Per diem in Cali

Guest1025459 · Sep 3, 2018

Why California? I want out of this state. Most of it has turned into a cesspool, regardless of the pay. Which usually gets blown on taxes and high living costs. Enjoy paying $4 a gallon statewide for diesel, $3.75 for regular in some areas.

Hotels? $200 a night in cheap areas even, for a decent motel not filled with drugs or prostitution.

California has a image of being a very nice state. I can assure you, it's a fallacious assumption. The moment I get my RN, I'm moving to Northern Nevada or Idaho. The moment I finish my last final to become an RN, I'm not even waiting for graduation. I'll have my truck towing my second vehicle and the second I can legally drive faster than 55 while towing, I'm hitting the gas and not looking back.

Stay away from:

1. Actual inner city Fresno (anything south of Herndon is sewage. Trust me, I live south of Herndon. I moved here to go to Nursing School. Not a good place)

2. Bakersfield for the most part (Klansmen and drugs)

3. Los Angeles ($19k a month is chump change for living cost)

4. Rural Counties (Tuolumne, Mariposa, etc) as there is darn near no pay at those critical access hospitals

^Especially stay away from Mariposa County. John C Fremont healthcare district hires a lot of travel nurses. There has also been controversy in the years about this place

5. Modesto (Unless you like getting shot)

6. Northern Bay Area (San Fran, Hayward, Oakland) [Crime, fecal matter on the streets, open air drug market]

7. Stockton (Sane as Modesto)

Do go to:

Clovis/Madera area. If not that, look into Gilroy/San Jose

Clovis is a decent area. Stay east of Willow Avenue. Cheaper than most parts of CA. Clovis avenue has a decent selection of good hotels. About 10 minutes over yonder from Clovis Community Medical Center, half hour to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.

Madera, about a half hour north of Fresno (Nicknamed the No-No for a reason) is cool. You can find cheap everything in that area. Not a lot of riff raff, in general safe.

In Chowchilla, at the Robertson exit, you have Farnesi's steakhouse (Bomb food) and 2 hotels, usually occupied by const workers. Cheap enough and if you're worried about crime, get a CCW.

Easy access to Madera Community Hospital/Mercy Medical Center Merced/Central California Women's facility

Gilroy/San Jose is a really good area. Albeit, expensive as can be! My advice if you decide on bay area is:

1. Smaller more fuel efficient SUV/pickup (4WD Toyota 4 Runner comes to mind at 15-18MPG, versus my Nissan Titan at 8-10MPG)

2. Commute from Merced County/Los Banos

^Not the worst area but do lock your doors

3. Gilroy and San Jose pay amazing from what I can surmise.

GOOD LUCK!!! :)

DowntheRiver · Sep 3, 2018

I'm more in awe of the fact that somebody did eight 16 hour shifts in a period of fourteen days.

Guest1025459 · Sep 3, 2018

Miss me on that. I work more than 13 hours, I'm toast. 13 is my limit + a 2 hour commute.

Even on 13's I got enough caffeine in me to kill 10 normal men

ILoveHorsesRN, ADN · Sep 3, 2018

In our CNA contract, per diem RN's can be cancelled 72 hours prior to their shift. Per Diem RN's do not have a secure position. They are required to work a certain number of hours/weekends per month but, they can be cancelled like I stated above. Someone posted a list of cities to stay away from, but said $19k a month was "chump change." The poster forgot the article said it's $19 K in TWO WEEKS. This article is accurate regarding pay. People love to put down CA. There are good areas and bad, just like every other state. But nurses love it here because we have a strong union protecting patient care and nurse's rights. We also love our weather here, and there are many places to visit that make our state desirable.

ILoveHorsesRN, ADN · Sep 3, 2018

That is a good point, but I have seen some CA RN's here mention that per union contract, per diem's cannot be cancelled. I don't know that for sure, but that is the type of union or hospital I would try to get employment with. Also, the link provided also validates that point.

Our CNA contact states per diem nurses can be cancelled within 72 hours of their shift.

ILoveHorsesRN, ADN · Sep 3, 2018

The paycheck was $19k for two WEEKS, not one month. There are bad areas of CA just like any other state, but we have unions who protect us from horrible working conditions like other states have. We also have great weather and nice places to visit.

guest769224 · Sep 3, 2018

My advice if you decide on bay area is:
1. Smaller more fuel efficient SUV/pickup (4WD Toyota 4 Runner comes to mind at 15-18MPG, versus my Nissan Titan at 8-10MPG)
2. Commute from Merced County/Los Banos
^Not the worst area but do lock your doors
3. Gilroy and San Jose pay amazing from what I can surmise.
GOOD LUCK!!! :)

I was wanting to get a position somewhere in the Bay Area, and use BART to get to and from the airport, and to and from work. I don't mind walking a bit if necessary. Do you have any suggestions on specifics hospitals in the Bay Area?

guest769224 · Sep 3, 2018

In our CNA contract, per diem RN's can be cancelled 72 hours prior to their shift. Per Diem RN's do not have a secure position. They are required to work a certain number of hours/weekends per month but, they can be cancelled like I stated above. Someone posted a list of cities to stay away from, but said $19k a month was "chump change." The poster forgot the article said it's $19 K in TWO WEEKS. This article is accurate regarding pay. People love to put down CA. There are good areas and bad, just like every other state. But nurses love it here because we have a strong union protecting patient care and nurse's rights. We also love our weather here, and there are many places to visit that make our state desirable.

That's a great post. But I was thinking, if a per diem is cancelled, how about just picking up a shift on a unit that has a need, instead? There's always an open shift somewhere. I work ICU and ER. Id be willing to float to Tele or Med/Surg to get my hours in. Or float to another hospital that had a need. It's a possibility I guess but more of a hassle, you're right.

TriciaJ, RN · Sep 3, 2018

That is a good point, but I have seen some CA RN's here mention that per union contract, per diem's cannot be cancelled. I don't know that for sure, but that is the type of union or hospital I would try to get employment with. Also, the link provided also validates that point.

I would want to make sure that per diems are even covered by the union contract. In most places and occupations, per diems are out of scope.

guest769224 · Sep 3, 2018

I would want to make sure that per diems are even covered by the union contract. In most places and occupations, per diems are out of scope.

I've never heard of per diems being excluded. I am in a union now as a PD RN. We are still a working staff nurse I'm not sure why they'd be excluded.

Ashley_SF, BSN · Sep 3, 2018

My experience in SF is outpatient dialysis, but I have a friend who works per diem ICU in an SF hospital. He lives out of state and flies in every week for his NOC shifts. He's been doing this for awhile and I've not heard him complain of being cancelled etc.

There are many hospitals in the bay area, but BART is not convenient for all of them. Some hospitals, like CPMC, have shuttles from downtown BART to the hospital, but they don't run 24/7. Also, the airport is a good 30 minute BART ride into SF, depending on where you get off.

Lastly, I would not recommend commuting from Los Banos/Merced to work in SF/Bay Area. I lived in Modesto for two years and just prior to moving back to SF I worked per diem in San Francisco and full time in Modesto. I would leave my house before 4am for a 6:30am shift (for a typically 1 hr 40min trip) and still hit traffic! The commute back home was even worse.

Food for thought. It really depends on your priorities and what you can live with.

baker1bv · Sep 3, 2018

not going to lie, i doubt I could do more than 2 16 hour shifts in a row.