Need info about UA in Tucson!

[vwgirl22]

I am a California new grad and received a call today from the recruiter at the university of arizona medical center in tucson offering me an interview for the medical ICU. I have no idea what to do. I only applied for this job on a whim, thinking I had no chance. Now they want me to interview on tuesday (today is thursday...airfare eeekk!) Anyone out there is AZ who knows anything, ANY info is greatly appreciated!! With the CA job outlook so bleek, I dont know if I should let this opportunity pass. He said they are only interviewing 10 or so for 3 positions, so the chances aren't horrible I guess, but I still cant wrap my head around the possibility of moving to AZ. Tucson might as well me Mars to me. Any info about the hospital or living in Tucson?? Thanks fellow nurses!!

[Asystole RN]

I am not personally a fan of Tuscon but UMC is an amazing hospital that is well regarded. You are very lucky, it is definitely worth a look.

[allisonhillary]

I'm in the process of interviewing for Cardiac ICU for UofA also. I drove out for the initial interview on Monday, and made a point of saying that I drove out from CA so they knew I was putting the extra effort in and was serious about the job. You could always do a phone interview - I had that option for my first but declined, but am doing the second round interview via phone this afternoon. As far as I can tell, it's a great facility to work at with a great reputation and you will get great experience. BUT, you have to be okay with moving to the desert and dealing with 100+ weather consistently. The way I'm viewing it - I'll take the job if it's offered to me and if I end up not liking it, I'll get my 1-2 years of experience and leave. As far as I can tell from the people I spoke with there, most people don't leave because it's a good organization to work for.

[PirateArrrNnnn]

I lived in Tucson for years while attending the UofA. The UMC has a great reputation. That was where Gabriel Giffords was taken after she was shot. The treatment she received there initially made a huge difference between life and death. It does take time to get used to living in Tucson and the desert. The mountains are beautiful with lots of hiking to do. In the winter you can drive up to Mt. Lemmon for skiing. It tends to be very dark around Tucson due to light pollution ban. Because UofA is huge in astronomy the city stays darker than other metro areas. The nght sky is amazing. If you decide on this position bring sunscreen, lots of it.