New Grad Moving to California

RN_Marie · Mar 22, 2012

Your best bet is to look for a new grad RN residency program. However, let me give you a fair warning.

The nursing market in California is very competitive. You are not only competing against new grads but also experienced nurses.

Hospital in Torrance, CA starts their NICU nurses $24.51 (increases with experience).

California does have a lot of jobs for RNs but these jobs are for experienced nurses alone. Most of my classmates (we're 45 in the class), still are looking for a job and out of 45 only 3 (including myself) are working (the two are already working for the hospital prior to their licensing). The 2 classes who graduated above us have the same story.

Unless you have a good source of income, and a house you could crash on, then I suggest to look for an experience closer to home.

katanator · Mar 23, 2012

That's good information. Are you a class of RNs or BSN?

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 24, 2012

First, CA really prefers BSNs...this doesn't mean you can't get hired with a ADN or diploma, but it's a lot harder. Second, there's lots of new grads here but not that many new grad jobs and residencies available, so competition is fierce.

If possible, I would try to hang out in Texas to get at least a year of experience before you come out here.

joanna73, BSN, RN · Mar 24, 2012

Agreed. Throughout this forum, you'll find various posts about the dire job situation for new grads in California. Some of them have been looking for a year or more. Also, the CA BON has tightened their rules for both CA nurses and out-of-state RNs. Unless you have at least one year of nursing experience, moving to CA is probably very unwise.

MSUnurse11 · Jul 25, 2012

Katanator-

I graduated in December 2011 from Michigan State University (BSN) and moved to CA to be with my BF of 4 yrs. I got on this website just like you to look for "tips" on getting a job here and where to even look. The best "tip" I got and never listened to is Don't bother job searching in CA. There aren't enough opportunities and no matter how great your resume is, without a very very strong connection to nurse manager its next to impossible. If you want to be with your family long term- stay in Texas or wherever else you can find a job for at least a year and then apply.

The past 8 months has been such a frustrating time for me. I was a very competitive in Michigan, and thought I could land something even a nursing home job or home health care position at the least but I was above that. After months of applying to peds jobs I realized I needed to try anything there was, and even still I couldn't get an interview for a nursing home. It's just been this week that I decided to move back to MI to apply to a job where I have an "in" and its also my dream job, just not my dream location. I don't regret trying to make it out here, but its honestly has nothing to do with your talent or drive, its purely connections and luck.

I know this is probably really hard to hear, but I ignored it myself bc I thought I'll prove them wrong, I'll be the 1%. Just take a good job somewhere and then transfer later. You'll be glad you did. Ultimately, we became nurses to help others. Being umemployed for a year after working so hard for a nursing degree just doesn't make sense. Hope this helps.. Take care!