San Diego Labor & Delivery HELP

[kierstennn]

Hi Guys, I would really appreciate some advice and help!

So I am about to finish up my BSN in December, this will be my second bachelor's degree. I currently live in Arizona but I'm really trying to move to San Diego.

Before you jump down my throat, I KNOW the market is saturated and it's going to be really hard to find a job. But I am still going to try.

I currently have an internship in the NICU with Phoenix Children's Hospital- do I have a better chance of getting a NICU job, then switching to Labor and Delivery later on?

Also, I am so confused on the licensing, I know it takes forever to get a California license if I am out of state. Would it be smarter to just take the NCLEX in the first place in California rather than getting my Arizona license and applying for a California one after?

I will be applying to the new grad programs, can anyone tell me how hard it is to actually get a job? What is the competition like for these programs? I would take a job in any department, not just labor and delivery. Would I be a stronger candidate if I worked a few months in AZ in the NICU or L&D before moving to San Diego, or do you think new grad programs prefer someone that is actually a new grad? I know post programs have a max of 12 months since graduation to be eligible.

Can anyone help me!! I appreciate any advice I can get!!

[shibaowner, MSN, RN, NP]

Well, someone is getting jobs in San Diego, so you have to apply!

Since you are in Arizona, apply for both a California and AZ RN license. Make sure you physically come to CA and do the livescan for your fingerprints, as that will really speed up the process (don't do a fingerprint paper card). At the same time you apply for your CA RN, you can apply for a temp RN license, which takes 8 to 10 weeks to get.

New grad RN programs are for new grads and if look at the website of the program, they specify their selection criteria. You're going to have to look at every hospital in San Diego County to see which ones have new grad RN programs and their requirements.

Also, if you so desperately want to live here, you should broaden your job search beyond just L&D and NICU. As a new grad, the important thing is to get an RN job and develop RN skills.

Good luck.