Relocating to CA; what are my chances?

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Feb 1, 2016

You should be able to get a job. Start the license transfer process asap because I have heard it can take months.

salary varies across the strate. There are places where new grads start in the high 20s hourly (rural Southern California) and places they start in the low 60s hourly (SF Bay Area)

With your experience, if you look at San Diego,probably mid 40s hourly and the Bay Area expect 70ish hourly.

both are expensive places to live, but if you have minimal bills and are single you should be fine. A apartment in San Diego would be 2k or so, maybe a little less,and in the Bay Area at least 3k a month. Traffic can be horrendous in both metro areas. I know Radys children's in San Diego is supposed to be awesome and I think Oakland has a great children's hospital and then there is Lucille Packard at Stanford which I'm partial to because they saved my life in 1983. :)

wages are great, but taxes are pretty high and with cost of living your budget can be tight, but California is a great place to live.

RNKPCE · Feb 1, 2016

In the Bay area there is UCSF, brand new children's hospital opened about a year ago. They have a very large NICU and take care of the most sick babies. There is also Oakland Children's which is part of UCSF now I think. Also Lucille Packard in Palo Alto. Then there are all the community hospitals in the area with NICUs.

With the experience under your belt, if there are open positions, it is definitely easier to get a job than as a new grad.

I agree with previous poster start the process to transfer your license. From what I hear it can be a nightmare. One nurse did a parody Adele's song Hello in regard to the Ca Board of Nursing. Google it, it is pretty funny.

Pay is like the previous poster said is great pay but cost of living in the Bay Area is crazy!!! Most bedside nurses in the Bay area working full time make over $100k easily not including OT. Really looking into housing costs before you move and see it is still a good move for you.

If you move to other areas of Northern California like Sacramento or other parts of the Central Valley your money will go farther and the pay is still better than So Cal.

Seas · Feb 2, 2016

How does the interview & hiring process go? Is the distance a big disadvantage? They will see my address as my current state and wont bother with my application, I am afraid. Is phone interview common? Or do they usually want to meet in person even before the relocation. I would like to have a job before I make the move. :)

RNKPCE · Feb 2, 2016

I'm sure it varies. I know an RN with a couple years experience who moved to NorCal from out of state and had the initial interview/screening by phone but had to come out for both in person interviews. Unfortunately it can get costly arranging a flight with just a week's notice. The person I know got hired by one of the hospitals but that person went to school in the bay area and grew up here.

Could you do a travel nurse assignment first to get a feel for the area?

Seas · Feb 2, 2016

I'm sure it varies. I know an RN with a couple years experience who moved to NorCal from out of state and had the initial interview/screening by phone but had to come out for both in person interviews. Unfortunately it can get costly arranging a flight with just a week's notice. The person I know got hired by one of the hospitals but that person went to school in the bay area and grew up here.
Could you do a travel nurse assignment first to get a feel for the area?

I wouldnt prefer to, actually. I will come for a small vacation, but I don't want to go through job application and another job change in between.

angiern76 · Feb 6, 2016

I have been a nurse for almost 13 years and work at Children's in Oakland. I work in a clinic and took the the job so that I could stop travel nursing. I have really great experience and people like me and I can't get a job. When I say people like me I mean: I always got extended and offered permanent jobs on travel assignments, my current job doesn't want me to leave and I am always told I'm at the "top of the list" for interviews. The problem out here (I'm from KS) is that all the hospitals are union and they have to hire from within first so if it comes down to you or a current staff member even if they are less qualified or likable they have to give it to them. Also, the more experience you have the more they have to pay so you are at a slight advantage to me. I'm also not seeing many jobs available. I noticed Rady in SD has NICU openings and when I emailed the nurse recruiter email listed on their page the actually wrote back which was great! If you can get a travel assignment at a hospital you want then that might be a way to get in. Plus NorCal and SoCal are very different and I keep getting asked why I want to move from NorCal so it seems they don't trust I will want to stay in SoCal. So keep all that in mind! :-)

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Feb 6, 2016

I have been a nurse for almost 13 years and work at Children's in Oakland. I work in a clinic and took the the job so that I could stop travel nursing. I have really great experience and people like me and I can't get a job. When I say people like me I mean: I always got extended and offered permanent jobs on travel assignments, my current job doesn't want me to leave and I am always told I'm at the "top of the list" for interviews. The problem out here (I'm from KS) is that all the hospitals are union and they have to hire from within first so if it comes down to you or a current staff member even if they are less qualified or likable they have to give it to them. Also, the more experience you have the more they have to pay so you are at a slight advantage to me. I'm also not seeing many jobs available. I noticed Rady in SD has NICU openings and when I emailed the nurse recruiter email listed on their page the actually wrote back which was great! If you can get a travel assignment at a hospital you want then that might be a way to get in. Plus NorCal and SoCal are very different and I keep getting asked why I want to move from NorCal so it seems they don't trust I will want to stay in SoCal. So keep all that in mind! :-)

probably because of the large pay cut in so cal. They know it's expensive down there for what they pay.

angiern76 · Feb 6, 2016

I wish! Unfortunately at Children's there is not a pay scale from clinic nurses (which I was not aware of when I gave them my minimum pay) so I am making the same pay I would make in SoCal (at least at Rady.) And I'm paying a lot more for my studio near Oakland then I would pay for a much bigger 1 bedroom down there. Ah well...I'll just keep applying so they know I want to go back south. :-)

I'm also not interested in starting over on night shift jobs so I'm sort of limiting myself, but I'm 40 not 23 and I don't want to have to work nights again-I gained 100lbs last time. :-)

Sorry for changing the subject on the thread!!

**NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN** · Feb 7, 2016

I wish! Unfortunately at Children's there is not a pay scale from clinic nurses (which I was not aware of when I gave them my minimum pay) so I am making the same pay I would make in SoCal (at least at Rady.) And I'm paying a lot more for my studio near Oakland then I would pay for a much bigger 1 bedroom down there. Ah well...I'll just keep applying so they know I want to go back south. :-)
I'm also not interested in starting over on night shift jobs so I'm sort of limiting myself, but I'm 40 not 23 and I don't want to have to work nights again-I gained 100lbs last time. :-)
Sorry for changing the subject on the thread!!

Makes sense. That's bs tho that the clinic nurses aren't included in the contracts.

Wolf at the Door, BSN · Feb 7, 2016

I am trying to work for one of the state hospitals myself. Three years of critical care exp. I want to switch to Peds.

Wolf at the Door, BSN · Feb 7, 2016

I would stay away from San Fran actually the bay area period. Too expensive.