Memphis

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Specializes in ICU-CCRN, CVICU, SRNA.

Hi guys-I am considering moving to Memphis and wanted to know how the job climate is. Will be relocationg in the U of tenessee area. I have 1 1/2 year ICU and some CV experience. Are jobs very difficult to find and how is the cost of living? I would be moving from Florida. Thank you.

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I can't address the hospitals, as I'm only a student right now, but I would strongly advise against living in Memphis, or Shelby County.

If I were you, I would look for someplace to live in Tipton County, just north of Shelby. Local schools (if that matters to you) and local government are SO much better. Taxes are much lower, and its a lot safer, too. I would NEVER live in Memphis - try the Munford/Atoka/Brighton area instead. The commute to most Memphis hospitals isn't too bad from there. That being said, plenty of people do live in Memphis, and are very happy... It's just not my cup of tea.

Cost of living is probably a little lower that in Florida. A gallon of milk is $2.50, gas is about the same. B/c of the crash in the housing market, there are lots of homes available from the 100's on up, with a pretty nice ones (by my definition) in Tipton County in the 150 - 250 range. Prices will be higher in Memphis... Water is cheap, electricity in T.C. is very affordable, thanks to co-ops. Memphis Light Gas & Water is more expensive.

Basically, it depends on where you live. If you don't mind a commute of less than an hour, you paycheck will go so much further in Tipton County than in Memphis. If you can't stand the thought of not living in a city, there are plenty of amenities within Memphis itself. If you MUST live in the city (although why anyone would want to, I sure don't know! LOL), I would suggest renting a townhouse or something for 6 months or so, until you get to know your way around and figure out which part of the city, or county, you want to settle in permanently.

Hopefully someone else can address the hospitals for you. Good luck in your move!

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I recently moved from Memphis. My advice...don't move there. Memphis is the epitome of what happens when people just stop caring about anything but themselves. A lot of the city is corrupt, trashy, ghetto, and dangerous. It is an ok place to go for a day or two to site see, but I cannot see why anyone would ever want to live there.

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Oh come on its not THAT bad. Of course u wont like it compared to FL but I have lived here my whole life it's okay. Yes the taxes are high (but that's all of TN)...I dunno if I were you I would work at Methodist Germantown (although not really close to where u are moving). But it is a really nice hospital and they are expanding their CVICU and currently hiring for new nurses to work these positions. I have friends that have just graduated that tried to apply for the job but were all turned down because they wanted people with at least 1 yr experience so u would be perfect!

There is also the Med which is close to where u will be moving. You will see a lot of amazing things (so I hear) working there especially in their specialty units however this hospital mostly serves ppl with no insurance so u will see the worst of the worst including homeless people...

Then there is Methodist University and LeBonheur (a children's hospital) . I dont know much about University's ICU so can't help u out there!

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Specializes in Dialysis.

Memphis is urban and has alot of crime but I know of no urban area in the US that doesn't. It is unique in that housing is reasonable, traffic is not a problem, and people are friendly. If you have a problem with the fact it is 60% African American then live in the county outside the city limits. I don't really like to drive and live close to Methodist University in an area known as midtown. I walk to work and have never been robbed or threatened. Alot of the perception of crime here has to do with racial attitudes and if there is one ugly feature of this place it is racism, both black and white. You do have to be aware of your surroundings but that is true with any city that has a million people.

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

Actually, the "perception" of Memphis as a high crime city is not simply perception. It's a fact. According to city-data.com's database, Memphis has a crime index of 949.4 (the national average is 320.9). Higher is worse. For comparison, Detroit's crime index is 901.1. Oakland CA's crime index is 906.6. Compton's (yeah, *that* Compton) crime index is 727.5.

Also, the racial problems that plague this city on both sides of the fence make things unbearable at times. A common joke is that the thick, humid air here isn't actually humidity - it's racial tension.

If you do move here, be sure to move to one of the incorporated suburbs like Germantown or Collierville. Not to say that there's no crime in those areas, but you're less likely to encounter it, as the police are very proactive in those communities.

As for traffic not being a problem, that's gotta be a joke. Rush hour is from 3:30pm to 6. For some reason, I've noticed that the 3:30pm traffic is MUCH worse than the 5pm traffic. I guess because we have a lot of shift workers here and not as many 9-5 professionals. Memphis drivers are notorious for dodging drops of rain and ending up in ditches. And I won't even mention the horrific traffic conditions if we, God forbid, actually get a few flakes of snow on the road.

On the plus side, Memphis does have a ton of good hospitals, including a Level I trauma center and St. Jude.

Good luck.

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Specializes in Dialysis.

You have to look at your reference point when comparing Memphis to anywhere else. I moved here from the Bay area (California) and yes the traffic is not a problem. People ARE friendly here. Housing is extremely affordable. And best of all Memphis has what every real city has and that is diversity. My neighbors don't all look the same and their houses don't all look the same. I have a Vietnamese grocery store just down the street, a 100 year old tulip poplar in my front yard and on any given sunday there are dozen different concerts, coffeeshops, or restaurants within 10 minutes of my house. Memphis is a great place to live.

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

Perception is in the eye of the beholder. And sometimes those eyes need glasses. ;)

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

I'm not so sure that a good tamale outweighs a crime level that's through the roof, a disproportionate number of corrupt government officials, a job market that consists of little more than warehouse work, and a failed city school system that has a budget higher than the entire city itself (800 million budget for the city schools, 600 million budget for the city). A large part of the problem is the cronyism and lack of attention former mayor Herenton gave to important city issues. Maybe things will turn around with the new government and with the possibility of a metro government. I'm hoping so.

But for now, I'd rather avoid the tamales in favor of not getting shot. :D

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

Oops. It turns out we have the most violent crime AND our driving sucks! ;)

The Countrys Most Dangerous Cities - Francesca Levy - Crib Notes - Forbes

Memphis, Tenn., where gang crime has ramped up in recent years, takes the dubious honor of first place. The city also has one of the worst driving fatality records of any city we ranked, with fifteen traffic fatalities for every 100,000 people in 2008.
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I have lived in FL(Gainesville and Jacksonville) and in Memphis. Stay in Fl. Memphis is like Jacksonville without the beach and more crime.

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