Oregon vs. Florida - insight needed!

efda2rn · May 7, 2014

I can't answer all your questions, but I can ballpark a few!

When you say Oregon, does this mean you are open to areas other than Portland? If you're outdoorsy, I can recommend Bend, OR. Lots of outdoor activities, though, no matter where you settle. I believe the second largest city in OR is Medford. Cost of living is highest in Portland. Weather is vastly different depending on what part of Oregon you are interested in. Portland has many hospitals. Oregon has no sales tax, and we aren't allowed to pump our own gas!

I believe new grad programs in Portland start between $28-31/hr. No idea about differentials. Jobs are difficult to come by as a new grad, no matter where you're located. If you are interested, I believe that now is the time new grad programs are taking applications.

I would say that OHSU is the best school in the area for pursuing higher education. The have the most varied options for graduate studies, including a nationally-ranked CNM program and a CRNA program.

newsettler · May 8, 2014

@efda2rn

Thank you for your reply!! :)

Are you currently working in OR? :) I'd love to know your experience, or where you're currently working.

I'm mainly gunning for Portland because I don't know anyone else outside the city. I will take your suggestions into consideration though! :)

Any idea what the weather is like in different parts of OR? From what I've read, Portland mostly has rainy and cloudy days. Snow happens once or twice, but disappears within a few days. Is that correct? I'm not a huge fan of freezing temperatures, but I do like mostly cloudy skies. :) I just hope that they don't have heavy rain on a daily basis.

I did read that OR has no sales tax, while FL has no income tax. Not sure yet which one bears more weight.

I still have to familiarize myself with the best hospitals in the area, but I'm pleasantly surprised with the starting pay. It's a few dollars higher than what I've heard about what they pay nurses in FL. I guess it takes into account the cost of living.

Ruby Vee, BSN · May 8, 2014

Jump on the Florida nurse's forum and read for awhile. I've seen a lot of posts about what a horrible place Florida is to work. Oregon, on the other hand, is a great place to live.

NurseSN45696 · May 8, 2014

If it were me, Oregon. Totally just personal preference. I'm from Florida. No statistics, only

An opinion. :)

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · May 8, 2014

The Portland area has a lot of rain about 9 months of drizzle and hard rain. The pay off is our summers are amazing. Portland is about 2 hours away from the ocean and about 2 hours away from Mt. Hood.

It is a beautiful place to live.....well all of Oregon is beautiful, but I am biased.

Getting a job here as a new grad will be difficult. One of the only ways into a hospital system is through their new grad programs.

Legacy (6 hospitals) has a Versent program

Adventist (community/small) also has a Versent program.

OHSU, has a new grad program but usually will hire their grads first.

Providence (6 hospitals in Portland area) hires their prov scholarship recipients first before outside new grads.

Now outside of Portland, south there is Salem and their hospital also has a new grad program.

And just north accross the river is Vancouver which has Peacehealth Southwest and they too have a new grad program.

Honestly with as competitive as jobs are for new grads. I would apply to all new grad programs in Oregon and Florida and see were you get offers at, then debate once you have offer in hand. Where to move to.

newsettler · May 8, 2014

@Ruby Vee

Thanks, I'll do that! :)

@zoubisoubisou

What makes Oregon seem more appealing to you? :) No need for statistics, I just want to know what you think. And how's your experience in Florida?

@LoveMyBugs

Thank you so much for the information! Well, I'm not exactly a new grad as I graduated a year and a half ago. I just haven't had any hospital experience since then. Would I still be considered eligible for these programs?

Also, I'm a little confused. If I can apply for a new grad program, would it be advisable to take the NCLEX once I've been accepted into one? (Granting it doesn't take too long). I didn't think about new grad programs so I thought I'd choose between either state, then apply for the victor.

Ruby Vee, BSN · May 8, 2014

Climate is better in Oregon -- pale gray skies and drizzle beats blazing sun, humidity and heat!

Culture is better in Oregon -- it's less conservative politically. No litter, public bathrooms are clean and far more younger people.

NurseSN45696 · May 8, 2014

I should mention I'm a nursing student starting this Fall, not a nurse. Like you, I like clouds and I also like rain :) Sun is nice too, but IDK..something about Oregon appeals to me. I applied to OHSU but didn't get in :yawn: so now I'm attending a school in FL. I am drawn to the culture of Oregon. I like the whole vibe of a city like Portland, and the state in general. It seems open-minded and free spirited. I am also in love with Denver lol.

Job wise, I really don't have anything helpful to add. From the little bit of research that I've done, Florida pays less than Oregon but the cost of living is significantly lower as well. Example-I have a friend working as a CRNA in DC area and in order to move to south FL, she would have had to take a 20k pay cut.

I love Florida, don't get me wrong. I haven't lived there the past 10 years (husband is military). I miss it, but if given the chance, I'd love to go to Oregon, at least for a little while. Besides, there are too many tan people in Florida. I'm pale and red headed. I'll take cover from the sun in Oregon.

newsettler · May 8, 2014

@Ruby Vee

Oregon really does sound like wonderful place. I honestly can't wait to see it for myself! As for culture, I've read it has vibrant music scene, as well as many environmentally-conscious people. Food is great there, I hear! Two thumbs up to that!

However, I've also read that there are many hipsters (not sure if it's a good or bad thing), or people who can be very narrow minded, even racist. I really hope it's not true though. I'm not native to the US (I'm brown skinned), so I dread getting any racist treatment. I just wanna be friends with everyone! Haha.

@zoubisoubisou

I'm sorry to hear about OHSU, I hope you'll have better luck when you finish schooling! :) How's studying there working out for you? :)

Yes, I did see the drastic difference in starting pay and cost of living between FL and OR. As of now, my current research dictates that starting pay in FL is around $20-24, while OR pays $28-32. If you're a few years experienced, your starting pay in FL can be bumped up to $28. A 20k pay cut is huge though!

In terms of cost of living, FL ranks 29th, while OR ranks 38th. I'm not sure exactly how to interpret that, to be honest. I got the information here (#17 Oregon) in case you'd like to look at it yourself.

Thought I'd be more specific, since you might end up comparing FL and OR for yourself in the future. :)

Oh, and I'm sure I'll love the FL weather as well since I'm accustomed to tropical weather. I'm just not as sure about the nursing scene there though.

LoveMyBugs, BSN, CNA, RN · May 9, 2014

There are "hipsters" in Oregon, but there is a lot of other types of people in Oregon as well. It some areas mainly portland and it suburbs are fairly diverse.

My own family is of mixed race and my kids haven't encountered discrimination.

As for the new grad programs, you need to be doing the research, but you have to have passed the NCLEX and have less than a year of experience to count as a new grad.

Again I can not stress how competitive theses programs are. There are 7 nursing schools in the Portland area pumping out new grads every 6 months or so.

newsettler · May 11, 2014

@LoveMyBugs

Thanks for clearing that up! I'll go read up on these programs. :) Hopefully I'll have a good chance! Again, thank you so much!