Hencake

I moved to No. California last year. I live in a rural town and work at a critical access hospital ICU. My pay is around $50 with all health insurance included. I recently applied to jobs in the Bay Area and found it EXTREMELY competitive. I have 8 years experience at a level 1 trauma teaching hospital and put out over 20 applications before getting 3 calls back. I don't know anything about So. California, just that the pay is lower. You might want to consider a travel position but it seems hard to get into new areas, plus, the job I ended up taking required that I be available for interview within a week plus multiple trips to the area for pre-employment screening. I'm not sure if you are only interested in California - but I would look at the University of Virginia. They are currently recruiting for BSNs with experience and there are moving/sign on bonuses. Their NICU is top notch, saved my nephews life when he was born at 26 weeks. They have educational opportunities as well and tuition reimbursement. You could make it as a single parent there and Charlottesville is a very kid friendly environment. Just a thought.

I know there was a big overhaul in October 2013 of how they process applications. Thank you NedRN for the info about how to check on the temp license- I will look into that. I also think there must be some issue- and am getting pretty frustrated. Oh well, I'll keep calling!

I believe NedRN is correct- I thi k you can get fingerprints at any police department. I dropped off my application in person and did Livescan in California. I had received my fingerprint cards about 1.5 weeks after I requested them. at the office- I was told it would be 6 weeks max for my license to be received AND I paid for a temporary license that I hoped to get even sooner. I am headed into my 5th month of waiting, with no response from the Bon. . . Other than- we are swamped/overwhelmed. I even called the office of consumer affairs to try to get some info- a VERY nice woman assisted me and essentially told me that my application is sitting in a pile somewhere in the office and that they aren't answering phone calls - all of their time is spent processing the back log of applications. I still try to call about every two weeks- mostly because IF there is an issue with my transcripts or application I want to resolve it ASAP. NEDRN gives the best advice!

Hello - I applied for a California license by endorsement at the end of October. I applied for a temporary permit as well (in person). I have yet to receive anything from them as of today, February 18th. I am wondering if anyone else is having this problem? I have called multiple times, starting in December. I was able to speak to someone at the Board of Consumer affairs and they were helpful - checked on the status of my application and said everything looks okay (transcripts were received, NURSYS form and livescan form), it just needs to be approved. She said it could take up to 6 months and that the phones at the BON office are essentially turned off so they can process applications. Apparently, they changed their processing system October 1 and are still recovering from that? My concern is that the NURSYS verification is only good for 3 months, if they have yet to verify my Va license, I would think I would need to pay again. Any advice?

thanks for the advice. It i s a lot to think about, trying to weigh all the options and appreciate your input!

Thank you for the replies. NedRn- I have been reading through other threads and I appreciate your directness. I have 4 years in a very busy teaching hospital on an acute care medicine floor that had telemetry on most patients - ratios varied from 4:1 to 8:1 when I left. then I floated to all acute care wards- including acute cards, stroke, oncology, neuro, Pali and geriatrics. My icu experience is in a surgical trauma- about 6 months, left after I had a baby- and it was not my cup of tea- then worked in a huge medical icu. I am totally comfortable with medicine, other than that, I feel like I have a general knowledge but am not 100%. I also like to ask questions and learn. My experience with travelers is pretty limited, but most that I have worked with have either been ill prepared for the acuity and swamped trying to figure out the computer- or they are the most bad ass competent nurses I have ever met. I would say I am more on the competent side, but when I don't really know what kind of situation I am going I not- how can I know? How did you feel when you first started? Did you question if you had the ability/skill set? I am feeling more like I will probably apply for a staff job- at least I would get orientation and my kids would be settled. My husband is actually looking at the woodworking school in Fort Bragg- the Mendocino coast hospital is actually hiring- but it is very small and I prefer a larger, more academic setting. In redding- do you prefer Shasta or mercy? Thanks!!

Hi- I would like to permanently relocate to California-there is a college my husband would like to attend. I am attracted to traveling there first for the benefit of "checking" it out versus moving directly to one city. He would not be able to attend school until 2015, so while we would like to stay in northern California, we are not sold on one particular city. We have visited several times the coastal areas and have always loved the area. I have 4 years acute med surg with tele and two ICU. My ccare experience is in a surgical trauma at a level 1 center, a medical unit, and a stent in a Community hospital icu. In my medsurfs days I also floated to all acute care wards in a teaching hospital- 650 beds. I am nervous about needing more support than is available to travelers- I am confident in my skills but I am not the best cardio or Neuro nurse. I have spoken with aya healthcare and have an offer of $20/hr, license and relocation reimbursed plus $1500 month housing stipend in eureka ca. She says this comes to $43/hr but I am getting 30? The hospitals website has progressive care unit openings. My question to you is- would I be better off to take a staff rn job when my ultimate goal is to settle down? Other places I am looking at are Mendocino coast and redding. Of note- I have two small kids and am not really interested in moving frequently. My recruiter was hopeful that I could get a 26 week contract- but the more i research, I realize there really are no guarantees. I am trying to balance stability vs pay vs comfort in practice. Hope this makes sense!