Orange County Hosp-Saddleback & Hoag

U.S.A. California

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I am going to be graduating from nursing school in May of 07. I've talked to a bunch of hospitals in california to get information on new grad programs and pay rates. The best hospitals I have found are Hoag, Saddleback Memorial in Laguna hills, and the Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo. So i was wondering if anyone can give me some bad or good things about any of these hospitals? I am living in pA right now ... im relocating to CA once I graduate. I'm wondering though since I can only apply online if the face to face interview would have to wait until I move out there... which would be 2-3 weeks before a new grad program starts? How does this whole interview thing work out? I'd hate to move out there and have to wait months to get an interview. But its hard to fly out there just for interviews.

Although maybe I can go on vacatino in June once I graduate and schedule a bunch of interviews. I don't know if thats good or not though because a lot of the new grad progrrams start in Sept or Oct and you have to apply wayyy before that.

Are the new grad programs hard to get into? I will have been working as a nurse extern for a year when I apply for the jobs... will this give me a little bit of an advantage over everyone else and make them possibly consider me sinceI have more experience?

And when you are offered a job do they offer you a certain shift? I read a few posts about Hoag that they offered only Night Shifts to new grads, but these posts were from back in 2005 and early 2006 so hopefully that has changed.

Also.. how are the new grad programs? I didn't really ask much specific info on them because I wasn't sure what to ask.

I know that laguna hills offers relocation assistance but I'm not sure about Hoag bc I forgot to ask.

I realllly like Hoag the best I think but.. i know newport beach is realllly expensive to live at. I really want to live at the beach, or close to it but I don't know if I'll be able to afford it. I do want to live very close to where I work though because I know traffic is crazy in CA.

So basically what you're saying is that a lot of people live to to the North of where they work and the east? That makes sense ... I'm sure people move farther inland to avoid the high cost of living on the beach and then they commute to work towards the west.

I have a huge map of Orange County that I got from AAA. S i can tell where the freeways are and it gives me an idea of where I can live and how to avoid the freeway going to work.

Is it common to live in huntington beach and commute to newport beach to go to work? I found a lot of cheap apartments in Huntington Beach. And is it possible to take the Pacific Coast Highway to work? Or is that jammed up with traffic as well? I'm assuming traveling through towns would be an easier way to get to work.

Does anything know anything about Corona Del Mar? I've never heard of it but its right by Newport Beach

Is there anyone in here who lives in Orange County or who used to live there and would be able to answer a lot of my questions about the area and about different hospitals? If you want too, then PM me or email me

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Specializes in PMHNP.

Corona del Mar is really expensive and if you lived in Huntington beach and drove to Newport beach that would not be a bad drive at all. PCH is mostly congested on the weekends when everyone is off of work. I don't think it would be a bad drive if you lived in Anaheim and drove to Hoag, maybe like a 1/2 hour down 55 freeway? Plus you will learn the side streets in case there is an accident and if you are working 12s then you won't be commuting at the peak times of rush hour. I would also check out the city of Tustin for apts, I don't think they are too bad and you would be closer than Anaheim. Also, before you commit to where you want to live (I'm not trying to freak you out or anything) you should check out this website http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov you can enter your address and see if you would be living right by any registered sex offenders.

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Thanks for the info ^^!!

Also from what I understand... all i need to do is fill out an application with hoag and then i can get hired? Is this true? No interview? Ireally need to find a job with no interview required since I live in pa. That way i dont have to make a trip to california just to get interviewed. Unless of course they would pay for it. Does anyone know anything about this?

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Specializes in Perinatal, Education.

OK, I live and have lived in Orange County for almost 20 years. I work at UC Irvine Medical Center which is a large university teaching hospital in Orange (yes, it is not in Irvine!). They have an excellent and comprehensive new grad program and the pay and benefits are terrific as they are unionized and owned by the state of California. St Joe's and St Jude's are sister hospitals and are very good. I wouldn't worry about not getting a call back--you are not their main priority as you can't work until next fall! Mission Hospital is also a sister hospital to them and very good.

Hoag is great. Saddleback is a beautiful hospital and the med/surg/ICU/ER would be good. I have found their pay rate to not be as high. So Cal is a hugely populated area. There are hospitals EVERYWHERE!! there are people and traffic EVERYWHERE!! You can't avoid the traffic--you just learn to get around it. Working 12 hour shifts is helpful. You may get a day shift as a new grad, but not likely. You are also probably not going to be able to get a job without at least a phone interview.

I live in north OC and it doesn't stop me from going to the beach regularly. My BIL was here from Illinois this weekend for a wedding and I took him boogie boarding at Newport and we saw costumed surfers--fun! He also made the comment that there are more students at my son's high school (3200) than there are people in his town. If I were you, I would at least come out for a vacation before commiting to a job. It's hard to tell anything about the hospitals or places to live without seeing them. Some areas of Anaheim (home to Disneyland, the Angels and the Ducks!) are fine and others are not so good--there might be a reason they are less expensive.

Good luck to you, but remember that even with a shortage you will have to try to get a good job. It won't fall in your lap. We have a lot of hospitals and also a lot of nursing schools with new grads looking for jobs. This is good for me as I am getting an MSN to teach, but it means that you are on the right track to start looking now. Come out and visit, though, to make sure it is what you think it is.

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Specializes in PMHNP.

Don't go into an apartment that is really cheap, that usually means bad company. I don't like Buena Park/ Stanton (no offense to anyone that lives there) at all so don't go towards that side of Anaheim, try getting close to the Orange side. I know you stated that you have a map, UCI, CHOC, and St. Jude's are off of the 22 freeway on main street and it is right by the Orange Block on The City Dr. The Block is a cool area to go shopping and that street turns into State College, which will have Edison Field and Arrowhead pond. I talked to one of my cousin's friends the other day who works at Hoag and she says that they have excellent benefits and will try to work with new grads. She lives in Fullerton and works at Hoag and she says it takes her about a half hour going down Euclid. North Orange County is good about having grocery stores/walmart near by for conveniences. Are you going to stay with someone at first when you move out here?

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Thanks for the info! I'm going to be moving with 2 of my friends. I really don't want to be too far inland that i willend up getting stuck in traffic for an hour on my way to work.

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Specializes in PMHNP.

You will be okay in North Orange County, like a previous poster said..there is always some kind of traffic in SoCal, but if you lived in/around Anaheim you will be okay. Now, if you were to live out by me (Corona) or other cities in the inland empire you have some seriously nasty traffic. As I'm sure you are aware, housing in California is very high and housing is cheap out there so for people heading out in that direction that is where you run into some serious problems.

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Is there anyone who lives in Huntington Beach and travels to Hoag for work? I am interested what it is like to live in Huntington and approx. how long it is to drive in.

Thanks

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Is there anyone who lives in Huntington Beach and travels to Hoag for work? I am interested what it is like to live in Huntington and approx. how long it is to drive in.

Thanks

Thats what I think I'm going to do as well.

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A former co worker and family sold their Los Angeles house and bought in Huntington Beach. She loves it there even though she had to go on nights and always worked days.

She is an excellent nurse who wouldn't work where patient care was substandard. I haven't heard her complain about traffic, but then she came from LA!

UC Irvine hospital has a great reputation too. If you like a big teaching hospital with lots of specialties it may be for you.

I don't know much about other Orange County hospitals.

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