Needing a location change......

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Specializes in ICU.

Just under a year ago we thought we were making a great change when my husband took a job that brought us out to the High Desert in California. The change on paper sounded like a fiscally great idea, however after 4 months of unemployment I have only been able to find a part time job in a private doctor's office/surgery center. My husband absolutely HATES it out here so we are desperately wanting to head back to the south east. We have in mind the areas of Huntsville AL, Macon/Warner Robins GA, or Nashville TN. If you have any knowledge of these areas can you give me a rough estimate of job availability, pay rates, do you like both work environments and living area in general? We have a second grader, is the area kid friendly-activities for them to do? I can't be out of work for another 4 months, that really hurt our savings account. We have already moved wayyyyy too much in the last few years, so we want this to be a permanent home. We want to stay put and place roots so it has to be family friendly.

If you aren't from one of those three, but in GA, AL, FL and really love where you are at and jobs are available and hiring please let me know! Preferably ICU, however at this point I just want to get out of here. City/state only is fine.

Thank you! Any response is appreciated!

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Come to Canada :)

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I am in Huntsville. As far as opportunities, if you have experience you should be able to find something quick. I had no experience and found something within a month as a new grad. Cost of living is low here. You can get a nice house for around 125,000. I decided to work about 40 min away in Arab and I make 23.75/hr. My friend works at Huntsville hospital making 27/hr. Schools are good here, however I don't know much about them now since my little one is turning 3. Good luck with the move. I love it here. It's definitely a growing city, so much has changed since I was little.

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Nashville is a tough market lately. There are a number of universities in the area pumping out lots of new grads, but if you have a BSN and at least two to three years of solid experience there are opportunities. Don't just focus on the city of Nashville, but look at some of the nearby areas such as Clarksville and Murfreesboro, and out to some of the slightly more rural (but still "commutable" from Nashville) areas. Average salary for the typical "benchmark" staff RN with a BSN and five years of experience runs around $30/hour, but can be down into the low 20s in some of the outlying areas. Housing costs are low (look at a site called "Realtracs" for this area), and as an added bonus there is no state income tax!

Your greatest obstacles are probably going to be your current location and the fact that you've "moved wayyyyy too much in the last few years". With so many local candidates available, employers are not going to be quick to pop for an airline ticket and hotel expenses to get you to an interview, especially if your employment history indicates that you won't be sticking around long enough to become useful. I know that it's tough with a family to do this, but you could look into a travel gig that would get you to your destination of choice. Then you can look for a "permanent" job while you're fulfilling your travel obligation. One other option might be to pick a place to land, then pack everything up in a U-Haul and just move. You might have to spend a few months whipping out Grande Caramel lattes to make the rent while looking for a job, but at least it would get you out of a place you hate.

Just my $0.02. Your mileage may vary.

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