Less Saturated areas of CA?

[Lulu Belle, RN, EMT-B]

Hi All,

I am hoping to move to San Diego in the next year or so, but I know the job market is pretty terrible for new grads. I was wondering if there are any less saturated areas 2 or 3 hours from San Diego? Is Palm Springs just as impossible? Are there any community hospitals that are New Grad friendly? I have an offer on the east coast, but I would love to get out there ASAP. I know very little about southern CA so any info (up to and including "it's not even worth trying") is appreciated. TIA!

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

IMO, take the offer on the east coast, get a year or two of experience, get your BSN if you don't already have it, and then come out to coastal California. The job market is better for experienced nurses than for new grads.

Though if you insist on coming out here, definitely look inland. I don't have personal experience with this, but based on what I've seen, the further away you are from the CA coastline, the better your prospects as a new nurse might be.

There are some new grad programs in San Diego, but there's a lot of competition for them. Definitely apply, but I would wait until you land a spot in one of them before you pack up and move out here.

Best of luck.

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

The job market is high competitive in San Diego as so many people want to live here. Go ahead and apply to openings, though, you never know. Basically, the coastal job market is saturated, anywhere on the coast. Best bet is to look anywhere inland. Good luck.

[NewNurseRN15, BSN]

Tons... I graduated in San Diego, and moved to Riverside County for a new grad job. I moved to Temecula but still had to commute an hour north to Corona. I also had a new grad offer in Hemet. Now that I have a few years experience, even after 6 months, I could easily get a job in San Diego. Many of my coworkers and old friends from my cohort did the same thing... started on the outskirts of San Diego, and now are working for Scripts, Sharp, Kaiser and UCSD

[NICUismylife, ADN, BSN, RN]

Bakersfield or Fresno would probably be your best bet. I was hired into my specialty of choice as a new grad in Bakersfield.

[Lulu Belle, RN, EMT-B]

Thank you all for the replies. I am a military spouse and we are actually going to Seattle now, but will probably be headed to SD in the next few years. This is great info for any new grads looking to move to the general area!

[KokoBell, APRN]

On 2/26/2019 at 7:37 PM, NewNurseRN15 said:

Tons... I graduated in San Diego, and moved to Riverside County for a new grad job. I moved to Temecula but still had to commute an hour north to Corona. I also had a new grad offer in Hemet. Now that I have a few years experience, even after 6 months, I could easily get a job in San Diego. Many of my coworkers and old friends from my cohort did the same thing... started on the outskirts of San Diego, and now are working for Scripts, Sharp, Kaiser and UCSD

How is Temecula overall? I looking at it in terms of relocating. I have young children so safety and school ratings are a big deal to me.
Thanks

[LBC_RN, BSN]

VA Long Beach has a new grad residency program. Several of my friends completed it & are still working there and excelling ? Long Beach is a big city but has a town town vibe. We have some really great, safe neighborhoods. People are friendly & I’m happy I made the move here 3 years ago. Good luck! ?