How are working conditions for RN's post Katrina

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Hi,

I am from Metairie, LA., but I have lived out of state since 2004. We were actually headed home the weekend Katrina hit! We ended up stopping in North LA. and staying with family. I was lucky to get a good travel assignment in Philly and have been here since then. I am sooooooooooo

homesick though! I am just so afraid to come home, b/c I here conditions are really bad for nurses now.

If there are any Metairie/New Orleans nurses on here, please write and tell me what it is REALLY like there. It is so hard to believe what you hear from thenews media, they make everything sound worse! So if you are actually working there, please write and tell me what it is really like. I would also like to know how the pay is, and if there are actually rental properties available.

Thanks!

:nurse:

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I live in Metairie, La. I am a new grad starting at $20.58/hr. day shift at EJGH. They need nurses bad everywhere. Unfortunately rental property is so high it is ridiculous, if you can find anything. I am looking to move because this place is just still so run down.

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Specializes in Peds ER.

Hey mytoon,

Sorry you are missing home right now. I couldn't imagine leaving, even though it is a little rough right now. The hospitals that are open are pretty busy. I don't know what area you work in, but I wouldn't recommend doing ER around here right now. It is absolute chaos at most if not all hospitals, that I know of.

The good part is the pay is pretty good. I've gotten over $5 raise in just the past six months. Yes, the cost of living has gone up and hospitals are acting accordingly. Tulane is paying the highest right now, as far as I know, and I've heard many good things about the hospital as well. With experience you really can do pretty well, monetarily.

As far as rentals, you really need to be diligent about checking daily on sites like nola.com, craigslist.com, etc. There are decent priced rentals but they go quickly. I know you're a Metairie girl, I am too, but have you considered the Westbank? It's a little congested right now but in great shape. Metairie is still a little bruised and battered and rentals are few and far between. You can occasionally find a good one in Old Metairie.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do. I hope you return soon. We need our nurses to come back!

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THANKS for the reply!

I keep trying to get in touch with the nurse recruiter at Tulane, but it is IMPOSSIBLE to reach her!

I really prefer Psych, but I know that Depaul is closed. Do you know if it is ever gonna re-open? Where are they pautting all the Psych pt's?

I am glad you told me the pay is actually going up for RN's! People have been telling me that pay was lower for us, b/c of too many nurses and not enough jobs!

Thanks so much for answering! I have put in on-line app's but when they call and find out I am out of state, they just tell me to apply when I come home! They don't understand that I need to KNOW I have a job before I come home!

Well Thanks so Much!

PS Where do you work? How is it where you work? :nuke:

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Specializes in nursing home,psych,chemical dependency.

Hi, just read your notes. My best friend is now working as RN at Tulane downtown. Very hectic,,good pay,,,but she has lost massive amounts of weight, due to the pressure of the job . She was at DePaul pre-Katrina , and they have made no move to reopen. They have opened 10 beds at NOAH, but psych is pretty much being turned to the streets. I am in school right now working on my prereqs and hope to start at Charity in the fall of '07. I am hoping that by the time I graduate, everything will have settled down back to the norm. By the way, the northshore is busting at the seams !! Good luck on coming back.

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