Relocating to California

[africanbelle]

Could you wonderful nurses give me some input about raising a child as a single mom in California. I am considering moving from the south to California this summer but have no family there. Are most hospital shifts 8 or 12 hours? In my current state pretty much all shifts are 12 hours except for OR AND GI lab which makes it hard to find day care. Also which cities/ neighborhoods are the best to raise kids and still not too expensive. I appreciate all your input and suggestions.

[africanbelle]

cecilbee1 which part of California are you moving to? Also have you gotten a job already, how long did it take to get your license? Sorry lots of questions. After some o the responses I am beginning to think moving may not be the best idea for me but it would be nice to hear how everything has played out for you and what my chances look like. Thank you for taking the time to respond to my post.

[cecilbee1]

I have family in Rancho Cucamonga, so I would like to be within an hour of them. I've been looking at Victorville and Fontana specifically but I am open to most surrounding communities. I do not have a job yet, as a matter of fact I just mailed all of my application materials for endorsing my license a little over 2 weeks ago. A big concern is that my fingerprint card will get rejected, but I am planning on making a trip out there in April or May and I will do livescan at that point if I need to. I also plan to visit potential places of employment at that time. I understand the board of nursing is behind, which concerns me, but I am hopeful that this will all work out!

[mikkie1317]

Hello

This is the secret about California, If you intend to live in the North and South, finding a job, plus cost of living plus being a single Mom. It is impossible. There is a boom town for nurses in California, that's where I live, I will be graduating in June and I already have pre-employment offers. Its Bakersfield these are the hospitals which are hiring Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, San Joaquin Community Hospital( offering sign-on bonuses), Mercy South West( In interested in OB/GYN, this is the place to be), Kern Medical Center( presently they have an opening for Public Health Nurses), Mercy Hospital.

Good Luck

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

The only places you're really going to find 8 hour shifts are in psych, or outside of acute care/hospital settings (SNF, rehab, etc.).

Also, we do have state ratios, but not every speciality/setting is capped at a max of 4 patients. The ratios are specific to the speciality/setting, and there are some specialties where you may have 5, 6 or more. Still a lot better than most of the country.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I can clearly see California is not the place for a single mom with no social support.

It's expensive. Yes, hourly rates are higher out here in CA, but the cost of living is so ridiculously high in a lot of CA that it cancels it out: you might make 40-50/hr and still find yourself struggling financially. You could go inland CA or near the border and fare somewhat better...then again, that means living in/near the desert or near the border.

Honestly, do not even consider moving out here unless you have a guaranteed job in hand. And even so, be prepared to downsize your lifestyle if necessary, especially since you will be paying handsomely for childcare that can accomodate a single parent's needs.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

Hello

This is the secret about California, If you intend to live in the North and South, finding a job, plus cost of living plus being a single Mom. It is impossible. There is a boom town for nurses in California, that's where I live, I will be graduating in June and I already have pre-employment offers. Its Bakersfield these are the hospitals which are hiring Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, San Joaquin Community Hospital( offering sign-on bonuses), Mercy South West( In interested in OB/GYN, this is the place to be), Kern Medical Center( presently they have an opening for Public Health Nurses), Mercy Hospital.

Good Luck

I lived in Bakersfield for some time. I still have family members who live there.

The city is sweltering in the summer (read: 100+ degree temperatures), cold in the winter, and has a somewhat foul odor due to all the farms in the outskirts. Bakersfield reminds me more of Oklahoma City than of anyplace in California because it is not a pretty, glamorous, or cosmopolitan place.

By the way, the wages in this region are lower compared to northern CA and southern CA. I currently earn more money in Texas than I had been offered in central CA.

I've interviewed three times at KMC and was rejected twice. I've interviewed at Sierra View District Hospital in Porterville and was rejected.

[mikkie1317]

Hello The Commuter

Bakersfield is definitely not the ideal place to live, but it is easy to find jobs esp for New Grads.

The air does smell bad and the air quality is not the best either

This year new grads are starting at $35/hr with a raise every 6 months

[RunBabyRN]

The Central Valley, including Bakersfield, is where you would likely find a job and a lower cost of living. Look at rural areas in the inland areas. It won't be nearly as cheap as what you are paying now, but you could likely find a home similar to what you have now for $1500 a month in a smaller inland town, depending on where you go. It does get hot that way, over 100 degrees regularly in the summer, and the air quality, particularly down south, can be bad. Bakersfield has something called Valley Fever (do a Google search). If anyone in your family has respiratory problems, stay way north of there.

Depending on what you like, there are some really nice rural areas. Northern CA is nicer than southern CA, inland, IMO. More mountainous and better weather. Not sure what the cost of living is in inland NorCal, but I'm sure with some research you can find out. Craigslist is a good place to look for housing if you plan to rent, and you can get a good sense of what housing costs there.