Questions about Ohio

k564088 · Jul 17, 2007

I live in Liberty Township. It is a suburb of Cincinnati. There is so much growth going on here! It is the 5th fastest growing area of the country! There are lots of new shopping areas and plenty of hospitals in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area. Just talked to a friend who works at childrens who said new graduates are welcome and treated very well at Cincinnati Childrens. Yes there is snow, but it seems there is less than when I was a child. The cost of living is reasonable. I really like it here!

luv2shopp85 · Jul 18, 2007

Thanks for hte information!!

What is the pay rate for new grads who have already passed the nclex?

Someone told me that its hard to find a job if you don't have a BSN. Is this true? I only have my ADN

allantiques4me · Jul 18, 2007

Im a lifetime Clevelander.And still love it!! We have an awsome downtown.Lake Erie.Metroparks,Museums,World reknowned hospitals.Cleve Clinic,Metrohealth,University hospital;s,Case western college,Cleveland state Universty,ect.Cleveland Indians,Cavs,Browns sports teams,with lots of fun night life.The down side is there has been a lot of crime lately,winters suck.Snow in winter.we do have all the seasons.Warm summer,decent spring,nice fall,I dont like winter here though.Lake Erie is really neat,can boat swim ,the Zoo is great!Good luck in Ohio!!!

icie rn, ADN, RN · Jul 18, 2007

Hello,

No one seems to be answering your question regarding your ADN. While I do not work or live in Ohio, I can speak from experience regarding the degree. A BSN is the coming thing, it will be the essential basis for practice in a few years, more schools are adopting their programs to BSN degrees. That being said, have you contacted any facilities to get a feel for what they want and how they are proceeding to get the staffing they need? Not everyone is able to go to school for 4 years for the BSN, facilities know this, many are willing to hire a ADN, give assistance with scheduling and fees to allow that ADN to obtain the higher degree. Of course they will require some type of committment from you, but if you are satisfied with the facility, then the time will pass quickly. Pick an area you are interested in living, contact the HR department, ask for information regarding the facility and the area, search online for newspapers and read them from time to time regarding news of the area. I agree that Cincy is beautiful and growing, so is Columbus. Cleveland is still caught between the old industrial city and a new technology , but it is still vital. (Just too cold for me in the winters.) No one can really give you the total answers to your questions, that will require work and searching on your part, but I am sure you will be pleasantly surprised with the results. Have a blessed day.:chuckle :nurse:

MICKEYnHANNAHsMOM · Jul 22, 2007

The Akron area would be a good area for you. There are a variety of hospitals to choose from in Akron. The University of Akron has a good nursing school if you would ever want to get your BSN or MSN. And Cleveland is less than an hour away. You get snow in the winter in Akronbut probably no mare than you get over by Pittsburg.

Good luck!!

sticknurse · Jul 30, 2007

You can work as an independent nurse in Ohio. The nice thing about it is the autonomy of owning your own business. Check the entrepreneurs thread. Yes there's lots of snow so 4wd auto is nice too. Good luck.

haras regnurps · Aug 5, 2007

Ohio is awesome. If you want places to go without too much snow choose Cinncinatti or Columbus. Cinncy is the prettier of the 2 but there is so much to do in Columbus. Job market in both is reallly good right now. You might try Dayton too. that is right in the middle of Indianapolis Columbus Cinncinatti and Toledo.

Cleveland is awesome in the summer but the snow is awful in winter especially the east side with all the lake effect. You can have 1/2 inch on the west side and get dumped on if you live on the east side. not good if you do not like snow.

suanna · Aug 5, 2007

I've lived and worked in the Akron area for 20+ years. Great area for nurses esp at the bigger hospitals.(prefer AGMC) For better weather try Cinc. Much less snow and spring comes much earlier- I've heard good things about Cincinatti Childrens Hosp. but in a city that big opportunities abound. I have heard that the Akon area medical centers will hire an AD or diploma nurse with experience but your options may be more limited as a new grad. A letter from an instructor would help. See ya around the snow drifts.

CMColumbus · Aug 8, 2007

I grew up just north of Pittsburgh. My family still lives there. I moved to Columbus 9 years ago. The first time I visited I fell in love with it. My sister liked it so much that she moved near me a few years ago.

I'm from a small town, so this seems like a "city" but its not congested like Pittsburgh. It is very easy to navigate Columbus because no matter where you are, there is a major route or interstate near you. Even though we're not that far away (its a very easy 4 hr drive to see my family) we have a lot milder winters. When my parents have 12 inches of snow, we have maybe 1 or 2. Everyone here freaks out when they see a couple inches, so that's an excellent time for me to go shopping, since there won't be many people on the roads and I'm used to driving in the snow. Columbus has a small downtown area that is so easy to navigate compared to Pittsburgh. Also Columbus is a lot nicer than Pittsburgh or Cleveland or Cincinnati. I thought Cinci was the dirtiest city ever. Those cities tend to have factories and nasty ghetto areas. Columbus is home to many corporate offices, so most of Columbus is actually suburbs and less "downtown." There are a lot of office buildings throughout the city and less of that industrial feel. Columbus rush hour traffic is NOTHING like Pittsburgh traffic. Its easier to find parking in downtown Columbus than most places in Pittsburgh. Unless there's an accident or something major you rarely just sit for a long time like you do in Pittsburgh traffic. I live in a Columbus suburb on the edge of the city. It only takes me 15 minutes to get from my driveway to where I work downtown. If you turn left out of my neighborhood, you're on a major street with just about every store you can think of within 10 minutes. If you turn right out of my community you have corn fields. Its really a small town feel with all the stores and the conveniences of a city.

Columbus's Childrens Hospital is ranked among the best children's hospitals in the nation and they pay well. You can get hired on with an ADN but most areas require a BSN. Any of the Ohio Health Hospitals gain high marks as well. Ohio Health is constantly being voted one of the best companies in Central Ohio to work for. Ohio Health and OSU will pay for your college if you decide to get a higher degree. They will both hire you on with just an associates in nursing. One perk of OSU Medical Center is that you're an OSU employee, which means you can attend OSU for free, children are half price, and grandkids will be 25% off as long as you're still employed there. I really don't know anything about the Mount Carmel hospitals, but they do list pay ranges on their job postings on their website.

If you need any more Columbus or Central Ohio information, just send me a private message. Good luck on your decision. Moving away from home can be a little frightning but a fun adventure.

HarleyNrs · Aug 11, 2007

Congrats on passing NCLEX! As someone who(a long time ago) was looking for something different, may I suggest getiing 6 months experience where you are at then try travel nursing. There are alot of travel positions in Ohio depending on what specialty you want. It is a great way to "try out" an area before permanently moving.

Good Luck!

Nancy