Demand for Nurses in Chicago

U.S.A. Illinois

Published

Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

Hello there Illinois nurses!

I've been looking to move back up north for quite some time now. I was looking at my hometown in Northwest Indiana, but I really want Trauma experience and there are no level 1 trauma centers in the Chicagoland area.

I've lived in Southwest Florida for 7 years and there's a huge demand for nurses here, I could go to any hospital with only a year of ER experience and get a job in the ER. Is the demand for nursing as strong in Chicago, or is it harder to get a job there?

I did Med-surg for 6 months and have no interest in going back to that. I really only want to do the ER and get experience with Traumas. Is it difficult to get into the hospitals in the city? How competitive are the trauma centers around there?

Any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated!

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.

I find it very hard to believe that there are no Level I trauma centers in the Chicago area! I'm mid state and work in a Level I. I don't think Chicago is hurting for nurses with not much experience and it's definately not hurting for new grads. You may hit a roadblock not having a BSN as well. I personally wouldn't want to live or work in Chicago because of the cost of living versus pay doesn't seem worth it to me. Just an FYI, my area isn't hurting for newer nurses/new grads either, but we are hurting for nurses with years of experience that are planning on staying at the bedside for longer!

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Specializes in ER, Med-surg.

I said Chicagoland area in Indiana. Chicago itself has 4 level 1 trauma for adults. I could see from the career boards on the hospital websites, Chicago really has no need for more nurses. I was just hoping it wasn't true! By the time I plan on moving out there I'll have 2-3 years experience, but if there's no need, there's no real point I guess...I'm so sick of Florida, I was really hoping to live in the Windy city.

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Specializes in Medical-Surgical/Float Pool/Stepdown.
I said Chicagoland area in Indiana. Chicago itself has 4 level 1 trauma for adults. I could see from the career boards on the hospital websites, Chicago really has no need for more nurses. I was just hoping it wasn't true! By the time I plan on moving out there I'll have 2-3 years experience, but if there's no need, there's no real point I guess...I'm so sick of Florida, I was really hoping to live in the Windy city.

Three years or plus experience may just turn the tides though for you. Don't forget that degree inflation is permeating any area already saturated with nurses as well (new or experienced!).

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

It it is very hard for nurses without an BSN to find a position in many Chicago hospitals.

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I second Mr. Chicago. Thousands of new grads are being spewed out of schools each semester. And then even with a BSN, my classmates, 3-4 years after graduating, are only just now starting to get positions. And those positions aren't high acute care positions. They are med-surg and psych.

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I second Mr. Chicago. Thousands of new grads are being spewed out of schools each semester in the Chicagoland area. And then even with a BSN, my classmates, 3-4 years after graduating, are only just now starting to get positions. And those positions aren't high acute care positions. They are med-surg and psych.
.....
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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but as a nurse on vacation in Chicago and falling in love with the area, I was naturally curious. I'm staying in the Loop, but I can't see affording to live in this spot. I do love that even if I could afford it I'd be within walking (or public transport) of work.

I don't think I'd have to have a car.

We've been frustrated with driving here.

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Specializes in pediatrics; PICU; NICU.
Sorry to resurrect an old thread but as a nurse on vacation in Chicago and falling in love with the area, I was naturally curious. I'm staying in the Loop, but I can't see affording to live in this spot. I do love that even if I could afford it I'd be within walking (or public transport) of work.

I don't think I'd have to have a car.

We've been frustrated with driving here.

My first job after graduation was in a hospital on the north side of Chicago. I had an apartment 1 block away so I walked to work. All the shopping I needed was also within walking distance. I had a car and paid $15/month to keep it parked in the hospital garage (this was 1978). I wanted to have my car so I had an easy way to drive out to the suburbs to see my family. I loved where I worked & I loved living so close but my little studio apartment was over $400/month & I got tired of the city noises. It was very hard to sleep during the day.

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.

There are so many transportation choices in Chicago: CTA buses and trains, METRA commuter trains & buses in the burbs, Uber & Lyft, Zip-car, Divvy bicycle stations all over the city and some close in suburbs, ever expanding dedicated bicycle lanes.

However, taxes suck.

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Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
There are so many transportation choices in Chicago: CTA buses and trains, METRA commuter trains & buses in the burbs, Uber & Lyft, Zip-car, Divvy bicycle stations all over the city and some close in suburbs, ever expanding dedicated bicycle lanes.

However, taxes suck.

I liked the idea of the bikes but when we wanted to use one we realized that once we got to our destination, if we'd left it, we wouldn't have been able to have another when we finished our outing to return to our starting point. (We wanted to ride around Grant Park, go to the aquarium, play a while, the ride back.)

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Specializes in Leadership, Psych, HomeCare, Amb. Care.
I liked the idea of the bikes but when we wanted to use one we realized that once we got to our destination, if we'd left it, we wouldn't have been able to have another when we finished our outing to return to our starting point. (We wanted to ride around Grant Park, go to the aquarium, play a while, the ride back.)

You dock the Divvy at your destination station, then there will probably be someone elses bike available when you get back. And if you have a smartphone, it can tell you where there are nearby bikes available. I think there may even be something on the kiosk itself that tells you where the closest available bikes are.

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