Recent ASN grad -- Perfect time to follow my dream and relocate across the country?

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jan 3, 2012

Go ahead and follow your dreams of moving to the Seattle area. However, I seriously would attempt to secure employment in Washington state before relocating. If you move without a job, you'll take the very real chance of being unemployed for a year or longer because the Seattle metro area is afflicted with a glut of inexperienced nurses.

allnurses Guide · Jan 3, 2012

Yep, I would start looking hard for work out there and wait to move until you have a written job offer. Other than that bit of conservative (but truly necessary) planning, go for it. It is a lovely area of the country to live in, but not if you are struggling to make ends meet and trying to figure out what comes next if work is not forthcoming.

christophermiles · Jan 3, 2012

Thanks, not.done.yet and TheCommuter. I'm now beginning to think it might be better to find something (assuming "something" exists) in Indianapolis, get at least a year under my belt, then move. I've read other posts in which applicants believed they were slighted because they did not live in the state they were applying. Is that accurate?

allnurses Guide · Jan 3, 2012

It can be. There is definitely not much relocation assistance available anymore and flying out to interview would be on your own buck, not theirs. Some employers just have a big enough pool of applicants locally, particularly new grads, to not need to consider those from out of state. It is one criteria they can use to weed through the moutains of applications. That being said, there ARE new nurses getting hired out of state. It just depends on the employer, the area, the state itself, the way the wind is blowing, etc. Good luck to you!

PintheD · Jan 3, 2012

Depends how adventurous you are and what your financial resources are. If you have a financial cushion, or can borrow one from family I say go! Find a living situation on Craigslist, get a job - any job - then look for a nursing position while you get to know the lay of the land. This way you can network, see what part of town you would ideally like to settle and be physically available for interviews. Think of it as an adventure.

It's not impossible to live on the cheap if you are not already saddled with debt. Live your life!

Good luck.

christophermiles · Jan 4, 2012

Thanks for the comment, PintheD! My goal was to leave with at least $2,000. Do you think that would be sufficient cushion?

caliotter3 · Jan 4, 2012

The way I look at it, you should go ahead and go. Three months from now you could be unemployed or employed and settled, just as well there, as where you are now. So what is the difference, and what better time to make a move? Good luck.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2012

To be straightforward, $2000 is not much of a cushion at all. You will want to have enough money for at least 6 months worth of living expenses in the event that you do not find a job immediately upon arriving in your new state.

christophermiles · Jan 4, 2012

Hello everyone! OK, so I posted this in the General forum and am now posting here to see what Washingtonians think. I just graduated from an ASN program in Indiana and now have the perfect opportunity to leave and follow my lifelong dream of moving to Seattle or a surrounding city (anywhere from Bellingham to Tacoma). I'm a single, 33-year-old guy who has lived his entire life playing it safe, avoiding risk at all cost. I'm apprehensive about making the move because I've read countless posts here about how tight the Seattle nursing market is, especially for inexperienced RNs. But I'm afraid if I don't make the move now I'll end up taking a job and finding myself stuck in the Midwest. My greatest fear is looking back on my life and regretting my decision to play it safe and avoid the move.

So what do you think? Any comments are appreciated! Thank you! :specs:

christophermiles · Jan 4, 2012

TheCommuter, $2,000 was the minimum goal; it'll probably be around $3,000. I agree with your comment, but I'll deliver pizzas if that's all I can find.

justami · Jan 4, 2012

Hello everyone! OK, so I posted this in the General forum and am now posting here to see what Washingtonians think. I just graduated from an ASN program in Indiana and now have the perfect opportunity to leave and follow my lifelong dream of moving to Seattle or a surrounding city (anywhere from Bellingham to Tacoma). I'm a single, 33-year-old guy who has lived his entire life playing it safe, avoiding risk at all cost. I'm apprehensive about making the move because I've read countless posts here about how tight the Seattle nursing market is, especially for inexperienced RNs. But I'm afraid if I don't make the move now I'll end up taking a job and finding myself stuck in the Midwest. My greatest fear is looking back on my life and regretting my decision to play it safe and avoid the move.
So what do you think? Any comments are appreciated! Thank you!

I say go for it, start applying to jobs Seattle and realize you may have to initially take a job you don't want but as time goes by you will be able to move into the area of nursing you really want. Good Luck