need input from California nurses!

[mizzLVN]

Hello fellow nurses I am a resident in TX. I just passed my boards and I plan on moving back home to California. Well here in TX base rate pay for an LVN is starting off at 17 and maybe even 19 dollars an hour. When I look up pay rates in California all I see is 15 and 16 dollars an hour. I would have expected the pay to be a little more because of the cost of living. Am I looking in the wrong places? Also when looking at jobs they have LVN I or LVN II what are these? Finally do I need to take the NCLEX over again to transfer my license? Sorry I'm asking so many questions but this will all determine if I can go back home or not. Right now its not lookin so good. HELP

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I was born and raised in California, and moved to Texas in 2005.

Many parts of California have too many LVNs in the job market competing for only a handful of available jobs. If there are too many LVNs in a local job market, this causes wages to decrease. The main culprits are the private and vocational LVN programs in California that churn new nurses out into the job market ever three to four months. If there's an abundance of a good or service, the price (or wage) drops.

Once you pass NCLEX, you do not need to ever retake it. You will simply need to endorse your Texas LVN license into California. Contact the California BNVPT (Bureau of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians) for more info on obtaining a California LVN license by endorsement. I would start the process several months before you move, because the CA BVNPT has a reputation for being notoriously slow.

Good luck to you!