lighterbeing

I also really want to move to the Raleigh Area, but since I am the breadwinner in my family, I just don't see how I can live on the pay cut. At present I make 32.00 an hour plus night/weekend diff. I have been a nurse for 12 years. I love the area, my daughter lives there and we have a new grandchild. I need the benefits, so can not do agency. I am putting it off for a while, but can not imagine making so much less, life is a struggle now. We make frequent trips and the drive can be a challenge if traffic is bad, so I am eager to move. I know many nurses who make a couple of dollars more than I do, even more for ICU. I have been impressed with the hospitals in the area, several to choose from.

Welcome to nursing, and congratulations to all of for passing your boards. When I graduated, they told us most of us would not find jobs in hospitals, they were not hiring, then the next year there was a shortage. It will continue to go back and forth. I would say, take what you can find for now, but reapply in hospitals every couple of months. Check to see if they have any intern positions, which would involve more education, but you would be paid for it. Be patient, the jobs will come. Nurses are stretched thin right now, work conditions are difficult, and some are going to walk away from it if they can retire early. Working in a hospital is not easy, but you learn so much that you will not be able to outside the hospital. Take any position available, any shift, and work into something else later. If any of you come my way, I will take you under my wing and teach you all I can. Bless you all.:redbeathe

Thanks for the replies, info. I do not plan on moving until at least 6 months from now, hopefully the economy will be turning around. If not, I do have a job I love now, I just want to be close to my grandchild and daughter. And I love the triangle area! Hope to meet some of you there.

And I am really looking forward to this move. My daughter and our first grandchild live in Raleigh,and we love the area. We are relocating from the Atlanta area. Long drive. Any advice on your favorite place to work? Money will be a consideration, I believe there will be quite a pay decrease, at present I make over $30 an hour plus shift/weekend diff. I know there are several great hospitals, am considering Duke, Rex, Wake Med. Any others I should look into, or which of these offer the best work conditions, staffing ratios, and overall nurse satisfaction? Thank you in advance for any feedback, and I look forward to meeting some of you!

Hi, all, this is a great nursing site, I feel like I already know lots of you. I am looking forward to moving to NC next year. Lewis39, My last name is also Lewis. I would love to hear how you like Duke, that is one of the hospitals I am considering, also Rex. I am just concerned the pay looks pretty low. Looks like I will be doing weekend nights for a lot longer, it has been 10 years so far.....

Julinoe, thanks for that cheat sheet...I plan on moving to the Raleigh area next year and that was a big help. My daughter lives there and gave birth to my 1st grandchild this summer. The wages are much less than where I live in GA., but I really love the area and want to be near my daughter.

At my facility there is becoming a much lower tolerance for bad behavior, thank goodness. I think we notice the bad behavior in health care workers more because we know in our hearts we need to be so much better than that, and we must have high expectations for ourselves. People need for us to be caring and compassionate, we need to be that way for each other, it is a difficult job and we see so much human suffering. Do you think it is a defense mechanism? Ok, I will admit, the MD'S can get a bit full of themselves, but did they go into their profession for the same reasons nurses went into nursing?

:rotfl: You guys are great, and we luv our male nurses!!! (ok, ok I peeked.)

I would recommend a staff nursing job in the beginning. Much, much about Nursing is on the job training...You may feel you are ready to take on anything and one thing after another comes up and you don't have a clue what you are seeing. And there is always that nagging suspicion that something just isn't right with that patient. That is when it really is important to have staff who know you to turn to. Go in there with a willingness to learn and offer to help other staff who look like they are up to their eyeballs in it, make yourself a good team player, and you will benefit the whole unit and will learn and grow in the process. And I promise you, you will need mentoring from the long time nurses. There is so much adaptation and change in agency nursing, they expect you to hit the floor running and many times view you as an outsider who is making more money than them, so why give you any assistance. Nursing is one field you don't want to learn things the hard way.....peoples lives are at stake. Ok, that is my 2cents on the matter. Good luck and best wishes in your job search.

I am curious about any opportunities for travel nurses in the Raleigh area. I will be relocating to the Raleigh/Durham area in a year and it looks like I may have to take a significant pay cut if I hire on at the hospitals in the area. At present I make almost $30 an hour plus weekend/night shift dif. I may do better as a travel nurse, and it would give me a chance to check out the area, find housing, and know where I want to work. My daughter lives in Raleigh and we would like to live close to her as she starts a family. Any travellers out there, and which agencies work in the hospitals in the area? I also have considered areas closer to the beaches, such as Wilmington or New Bern, and agency nursing would give us the opportunity to get more focused on exactly where we want to end up settling down. I am really looking forward to the move, we love NC!

I also am researching the area....So the VA pays more than Duke? I now make 30 an hour plus shift, weekend dif in Ga. Will be moving in a year to the RTP area. May just do a travel job for a couple of years. It looks like the pay is lower and housing much more expensive than where I am coming from.

I am coming! To NC in one year!!!! Looking forward to living in your wonderful state, my daughter is in Raleigh, expecting my 1st grandchild!

I'm with you, looking at New Bern also, however for a place to live and work in now and enjoy for retirement in 12 years or so. My daughter is in Raleigh and I would either like the triangle area or New Bern, possibly Wilmington. A friend interviewed at Wilmington and was really impressed by the hospital and friendliness of the other nurses. Any input from the hospital at New Bern, folks?

Thanks for this valuable info...I will be moving to NC in a year, after 10 yrs at a Ga. Hospital. Want to be close to my daughter who lives in Raleigh. I also wanted Duke for the amount of research, etc. But I may rethink my choice. Possible will do some travelling nursing in the area first. Anyone know which hospitals hire travellers and which agencys work in the area? Will be new to travelling, but think this will be a good way to check out the hospitals and find a place to live. Am also considering areas nearer the coast, like New Bern. ~Blessings, Linda~

Where is this? I work in Austell, not familiar with the shop. Thanks