Portland-Nice place to visit but dont stay?

U.S.A. Oregon

Published

Currently I am nursing myself a masters degree in PMHNP (mental health NP) and looking to relocate. I already live in a city who slogan is "come on vacation and leave on probation", so I am thinking it soon will be time to move. The wife is all about chickens and goats, me I love green...I hate beige (hate hate hate), and we have a 15 month old son that basically deserves better.

I am a mental health nurse. I see houses there I like....but what isn't there to like about nursing in Portland area?

Thanks in advance..will respond

Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiology..

Everytime*

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I love Portland. I've lived here for 7 years and I'm a California transplant. Unfortunately it's becoming more and more the cool and trendy place to live...leading to bad traffic and a higher and higher cost of living. I really don't have anything bad to say about it except the weather can be tough to adjust to, especially if you're from a sunny climate. I have never met anyone who moved here that didn't like it. As far as nursing jobs, I am a new grad so don't have much to say. I had no problem getting an RN job after passing my nclex.

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Portland is a great place to be a nurse! It may take you awhile to find a great job but the pay is good In the NW:)

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Specializes in ICU.
It's gorgeous. Everything I work I feel a huge sense of bliss. Do you have your license/certificates endorsed to Oregon yet? It takes about a month with the OSBN... I also work for an agency, "staffing partners" that has hospital shifts and pays really well, CNA making 18/hr and I can't complain. I get a ton of overtime hours as well.

That's great to hear that you like working there!! I've applied to transfer my license- but waiting on the fingerprinting packet. So I don't anticipate being able to get a job very quickly! (Unless they're willing to hire me with my OR license pending.)

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I work at OHSU too and I don't know what "free parking" Blonde Babe is talking about unless she works at night. If you work at night, it's free. Otherwise, we all pay. During the day and for students at the nursing school, it's $13 a day and the availability is limited. You should figure on at least a 45 minute commute from Wilsonville in the morning (up to an hour or an hour and a half if the weather is bad or there is an accident on the highway) and then you have to give yourself at least 20 minutes to find parking or, if you've pre-booked and pre-paid for parking, you need to allow for walking time to get to class. I went to nursing school up here before I started working at the hospital, and the parking is a pain. There are parking attendants checking all the time, and if you're stuck late in a lecture, you'll find yourself facing an $85-$100 ticket. If you can figure out a way to take Trimet (the city bus) at least part of the way to school, it might be a better option, but it will add to your commute time. OHSU students do get a discount on Trimet season tickets.

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I agree... nice to visit but am looking to leave as soon as my current lease completes. It's not the weather, it's the people I see everyday in east Portland. Tons of homeless, panhandling on street corners and car break-ins. Now that marijuana has passed in the November elections it seems everyone thinks its legal here even though its not officially legal until July 1st. That added to the existing meth, heroin and oxycodone abuse and it's difficult to meet people who aren't under some sort of "influence". Sad really... because the natural beauty of the area is awesome. Still it doesn't make up for this percentage of the local population.

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Specializes in Tele, Cardiac Post Op, ER.

mallysmama I sent you a PM!

Thanks!

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