Moving to Morgantown

U.S.A. West Virginia

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Specializes in RN, LPN.

I am moving to Morgantown in the spring after I complete my ADN. If anyone here can offer any advice, I would greatly appreciate it. I have heard the benefits, but what are some of the downfalls?

Hi Chrissy

No advice, just wanted to wish you luck on the move. I would bet the move there will be much like any other move, takes time to learn your way around, where to shop and get the deals, good places to eat, finding a church, and medical care. The only thing I can think that will be a real problem is the influx of students every semester, finding a place to live will be harder since there will be competion. I am sure you are planning on working at Ruby, so I bet there is a person in HR who can be of assistance if you get in touch with the HR dept. there and ask for some info. How about getting in touch with the chamber of commerce, they are good sources of info on the area, and do not forget about talking to a police officer. My daughter once found a apartment because a policewoman led her to the complex and told her it was the safest, cleanest, cheapest, and quietest place for blocks. Anyway, good luck and let us know what happens.

Specializes in RN, LPN.

Thanks for the info. I have done some research on the area, but its not the same as hearing from people that live there. My family lives near Charleston, I spent my summers in W.Va growing up so its not completely foriegn to me. A quiet apt would be nice for a change, so I'll have to keep that in mind. Thanks again

I dont know that we have had any recent posters from Morgantown. We have some relatively close though I think. From what I hear the biggest downfall in Morgantown is the cold weather. It is basically a college town, so expect a lot of young people partying the nights away and traffic problems on game days.

Despite the above to be honest with you, from what I hear from my friends they would be content to have lived there forever. There is a lot a natural beauty up there.

Ruby is one of the largest hospitals in the state and is the state's only magnet hospital. Although magnet status is controversial among nurses.

Good luck on your move! Oh yeah dont leave your couch unattended for too long........

Specializes in RN, LPN.

HAHA! Cold weather! I'm from Michigan. No prob! With the wind chill, sometime it's -20 or more here. The traffic is what I was worried about. I know around Charleston area, it's only one lane in each direction most of the time and that gets a little hairy. I didn't want to move to a smaller town and have to put up with traffic. But if it's only on game days, thats not so bad. Thanks

What the heck is a magnet hospital? And what is controversial?

Thanks

"Ruby is one of the largest hospitals in the state and is the state's only magnet hospital. Although magnet status is controversial among nurses."

I dont think the traffic in Charleston is that bad. There are 3 lanes of interstate going to and leaving Charleston now. I am typically driving there at 6 am and 3 pm and never really have a traffic problem. Corridor G can get a bit busy, and the capital area probably can as well with all the state workers. But nothing major.

CPNEgrad07--"The Magnet Recognition Program® was developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to recognize health care organizations that provide nursing excellence. The program also provides a vehicle for disseminating successful nursing practices and strategies."

The problem is that many nurses feel as nothing really changed with obtaining Magnet status and some also feel as if it is a way to make money off the reputation of nurses. You can search the boards here for several posts on the Magnet status. There are pros and cons and some like it, some dont--that is why I posted that magnet status is controversial.

Specializes in RN, LPN.

I wasn't really speaking of Charleston, but the towns around Charleston. My family lives in Poca and I remember places like Cross Lanes were pretty bad.

Cross Lanes is horrible. I hate driving there and the crazy lanes don't make it any better. I just dont think it was planned out very well or wasnt expected to explode like it did. If that bill passes to allow gambling my gosh that area will be intolerable.

Teays Valley exit can be pretty rough as well with the large trucks but in general traffic doesnt seem to bad as long as you are on the interstate.

Morgantown should give you quite a few options as well. Not only do you have the Ruby but you have the entire university as well. The wider the variety of jobs, the better. That is why I enjoy the Charleston area. From trauma, to state inspectors, and working with insurance companies, there are so many different routes you can go.

Specializes in Trauma ICU, Surgical ICU, Medical ICU.

I spent 4 years in Motown getting my undergrad BSN and there are a lot of ups and downs to the area. Basically, its run by college students, the traffic is horrible and everything is spread out so far its no fun going shopping of any kind! But on a plus, pittsburgh is close! Dont live anywhere NEAR town unless you want to be kept up by a bunch of drunk college kids, I lived near Ruby and while I liked to drink and party every now and again, everyone else was INSANE at it! Cheat Lake is a gorgeous area to live, plus the costs are a lot cheaper than living close to the hospitals or to town. It is beautiful in the mountains in the fall there! I left and came down to Durham, NC to work at Duke hospital after I got my BSN and I have to say, I really miss it! Good luck, if you need any more info I'd be glad to help ya out!

Specializes in Rodeo Nursing (Neuro).

I think the biggest downfall is that the cost of housing can be pretty ridiculous. I'm in the mood, if not quite in the market, to buy, and I'm giving serious thought to living in Fairmont and commuting to Mo'town.

Traffic is problemmatic. I've described downtown Morgantown as a traffic jam between two malls. Home football games are horrendous, but there are only six or so. Basketball isn't nearly such a problem, but can cause minor delays (you can avoid the Colliseum, but if you work in either hospital, you can't avoid the stadium. Try for a shift that starts or ends after the game starts.

WVU isn't nearly the party school it used to be. Student neighborhoods--including near the hospitals--can get a little wild, but the post football hijinks are (usually) a lot tamer. Don't see near as many bonfires in the streets, unless it's a big win.

Mon Gen seems like a nice enough hospital. I have a couple of friends who work there. They have the same complaints everyone does, but seem to like it, overall. Ruby is OK. The magnet thing seems like a joke, at times, but they do try for a 5:1 ratio, most of the time, and that's significantly better than 6:1 (which still happens, at times). Lots of departments, and enough turnover that you can probably move around if you find yourself somewhere you don't like.

Being close to Pittsburgh is a plus, in my book. Morgantown isn't devoid of culture, but it can seem like drinking is still the major social activity. Pgh offers pretty much all the attractions of a big city, but you don't have to live there. Mo'town traffic is a good preparation for the 'burgh. There's a lot to do outdoors within an hour's drive, including some nice parks locally. Schools are decent, and a wide variety of churches. Most of my admissions list Baptist, Methodist, or Pentecostal (we are in the Bible Belt) but there are several large Protestant congregations, Roman Catholic, Greek and Russian Orthodox. The university makes Mo'town a bit more cosmopolitan than a lot of the state. Back in the hollers, a black person might as well be from Mars. In Morgantown, a black person is nearly as likely to be African as African-American. We also have an Hispanic community--he coaches the football team. Well, his name's Hispanic...

Winter's aren't that bad. Summer's are hot and sticky, but the mountains are close. We had a terrible drought, one Wednesday. It lasted almost the whole afternoon.

Specializes in SDU, Tele, Hospice, Radiology, Education.

I'm with Mike on this 1. I work at the same hospital that he does (1 floor above him as a matter of fact ;)) and I live right across the street from the hospital. Motown has it's fair share of drunken stupidity, but even living in a college oriented apartment complex, it's not too bad. Living downtown would be aweful, but it's all a matter of what you like. 1 thing I disagree with Mike on is living in Fairmont and commuting. I lived in Fairmont for a while and HATED it! I did live in a bad neighborhood, but I just hated Fairmont. There are other nicer communities out there. If you have any more question, feel free to PM me.

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