How is the job market in Spokane?

lindarn · Jan 25, 2009

Spokane has THREE SCHOOLS OF NURSING!! Hospitals deny that there is a nursing shortage, because they can then pay their nursing staff less, and only give small improvements in benefits and pay at contract time.

In reality, there is a shortage because, like in most areas, new grads stay only a few years at bedside nursing, and move on to bigger and better things. The older nurses are stuck with morgages, husbands who have been laid off, kids going to college, rising costs of everything, and are forced to stay. They cannot afford to retire.

Hospitals are bursting at the seams, with sicker patients, more uninsured, and a growing population, as more people are moving here from California and Seattle for a lower cost of living. Seattle has always been an economically depressed area, and the pay here is not that great. The three schools of nursing, and a steady stream of new grads, give the hospitals the attitude, " if you are not happy, go ahead and leave. I can replace you tomorrow with a new grad, and pay them half of that I am paying YOU"!. I am sure you can figure it out from there. Good luck in your decision to relocate to Spokane.

North Idaho, by the way, is worse than Spokane. JMHO and my NY $0.02.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

Reno1978, BSN, RN · Jan 31, 2009

I'm not sure what your reasons for wanting to relocate to Spokane are, but if you just want to be in the general area, I'd suggest the Tri-City area. It's about 2hrs drive south of Spokane, but there is a good nursing culture here. The area didn't get hit too hard by the rise and fall of housing prices and the hospital I work at is continuing to grow. I recently relocated here from Nevada and I can say without a doubt that the benefits, salary, and work environment is greatly improved from where I came from! Feel free to PM me for more info if you're interested!

lindarn · Jan 31, 2009

Where do you work in the Tri cities? And in my above post I stated that Seattle is an economically depressed area. I meant Spokane. Sorry. PM me, if you don't mind. Thanks.

Lindarn, RN, BSN, CCRN

Spokane, Washington

lalmontana · Feb 19, 2009

I am also interested in relocating to Spokane. I currently live in Montana and have not found nursing to be great here either with pay or opportunities, very political. My big love is mother/baby and NICU. Have had a chance to talk to Sacred Heart.....I have been a nurse for 4 years and am used to lower wages of Montana, what feedback would you give me?

NYNurseRN · Feb 20, 2009

I have also been looking to relocate to spokane from upstate New York as all of my family are in Alberta, Canada, and I wanted to be closer. I was offered a job on a Cardiac floor (which is what I am doing now), but the hours were 7p-7a (I do 7a-7p now) I cant imagine working nights, and the wage was less then I am making now working the day/evening shift as a new grad (working 7 months now) then they offered. I really need to move, but am not sure where to look. What are considered the "tri cities"? What hospitals should I be looking at?

Reno1978, BSN, RN · Feb 20, 2009

What are considered the "tri cities"? What hospitals should I be looking at?

The Tri-Cities are: Pasco, Kennewick and Richland. The larger hospitals are Kadlec Medical Center in Richland and Kennewick General Hospital. There's also Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco.

NYNurseRN · Feb 20, 2009

Thank you so much!

The Tri-Cities are: Pasco, Kennewick and Richland. The larger hospitals are Kadlec Medical Center in Richland and Kennewick General Hospital. There's also Lourdes Medical Center in Pasco.