Hospitals paying for your stay?

RNNPICU, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2019

Never heard of paying someone for a staff RN interview. I have heard some have relocation services, but that is the exception, not the norm, there are plenty of people in the area that are also vying for that same job and do not need relocation payment. I have heard of sign-on bonuses but will have to payback the prorated amount if you leave before the 2 year mark.

HomeBound · Feb 22, 2019

14 hours ago, LilPeanut said:
Hey, again, as someone living in SF working in the UC system, it's not that bad When I got divorced, I faced the prospect of never being able to retire. Now, I at least have hope that some day I can retire. Though I do have mixed feelings with the union, because I think sometimes the expectations from the union can be too high as far as benefits/pension/etc. Sometimes both sides can get greedy and not compromise as much as they should.
I tell people who want to live in NorCal that don't look at your pay and think "I'm going to be rich", but rather that it is compensating for the cost of living. I will always have a much smaller apt or home here than I had in other states and cities, but in those places, I was trapped inside my home for 6+ months of the year because it was either too hot or too cold to do stuff outside. Living here, I can pretty much go out every day. I don't need a huge living space. It's a different way of living in general. And the taxes here aren't bad - in reality, they are lower than my taxes in Ohio, because in OH, in addition to state taxes, we had RITA, which was a pain.
For a single person starting out, 75/hour is definitely livable. If you're the sole bread winner, with multiple children going to private schools and you want to own a home in the Marina, it's definitely not going to be enough.

LOL...yeah....I didn't work FTE for anyone in the UC system, I was travel. I heard it all from the employees---and it wasn't in the SF area, but they had the SF "union contract".

It was astonishing to me that every time I walked into any area where more than two RNs were talking---they were talking about money and how to game the UC system in order to get more in their paycheck.

SF has a tax for just working there...

So. Federal Income tax, marginal, is 25%--that is the bottom. If you make more, expect your tax rate to go up up up very quickly.

CA state, local, and city sales tax rate for SF is 8.25%

https://smartasset.com/taxes/california-tax-calculator

CA state income tax is the highest in the country. Marginal is 8%.

SF has a city income tax as well of I believe 5%?

The gas taxes are the highest, I paid $4.00/gal when the rest of the country was paying mid 2's.

Rents are some of the highest in the nation, all over CA, not just in SF. In Sacramento, a 1BR apartment in a verrrrrrrrrrry sketchy (and it's literally one block is okay, next block a shooting gallery, next block is okay....) area is around $1700/mo.

The union dues for the CNA are $120/mo.

Parking is an automatic $48/pay whether you park there or not. It's to help them pay for their overhead. "just in case" you ever park there.

There is zero parking available if you don't have it attached to your rental. None. Zip. Unless you want to live in one of the inland cities, you are not going to own a car or be able to get around effectively. SF has almost gridlock traffic. Read up on Oakland crime and that's a stone's throw from where most of the hospitals are located.

Getting to "the beach" from outside the coastal areas? Hours. Hours and hours and hours and hours of sitting in bumper to bumper traffic to get there---and if you want to spend the weekend? Expect to pay $500-600 per night for a hotel room miles from the beach. The fires in the summer are legendary--and this past summer is just an example of how bad they are getting.

PG&E is going under, filing bankruptcy. Two of the other utility companies are in trouble. Because of the fires. Infrastructure is being destroyed very quickly and the money isn't there to rebuild it. The rates will be going sky high, and rolling blackouts like last summer will be the norm--from the fires. It's 105 degrees during the summer routinely anywhere but the coastal areas. I couldn't go outside if I wanted to in that heat...my pets suffered horribly and I couldn't even ride my bike without feeling like my brain was boiling. People didn't go outside unless it was midnight. Even then, it was in the mid 80s.

If you live in an apartment, chances are that water is not included in your rent. I saw multi million dollar homes in the Monterey/Carmel area built and standing vacant, because they are on a list for water rights. The owners cannot live in them because there is no water allowed to go to the home---there is a limit to the amount of water each municipality is allowed---and once that is reached, homes cannot be occupied.

CALPERS is almost 1 trillion dollars in a hole. They cannot and will not ever have any type of ability to pay for those pensioners and they know this. I was there when the word was coming down that the nurses that are starting now and a few years ago---will never see that money as a pension.

I was offered and I refused--I made more as a traveler in the UC system--and that is actually the exception to the rule in California. Most of the time, the staffers do come out ahead of travelers. It's a weird thing. Anywhere else, we make double what a staffer makes. Not so in CA. Except at the UC system....you make more as a traveler---several female nurses that I knew---they were broke, hooking up with guys just so that they could move in and have a break on rent--moving in with parents and friends, living on couches---and their base pay was $64/hr.

I saw the paychecks of those staffers--because I wanted to know what I'd be getting into for that "high rate of pay"---and effectively, their income was cut by 51% with taxes, union dues, parking fees and other miscellaneous fees UC managed to tack on.

So the hourly rate was cut to $32/hr. Now live in one of the highest COL areas in the country.

I can live on $32/hr in Ohio. I cannot live on that in CA.

That was my point. I applaud you for being able to command a much higher rate of pay as a NICU NP. You worked hard for it and that is really a great thing for you.

However. You admit that you live in a very tiny space and "maybe can retire someday".

I want a house. And a yard. I don't like paying thousands of dollars for someone else's mortgage in order to live cheek to jowl with some crazies that call the police for your dog peeing on their petunias. I also don't like drug addicts sitting in the doorways of the street where I walk, and nobody does a thing. I also don't like when my door gets kicked in, in a "nice" expensive (for me) neighborhood---and the police tell me that they won't investigate because "you weren't raped or murdered".

I am all okay with not paying with my life, my health and my savings account in order to just see sunshine. The idea that I am "trapped indoors" because it snows? I am from a state with feet of snow---l learned how to snowboard and ski. There is no reason to be trapped just because it snows. Too hot, on the other hand....California is on fire most summers...and the Valley had the worst air quality in the WORLD, even above Shanghai, China. People were wearing masks when going outside. Trapped inside? Yep.

Just my take.

This is a primer for those who would just take a job because of money. If you want quality of life, you need to assess all of the factors.

LilPeanut, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 23, 2019

I'm too lazy to quote, sorry ? but renting is not the waste that people portray it as. And, my apt is in a good area, and I'm definitely not living hand to mouth. I live in a highrise downtown, no car, love it. And when I say I might get to retire, that's because I lost all my retirement plans essentially when I got divorced at 38. I have some hope of it, previously I had zero hope. And UC's pension is in much better shape than others. It's a problem with pensions and 401ks in general.

Honestly though, 32/hour AFTER taxes? That's still 5k/month, which isn't horrible. It wouldn't work in SF, but if your apartment is 2k/month, that's 3k to cover the rest of your expenses for the month.

The weather might suck in Sac, but that's why I don't live there LOL I wouldn't pay higher cost of living to live there, because of the heat. I live in the city because it's great to live in the city.

Fires were bad, yep. Had to wear masks here too. And I stayed inside pretty much for a good 1-2 weeks, which isn't that long really. Snow is not the only issue - bitter cold is. I have lived in MN, and the cold doesn't mess around there.

Personally, Sac sounds like a nightmare and I definitely wouldn't want to live there. Apparently some people do. I definitely agree that you should look at all the factors, but I also want to always remind people that home ownership is not the end-all be-all for everyone. It can be detrimental

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · Feb 23, 2019

On 2/21/2019 at 11:14 AM, Sour Lemon said:
I did work with some new graduates who received relocation assistance when I lived in South Texas ten years ago. I've never heard of interview expenses being paid for.
It might not hurt to request some sort of preliminary phone interview before spending your own money flying out. If they have a strong need for nurses, they might go for that.

Some facilities are now doing the first interview via questions that the candidate records their answers via web cam and submit them for review.

It may also be better to apply after graduating and obtaining a nursing license as one of the common questions asked on the phone after reviewing a resume and considering an interview is, “and you actual have a physical nursing license, not still waiting to take your NCLEX?”.

Nunya, BSN · Feb 23, 2019

On 2/22/2019 at 9:50 AM, DowntheRiver said:
Here in Florida Advent Health (formally Florida Hospital) does offer high relocation bonuses and sign on packages for experienced nurses in larger metro areas. I do believe they also offer relocation expenses for new grads but you work at one of their less prestigious facilities, such as those along I-4 (Altamonte, Daytona, etc.). BUT, it is a good opportunity because we do need nurses here. You'll get some good experience and can transfer within the company to the larger metro hospitals (Orlando + Tampa) when you have more experience.
We have a huge continuously growing senior adult population and more move here every year.
P.S. I do not work for Advent Health nor have I ever. Just born and raised here and have several nurse friends who do.

I'm in central FL too and I've seen relocation bonuses. Why is Altamonte considered less prestigious, I've thought about working there? Is it just because it's smaller?

iloveleeks · Feb 24, 2019

Went I went to Alaska to work, I received a $15,000 relocation/sign on bonus as a NICU RN. IT was also given to two new grads who started about the same time as me. Interview was over the phone, so no interview allowance needed.

DowntheRiver · Feb 24, 2019

13 hours ago, Elaine M said:
I'm in central FL too and I've seen relocation bonuses. Why is Altamonte considered less prestigious, I've thought about working there? Is it just because it's smaller?

Just because it is smaller. Some of the facilities along I-4 are new, but won't get the major traumas and cases like you would at the main campus.

If I lived in Orlando, I'd want to be at ORMC downtown, but that's just me.

Are you anywhere near Tampa?

2Ask · Feb 24, 2019

On 2/22/2019 at 1:58 PM, HomeBound said:
LOL...yeah....I didn't work FTE for anyone in the UC system, I was travel. I heard it all from the employees---and it wasn't in the SF area, but they had the SF "union contract".
It was astonishing to me that every time I walked into any area where more than two RNs were talking---they were talking about money and how to game the UC system in order to get more in their paycheck.
SF has a tax for just working there...
So. Federal Income tax, marginal, is 25%--that is the bottom. If you make more, expect your tax rate to go up up up very quickly.
CA state, local, and city sales tax rate for SF is 8.25%
https://smartasset.com/taxes/california-tax-calculator
CA state income tax is the highest in the country. Marginal is 8%.
SF has a city income tax as well of I believe 5%?
The gas taxes are the highest, I paid $4.00/gal when the rest of the country was paying mid 2's.
Rents are some of the highest in the nation, all over CA, not just in SF. In Sacramento, a 1BR apartment in a verrrrrrrrrrry sketchy (and it's literally one block is okay, next block a shooting gallery, next block is okay....) area is around $1700/mo.
The union dues for the CNA are $120/mo.
Parking is an automatic $48/pay whether you park there or not. It's to help them pay for their overhead. "just in case" you ever park there.
There is zero parking available if you don't have it attached to your rental. None. Zip. Unless you want to live in one of the inland cities, you are not going to own a car or be able to get around effectively. SF has almost gridlock traffic. Read up on Oakland crime and that's a stone's throw from where most of the hospitals are located.
Getting to "the beach" from outside the coastal areas? Hours. Hours and hours and hours and hours of sitting in bumper to bumper traffic to get there---and if you want to spend the weekend? Expect to pay $500-600 per night for a hotel room miles from the beach. The fires in the summer are legendary--and this past summer is just an example of how bad they are getting.
PG&E is going under, filing bankruptcy. Two of the other utility companies are in trouble. Because of the fires. Infrastructure is being destroyed very quickly and the money isn't there to rebuild it. The rates will be going sky high, and rolling blackouts like last summer will be the norm--from the fires. It's 105 degrees during the summer routinely anywhere but the coastal areas. I couldn't go outside if I wanted to in that heat...my pets suffered horribly and I couldn't even ride my bike without feeling like my brain was boiling. People didn't go outside unless it was midnight. Even then, it was in the mid 80s.
If you live in an apartment, chances are that water is not included in your rent. I saw multi million dollar homes in the Monterey/Carmel area built and standing vacant, because they are on a list for water rights. The owners cannot live in them because there is no water allowed to go to the home---there is a limit to the amount of water each municipality is allowed---and once that is reached, homes cannot be occupied.

CALPERS is almost 1 trillion dollars in a hole. They cannot and will not ever have any type of ability to pay for those pensioners and they know this. I was there when the word was coming down that the nurses that are starting now and a few years ago---will never see that money as a pension.
I was offered and I refused--I made more as a traveler in the UC system--and that is actually the exception to the rule in California. Most of the time, the staffers do come out ahead of travelers. It's a weird thing. Anywhere else, we make double what a staffer makes. Not so in CA. Except at the UC system....you make more as a traveler---several female nurses that I knew---they were broke, hooking up with guys just so that they could move in and have a break on rent--moving in with parents and friends, living on couches---and their base pay was $64/hr.
I saw the paychecks of those staffers--because I wanted to know what I'd be getting into for that "high rate of pay"---and effectively, their income was cut by 51% with taxes, union dues, parking fees and other miscellaneous fees UC managed to tack on.
So the hourly rate was cut to $32/hr. Now live in one of the highest COL areas in the country.
I can live on $32/hr in Ohio. I cannot live on that in CA.
That was my point. I applaud you for being able to command a much higher rate of pay as a NICU NP. You worked hard for it and that is really a great thing for you.
However. You admit that you live in a very tiny space and "maybe can retire someday".
I want a house. And a yard. I don't like paying thousands of dollars for someone else's mortgage in order to live cheek to jowl with some crazies that call the police for your dog peeing on their petunias. I also don't like drug addicts sitting in the doorways of the street where I walk, and nobody does a thing. I also don't like when my door gets kicked in, in a "nice" expensive (for me) neighborhood---and the police tell me that they won't investigate because "you weren't raped or murdered".
I am all okay with not paying with my life, my health and my savings account in order to just see sunshine. The idea that I am "trapped indoors" because it snows? I am from a state with feet of snow---l learned how to snowboard and ski. There is no reason to be trapped just because it snows. Too hot, on the other hand....California is on fire most summers...and the Valley had the worst air quality in the WORLD, even above Shanghai, China. People were wearing masks when going outside. Trapped inside? Yep.
Just my take.
This is a primer for those who would just take a job because of money. If you want quality of life, you need to assess all of the factors.

OTOH, I moved three blocks from the beach in the San Diego area. There were no fires here. I'm in a 10 rated school district for my son. I pay 2100/mo for a 2 BR apartment. I walk to the beach to see the sunset 2-3 times a week and body surfed through December with a wetsuit.

Parking at my hospital is $2.50 per month in a new safe garage. Parking at my apartment is on street and plentious. Water and garbage are included with my apartment. I declined to join the union (which one is allowed to do since the recent Supreme Court decision) so I don't have any union dues deducted.

Haven't done my taxes yet, but since I only have half a year of Cali income, sold a house in the midwest and get child support, I have plenty of cash flow and take the maximum pre-tax deduction toward retirement so I'll be in a the lowest tax bracket (they even sent me a postcard about EIC).

Speaking of California taxes, I'm stunned to learn how regressive Cali is with property taxes! Mansions on the ocean are paying peanuts if they were purchased a long time ago. The schools are poorly funded compared to other states as a consequence.

Quote
QUOTE: "in 2003 financier Warren Buffett announced that he pays property taxes of $14,410, or 2.9 percent, on his $500,000 home in Omaha, Nebraska, but pays only $2,264, or 0.056 percent, on his $4 million home in California. Although Buffet is known as an astute investor, the low property taxes on his California home are not attributable to his investment prowess, but rather to Proposition 13." https://www.nber.org/digest/apr05/w11108.html

I recently decided to cut back to part time. So for 0.6FTE or 2- 12 hour shifts weekly, I will make approximately $60K per year. I will need to pay a little more for health insurance. It was $18/mo at full time and now it will be $100/mo so it will be about $1000 more annually. Where else can I work part time and make that much? Yes, my rent will take a $25K bite but I live in the most lovely place I can imagine. People often call it Paradise.

Housing, gasoline, and car registration cost more but food and clothes are the same or less- lots of fresh fruit and veggies cheap here. Health insurance is less. Pay is double what I made in the midwest.

I may need to reassess upon retirement, but meanwhile, I'm enjoying my California lifestyle.

Nunya, BSN · Feb 24, 2019

6 hours ago, DowntheRiver said:
Just because it is smaller. Some of the facilities along I-4 are new, but won't get the major traumas and cases like you would at the main campus.
If I lived in Orlando, I'd want to be at ORMC downtown, but that's just me.
Are you anywhere near Tampa?

No, Orlando.

/username, BSN, RN · Feb 24, 2019

On 2/22/2019 at 12:55 AM, HomeBound said:
Greenville is also a very expensive town to live in, remember that if you think it's such a cool thing.
Reasonable hourly rates can turn very quickly into minimum wage jobs if you aren't paying attention. It's always so cute and romantic to live in downtown NYC or SF---but when the reality hits---you are either being recruited to a HIGH COL area for a seemingly "high rate of pay" or a toxic hospital where locals or internal candidates can't be found because they've caught on.

You really shouldn't compare the cost of living in SC and say it's on par with the cost of living in NYC or SF... I just did a search on apartments.com, and the most expensive apartments currently available in Greenville are what the smallest, cheapest, not-the-safest-neighborhood apartments in NYC and SF START at.... You're nog getting larger than a studio until you get into the 1600-1800 range, and a true two bedroom apartment will often start just below 3,000, and there's no way in hell you're living in lower manhattan or downtown SF on a nursing salary, even if you have dual income household and roommates.

When there are only 7 apartments in the whole city of greenville that are above 3k per month, it's not exactly the same....

Another important consideration are all the expenses beyond rent. For example, in SF right now gas is 3.30-3.40 a gallon. In NYC it's about a dollar cheaper per gallon at 2.30-2.40. In Greenville it's barely over 2.00 at 2.05, with significant numbers of gas stations under 2 dollars a gallon.

Things like groceries will be between 30-50% more expensive in both of those cities.

Yes, Greenville is expensive to live in while being paid a nursing salary, but saying the cost of living is equivalent to SF or NYC is inaccurate and misleading.

GingerKid1984 · Feb 24, 2019

Some places do offer incentives once you’re hired (repaying student loans if you work for x-number of years, or moving expenses). But these are typically only for hard-to-fill positions that are rural or remote, and they definitely wouldn’t pay to fly you out for an interview. When I interviewed for a position across the country (I’m in Canada), it was a phone interview.

Lulu Belle, RN, EMT-B · Feb 24, 2019

On 2/21/2019 at 12:43 PM, ruby_jane said:
That's really cool - when was this? Recently? My experience is skewed by living in the NTX- no real nursing shortage (what we have is a shortage of well-trained acute care nurses willing to stay) so a bonus is pretty much out of the question.

This happened to me too just last week. Same region of the country, also a New Grad position. They payed for my mileage and hotel. I was blown away that they were willing to do it and would have loved to work for the organization but sadly have to relocate to the west coast. I also recently had a Seattle area hospital offer me a relocation package. I guess it's not totally unheard of.