New Grad Residency Program (Penn/Texas)

[jmcneil1287]

I recently graduated from an accelerated nursing school and passed my NCLEX! I am from south florida and have lived here my entire life (31 years!). I am looking to start a new grad nurse residency program in another state, as this will be my first financial opportunity to. I have Texas and Penn (Philly) that have remained on my list of places I am interested in. (looking at salary, cost of living, culture, diversity, and climate- having never lived in cold haha). I am overwhelmed with how many options there are for nurse residency programs (which is a good thing) and wanted to know if anyone has any real life experiences in these states, working as a nurse! (or advice for a Floridian considering moving there!)I am limited financially, so would love to find out as much as possible before flying out to visit. Thank you!

[Cindyel, ASN, RN]

I live outside of Philly. It is very expensive to live here! If you plan to rent in Philly, get ready for sticker shock. This is a very competitive market to get jobs in due to the proximity to South Jersey. You basically have all the new grads from the Philly area and South Jersey all competing for the same spots. Nursing schools here have to limit how many students they take because it is so hard to get clinical placements for them.

I would trade shoes any day with you to not do winters here!

Good Luck!