Career and relocation advice please

[RNnurse07]

Hi Everyone

Looking for any advice someone would be willing to give. Here is some background info. I'm RN currently working night shift at SNF, currently going to school for my BSN and will be done next May. I want to relocate from my area, currently in NE Wisconsin and would really like to work in a hospital where advancement is possible from med-surg to specialty ICU. This area is over saturated with nurses and job market is slim. Besides I would like to live in an area without snow during the winter for a few years.

SO I will have my BSN with 4 years of nursing experience and currently only making a little over $20/hr.

Any advice of good areas to move to?? What the job market is like? How much do nurses make in the area you recommend? Pros and cons to the area? Yes I want to further my education into a DNP but of course need more experience and I need a couple of years out of school.

THANKS MUCH!!!!!!

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

Urban, suburban, rural. mountains, seashore?

First thing to do is decide where YOU would like to live.

Then focus in on the facilities in that area.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Is there another area of the country where you have friends or family? You might consider those areas as that it might be nice to have people to help you transition to the new location. It's also nice to start with some friends/family around as you won't be able to go home for every holiday, etc. I've moved around the country a lot in my career and it's much better to move where you have some connections already established.

[delabeaux, MSN]

Hi Everyone

Looking for any advice someone would be willing to give. Here is some background info. I'm RN currently working night shift at SNF, currently going to school for my BSN and will be done next May. I want to relocate from my area, currently in NE Wisconsin and would really like to work in a hospital where advancement is possible from med-surg to specialty ICU. This area is over saturated with nurses and job market is slim. Besides I would like to live in an area without snow during the winter for a few years.

SO I will have my BSN with 4 years of nursing experience and currently only making a little over $20/hr.

Any advice of good areas to move to?? What the job market is like? How much do nurses make in the area you recommend? Pros and cons to the area? Yes I want to further my education into a DNP but of course need more experience and I need a couple of years out of school.

THANKS MUCH!!!!!!

... you don't need clinical exp to get your DNP... for now, many programs take you straight away (hope they change that). But it sounds like you're being smart and will get the clinical experience anyway... good for you and kudos!