Graduating...moving...does anyone work in Seattle?

Nurses General Nursing

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I hear great things about the Seattle area, but I have no firsthand experience. Especially concerning the working conditions and hospitals. Does anyone have advice about the area, or experiences with hospitals there?

I'm mostly looking at Pediatrics and Oncology (not necessarily together). But any information about the area would be helpful.

Thanks!

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

I can't speak on hospitals but I miss the area, the longest place I ever lived was in WA about 45 mins from Seattle. I love where I am living now but there is a lot a miss about the Seattle Area. So beautiful, we camped at the beach a lot, could ferry over to Canada and go visit British of Columbia, you could go to Eastern WA and it was much like CO completely different scenery. I think the rain is over exaggerated but it also depends on what you are used to. Where I live now they get a few days of clouds and rain and everyone is in a state of depression LOL. We will be roadtripping back up to WA this summer for a visit. I can't wait!

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I will take nine months of rain as long as the temperature is nice and cool.... i'll take that WAYYY over nine months of HOT STEAMY HUMID like you're in an OVEN, houston, anyday. UGH, I hate the weather in Houston,, I just can't make myself move away from my parents. It would break my mother's heart.

I actually think if I remember right, Houston or maybe Dallas gets more rain per year than Seattle. You for sure get nice and cool their with about 6-8 hot weeks a year, as in really hot where your keeping the AC on. Well if you are in Western WA, Eastern WA is a lot hotter in the summers and colder in the winters.

It kills me to live away from my mom. I have no family here and when I moved to WA I moved there because my Dad was stationed there, when they moved to San Diego I stayed behind in WA because there was no way I was going to live in Cali again. Haven't lived in the same state with them ever since and it kills me :(

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I have been living in Seattle since May 2008. And...yes, the weather sucks! Today is March 28, 2009 and snow is predicted. It has been raining for days without any let up.Last year, in the the month of June, I saw the sun for 1/2 day. The sun did come out and stayed for July, Aug., Sept., and Oct. If you enjoy skiing and snowboarding the mountains have had tons and tons of snow this year and another foot is predicted for tonight. Some of them have a 9 foot base. OK, so much for winter weather. I have lived in Chicago, Atlanta, and the mountains of Idaho. All big cities have mucho traffic problems including Seattle. The city has at least 200 days of rain/snow yearly. Since I have SAD, I will be moving soon or will take on a traveling job.I have been able to get a job in any specialty I desire. At this time, I am working Psyche nursing. However Harborview, Swedish and Virginia Mason are the best hospitals for all kinds of specialties. Oh, least I forget, the cost of living is VERY HIGH! Good luck! :rolleyes:

I have heard from family and friends that WA has had an INSANE winter this year, totally not the norm at all. Here in CO we have had a very mild winter since I moved here in 06 although we just had a Blizzard 2 days ago :stone The 10 years I spend in the area we only had 2 bad winters where we had lots of snow, the rest were just very wet winters.

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Specializes in neuro, ICU/CCU, tropical medicine.
I will take nine months of rain as long as the temperature is nice and cool.... i'll take that WAYYY over nine months of HOT STEAMY HUMID like you're in an OVEN.

I love it - I don't even have AC in my truck. I spend all day working in cold, dry hospital air then, when step outside in the evening and that warm, wet air hits my face, I take a deep breath and remember how much I love this city!

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Nice place, really bad weather. If you don't mind living under dark clouds and drippy rain for about 9 months out of the year, and then three months of beautiful, then it might be for you. If you are prone to SAD, or seasonal depression, be very careful about moving there.

I moved away from there to get to the sun. I am now in a place where we have 4 seasons and I love it. When it rains here, it actually stops and then the sun comes out. It hardly ever did that in the Seattle area.

Beware.

The trick to living in Seattle is to take a few weekend trips over the Cascades in the gray season. Once you lose the marine influence, the weather changes, with more sun, colder in the winter, hotter in the summer.

If you like the outdoors, Western Washington has few equals. Ocean and fresh water lakes, mountains and rain forest. The Washington and Oregon coasts are simply spectacular. Eastern WA has a semi-arid climate. In a couple hours drive, you can change your environment completely. Very few places offer that kind of variety.

Rather than living in Seattle, I'd look at smaller towns such as Bellingham, Port Townsend, etc.

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I went to college (the first time) in Seattle. I loved it but it was far from my friends/fam so I moved back east. If you are prone to SAD (like others have said) it might not be the best place for you. I have to agree with ann945n- while it does get a bad press for rain it doesn't have the most rainfall. That being said there are gray skies for many months out of the year. It drizzles here and there mostly during this time. Not really much snow. While I was there there wasn't any in the city. People are really nice.. at least when I was there they were. The traffic was a little bad. I didn't work at a hospital while I was there but from what I have heard Harborview is good. Rent is a little steep but sometimes it may be worth it. I lived on campus so I didn't have to deal with that but my friends did and like any city there are good places and bad places. Capital Hill/ First Hill area would be most convenient to downtown and the shopping areas. I loved it there.. so good luck with your move :)

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Specializes in neuro, ICU/CCU, tropical medicine.
Rather than living in Seattle, I'd look at smaller towns such as Bellingham, Port Townsend, etc.

I went to WWU for a couple of years back in the 80's and really liked Bellingham. My wife did a photo shoot up there a couple of years ago. From what I saw, Bellingham hadn't changed much - which is more than I can say for Seattle.

Seattle seems to me to have gotten too big for its breeches and a lot less friendly than it was in the early 80's when my family moved there.

I used to love Seattle, now I dread going back there.

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