New Grad States & Relocating

Nurses Job Hunt

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Any new grad/inexperienced nurse-friendly states out there? Looking to relocate just to get a job. Cali is dried up for new grads.

I moved to Bismarck, ND after graduation. You can get hired in any area: ICU, Med/Surg, NICU. All the cities are hiring too: Williston, Minot (very scary up there thought), Dickinson, Fargo, Bismarck. A lot of people from other states have figured this out, and are moving up here.

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Specializes in Going to Peds!.
I moved to Bismarck ND after graduation. You can get hired in any area: ICU, Med/Surg, NICU. All the cities are hiring too: Williston, Minot (very scary up there thought), Dickinson, Fargo, Bismarck. A lot of people from other states have figured this out, and are moving up here.[/quote']

What's ND paying new grads? I bet they have to make it something attractive to compensate for the long, miserable winters.

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I make 22-23 an hour. If you pick up an extra shift they will pay 200 extra dollars plus time and a half. That's more then they pay in my home state. However, everything is inflated here because of the oil fields. I'm just keeping my head down, and getting experience until I can move.

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Same here willing to relocate anywhere just to find my 1st nursing job:down:

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Usually the states no one wants to live in.. like Oklahoma.

Lol, it's true. I live in Oklahoma, and there is a major nursing shortage here. New grads can get a job in any specialty (NICU is the hardest, but still possible.) However, the hospitals in my area are not very open to hiring new grads from out of state. HR have caught on a long time ago that these new grads come here and work 1-2 years for experience and then leave. I would imagine that most areas with a nursing shortage have similar practices, but I have no direct inside knowledge.

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Specializes in CVICU.
Lol, it's true. I live in Oklahoma, and there is a major nursing shortage here. New grads can get a job in any specialty (NICU is the hardest, but still possible.) However, the hospitals in my area are not very open to hiring new grads from out of state. HR have caught on a long time ago that these new grads come here and work 1-2 years for experience and then leave. I would imagine that most areas with a nursing shortage have similar practices, but I have no direct inside knowledge.

I'm from Oklahoma too, and as selfish as it sounds, I'm kind of glad that their hiring practices are like that. I don't want it to become dried up like some other states. But I don't think it will, because people from places like NY or CA see that our base pay is generally $19/hr and laugh at the thought of moving here, despite that you can get a nice 1br apartment for $700/month in Tulsa.

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What's ND paying new grads? I bet they have to make it something attractive to compensate for the long, miserable winters.

I make about $22/hr, and differentials for nights and weekends are no more than $2/hr. Nothing to write home about but it counts. It's better than no job.

Cost of living is a little lower in Fargo than Bismarck. Bismarck is out west, closer to where the oil field action is. A lot of people have moved out of the oil field area to get away from what's going on there, and that has jacked up costs for housing, and lessened availability of housing. It's easier to find an apartment or condo in Fargo, although it's pretty competitive here too. Fargo also has an economy independent of oil, because there will be a bust eventually. There's also more to do in Fargo, compared to Bismarck. In addition, it has 3 universities, if you want to further your education.

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Specializes in Pedi.
Usually the states no one wants to live in.. like Oklahoma.

I'm gonna have to second this. These are just guesses but I would say states like Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Idaho, Iowa. No offense to anyone who lives in those states. I can say New England is NOT a place to flock to... people who already live here can't find jobs.

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Specializes in CVICU.

Just as an example of the whole "states where no one wants to live" idea, I just looked on the website of Mercy Hospital in Fort Smith, AR and I actually saw a posting for an RN position that said "Experience: Entry level". Being open to relocate anywhere makes it easy, but actually doing this is not easy. Such a catch 22.

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Most out of state resumes get put to the bottom of the heap. That's not to say its not possible. Everyone says small unattractive cities (which I believe likely to be the best scenario), but very densely populated cities also require a great deal of nursing care. You might find it beneficial to contact a headhunter in a city to who h you want to move.

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You all are selling Oklahoma short! I grew up in Colorado and lived in Chicago. Moved to the Tulsa area for my husband.

Despite the hot summers, it is so friendly and I've found it a wonderful place to raise my family. The cost of living is great and you rarely sit in rush hour traffic or have to fight for a parking space!

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Specializes in Going to Peds!.

I'm gonna have to second this. These are just guesses but I would say states like Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Idaho, Iowa. No offense to anyone who lives in those states. I can say New England is NOT a place to flock to... people who already live here can't find jobs.

You can take coastal Alabama off your list. Mobile has SEVEN schools of nursing pumping out new grads at least twice a year. There's no shortage here & the wages are VERY low.

(UM BSN, UM ADN, USA, Springhill, Faulkner, Bishop & Virginia That's 4 ADN programs & 3 BSN programs. And we have no union here.)

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