Planning on moving to Washington State - Future new graduate - RN Resid. Programs

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Hey fellow Seattle-ites!

I am currently doing my BSN nursing program in Hawaii, soon to graduate in spring of next year. After graduation, I would like to move to the Seattle area to do a new-grad RN residency program. It's just something I'm keeping on my to-do list for now.

Why do I plan on leaving Hawaii? The nursing job market in Hawaii is super saturated with nurses. Nursing students here usually graduate from nursing school, only to end up working as a tech (such as ER tech), CNA or ward clerk for couple of months (or in some cases,...years!) until there is an RN position opening in a department. If the student is lucky, such as having a mother working as a nurse, or having some kind of connection to a hospital, then that person is lucky enough to get an RN position.

I used to live in Seattle as a child, and really love the city and the lifestyle.

I am looking to work at hospitals such as Swedish Hospital and Harborview Med Center, because they specifically have new-graduate programs for nurses.

When I was looking at some of the positions on Swedish Hospital's human resource website today, they asked applicants questions such as "Do you currently have a Washington State nursing license?"

My question is, after graduating from nursing school here in Hawaii, would I have to take the NCLEX in Washington State in order to get a Washington State RN license?

Or is a Hawaii RN license transferrable to Washington State? I know states such as California are very stingy in allowing non-residence to convert their home-state nursing license to the California nursing license (not that I want to even live in California!). Just curious if Washington State allows non-residence to transfer their license?

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On the other hand, I am wondering if some of you can name me some of the new graduate RN residency programs besides Swedish Hospital and Harborview Medical Center?

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Any new grad program you can get into. This place is almost as saturated as Hawaii, I knew Hawaii grad who came here couldn't find a job and move to North Dakota...so that's an option. Took me 6 months to land a residency with hundreds of apps and the only reason I got it was because of military experience.

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Thanks for the heads up, Dranger, on the nursing job market in the Seattle area. I am still planning on applying to the various new grad RN residency programs in Seattle area. Dang, I don't want to every think of moving to N. Dakota! I am sure that the economy may recover next year/tomorrow....so there may be some openings in many of the Seattle hospitals by the time I graduate.

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