Houston Area?

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Hi all! :)

I currently reside in Colorado but was looking into what the job market looks like in Houston? What is the 'nursing climate' like? What health systems are the best? Any advice or comments would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance :)

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Houston is a very competitive nursing market. lots of new nurses coming out of school. Getting very hard to find a job as a new ASN, even new BSN's are starting to have issues.

Experienced RN's are more desirable (BSN required at some facilities, but experienced ASN's can usually find something). I would not move here without a solid offer though.

I only have personal experience with the Memorial Hermann system and really like it. Methodist is good from what I hear (but pretty much requires BSN at all facilities, or at least in the process of getting it). The Christus system is faltering around here for some reason and have know quite a few leaving them.

A little more info would help with knowing what is available (years as a RN, ASN or BSN, area of experience etc).

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

I have no idea what you mean by "climate", can you be more specific?

The job outlook depends upon what you are bringing to the table. If you are an experienced BSN with a TX license, there are a lot of opportunities. It's even better if you have specialty skills. Last week, I saw that San Jacinto Methodist (in Baytown, just East of Houston) is offering a $5k sign-on bonus for experienced ED nurses. So the market is definitely heating up for specialty nurses.

The major players are Memorial-Hermann, Methodist & St. Lukes.... all with huge tertiary hospitals in the Texas Medical Center (TMC Texas Medical Center | World Leaders in Patient Care, Research, Education and Prevention since 1945 | Houston, TX Texas Medical Center) as well as suburban facilities all over the place. Ben Taub is a world famous trauma center (helicopter ambulance pioneer) in TMC.

Houston remains in growth mode which is reflected in a steady growth of health care services. Here's a helpful site with a lot of H-town info - Houston, Texas Real Estate, Apartments, Hotels, Hospitals If you want to take a closer look at living options - this is a good place to start... Houston Real estate, Houston homes, Houston Realtors - HAR.com. Houston has some unique challenges that are sometimes daunting for newcomers, so if you do decide to relocate, I advise you to work with an experienced Realtor who can guide you through all the oddities to find a location/place that suits you.

Best of luck to you!

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Thank you so much for all the help! That has helped immensely. I have my BSN, but I am a new grad. My fiancee lives in Houston currently hence the looking to move :) Pediatrics is my passion, but any acute-care setting and I'd be a happy clam I believe. I'll be looking into those health care systems- a catch 22 when many require experience but none willing to give it. I believe that hurdle is nation wide.

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Get your Texas License ASAP. With all the applicants out there, not having a Texas License could be a reason to overlook you.

Also, Houston is a huge city with may suburbs and affiliate hospitals in them. Knowing which part of town you plan on moving to helps when looking for the job.

Houston traffic is not what people make it to be, it is worse. Finding a place to work near home makes life so much easier.

And yes, it is a huge catch 22, the so called "nursing shortage" wants experienced nurses, not new grads. Also with the new health care laws going into effect, many facilities are on a hiring freeze till they figure out how it will affect them.

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Yeah I understand that. I thought Texas was a compact state however, so my CO license is multi-state. I've heard that traffic is awful, fiancee leaves 2 hours before work and gets there about half our early in what should be a twenty minute drive- eeps. I suppose I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope for the best!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I thought Texas was a compact state however, so my CO license is multi-state.
Even if Colorado is a compact state, you will need to obtain a Texas license within 30 days after moving here. You can legally work in TX under your CO license for 30 days. Thereafter, you'll need a TX license to continue legally working here.
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Oh I had no idea, thank you for that invaluable information!

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Specializes in NICU.

Also look in to MD Anderson if you're at all interested in oncology. Fabulous learning opportunities and pay from what I understand - and they have peds. I did a lot of my nursing school rotations there, and I really enjoyed it.

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You actually have 90 days now to get a Texas license if you have a compact license. It changed in April 2013.

https://www.ncsbn.org/30-90_days_Implementation_Table_072313(2).pdf

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