Canadian nurses thinking of moving to NC

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Hello,

Both my girlfriend and I have been to a nursing job fair a few weeks back here in Ontario and are having a difficult time deciding where we want to move. The Nash health care system was in attendence and seemed very promising. The hospital was located in Rocky Mount, NC.

We're looking for all year around sunny and warm climate place to live, similar to California. The individuals who we spoke to said it was similar weather, is that true?

We were offered sign on bonus, along with free housing accomidations for a month. Additional schooling was also paid for (for the most part).

Could anyone comment on this area of NC?

Thank you!

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Do a check on the computer for weather there over the past year. North Carolina is not immune from hurricane winds, or ice and snow. Just be aware of that......

California is not all warm weather and sunshine year round, either. Depends on the area.........There is great skiing here, as well as Yosemite Park.

So please pay close attention to where exactly the hospital is, not just what the recruiter tells you........... :)

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Rocky Mount is a suburban/small town area that is ~1 hour drive East of Raleigh. It has grown quite a lot in recent years and is becoming a bedroom community of Raleigh. While it is certainly not "all year around sunny and warm" (there is no place in NC that fits that description, not even the NC beaches), the winters are generally mild. It is also a comfortable drive from the NC beaches.

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Specializes in Cath Lab, OR, CPHN/SN, ER.

Rocky Mount is not bad. It's fastly growing. I live an hour away in Greenville, home of University Health Systems ( http://www.uhseast.com ) and East Carolina University ( http://www.ecu.edu ).

As far as weather, it's true that no place around here is sunny all year long. We have all four seasons, which is one of the reasons I love NC. You can drive to the beach of the mountains in less than half a day. We're only a few hours from Washington, DC, as well as other sight-seeing areas. Rocky Mount isn't far from the beach (maybe 2 hours?). That does make us prone to hurricanes, but Rocky Mount is more inland, so you'd get more rain damage than anything. We have a LOT of Canadian nurses down here. I don't know how it is in Rocky Mount, but we have a lot here in Greenville!

Best Wishes with your decision, let us know how it goes! -Andrea

Also, some may consider the pay here cheap, but it goes well with the cost of living. I'm a new grad, and I've heard of people starting at $25+/hour in big cities. I'm making less than that, but like I said, cost of living is considerably cheaper!

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Hi;

I am a Canadian too...where have you decided to work? I went to the same job fair...did you look at wilmington too?

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My husband and I are both Canadian nurses. We currently live in Wilmington NC. The hospital here is not that good. The schools are horrible. The only thing Wilmington has going for it is the Ocean.....just my opinion. We are going to relocate to the Raleigh area. I have learned that if the offer seems to generous there is usually a reason. I have met other nurses that have moved here from the North and look to relocate rather quickly. Be very careful with your decision. Good Luck

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My husband and I are both Canadian nurses. We currently live in Wilmington NC. The hospital here is not that good. The schools are horrible. The only thing Wilmington has going for it is the Ocean.....just my opinion. We are going to relocate to the Raleigh area. I have learned that if the offer seems to generous there is usually a reason. I have met other nurses that have moved here from the North and look to relocate rather quickly. Be very careful with your decision. Good Luck

How bout living in Greenville...is that better than Raleigh?...

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Hi

Would really like to know if Greenville N.C. is a good place to nurse?

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.
How bout living in Greenville...is that better than Raleigh?...

Depends on your point-of-view and lifestyle preferences. Not near as much "action" or night-life as Raleigh, but much more economical cost of living (especially if you buy a house outside of the city limits, towards Washington). Greenville hosts a large university (East Carolina University). The town, however, does not revolve around the university as Chapel Hill or some other "college towns" do. Overall, Greenville is pretty well-rounded, with something for everyone. The main hospital (Pitt County Memorial Hospital) is a major employer in the Eastern area of the state and attracts nurses from 60+ miles away. It is now a Magnet Hospital and has excellent working conditions and pay scale. The nurse-patient ratios are "doable" and great learning opportunities abound, with much room for advancement. The physicians/ residents are generally very respectful of the nurses and there is a collaborative/ team approach to patient care in which the nurse's imput is deemed very important. PCMH is in the process now of expanding their cardiovascular center - into a 6-story complex. Their cardiovascular center is deemed in the upper 100 (if I'm remembering correctly) in the nation.

There are many other smaller hospitals in the area and other nursing centers - so nursing jobs do abound.

Public schools in the area are generally not that great. So, figure into the cost of living the very real need for a private school or homeschooling.

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