Relocating from Florida to Georgia

[RNamazing]

Hi! I just wanted to get a little advice from Georgia nurses or any nurse who has relocated from one state to another.

So im about a year into my nursing career, luckily I was hired directly into an ICU, and I'm from South Florida. I work at a pretty busy hospital and I've literally taken every opportunity to learn as much as I can so I've already obtained many certifications and on the job experiences (things my mother-a nurse of 30 years-claims she doesn't know lol). I was born and raised in Florida but have traveled to many places and ever since I was little I've loved Georgia, and always wanted to live there. Now that I'm in my career I think this is the perfect time. Now I consider myself a realist so I understand the risks of uprooting my life. Im a single mother of two, I have no family or friends in Georgia but for some reason, I feel like it's where my children and I should be.

My pitfall: the ICU has been great to me. What I've learned and my experience can never be taken away from me and I am forever grateful for it but I HATE IT. It is beyond depressing, and unlike my colleagues I have yet to master that "separate yourself from the job" skill. Everyone else seems so NUMB and I'm emotionally vested into the care and treatment off every patient I come in contact with. The issue is, I've applied to different specialties but for some reason, my resume always lands into the hands of the ICU director or manager. And while I'm ready to jump at the opportunity of moving to my dream state I feel like it'll be just as depressing if I move and am still working in critical care.

From a nursing point of view, is it worth it? Will it be easier for me to get a different position once I'm there?

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Where in Georgia are you planning to move? Lots of variety among various locations.

[RNamazing]

Somewhere around the outside of the perimeter of Atlanta. I'd like to be close enough to the city but not in the center of everything because I know traffic is a big problem.

[Lunah, MSN, RN]

Ah, okay. There is a lot of "Georgia" outside of Atlanta, and I am not familiar with the hiring climate in Atlanta.

One note of caution: if you are moving and simultaneously seeking to change from a critical care environment, that might be a bit of a stretch just because you'll be inexperienced in whichever area of nursing you end up pursuing. A year of critical care is great — if you're continuing in critical care. But a year of critical care is also ONLY a year of critical care if you're moving outside of it, and while I am sure you have experienced much in that year, it doesn't make you expert enough for a seamless transition of a more experienced nurse. It won't necessarily be easy to get a position, but that year of critical care is sometimes what other areas are looking for. But you might get less of an orientation to a new specialty which doesn't exactly set you up for success, either. Any ideas what you'd like to pursue?

Another thing: you probably won't get a lot of response to applications without a Georgia license, so that would be great to have in hand when you apply. Some places also will offer bonuses/relocation benefits, too. :)

[Marshall1]

You will need to have your Ga license before applying to any positions..I relocated from FL to GA as well..regardless of what you read/hear, nurses are plenty around GA so by and large employers are not willing to wait for someone to get their license, etc. That being said, you don't have to apply to ICU positions..if you hate ICU why apply? With your certifications/experience/degrees you will be an asset so don't sell yourself short. Also, have you thought about taking a travel assignment to Ga? Several nurses I know have done that then accepted permanent positions. It also allowed them to get a feel for the area they wished to live in.

[RNamazing]

Thanks for the input. When I say outside of Atlanta, I'd like to be close enough to enjoy the city but far enough away so that I not in traffic whenever I'm going to or from work. I'm sure you've all heard it before but I'd love to go into L&D, my ultimate goal is midwifery. I've already had the opportunity to interview with two hospitals there while waiting for the update on the status of my license but both positions were not what I wanted to do (icu and tele) I have faith that eventually I'll get into the specialty that I want, I'll just keep trying.

I have considered a travel assignment but it's fairly difficult to do an assignment in a specialty you have no experience in. And I'm definitely aware that there is no shortage of nurses anywhere, especially in big cities, I know people who graduated with me and are still waiting for that specialty that they want to go in to call them. It sounds horrible but I never wanted to go into ICU, I knew for a long time I absolutely didn't want to do ICU or ER but they were the first to hire me, and in my situation, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to provide for my family.

[Marshall1]

Take a look at Northside Hospital for L&D. Also North Fulton Hospital.

[RNamazing]

Thanks, I actually received an email from a recruiter at Northside today about an open house so I'll be traveling for that.