New Grad from NJ thinking of moving to Boston, Baltimore or Virgina...

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Im 21 yrs old and recently graduated last december. How are the working conditions in these places and the job prospects? Also, can you share the process of how to obtain the license for these places and how long does it take. Thank you so much!

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Specializes in NICU.

Don't move to Boston without a job in hand. There's a lot of hospitals, but there's also a lot of schools churning out new nurses. The new grad market was saturated when I graduated and moved away a couple of years ago, and I haven't heard that it's gotten any better since.

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Also many of the Boston hospitals require a BSN and it is hard to get in from what I have heard. Very expensive to live there too but a great city for someone your age.

All the places you list are pretty pricey actually.

Why are you considering each place?

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wow, i only have associates...im interested to explore a new state/city....i heard great things about uva med center....

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Specializes in NICU.

Where are you living now?

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Virginia is only costly is certain parts of the state. Charlottesville, where UVA is located happens to be a bit higher, but it is a beautiful place to live. I live near Roanoke, VA and the cost of living is pretty reasonable. I would visit the Virginia BON website for licensing info. Too bad NJ isn't a compact state. Good luck!!

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Specializes in Sub-Acute/Psychiatric/Detox.

Boston= No as explained by another poster. Boston has some of the best hospitals in New England if not the world. Also Boston Hospitals have some of the highest paid nurses in MA. If anything move out west or down south. It is hard to get a job at one of the Boston Hospitals even on a good day in a good economy.

2 RN BSNs I worked with in MA moved out west (AZ, NV) to work in acute care hospitals.

No Nursing is easy. It is what you make of it. I'm not familiar with the other states.

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Specializes in PACU, CARDIAC ICU, TRAUMA, SICU, LTC.

If you could land a job in Boston, you would really enjoy living there. Yes, it is expensive, but if you lived outside the city, it would be a bit less expensive. I worked in Boston when I graduated from nursing school (30+ yrs ago); it was a great learning environment d/t # of hospitals, there is so much to do, and there is mass transit that extends to the "burbs." Having a car was more of a liability than an asset.

Good luck wherever you go!

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Specializes in L&D, QI, Public Health.

Baltimore doesn't seem to have a bad market. Check out Hopkins, Union Memorial and Mercy Hospital. If you're interested in DC, check out WHC.

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Baltimore's job market for new grads is horrible right now...there are a ton of hospitals in the area, however, the majority of job postings specifically say right on the website "new grads will not be considered" even though the listing says no experience necessary in this clinical setting, etc. Many of the listings are also requesting a BSN. I would make sure that you have a job before coming to Baltimore as well--while it's a great city for a young person to live in, it can also be pricey, and if you live in the wrong part of Baltimore city (ie, the wrong side of the street, literally it can get that dicey sometimes) you can be in trouble. Baltimore County is cheaper to live than Baltimore city in terms of renting, but you are still looking at about $800-$1000 for a 1 bedroom apt in a decent area anywhere around the beltway...if it's much cheaper than that, you probably won't be very safe there.

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I didn't have any luck looking for a job in Baltimore the last few months, or in Virginia around the DC metro area, although I got a couple of bites farther out in Virginia. just my experience! good luck!

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I am from Mass and graduated in MA...I now live in Virginia working in DC. Don't bother trying Boston, it's overfilled with new grads as it is...8 of my classmates ended up in the baltimore/virginia area, another went to texas, some in california and some in new york, many who insited on staying in MA still don't have jobs, I am a May 2009 grad

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