Moving to California from NY in a few years

[Miles072296]

Hello, I am currently about to graduate nursing school with a BSN in Nursing from my school in New York. I plan on staying in New York for a year or two to really just grab some nursing experience but I am definitely thinking on moving to California afterwards.

I know transferring or moving your RN license across states may be difficult depending on where you're coming from or where you are going to, so I was curious how hard would it be to transfer between New York to California?

Also I would like to secure a job position before moving out to California as I know the cost of living is probably near that of New York, if not higher, and New York is incredibly expensive. So how hard is it to secure a job out in California for a relatively new nurse with a year or two of experience?

Thank you all for your help in advance!!

[Wolf at the Door, BSN]

If your moving from Albany NY to Albany CA than yes, it will be a very expensive move.

[FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP]

I would recommend you get two years of experience before moving to California. California is a huge state and job availability and pay varies by location. The most competitive job markets are generally on the coast - San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego. These are also the most expensive areas. It's possible to get a job there, just harder.

The rest of California is quite affordable. There is a high demand for nurses in the San Joaquin Valley, stretching from Bakersfield in the south up to Redding in the north. Get a map of California and follow the I-5 from Los Angeles north to the Oregon border to see that there are many large cities in the San Joaquin Valley. There are also many small mountain and desert communities that are quite nice, like Apple Valley, Palm Springs, and Lake Tahoe. Many of these areas will pay the same as the more expensive areas, so your pay would go a lot farther.

It is not difficult to get a California RN license by endorsement, just time consuming. Plan on 3 to 4 months for this - it can all be done online.

Try to learn some Medical Spanish - this will be a big plus in California.

Good luck.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Getting a CA license is not difficult as all, providing the curriculum of the nursing school you went to meets the BRN's standards. As long as you weren't a foreign graduate or an Excelsior graduate, this probably won't affect you.

Cost of living is somewhat higher than NY. Job market...well, the more experience you can come out with, the better your chances will be.

[MsRNny]

Thank you. I'm currently a nurse working in NY and thinking about moving to California and your advice was helpful.