Feedback Please!!!

Hi Cresta. I too am looking forward to being a nurse in the Missoula area one day. I am from the Bay Area in CA, and will graduate May of 09. We already own a house in Victor (30 miles south of Missoula) and can't wait to get away from this crazy, crowded state and live a little slower in a beautiful area that we just love.

I am dying to know what kind of pay starting nurses make in Western Montana. I know it will be a LOT less than what I am used to out here, but I need to know so my hubby and I can start coming up with some type of financial plan if we are going to make it work in MT.

Hopefully someone from the area responds to your post soon, as I am very interested as well!

Vicky

anyone wanting info on Missoula hospitals can email me direct. I would love to communicate with them.

I have lived in missoula for over 5 years and recently became a licensed LPN. I am not sure what the salary is for RNs but I do believe it's lower than most of the country. On the flip side of that is that we have many opportunities for medical careers here in missoula. In addition to St. Patrick's hospital and Community medical center, there is the INternational Heart Institute and numerous private practices, home health agencies and clinics/surgery centers. The cost of living is higher here than where we have lived elsewhere but from what I hear, less expensive than CA. Victor is about 45 minutes to 1 hour from Missoula and sometimes more depending on the weather/traffic. It's cheaper to live in the bitterroot (victor, stevensville, hamilton, lolo) than in Missoula so alot of people do live there and commute but the road "highway" 93 is often 2 lanes and runs through the small town stoplights so it can be slow going. There is also a hospital in Hamilton, Marcus Daly, that is closer to Victor. You should look at the Community Medical Center and St. Patrick's Hospital websites for job postings and contact them about salaries. We have heard it from many people and believe it ourselves, you have to want to live here. It takes some work and sacrifice but the quality of life is definitely worth it. Good Luck!

I teach nursing at a school that sends it's students to CMC for clinicals, so have spent time there with soon-to-be-new-grads as a clinical instructor. If you are a new grad the competition may be high. When I had my students there last fall (fall 07) we were in an inservice by the guy that hires and has a new grad program. It is tough to get in to, they can be picky because there are several nursing schools in Montana (Salish Kootenai, MSU Bozeman, U of M in Missoula, Helena [the name ecapes me right now] and one in Havre). Often hospitals will look at students that have done clinicals there and keep thier eye on a few new grads. And there is that "Montana takes care of their own" attitude that we have here.

Go ahead and apply, but don't put all your eggs on one basket! There are other places to work, until you get experience anyway. Good luck!!!

Thanks for your input! I flew out there and interviewed and absolutely love it there. I have heard that and am not an "out of stater" that is looking to move there and change things as I had heard about a lot while I was there..... I simply want to live in a nice place where people are kind, appreciate life, and where my kids, husband, and I can grow. Thanks again.

I will graduate in May 09 with my BSN and definitely want to relocate to Missoula area. What can you tell me about the hospitals around the area for new grads? I know that the pay is less than other places but Montana is "the whole package" for me! I have heard that the people are nice and there is a great "small town" feel there! I will be coming from Delaware (East coast) and need "elbow" room! Thank you for any info you can give!