MI new grad to Texas

U.S.A. Texas

Published

Specializes in ICU.

Hi everyone,

So, I have a lot of questions and I hope that all of you can help me find some answers. Some background on me, I have a previous degree in Kinesiology and have worked in cardiac rehab, as a college physical fitness and wellness instructor, and a personal trainer. I'm currently in an accelerated BSN program and I will graduate in Dec. 2011. As the economy in MI is awful, my husband and I plan to move to TX immediately after graduation, among other personal reasons that we're planning the move.

So, my questions:

1. Should I take the NCLEX in MI, then endorse it in TX, or instead take the NCLEX in TX initially?

2. If I take it in TX initially will it be a quicker?

3. Will I get my license quick enough to apply to an internship program that starts in January?

4. Is there anything that I should/could do to promote my chances of getting accepted to a new grad RN position or internship?

Thank you in advance for all of your replies!!

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Specializes in ICU.

Also, I'm very interested in Scott and White, but what are some other hospitals that you all would recommend to apply to?

Thanks again!

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).

To be completely honest with you.... I would have a couple backup cities *aka smaller cities* to move to, just in case you any issues. Apply to where you want but don't be like countless people who move down here, thinking they'll find a job instantly. (Don't know who keeps spreading the rumor that Texas is still handing out jobs.....especially in big cities) The jobs ARE in rural texas, South Texas (border cities) and pretty much smaller towns, though. (I live in Houston, but I heard Scott and White is *extremely* competitive also so you might have to apply early.) Just make your best grades, get extra certifications, endorse here first if you can (and if you are completely set on moving to TX and KNOW you want to work and stay for a while). Also... now is the time to network! call around and talk to people now, so you can start building professional relationships with different recruiters, managers, etc of various hospitals here.

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I would recommend taking NCLEX in TX. It will take you much less time assuming you are able to be in TX soon after you graduate. You should apply to internships while you are still in school. Recruiters will take you more seriously if you already have a TX address planned but if not just make sure they know you will be moving to TX regardless and you will have your license in TX soon. The more nursing experience you have the better; try doing an externship, volunteering, whatever is at your disposal. The goal in the end is to have experience and stories that make you stand out to a recruiter/ nurse manager.

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Specializes in ICU.
To be completely honest with you.... I would have a couple backup cities *aka smaller cities* to move to, just in case you any issues. Apply to where you want but don't be like countless people who move down here, thinking they'll find a job instantly. (Don't know who keeps spreading the rumor that Texas is still handing out jobs.....especially in big cities) The jobs ARE in rural texas, South Texas (border cities) and pretty much smaller towns, though. (I live in Houston, but I heard Scott and White is *extremely* competitive also so you might have to apply early.) Just make your best grades, get extra certifications, endorse here first if you can (and if you are completely set on moving to TX and KNOW you want to work and stay for a while). Also... now is the time to network! call around and talk to people now, so you can start building professional relationships with different recruiters, managers, etc of various hospitals here.

Thank you for your advice. I definitely want to look at numerous small cities and start making calls. I'd really like to set up some interviews come August/September. Is Temple, TX not a small city? I was under the assumption that "small city" pretty much meant anything outside of Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin areas. Is this an incorrect assumption? Do you have some other hospitals that I should check into?

I do have good grades so far, Deans list, and I am ACLS certified with extensive EKG/cardiac monitoring experience that came with my cardiac rehab/stress testing experience. So, I hope that will help my chances. Thanks for your help!

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Specializes in ICU.
I would recommend taking NCLEX in TX. It will take you much less time assuming you are able to be in TX soon after you graduate. You should apply to internships while you are still in school. Recruiters will take you more seriously if you already have a TX address planned but if not just make sure they know you will be moving to TX regardless and you will have your license in TX soon. The more nursing experience you have the better; try doing an externship, volunteering, whatever is at your disposal. The goal in the end is to have experience and stories that make you stand out to a recruiter/ nurse manager.

Thanks for your advice. I was thinking that taking NCLEX in TX initially would be less stressful. I plan to start applying and making phone calls come August/September. Do you think that is too early/late?

I won't have a TX address planned yet until we actually move. I could use the address of some family we have there. Do you think that would be a good choice even if it's not in the area I'm looking?

I'm not able to get any nursing experience during school due to the accelerated format. It's just too intense. However, as I said in the previous post I am ACLS certified, and very experienced with cardiac monitoring/EKG as well as phlebotomy experience. I hope that will help me somewhat. Is there anything else that you think I could do to stand out as a new grad?

Thanks for your help!

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Specializes in Critical Care (ICU/CVICU).

Yes, Temple is considered a small city (a little more townish though). Apply in the big cities that you want and also apply to smaller places surrounding those big cities. (If you really want to be adventurous, you could also give those rural places a chance!) Try cities like Arlington, Irving, Corpus Christi, Plano, Waco, Amarillo, Pasadena, Denton, Kileen.... I could go on forever!!! (and those smaller places have over 100,000 people.)

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

Anywhere that is a suburb of a major city I would not really consider a "smaller" city. For instance, the suburbs of Dallas are completely saturated with new grads with 300ish applicants for every internship opening, of which there just aren't very many.

I would consider places like Tyler, Terrell, Wichita Falls, Lubbock, Amarillo, San Angelo, Brownsville etc. to be smaller cities. Suburbs are just spill-over from the big cities and have the exact same applicant pool. In DFW and Houston we are pretty used to driving an hour or more one way to/from work.

Internships that start in January will begin to post in the September/October timeframe and interviews will be held in October/November for most of them. You will want to watch the hospital websites for those to be posted so that you can get your application in. Having a BSN will help you - your ACLS wil be valuable and I would think in some cases your EKG experience will help. Unfortunately your other degrees won't really be considered from what people are saying.

Best of luck. Texas is a tough, tough market right now.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
Try cities like Arlington, Irving, Corpus Christi, Plano, Waco, Amarillo, Pasadena, Denton, Kileen.... I could go on forever!!! (and those smaller places have over 100,000 people.)
Arlington, Irving, Plano, and Denton are Dallas/Fort Worth area suburbs. Therefore, the people who live in these cities are going to encounter the same issues with the local employment market as those who actually live in Dallas or Fort Worth.
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Specializes in ER, progressive care.

If you are not planning on staying in MI and working as an RN, I would honestly just sit for the NCLEX in TX, although you don't have to physically BE in TX to take it. You can just do all of the paperwork/submit fingerprints/CBI/take the jurisprudence exam/register with PV for TX and take the NCLEX in MI. I currently live in OH, and I opted out of an OH license and just got it for TX. I took my NCLEX in the state of OH, though. I honestly think you will save money this way. To endorse a license to TX, it is $200, and that is cheaper than the fee for initial licensure and fingerprints. :twocents:

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Specializes in ICU.

Melosaur, you bring up a great point. I did not know you could physically sit for the exam in another state (i.e. take the TX NCLEX in MI). However, my husband and I plan to move to TX shortly after graduation, so I'll most likely schedule it somewhere in TX. But, thank you for making me aware of that option. I had no idea.

So, since you did the "big move," were you able to find a new grad position quickly?

Everyone, I appreciate the continual answer to my questions. I don't know a lot of good cities to look in so everything is very helpful. I greatly appreciate it.

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Arlington, Irving, Plano, and Denton are Dallas/Fort Worth area suburbs. Therefore, the people who live in these cities are going to encounter the same issues with the local employment market as those who actually live in Dallas or Fort Worth.

This exactly! If you live close enough to commute to a "big city," you are not in a small city and will still have difficulty finding a job at local hospitals. As far as the cities listed above, those are all still considered the DFW metroplex and new grads here can't find jobs either. With the few and far between internships here, local hospitals look for new grads coming from well known schools in this area and ones that have worked as techs in local hospitals while in school. My hospital just hired the first new grad in a few years and she has been a new grad for over a year. She has been working as a tech since she graduated because she couldn't get an internship. Small towns would be ones where there is only one local hospital for several rural towns in the area. These are the ones hiring.

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