RN moving to TX from CA

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I am a new grad living in SF, CA and am thinking of moving to SA, TX. I spoke to a traveler nurse from SA and he said it was difficult to work as an RN with an associates and that they are paid less. Is this true? I have an associates but am working on a bsn. Also, what are the wages? And what are the usual rn to patient ratios? I am spoiled here in CA because we have the 1:5 ratio. Any help with these questions would be great. Thanks.

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I live in HOuston and would give anything to move back to San Francisco! The weather is ungodly hot and humid from April to October. The working conditions stink. Nurses have minimal power in even the best hospitals. Staffing is a joke-usual 6 pt's but, I have seen 8:1 on days with no nursing assistant. Yes, the cost of living is cheaper but, the wages reflect it. People are very closed anywhere excecpt Austin. Remember, this is the bible belt.

So yes, you can buy a house, which is difficult where you live but believe me, having lived in both places, you have much better quality of life. Our housing does not appreciate anywhere near CA so return on investment is not that great. My opinion, don't do it. You will regret it.

Julie

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I live in Fort Worth and really like it. Don't base your decision off of the weather in Houston...not all places are hot and stinky like that :)

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I live in HOuston and would give anything to move back to San Francisco! The weather is ungodly hot and humid from April to October. The working conditions stink. Nurses have minimal power in even the best hospitals. Staffing is a joke-usual 6 pt's but, I have seen 8:1 on days with no nursing assistant. Yes, the cost of living is cheaper but, the wages reflect it. People are very closed anywhere excecpt Austin. Remember, this is the bible belt.

So yes, you can buy a house, which is difficult where you live but believe me, having lived in both places, you have much better quality of life. Our housing does not appreciate anywhere near CA so return on investment is not that great. My opinion, don't do it. You will regret it.

Julie

If you hate Houston so much why do you stay? Could it be that Ca's housing apreciated so much no one can afford to live there any more? For many it isn't only difficult to buy a house but impossible. A $200,00 house in Houston would cost a million in most parts of California.

6-8 patients? That was the norm for decades. I used to get 6 in the ED. I've done nursing home work with 45.

I lived in Lafayette, La. in the early 80s and July and Aug are nearly unbearable if you aren't used to it but 10 months a year are quite comfortable.

As far as the area being the Bible Belt, I'm a total atheist and a Democrat but believe our nation has lost too much of our morality. SF is a perfect example. A community that sets a higher standard of accountabilty and is a more intolerant of people who believe there are no limits to their freakish life choices is preferable to the anything goes attitude of the west coast. Believe it or not there are actually millions of people who you couldn't pay to live in California. Smog, traffic, taxes, affordable housing outweigh perfect weather.

I live near Philadelphia now and Houston is looking pretty appealing at this time of my life. I'm tired of the snow and don't mind the heat. If you are really this miserable you should go somewhere else. Why waste your life being unhappy?

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I'm still here because I have to finish school. I'm going as fast as I can!

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The working conditions stink. Nurses have minimal power in even the best hospitals. Staffing is a joke-usual 6 pt's but, I have seen 8:1 on days with no nursing assistant.

There is some evidence to support this. For example, insurance companies won't insure Texas nurses for malpractice like they do California nurses. In Texas you have to pay double the premiums for only 10 percent of the coverage you can get in other states. Based on this alone, it does seem that your license will be more at risk in Texas.

In California, they can't give you more than five patients by law. In 2008, it will go down to four patients for some units like telemetry.

As for housing prices, the market is crashing right now in California so houses may very well become more affordable in a couple of years.

:typing

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As far as the area being the Bible Belt, I'm a total atheist and a Democrat but believe our nation has lost too much of our morality. SF is a perfect example. A community that sets a higher standard of accountabilty and is a more intolerant of people who believe there are no limits to their freakish life choices is preferable to the anything goes attitude of the west coast.

Have you ever actually lived in the Bay Area? All you have to do is drive to places like Walnut Creek, which isn't far from San Fran, and you'll find plenty of cowboy bars and Republicans to boot. It's very conservative.

The Bay Area isn't nearly as "freakish" as people think. Same with Orange County, and a lot of other areas of California, for that matter.

:typing

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I lived in Southern California for the first 24 years of my life before moving to Texas about a year and a half ago. I live in Fort Worth, and actually like it here.

SA has an oversupply of nurses due to the numerous nursing schools in that area, so the wages will be low in that particular city. If multiple nursing schools in the area are churning out new grads every few months, then the local market in SA will be flooded with new nurses (which lowers the pay rates). If you want good pay in Texas, consider Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, El Paso, or the Rio Grande Valley.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, HH, NICU, now FNP.

Working conditions for nurses in Dallas-Fort Worth tend to be good, pay is high, and cost of housing tends to be low.

Lizz, if you think you know so much about Texas. why don't you actually come work here a bit before you go spouting off about it everywhere? Afterall, most of us don't go visiting the CA threads and spouting off there. Really...please...it's getting very very very old.

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Lizz, if you think you know so much about Texas. why don't you actually come work here a bit before you go spouting off about it everywhere? Afterall, most of us don't go visiting the CA threads and spouting off there. Really...please...it's getting very very very old.

You've got to be kidding, right? You yourself have spouted off about California working conditions more than once in the California forum. Should I go pull the threads to refresh your memory? I'd be happy to do so if you can't remember.

Or should I tell you not to post in the California forum?

People from other states make all kinds of statements about California in both in the California forum and elsewhere. The "freakish life choices" statement on this thread is just the latest. As far as I'm concerned, they're entitled to their opinion as am I.

I did actually live in Texas, btw.

If it's getting old for you, put me on ignore. Otherwise, I'll post where I please ... as you do.

:typing

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Yes, Texas is conservative, but there are liberals in the Lone Star State that get along quite well. Most Texans aren't fond of unions.

I had some trouble with Group One (*crosses self, spits, evil eye*) in Dallas, but I would still work in DFW after graduation in a heartbeat.

You may make less money, but the cost of living is much, much lower so it usually evens out. Texas has no state income tax. You can buy a decent house for around $160K. Getting in with a good agency is the best way to boost your salary.

I hope to work in San Fran as a traveller one day!

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Specializes in home & public health, med-surg, hospice.

If it's getting old for you, put me on ignore. Otherwise, I'll post where I please ... as you do.

:typing

Hey Lizz,

Yeah, not trying to impinge upon your 1st amendment rights to free speech or trying to discourage discourse on allnurses BUT...

it does seem as though you do contribute your thoughts in the Texas forum on a pretty frequent basis AND...

they [your thoughts] do seem to always be provided within a spirit of dissent...

so naturally, at times within that same vein, your thoughts just aren't received with welcome.

Just wanted to provide you with a little feedback. In the meantime, please feel free to continue to engage with us as you will. However, I do hope, perhaps we could somehow come to a more amicable way of doing it as opposed to just putting you on ignore, you know?

My way of thinking is that the cause for the opposition may be nothing more than a cultural conflict. Even though CA and TX are both part of USA they certainly do represent varying cultural values. Maybe we can learn to be more tolerant and respectful of each other's differences.?

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