Does Masters degree help?

Hi there,

I am in nursing school in AZ - anticipated graduation 2011 with BSN. I also have a Masters degree In Public Health. I would like to work in trauma. I will be moving to Honolulu in 2012, so I will have 1 yr. of exp. I know this is a ways down the road, but I am a planner by nature! I was thinking of also applying for the summer internship at QMC for nurses between their first and second clinical years. Does anyone have experience with this program?

Also, given all that I have read recently, it seems difficult to secure a position. Will my masters degree help?

Thanks,

Marie

Also, I was thinking of buying a condo at Admiral Thomas and walking to work at Queens. Is this possible and does anyone know anything about what Admiral Thomas is like and/or the neighborhood?

it really depends where we're at in a couple years. Queens currently has a hiring freeze. new grad's simply cannot find positions anywhere. a lot can change in 4 years so it's really hard to say. heck 4 years ago the job market was pretty much the total opposite. i wasn't in nursing yet, but when applying for hospital jobs, there were pages and pages of nursing positions available.

Thanks for the reply! Do you live in Honolulu? It seems so surprising to me that the Queens web site has all these job listings - but have a hiring freeze on. I guess they still want people to apply, so they have a pool of applicants? Do you know anything about any of the other hospitals on the island - which ones are good to work for, etc.?

Hi,

The Admiral Thomas neighborhood is definitely what I would call "Metro." It's close to H1, the main highway. It is also a leasehold property, but fortunately the lease is good until 2046. You can still get a 30-year loan up until 2011. The average price is around $650,000 in that building. Maintenance fees are around $1000/month

The prices will probably decline for another year or so.

http://www.starbulletin.com/news/hawaiinews/20081002_Oahu_home_prices_reminiscent_of_2005.html

The biggest consideration is probably schools for most people. This is an excellent area, since it's near town, but you may want to consider private schools, if you have children. Email me if you want more info.

Aloha,

Frank

Hi Frank,

Thanks for the reply! I have been looking at condos, etc., as we may wish to purchase something before we move out simply because the prices are down. I really like the Admiral Thomas a lot. They are spacious and seem like they are quality condos.

When you say they are definitely "metro", are you implying that they are in a busy downtown neighborhood or something lifestyle related? Is it an enjoyable area in terms of being able to walk around the neighborhood to the grocery store, restaurants, etc.?

BTW, we do have a son, but he will be going off to college when we are ready to move, so schools are not a consideration. We will be FREE - back to being a couple and wanting to do fun things in the city! (as opposed to going to high school sporting events all the time) Ha.

I really appreciate any input you can provide. It's hard to be so far away (Scottsdale) and planning a new life somewhere else.

Marie

Hi there,

I am in nursing school in AZ - anticipated graduation 2011 with BSN. I also have a Masters degree In Public Health. I would like to work in trauma. I will be moving to Honolulu in 2012, so I will have 1 yr. of exp. I know this is a ways down the road, but I am a planner by nature! I was thinking of also applying for the summer internship at QMC for nurses between their first and second clinical years. Does anyone have experience with this program?

Also, given all that I have read recently, it seems difficult to secure a position. Will my masters degree help?

Thanks,

Marie

Also, I was thinking of buying a condo at Admiral Thomas and walking to work at Queens. Is this possible and does anyone know anything about what Admiral Thomas is like and/or the neighborhood?

It's a tough market here now but in four years, who knows? You will most definitely not get a summer internship at Queens between your first and second clinical years. I've never seen an internship go to someone from the mainland and even for local applicants those positions are very difficult to obtain.

Advanced degrees certainly don't hurt but experience and specialty certifications, IME, tend to pull more weight unless you're applying for a position that requires a master's degree.

It's a good idea to get some solid experience before you head out here. I'm not all that sure that the market for nurses is going to improve much here any time soon. The economy is a mess---we're tourist-based and travel has been put on the back burner for many people right now. Several hospitals are in big trouble financially---one has recently cut the census in its two facilities from almost 300 down to 100.

That leaves plenty of experienced local nurses looking for jobs here and they will be hired before a nurse from the mainland. Queens has been inundated with job applicants. Add the recently displaced nurses to the new grads who are being turned out of the nursing programs here and you've got a lot of competition.

I know this sounds harsh but that's how things are going these days.

Hi Marie,

I think of Metro as "in town" +/- a mile or two. You can walk to markets, theaters, Ala Moana Mall, or Waikiki (a little further but still a fun walk).

You'll have to visit to get a good feel for what the best minimum floor to be on. In general, the 7th floor and up cuts out most street noise. Above that and it's more about views.

I was a full-time real estate from 2003-2006, then went back to half-time in 2007 as the market slowed. I have been in the medical field for 25 years. I don't know if you can email me directly and don't want to solicit on this site, but send an email if you want detailed property information from the MLS. I can send it to you. A good email address is frank (AT) hawaiihome.biz

There are a few other very interesting condo projects around town worth considering.

Aloha,

Frank

Thanks so much for all the information. You know the economy is bad when it starts affecting the job market for nurses! Did you see the article in Honolulu magazine about the nurse shortage?

It is nice to know that the Maliki neighborhood is in walking distance of Ala Moana, etc. It seems like there are a lot of stores, restaurants, etc. in the neighborhood. I read somewhere that Honolulu is like NYC in the tropics. That seems just about perfect to me! I feel like my life would be perfect if I could swim in the ocean, go to work in an emergency department and eat butterfish all in one day!

Thanks so much for all the information. You know the economy is bad when it starts affecting the job market for nurses! Did you see the article in Honolulu magazine about the nurse shortage?

It is nice to know that the Maliki neighborhood is in walking distance of Ala Moana, etc. It seems like there are a lot of stores, restaurants, etc. in the neighborhood. I read somewhere that Honolulu is like NYC in the tropics. That seems just about perfect to me! I feel like my life would be perfect if I could swim in the ocean, go to work in an emergency department and eat butterfish all in one day!

Have you ever been to Honolulu? It's not like NYC at all. Not even remotely, some tall buildings aside. I've seen that "NYC with palm trees" reference more than once and all I can think when I see it is that the person who wrote it knows neither NYC nor Honolulu!

Good luck with your dream! :)

I have been to Honolulu twice and NYC many times. I think the reference is speaking to the diversity of people, arts and culture, restaurants, etc. There aren't many cities nowadays that are actually vibrant urban areas. I live in Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix, and everything is so spread out, you can't walk anywhere. I like urban neighborhoods.

Hi- I can't adress the Masters degree question. I can tell you that it is probably, no make that definately, a good idea to live here for at least 6 months before purchasing a home. This would give you time to asess the neighborhoods and regions on the island before making a comittment. It is a complicated matter to move your household and pets to Oahu. It is quite different to vacation in Hawaii as opposed to living here. And how does an electric bill of over 700 dollars for one month sound? And this is keeping the airconditioner at 78, and having no swimming pool to account for some of the electric use!

That being said, it is fantastic here in many ways. Good luck on your decision.

I have been to Honolulu twice and NYC many times. I think the reference is speaking to the diversity of people, arts and culture, restaurants, etc. There aren't many cities nowadays that are actually vibrant urban areas. I live in Scottsdale, a suburb of Phoenix, and everything is so spread out, you can't walk anywhere. I like urban neighborhoods.

Well, about that diversity...most of it consists of different Asian groups which is fine but definitely not the "melting pot" that some liken it to. Not at all like the NY metro area where I lived for over four decades. But it can be a lot of fun here---many festivals, plenty of stuff going on. It's a great teeny tiny metropolis.

Hi- I can't adress the Masters degree question. I can tell you that it is probably, no make that definately, a good idea to live here for at least 6 months before purchasing a home. This would give you time to asess the neighborhoods and regions on the island before making a comittment. It is a complicated matter to move your household and pets to Oahu. It is quite different to vacation in Hawaii as opposed to living here. And how does an electric bill of over 700 dollars for one month sound? And this is keeping the airconditioner at 78, and having no swimming pool to account for some of the electric use!

That being said, it is fantastic here in many ways. Good luck on your decision.

It's tough to give advice without knowing the financial situation of the OP and of course that's not really our business but yes, the utility costs here are outrageous. I live on the windward side and only use my air conditioning on the days following the nights that I work and our bill is huge. No, no pool, and we are cautious with lights and other energy use but the bills keep climbing no matter what we do.

We're extremely lucky in that we purchased our home over eight years ago, right before the huge rise in prices. The cost of housing on Oahu has evened out but, incredibly, not dropped much at all. Rental costs are through the roof.

I agree---some very thorough investigation, rose-colored glasses off, is a very good idea!