Coming to Las Cruces from Canada as an RN

[MeginSchool]

I realize that the move may cause a bit of culture shock, but I have lived a few differnet places in the US and would like to know more about Las Cruces if anyone is from there and can tell me about it. I have looked at several places online to get an idea, but it is always better to get a real persons opinion.

I am curious about the current job market, not for nursing I already know there are jobs for me but for my family. How is the housing market surviving there? What is the cost of living in the area? How are the schools, I have a daughter who will be in somewhere between 3-6th grade when we finally get our house sold and immigration for my husband finished (both my daughter and I are US citizens).

How hard is it to transfer a license from Ontario to New Mexico? What is the pay scale in the area, I really could not find that on the local hospital websites? Also being so close to the Mexican border how important is it to learn Spanish? I know SOME from high school but my husband knows none, and we are willing to learn if need be, just not sure how much we can get before we move.

Meg

[sailornurse]

HI,

I am a native of the area. I teach at New Mexico State University & work PRN at a new facility. I believe new grads start at about $18.00 per hour. You can get a reasonably priced home for 130K, there are older home for 100K also. PM me for more details. I will be happy to send you the realestate section of the sunday paper. While Spanish is not required and hospitals do not pay you for being a bilingual nurse, it is very helpful.

There are some josb where they will say "Spanish a plus" Meaning it is a plus for them!!!

We do have lots of people that do not speak English. As to the licensure question, best to contact the NM board of nursing. The school system is good. I have a daughter in 8th grade who does well.

SailorNurse, MSN, FNP, BC:nurse:

[BSN_DEC_2006]

As a recent new grad about 2 yrs ago, i can tell you that starting salaries when i was a new grad was around $19.50/hr. I'm willing to bet that it's a little higher now. After about a yr i was working, we all got some sort of cost-of-living raise. Cost of living has always been relatively inexpensive in the past, but i think it's starting to go up. There's plenty of affordable housing in the area, but i think the new homes are starting to get pricey. I recently left Las Cruces for the travel nursing thing, but plan on returning for graduate school soon. Both of the hospitals in the area are good places to work, and you'll often see nurses working full-time at one hospital and prn at the other.