Moving to California

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jun 1, 2012

The job market for nurses in the SF Bay area is one of the worst in the United States, even for nurses with a couple of years of experience. Simply put, there are too many unemployed nurses in the area competing for jobs. There are too many nursing programs in the area pumping newly graduated nurses into the local job market. The local job market cannot absorb all of these people.

The pay rates for someone with a couple of years of experience should definitely exceed $40 hourly, but the cost of living tends to wipe out any income gains.

piya116 · Jun 7, 2012

Thanks for replying

That sounds very discouraging, I guess i"ll just have to wait and see.

peonie · Jun 7, 2012

Thanks for replying
That sounds very discouraging, I guess i"ll just have to wait and see.

Though I do not have 2-3 yrs experience, I imagine that you should be able to find a per diem position or work through an agency, since bay area hospitals seem to prefer hiring nurses this way rather than the old fashioned lets-train-the-new-nurse way.

When I had clinicals at a large hospital in the south bay area, two traveling nurses on my floor (with about 2 yrs exp) were offered full-time positions after a couple of months.

Tgirl30 · Jun 17, 2012

Hello, I am also considering moving to california up near sacramento/fairfield area. I am a new graduate nurse ADN. I also have 6 years experience as a LPN. I plan to work for about 6 months in acute care since most of my experience is Home Health, Pediatric Psych, and LTC-Skilled Unit. Just wondering if I will have a hard time finding a job?? Thier is so much posted and even places like Kieser require a minimum of 6months acute care. I hear lots of people saying its hard for new grad nurses, my CONCERN is will they consider me a new grad with 6yr LPN & 6mon acute care?? I have lots of experience with IV's,LAB, Wound Care. When I done clinicals I really didn't feel like I learned anything new on Med-surg. Well if anyone who lives in the area who is in a simular situation or knows of some one can please give me a little advice. I don't want to make the wrong move, although I would never move thier without a job lined up. Just don't wanna waiste my time. I'm ready to leave Oklahoma and wondering do i need to research another area...Thanks in advance

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 17, 2012

OP: the market is tight for any nurse...on the brighter side, you do have experience so that gives you some of an edge. Also as other posters have said, agency may be a way for you to start working and networking while you're looking for something more permanent.

Tgirl30: you are a new grad until you get one year of RN experience, so technically, you are a new grad. On the brighter side, you can still qualify for a lot of new grad residencies and programs. Also, you have 6 years of LVN experience, so you are bringing more to the plate than your average new grad--that could really work to your advantage. On the darker side, the market is the worst for new grads...and you don't have a BSN, and a lot of places are BSN-preferred.

Both of you: if at all possible, do not move out here until you have an official job offer in hand. It's a bad market and that job may be long in coming.

Best of luck to you both!

CarryThatWeight, BSN · Jun 17, 2012

Hello, I am also considering moving to california up near sacramento/fairfield area. I am a new graduate nurse ADN. I also have 6 years experience as a LPN. I plan to work for about 6 months in acute care since most of my experience is Home Health, Pediatric Psych, and LTC-Skilled Unit. Just wondering if I will have a hard time finding a job?? Thier is so much posted and even places like Kieser require a minimum of 6months acute care. I hear lots of people saying its hard for new grad nurses, my CONCERN is will they consider me a new grad with 6yr LPN & 6mon acute care?? I have lots of experience with IV's,LAB, Wound Care. When I done clinicals I really didn't feel like I learned anything new on Med-surg. Well if anyone who lives in the area who is in a simular situation or knows of some one can please give me a little advice. I don't want to make the wrong move, although I would never move thier without a job lined up. Just don't wanna waiste my time. I'm ready to leave Oklahoma and wondering do i need to research another area...Thanks in advance

I hate to tell you, but Sacramento is a terrible place for an ADN! I could not get a hospital job there for more than two years, and I was an ADN with a year of hospital experience! I just got my BSN and decided to go to Texas. If I were you I would get into a BSN program ASAP. Then you will not be a new grad, will have experience AND a BSN. You might even have trouble then, but would at least be on a more even playing field. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I would not move to the Sacramento area until you have a job secured!

Tgirl30 · Jun 18, 2012

Is it easier to get into a new grad program in California with my past experience?? I really don't think I want to go through all the trouble of fighting to get a job, I never realized it was so difficult to get a job in that area, exspecially with all the jobs posted. I was also considering Texas (Austin area). Here in Oklahoma they hire new grads all the time and its really easy for me to get a job outside the hospital,and i'm sure even nurses with no experience. I'm actually hesitent to work in the hospital because at many of them my pay as a RN be equal or less to what i've been making as a LPN. I know I need some hosp experience to relocate so gotta do what i got too. I know some hospitals here count 2yrs LPN experience as 1yr RN. Thiers really many options here, but I just want to relocate....I guess I will just work for and then apply at different places and see what happens. Thanks So Much for the info, I'd rather get the bad news than be apart of it!!!! Oh and I am currently looking at online BSN programs now and hoping to start in the fall. Thanks Again