I had been considering moving to the Pittsburgh area (long story) but I'm a little concerned about the job market. I currently live on Long Island, starting salaries can approach $70,000 but the cost of living is outrageous - ex. I pay $5800 a year property taxes on a 2-bedroom 1 bath house on a 60x112 lot - no garage or basement!
I know the starting pay for new grads in Pittsburgh is around $20+ but cost of living is way less. I would actually be able to sell my house here and buy one in PA for cash.
I thought UPMC would be a good place to work (I'm interested in their RN to BN or MSN), but I keep reading about how shortstaffed they are and how lousy their pay is. I know it's probably because of consolidation, but we're also experiencing hospital consolidation here (North Shore LIJ is gobbling up everybody, and there is already a Catholic Health Systems chain of hospitals in place, fewer independent hospitals). It makes me worry it will affect wages, and I can't afford to live here if it does. I considered going to North Carolina, but a friend of mine says the growth is ridiculous and crowding is making is very unpleasant where they live in Charlotte. I've read some articles indicating Pittsburgh is going thru a renaissance, kind of like Atlanta about 15 years ago.
Can anybody offer me reasons to move to Pittsburgh as an RN? Are you happy there? Or should I keep looking?
I will be relocating from Texas to Pittsburgh soon and am looking in trying to figure out the area, the bus system, how safe it is to walk to the bus stop in the early am or at night etc. I would appreciate any tips on good apts, jobs (I can work CVICU, ICU, neo ICU, pediICU)
CB-a Browns fan-OH THE SHAME!!! :chuckle Don't worry-yunz all will be converted 'n at and soon enough you'll love the Stillers, just like the rest of us. :hpygrp:Follow the happy, bouncing Steelers fans and you, too shall be assimilated!!
I will be relocating from Texas to Pittsburgh soon and am looking in trying to figure out the area, the bus system, how safe it is to walk to the bus stop in the early am or at night etc. I would appreciate any tips on good apts, jobs (I can work CVICU, ICU, neo ICU, pediICU)
thanks:nuke:
As long as you don't live on the north side, or some of the more scary suburbs (like Hazelwood, McKeesport, Wilkinsburg, Brushton) then I'd have no hesitation walking to the bus stop. I live in Squirrel Hill and walk to the bus early most mornings.
If you like those kinds of pediatric ICU, Children's Hospital (a UPMC hospital) may be a good fit.
Suburbs - depends whether you want to live in the city or suburbs. If the city, then Shadyside or Squirrel Hill are popular for people commuting to the hospitals in Oakland, with great bus service to Oakland. Oakland is a bit too smelly and student-y for me.
Shadyside is a great area to live especially if you are young, single or married however I'm not sure I would live there if I had children. UPMC is just a very short bus trip to Oakland and the bus line is very close. I acutally lived there at one time and I walked to Oakland from my apartment.
Go to this site to read some more about Shadyside:
cb your on track, i have been working as a traveler in pa, all over state, mainly central and eastern, but live 45 miles north of the burgh......i make a consistant 45.oo / hr, work agency in pgh when have time and only make 28.00/hr agency!!!!! pgh pay is obscene!!!! your work like a whore and get treated worse......i will continue with what i am doing, hotels paid 3 days in a row and generally much better working conditions than evil upmc monopoly, i wish all nurses in pgh would do a massive call out day, maybe something would change........
I definitely agree. I, myself am from New Castle. I grew up there, my parents both lives there all their lives, until my Mom got remarried and moved us to Youngstown. But Pittsburgh is my city, I love it :] Once I get all my ducks in a row, I plan on moving there for nursing. I think it be nice to be close to my family (my Dad and immediate family still live in good ol' New Castle) But New Castle it self has changed so much. I was considering on going to Jameson for their nursing program but quickly changed my mind, it's really too bad.
CB-a Browns fan-OH THE SHAME!!! :chuckle Don't worry-yunz all will be converted 'n at and soon enough you'll love the Stillers, just like the rest of us. :hpygrp:Follow the happy, bouncing Steelers fans and you, too shall be assimilated!!
EGH!!! I despise the word yunz......my husband spells it yinz.
And you are right....most steelers fans have been converted because they are all front runnin wagon hoppers.!!!!
I moved to Pittsburgh from Chicago to go to school in the 70s. What I loved about Pittsburgh was the trees, hills, flowers, wildlife. I also liked that it was a small city so I could get out of town and go to the mountains easily. Rush hour here is nothing compared with Chicago.
What I didn't like about Pittsburgh was the weather. Not enough sunny days. I also missed Chicago's restaurants and museums. I especially miss the bicycle paths along Lake Michigan. Riding a bicycle here is definitely more of a workout with Pittsburgh's many hills.
So, if UPMC is so terrible (The DarkSide...as one called it) what are the other hospitals in the city to work for?
What schools have a good RN to BSN program, other than Pitt?
I grew up in Ellwood City...loved my childhood there. I love the area, the hills, the trees, the smell of the earth there. Currently we live outside of DC but dream of moving to PA with the kids after I finish school.
La Roche (North Hills) has a RN to BSN program. I am currently pre-nursing at BC3, but have considered La Roche if I ever decide to get my BSN.
I currently live just north of Cranberry, in between Cranberry and Butler. It is nice, we have all of the positives of the country (3 acres) and the hustle and bustle of Cranberry is only 10 minutes away. If I don't want to deal with Cranberry, Butler is only 15 minutes away. It is pretty much perfect. The biggest drawback is that taxes for Seneca Valley School District are outrageous, but I think that is pretty much true everywhere in this part of the state. Allegheny County is by far worse.
So, if UPMC is so terrible (The DarkSide...as one called it) what are the other hospitals in the city to work for?
What schools have a good RN to BSN program, other than Pitt?
I grew up in Ellwood City...loved my childhood there. I love the area, the hills, the trees, the smell of the earth there. Currently we live outside of DC but dream of moving to PA with the kids after I finish school.
Thanks for all the good info on this thread.
There's the Allegheny General / West Penn Hospital system but I heard they're having some money problems. Sewickley Valley Hospital is near the city. There's also Ohio Valley Hospital, but I don't know much about it. About 30 miles away there's Butler Hospital.
The RN-BSN programs I've heard of besides Pitt are LaRoche, Chatham, and Carlow colleges. I'm sure there are others too.
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texas2pittsburgh
5 Posts
Hi,
I will be relocating from Texas to Pittsburgh soon and am looking in trying to figure out the area, the bus system, how safe it is to walk to the bus stop in the early am or at night etc. I would appreciate any tips on good apts, jobs (I can work CVICU, ICU, neo ICU, pediICU)
thanks:nuke: