I graduate from Nursing school may 6th and I have always fancied moving to CA. I spoke with a nurse recruiter at UCLA and was alerted that the pay would be: 25.36/hr 4.00/hr for nights and 2.50 for weekends. $1500 relocation and no sign on bonus. That is NOT enough! That weekend diff is pittiful!!! The cost of living in California is soooo high especially if you expect to live somewhere near the hospital (Bev. hills) The pay here That I am being offered here in Indianapolis is this 19/hr plus 4.00/hr for nights and 5.50/hr. for weekend diff. 11.00/hr for holidays and a $5,000 sign on bonus. The cost of living in Indianapolis area is MUCH LOWER than Ca. I mean you can get a 4 br. nice house ,nice area here for 170,000 (maybe less maybe more depending on amenities such as a basement) gas ranges from 1.58 to 1.99 sometimes, groceries aren't bad, eating out isnt bad either a really nice greek place that serves a huge delicious dinner may cost 25-30 a person and you save half of it for the next day in left overs.
I have always wanted to live in NY or CA because of the liberal atmosphere and diversity. Also, I have dreamed since childhood of acting and Indiana doesnt exaclty offer much in that department. But.... In Indiana it seems I could have a much more comfortable life. How do you CA nurses afford anything???? The pay DOES NOT seem to reflect cost of living at all! Any advice on how you live, or info on how much things cost(I already know that rent and housing is ridiculous), how many hrs you have to work to be able to survive, can you afford to do fun things?
Thank you!
Also traffic seems to be horrific, how is it at night? Is public transportation good?
Maybe I am struggling with the "grass is greener on the other side" syndrome.
I understand. I used to move around a lot thinking someplace else would be better. I've lived in various states, cities large and small, on both coasts and in the south. What was said earlier is true. If a place is cheaper it's usually because 1) people don't make as much money there 2) few people want to live there
I never found that I banked anymore money in one place versus another. If the cost of living was cheaper, I still ended up banking pretty much the same because the job prospects weren't as good, and the salaries/benefits weren't as good either. You think you're saving money on one thing but, once you move there, you discover you have other expenses you didn't anticipate that tend to wipe out the cost savings.
In the end ... I'd stick with the culture you're most comfortable with and figure out how to live as cheaply as you can within it. If you're used to California ... even though you have a love/hate relationship with it ... you can be in for quite a shock if you move elsewhere.
Although, keep in mind that some of those cheaper semi-rural areas in California -- like where I'm living now -- can be as conservative as Texas, with plenty of rednecks to boot. I sometimes wonder if I'm still living in California. Luckily, there are plenty of urbanites like me who have moved out here. The rednecks hate us immigrants and all the growth that's happening here but, suburbia is here to stay.
I'm guessing that at first glance this may not fit ideologically but the Army Reserve is offering a $15,000 signing bonus and/or $50,000 of educational loan repayment to registered nurses. Given California's high cost of living, this could be a help to some people. You would incorporate this with your existing employment and/or be able to take a bonus that a hospital offers you in addition to the Army Reserve incentive. I've known several nurses who have taken this option. The thought most have is that you'd deploy as soon as you get on board but in many/most cases this is not the case. I think one would need to be ideologically inclined toward caring for our soldiers to make this worthwhile. Regardless of politics, our soldiers deserve the highest standard of care possible. The Army Reserve does require a BSN from a NLN or CCNE accredited school (or an ADN from an NLN accredited school and work experience in critical care) to obtain these incentives.
It's tricky to compare salaries from different regions. Remember higher incomes only bump you into higher tax bracket so you keep a smaller percentage of the additional earnings. It's better to go to places like salary.com when comparing cost of living from different areas. And traffic snafus (I-91, 215, etc) can only be appreciated behind the wheel.
Welcome to Nursing!!!!!! I live and work in LA. Most of the nurses I work with are either married or have a roommate. It is expensive here. UCLA is a wonderful hospital. You will probably have to commute, but you get used to it after awhile. THink it through carefully before making the big jump.
Hi Cali Nurses,
I graduate from Nursing school may 6th and I have always fancied moving to CA. I spoke with a nurse recruiter at UCLA and was alerted that the pay would be: 25.36/hr 4.00/hr for nights and 2.50 for weekends. $1500 relocation and no sign on bonus. That is NOT enough! That weekend diff is pittiful!!! The cost of living in California is soooo high especially if you expect to live somewhere near the hospital (Bev. hills) The pay here That I am being offered here in Indianapolis is this 19/hr plus 4.00/hr for nights and 5.50/hr. for weekend diff. 11.00/hr for holidays and a $5,000 sign on bonus. The cost of living in Indianapolis area is MUCH LOWER than Ca. I mean you can get a 4 br. nice house ,nice area here for 170,000 (maybe less maybe more depending on amenities such as a basement) gas ranges from 1.58 to 1.99 sometimes, groceries aren't bad, eating out isnt bad either a really nice greek place that serves a huge delicious dinner may cost 25-30 a person and you save half of it for the next day in left overs.
I have always wanted to live in NY or CA because of the liberal atmosphere and diversity. Also, I have dreamed since childhood of acting and Indiana doesnt exaclty offer much in that department. But.... In Indiana it seems I could have a much more comfortable life. How do you CA nurses afford anything???? The pay DOES NOT seem to reflect cost of living at all! Any advice on how you live, or info on how much things cost(I already know that rent and housing is ridiculous), how many hrs you have to work to be able to survive, can you afford to do fun things?
Thank you!
Also traffic seems to be horrific, how is it at night? Is public transportation good?
I'm guessing that at first glance this may not fit ideologically but the Army Reserve is offering a $15,000 signing bonus and/or $50,000 of educational loan repayment to registered nurses. Given California's high cost of living, this could be a help to some people. You would incorporate this with your existing employment and/or be able to take a bonus that a hospital offers you in addition to the Army Reserve incentive. I've known several nurses who have taken this option. The thought most have is that you'd deploy as soon as you get on board but in many/most cases this is not the case. I think one would need to be ideologically inclined toward caring for our soldiers to make this worthwhile. Regardless of politics, our soldiers deserve the highest standard of care possible. The Army Reserve does require a BSN from a NLN or CCNE accredited school (or an ADN from an NLN accredited school and work experience in critical care) to obtain these incentives.
.....and the Army Reserve also offers a quick trip to Iraq with no expiration date....you can't spend the money if you are dead.
You've got to be kidding. No disrespect intended but I don't think its true that one wouldn't be deployed as soon as one signs up for the Reserves. Its not a secret that the military is real short on people these days because they recently published the fact that they missed their recruiting goals two years in a row. Also, we're fighting wars in two different countries now and our President has warned of the possibility of a third.
I also take exception to what I see as discriminatory policies in the Armed Services. A class buddy of mine was very interested to become an army nurse, but they denied his application because he wasn't between the ages 17 and 34. If they are turning away nurses who are just 1 year older than their age requirement then I doubt that they really are as concerned about high quality healthcare for soldiers as they say. I just can't fathom being too old for any profession at age 35!!!!
For anyone who doesn't know, if you are interested in getting your student loans wiped out check with Health and Human Services or the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. Both have a loan forgiveness program if you agree to work in a medically underserved area for 2 years. Information about California's program can be found here
I'm guessing that at first glance this may not fit ideologically but the Army Reserve is offering a $15,000 signing bonus and/or $50,000 of educational loan repayment to registered nurses. Given California's high cost of living, this could be a help to some people. You would incorporate this with your existing employment and/or be able to take a bonus that a hospital offers you in addition to the Army Reserve incentive. I've known several nurses who have taken this option. The thought most have is that you'd deploy as soon as you get on board but in many/most cases this is not the case. I think one would need to be ideologically inclined toward caring for our soldiers to make this worthwhile. Regardless of politics, our soldiers deserve the highest standard of care possible. The Army Reserve does require a BSN from a NLN or CCNE accredited school (or an ADN from an NLN accredited school and work experience in critical care) to obtain these incentives.
I am a UCLA oncology nurse. Yes it is a good place to work but we do need a raise. I believe one of the other posters said there is 4 hours OT per work day....not here at UCLA...the only over time you get is if you work extra days. Right now are in negotiations for our new union contract....and last month we were going to strike. So i dont know if it is the right time to work here.
THey also want to take away our lift team, cna's and secritaries! The other night we had one secrtary for two floors!!!!!!! Talk about putting our patients at risk!
I am a UCLA oncology nurse. Yes it is a good place to work but we do need a raise. I believe one of the other posters said there is 4 hours OT per work day....not here at UCLA...the only over time you get is if you work extra days.
Sorry I forgot that UCLA's union sold the nurses out on their last contract in regard to the OT. Maybe CNA will work harder for you this time. Still think it's a good place to work and your benefits are better than any other hospital in the area.
how do you feel about getting a roomate? Or perhaps living in the oxnard/ventura area and commuting about 1 hour everday... might make it cheaper...
I've been researching Ventura County online, but the apartments look to be as expensive as anything else in California. Do you live in the area? I requested a visitor's guide from Ventura, and it looks wonderful! I was pretty set on moving to California, but I don't know. Still contemplating. Any info you could offer would be appreciated.
The only thing you can do is try to find a more affordable area, but that means moving much farther inland ... and I mean two hours away from major cities if not more than that.
Places like LA or San Fran are going to be high sky as far as costs ... no getting around it really.
I live in the thick of it in Northern California in Berkeley or Berzerkely as some call it Ha! I just got my first new grad job at a hospital in San Francisco and it pays 39.45 an hour for day shift rate. However you have to realize that most people have to pay a $3-5 toll for the bridges or a $6-7 bart fare daily if they don't drive. Also housing market here is like $600,000 average right now. But I live in a bad apartment with a roomie in a nice area and we split $1100 rent, that I think is like living for free when you consider most rents. I concur however that it would be impossible to leave this place, everytime I think "oh man it would be so much cheaper in -you name the state-" I remember all the lovely california things and can't imagine my life elsewhere.
Hi cookie78 - I just moved to Berzerkely recently as my BF is attended Haas (first class was today!). Have you lived here long?
I'm not a nurse yet...just starting prereqs soon... missed the start of this semester though...
Sheri257
3,905 Posts
I understand. I used to move around a lot thinking someplace else would be better. I've lived in various states, cities large and small, on both coasts and in the south. What was said earlier is true. If a place is cheaper it's usually because 1) people don't make as much money there 2) few people want to live there
I never found that I banked anymore money in one place versus another. If the cost of living was cheaper, I still ended up banking pretty much the same because the job prospects weren't as good, and the salaries/benefits weren't as good either. You think you're saving money on one thing but, once you move there, you discover you have other expenses you didn't anticipate that tend to wipe out the cost savings.
In the end ... I'd stick with the culture you're most comfortable with and figure out how to live as cheaply as you can within it. If you're used to California ... even though you have a love/hate relationship with it ... you can be in for quite a shock if you move elsewhere.
Although, keep in mind that some of those cheaper semi-rural areas in California -- like where I'm living now -- can be as conservative as Texas, with plenty of rednecks to boot. I sometimes wonder if I'm still living in California. Luckily, there are plenty of urbanites like me who have moved out here. The rednecks hate us immigrants and all the growth that's happening here but, suburbia is here to stay.