Looking to relocate for work. Atlanta?

[VikkiPink, RN]

Hello everyone,

I will soon be a new grad- May 21st in a BSN program. I am a Canadian nurse (LPN currently) looking to relocate to a sunny state. I was looking at larger centres in hopes of finding good medical centres... particularly teaching hospitals or hospitals with paid residency/preceptorships. I am looking to transition well into the RN role with guidance from this sort of program. I also am looking to get into a speciality... I'm interested in renal. Is there any teaching hospitals or hospitals with these types of opportunities? How hard is it to get trained in a speciality after a residency program? How desperate are these cities for nurses? How are they for living? Any relocating bonuses? I'm looking for a city with lots to do, a good amount of accommodations for a decent price r/t income. Also some insight as to how you've enjoyed/disliked living in these cities would be great!

And of course, I welcome particularly experiences from those either from Canada who relocated to the US or from a small town to a larger city!

Thanks.

[calivianya, BSN, RN]

Atlanta is a great city to visit, but I wouldn't want to live and work there.

Here's why:

Pay's low: low to mid 20s per hour for new grads

Commute is awful: trust me both I-85 and the bypass are nightmares. Atlanta might not be as bad as New York City but it still gets pretty bad, around rush hour especially. If you don't mind a long commute Atlanta's okay, but long commutes are something I work very hard to avoid so this is a big deal breaker for me.

Cost of living: well, Atlanta's an affordable place to buy, but the rent can be on the high side, especially in good parts of town.

It does have a fantastic shopping scene and bar scene though. There is a lot to do in Atlanta, which is why I prefer to visit instead of living there.