KC student needing advice on moving to california for first year of nursing

WayneRNinKS · Nov 12, 2005

KC student,

Have you considered contacting a Travel Nurse agency? Then, request jobs in California, look around out there, see what your options are.

Just a suggestion.

Good luck !

Wayne

KCstudent · Nov 12, 2005

thanks wayne! i have contacted many traveling agencies but they all require 1-2 years experience as an RN. i want to move immediately following graduation so i don't settle into Kansas City and end up here forever. thanks for the advice.

Steph - KCstudent

pedinurse05 · Nov 12, 2005

Hello!! I am a senior nursing student at the University of Kansas City and I want to move to California following graduation but don't even know where to start looking for jobs. Any help on what to expect or resources anyone found useful would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

I just graduated in March and moved to California from Florida last month. Almost every hospital I applied at offered me a job. I took a position at a large pediatric hospital. My advice is, after taking boards, apply for licensure in California so you have a license when you move. Start putting in applications when you get here...I don't think you will have a problem getting job offers.

Missy

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 13, 2005

I think I know what you are asking, but let me be sure. Do you want to move to California and take your state board here? If that's what you want to know you need to contact the state board to find out how to do that because you are probably going to have to submit your school transcripts and any other paperwork they require before they would let you take the exam. Normally, your nursing school does that, but you're talking about testing in another state. It can be done, however. Also, where in California are you thinking of moving to? . .it's a big state here! Unless you are planning to live out in the boonies (and, there's plenty of those, too, out here), you shouldn't have a problem getting a job in any of the major urban centers. I'm just north of L.A. and near Pasadena and get postcards in the mail all the time from area hospitals looking for nurses. I didn't know there were so many hospitals around my neck of the woods! Stay away from travel nursing and agency nursing. You need to have a year or two of general hospital nursing experience to do those and you are not ready for that yet. Bring an official copy of your birth certificate with you because the DMV wants to see it for ID purposes when you surrender your KS or MO license for a California one.

geekgolightly, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2005

Hello!! I am a senior nursing student at the University of Kansas City and I want to move to California following graduation but don't even know where to start looking for jobs. Any help on what to expect or resources anyone found useful would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

Apply online for jobs as a Graduate Nurse to hospitals that are in the city in which you wish to move. Move there as a GN, take the boards there, and become an RN there while working.

P.S. I know what you mean about not wanting to get stuck here. Can you believed I moved here with the family only last year? WHY WHY WHY. I hope to be in the pacific northwest within five years.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2005

Be sure you have taken into account the extremely high cost-of-living that is the hallmark of California. This state is beautiful, but very expensive.

I was born and raised in a coastal city in southern California and the monthly apartment rents there run between $1400 for a bad area to $2000 for a nice area. If you want to buy a little house, expect to pay at least $600,000 for something really old.

For the past two years I have been living in Bakersfield, the 'most affordable' market in California. It's so affordable because of the extremely hot weather, unpleasant dairy stench, and lack of things to do. Rents start at $800 and decent houses start at $300,000.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 18, 2005

lack of things to do.

Come on! Don't you guys have a Sonic drive thru up there? Or, is it in Lancaster? :chuckle

suzanne4, RN · Nov 18, 2005

My suggestion is to get your license in your home state, and then just endorse to CA. You can do a walk thru at the BON office in Sacramento. The flip side is that you will have to wait to find out if you passed your boards, there is no early notification here, etc.

Unfortunately, it is not as easy to get a job as a GN out here, if you are from another state, and I definitely do not suggest it.

Just to play devil's advocate for a minute, if you come out as a GN, and do not pass the NCLEX, your salary immediately drops down to less than 1/2, so it will be hard to pay the rent, plus you need to wait 90 days to retest. So, think about that as well.

Take the exam in a place that you are familiar with, so you have a back up system there for you, everyone feels terrible for a few days after taking the exam, and to do it on your own? And then make the move. You will also find it much easier to get a job with the NCLEX already completed.

SherBearRN · Nov 18, 2005

Suzanne brought up some very good points to consider. Your post caught my eye because I just moved from Kansas to California. I graduated nursing school in May of this year. I took NCLEX in Kansas and applied for endorsement to CA. It was very easy! I also recommend taking NCLEX before moving.

What area of CA are you interested in? I moved to San Francisco and I just love it! I love the hospital I'm working at, too! I know it's been mentioned that the cost of living is high here, but I'm making it just fine. My apt. costs me $1500 a month and my pay is over $40/hr. My utility bills are very low, mostly because I live right on the ocean. I haven't needed any heat, nor have I needed any air conditioning. I have extra money at the end of the month...I didn't have that when I was working at the hospital in Kansas.

I would suggest picking an area you are interested in and apply to hospitals once you get closer to graduation. In the mean time, look up some hospitals you may be interested in and see when they offer new grad interships. Most will give you deadlines for their programs and when they start, depending on the specialty. When graduation gets closer, start applying. You can go to http://www.hospitalsoup.com and search for hospitals in California.

Good luck!

KCstudent · Nov 18, 2005

thank you. thank you, thank you!! i am moving to san francisco as well. i am so glad to hear everything worked out for you. i plan on taking the NCLEX here in may or june and moving in july. i don't know when to start applying because i don't know when i'll be able to go out there for interviews. any suggestions??? i am so glad you love it there. hopefully, i will too. plus, i am moving out with a roommate so that will cut down on cost.

KCstudent · Nov 18, 2005

also, what hospital do you work at??? what area??