Possible move?

Where are you looking to go? The mountains, the beach, the piedmont, or perhaps somewhere like Charlotte (large city)? Workplace environment varies from working with very rural communities with little to no secondary education or education even past the 8th grade to working with a community at the heart of a higher education and tech hub. The real estate market is booming in some areas, but definitely a seller's market, not a buyer's market. As for working without a union, I have never worked in a hospital with a union, so I can't really speak to the differences, with the exception of I know that nurse to patient ratios are higher and salaries lower (in some cases).

If you give me a better idea of where in the state you're focusing on, I can give you better answers. :)

Hello! Thank you for responding. We are looking at the Raleigh/triangle area, Asheville, or possibly Charlotte. The nurse to patient ratios do concern me a little. I've worked in a Level 1 Trauma ER so I've definitely learned how to handle a huge patient load and our hospital is only now starting to have better ratios. How bad are we talking in some cases? I could handle it I'm sure - just worry about the safety issues :/

Okay, this helps me some. All three of the areas you are considering have trauma centers that are very busy, in well-known hospitals. As for how it is actually *working* in those trauma centers, I don't know. I am exclusively OB, so what I know is strictly hearsay from other nurses and direct observation as a patient. Mission hospital in Asheville is supposed to be good to work for in general, but again, I don't know unit specifics. Charlotte is just HUGE and if you were to work for Carolinas Medical Center, from what I hear through the grapevine their staffing is on par with the rest of the other tertiary referral centers around the state. The same is true for the big 3 trauma centers in Raleigh Durham.

As for quality of life, the three areas you've mentioned are all different climate wise. Asheville actually gets a good amount of snow, so if you're looking to escape the snow, I'd avoid Asheville. Raleigh Durham is a huge tech hub and has 3 major universities and tons of hospitals as a result, so you have more options for work there. It gets some snow, but not much. Charlotte is my least favorite of the 3 areas. I went to college in that area, and I really just don't like how huge Charlotte has become. It's honestly too big for my tastes. However some people LOVE it there, and of course because it's so enormous, again, lots of options.

Benefits can be pretty decent, and most of the hospitals affiliated with major universities have tuition reimbursement/discount programs of some kind. Duke used to have one where children of full time employees could get a really great deal on tuition. I have no idea if that's still the case.

Asheville, while seriously beautiful and very much a "hippie/natural" friendly area, can be expensive as far as real estate if you want an area with good schools. Also, it's a tourist town, so you get everything that comes with that. Friends that I have who live there absolutely love it, though. RDU is in the middle of a real estate boom and is growing almost as fast as Austin TX, so there is a lot of rearranging of school districts going on yearly, and that frustrates some people. Also, housing can be pricey in the desired school districts. Charlotte is more affordable housing wise, but the traffic there is nightmarish. Especially when there's an NFL game, or in Concord, one of the outlying bedroom communities.

Shopping is excellent in all 3 areas, but Charlotte got the IKEA. Haha. )

I don't have any experience in Charlotte or Asheville (other than visiting). I work in the Triangle and we love being here. There is SO much to do. Concerts and museums and sports and you're an hour from the beach, a couple from the mountains. DC is close, so is Atlanta. I am originally from the Chicago area and I lived in the South for almost 20 years. I love it.

The three bigs are pretty comparable. Any are fine. I am at Duke and love it. I have friends and classmates at the other two and they love it where they are. Lots of options in this area.

I live in Charlotte and moved from NY 3 years ago. I certainly don't miss the winters up North, but you will have to get used to the pay differences. Rent in Charlotte metro is about $1150 or so for a one bedroom in the "trendy areas." City center living will cost you around 1600 for a one bedroom apartment depending on the condo or apartment tower you want to live in.

As far as work there is Novant and Carolinas Medical Center. There is also Caromont about 25 minutes West of Charlotte that is a smaller community hospital with a large labor department.

As a staff nurse my pay went down 7 dollars per house coming from upstate NY to Charlotte. My cost of living went up.