any california nurses??

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 12, 2005

Hello! I am a senior nursing student from Kansas City and graduate in May. I would love to move to California following graduation but don't know how to go about looking for jobs. Anyone have any ideas on hospitals in/near San Francisco?? Any pointers on moving to CA?? Thanks!!
Steph - KCstudent

Hello, KCstudent,:balloons:

I can move your thread to the CA forum for a better response if you like.

KCstudent · Nov 12, 2005

thank you, that would be great!!

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 13, 2005

thank you, that would be great!!

Done, KC,:balloons:

Now, maybe you will have some help you out.

SFCardiacRN · Nov 13, 2005

The SF bay area has a great many hospitals. The pay is better in SF and lowers slightly as you move further from the city. Be ready for sticker shock when you start looking at rent. You will need about 2 to 3 thousand (1st, last & deposit) to get an apartment. Starting pay for a new grad is around 65K. Contact the BON in Sacramento to get your CA license requirements.(www.rn.ca.gov) It might be easier to get a years experience in KC and come to CA as a traveler if you don't have family/friends out here already.

Selke · Nov 13, 2005

The two large hospital chains are Kaiser Permanente http://kaiserpermanente.org/ and Sutter Health http://sutterhealth.org/ , and they pay the highest. They have hospitals over the entire bay area, and beyond. You can apply online. I know Sutter will pay up to $5K per year towards your student loans if you are a new grad, and beginning pay is in the $35/hr range. Kaiser is about the same. There is also UCSF (Univ California- San Francisco) http://www.ucsfhealth.org/ , one of the best teaching hospitals in the country, located in one of the most breathtakingly beautiful parts of SF (check out the view from the top floors .... you can see the city and the Pacific Ocean). The pay is a bit less, but the advantages are many: fantastic teaching hospital, fabulous RNs, great preceptorship programs, &c. If you want to continue your education, UCSF is the top ranked nursing school in the country. SF General is affiliated with UCSF and is a very cool place to work, in the Mission District. Helps if you know or want to learn Spanish, and are committed to working with the poor. There are a few other hospitals in SF affiliated with UCSF but you can find these on the website.

I lived in Berkeley for 3 1/2 years after living in Chicago for many years. I found the RN s in the Bay Area to be overall the nicest and most laid back to work with, and management to be of better quality. I had the best work experience of my life there. I made more money than I ever had in my entire life. I worked in an east bay Sutter hospital. The only reason I moved was to go to graduate school. I'm not moving back because midwives make less money than staff nurses there, and the market is saturated with midwives ....

There are many people from the midwest in the SFBA. Lots of folks move there, stay awhile, or stay a long time. I don't know what rent is like in Kansas City, but rent in the SFBA is comparable to many places like Chicago, and even New Haven, CT, I've discovered. Don't be scared off. Other expenses are about the same. Food quality is outstanding, lots of great inexpensive restraunts, coffee shops, &c, which make the quality of life good. The problem is if you buy a house there -- don't! Renting, you'll be able to find something affordable, or find a roommate. You may not need a car if you live and work in SF. Check out http://www.craigslist.org if you haven't discovered it already. Hawaii is close, and cheap, and many RNs I knew went there regularly. I could go on and on.

I bet if you start applying online and make phone calls you'll get responses from recruiters pretty quick! Good luck. Back to studying for me ....

Gomer · Nov 13, 2005

Start saving your money as CA is an expensive place to live and the San Fran area is very, very expensive. Suggest you check out http://www.nurseweek.com as it is a CA-based nursing news/jobs/information publication and website.

serinamour · Nov 14, 2005

Does anyone know if the hosp. in the San Fran area have relocation allowances, or sign on bonus. I want to move to San Fran. but dont think i want a travel assignment, Ive done that in other states. The Sutter hosp. sounds interesting. Just inquiring, see what I can learn before I apply. Thank you.

Selke · Nov 15, 2005

Check out the hospital's websites, call their recruiters and ask them about benefits like relocation bonuses.

serinamour · Nov 15, 2005

Thanks, Divinegracie........anymore info on hospitals, such as Sutter? Like to know the good areas to live close by San Fran and hospitals? Any help would be appreciated.

Selke · Nov 16, 2005

Thanks, Divinegracie........anymore info on hospitals, such as Sutter? Like to know the good areas to live close by San Fran and hospitals? Any help would be appreciated.

Check out the websites in my post above. Also look at the California Nurses Association website (http://www.calnurses.org, I think) for latest info on strikes in the area. I think CPMC (Calif Pacific Med Center, a Sutter hospital) just ended a strike, but this might have been an SEIU, not CNA, strike (they did this after I moved). There's CPMC and Davies, maybe a few others in SF. East Bay is Alta Bates Medical Center, and Summit. The Kaiser website should also tell you where their hospitals are located -- you can look up all this yourself. You can find housing and more info on craigslist.org. (Note: I'm not on the payroll of any of these places! I had a good work experience there and enjoyed high pay and benefits, so I have good memories of this and of the lovely bay area .... waxing nostalgic here)

SF is a bit more expensive to live in than the east bay, but not by much. If you avoid buying a house, you'll do just fine. Berkeley and Oakland are great. There are suburban areas further out, with slightly cheaper housing.

orsweets · Nov 16, 2005

Hi, can anyone from the SF bay area tell me which of the Sutter hospitals have the largest Total Joint programs and if they utilize RN First Assists?

I am interested in moving there, but would like a bit of info to start with? The help would be appreciated..