Need honest answers about working in CA

caliotter3 · Feb 28, 2009

If you are looking to move to the SLO area you are going to an area where jobs are not plentiful. Not only are jobs not plentiful in SLO, the people you meet who are responsible for hiring, tend to have a provincial attitude toward people who were not born and raised in the area. This will even be discussed in the interview. You would do better in the large metropolitan area surrounding LA.

Jokerhill · Feb 28, 2009

You are right about the pay it will be lower as the quality of the place increase, it is a sacrifice you have to make. It is all about what you want out of life, if you want money go where it is ugly and make money. If it is coastal weather and environment you want go there and be happy. Everyone makes choices in life of what is best for them, I like to have space so I live in a desert have a large house and some land, not in downtown LA in a 900 sqft studio apartment. But at one time in my life I liked the fast pace and action of LA and lived there. So the real question is what will make you happy? And, only you can answer that. Most nursing jobs there do go to locals as they don't want to keep having to train people just passing through, and they have two nursing schools there. On a side note, many of the jobs in the area are for the state in correctional medicine.

momology · Feb 28, 2009

Many facilities in California are laying off. The job market is flooded. This is some sort of Mecca because of the patient ratio. It is also the first stop for many foreign nurses.Many hospitals are eliminating LVNs. Competition is fierce and most RN new grad programs have been eliminated or drastically curtailed. MSN grads are told to leave the state. Perhaps you should consider a place where you have better odds.

inland18mempire · Feb 28, 2009

i live in the Orange County section of southern California. Around here, hospitals are still hiring like crazy. Several hospitals are still offering sign on bonuses. Whenever I'm listening to the radio, I almost always hear a commercial about a hospital and encouraging nurses to apply there. Socal is a BIG, heavily condensed place. There will always be vacant nursing jobs around here. There's just too many people! Now... onto the bad news. San Luis Obisbo is a nice, quant, small, in the middle-of-nowhere type place. I would imagine it would difficult to get hired in such an area. However, if you do get hired, or are ever in town, you MUST visit the Hearst Castle. Oh My God! That place is enormous. It's amazing that that one man had enough money to build such an over-the-top place as his personal residence. It even has it's own private airport!

caliotter3 · Feb 28, 2009

Many facilities in California are laying off. The job market is flooded. This is some sort of Mecca because of the patient ratio. It is also the first stop for many foreign nurses.Many hospitals are eliminating LVNs. Competition is fierce and most RN new grad programs have been eliminated or drastically curtailed. MSN grads are told to leave the state. Perhaps you should consider a place where you have better odds.

I didn't want to say any of this in my post because I figured you already know this and it really is as depressing as it is real.

denise220 · Feb 28, 2009

Hi caliotter3

Not sure if i'm doing this reply to you the right way.

Thanks for the information, I didn't know how bad the job search was going to be. I'm moving to this area to be closer to family and yes the weather. Very sick of the winters in NJ and can't enjoy the outdoors most of the summer due to the bugs. My husbands niece has a year of nursing school left and didn't mention the flood in the market. We still have lots of jobs in our area for nurses. I'm not against LTC and would be happy to just find a facility within 25 miles of Nipomo.