006

I have lived and worked in CA, TX, WI. Now live in Indiana (not good ) I would recommend CA. I was laid off 3 times in TX !!! Unheard of in CA. Can't find a decent job in Indiana so far. Wisconsin is great too. No problem for a new grad. CA is more interested in experienced nurses. I would avoid TX. Too hot, too humid, too unstable, and the biggest thing....you gotta "know somebody", a local, to get an interview !

Personal experience, CA and Wisconsin are great places to look. Good luck. By the way, why are you so angry? People are just trying to help.

ann945n, RN · Oct 18, 2006

Well i have to put my two cents in for seattle! Its a wonderful place to live but is very liberal, so i wouldnt say move here if you are a big time conservative. The weather here is wonderful dispite the bad rap it gets its not bad. Our summers are always warm and sunny in the 80's and our winters never see snow unless in the mountains which are only a 30-60min out if you need to ski. It does rain in the fall and winter but dont believe what you hear. We get less rain the most other major citys, our rain is just light and often but totally not bothersome. Pay for nurses around here is around 25 and cost of living is on the high side with homes starting around 300,000 in the burbs. But if you want a nonracist welcoming coffee loving place seattle is it! by far the most welcoming city ive ever lived in. there is lots to do in and around the city, traffic is only bad durning peak times, i would say from 7am to 10pm and 330pm to 7pm, you just learn to not drive then

PMFB-RN, RN · Oct 18, 2006

I was just wondering if there were any compelying reasons why one would switch from one of these similiar cities to another.
*** I moved from San Diego to Wisconsin for many reasons.
Although I was born near Scranton and have lived my life so far there
*** Yes, I think that after reading your responces here that has become abundantly clear.
I have no dillusions that it's Miami, LA or even Anaheim.
*** Or even Madison or Davenport for that matter.
The single, solitary reason that I could see someone remaining in Scranton (my only reason) is it's cheap, cheap, cheap. There would be no other reason for anyone to ever move here willingly. But there are plenty of people moving to places like Vegas, Tampa, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego and I understand if you could swing it.
*** Maybe so but plenty of people are runnig away from those places as well. Just ask people from Oregon or Idaho whose qualiety of life is rapidly being destroyed by Calif. refugees.
I was just wondering which of the moveable places would be possible or best for a recent graduate nurse.

*** The best place for a new graduate nurse who is male and married with children is Madison Wisconsin. Vastly batter quality of life than Scranton offers for such a person.

allnurses Guide · Oct 18, 2006

Mmmm, I would LOVE to try living around Seattle, and the NW area! It has always sounded so heavenly there, and my husband and I are flaming liberals.. at least on most issues, LOL. Too far away from family though... living thousands of miles from our families, at least in my opinion, isn't really an option for us.

Well i have to put my two cents in for seattle! Its a wonderful place to live but is very liberal, so i wouldnt say move here if you are a big time conservative. The weather here is wonderful dispite the bad rap it gets its not bad. Our summers are always warm and sunny in the 80's and our winters never see snow unless in the mountains which are only a 30-60min out if you need to ski. It does rain in the fall and winter but dont believe what you hear. We get less rain the most other major citys, our rain is just light and often but totally not bothersome. Pay for nurses around here is around 25 and cost of living is on the high side with homes starting around 300,000 in the burbs. But if you want a nonracist welcoming coffee loving place seattle is it! by far the most welcoming city ive ever lived in. there is lots to do in and around the city, traffic is only bad durning peak times, i would say from 7am to 10pm and 330pm to 7pm, you just learn to not drive then