Southern CA Nursing

[TNRN]

Hello! This post is for any nurse who works or has worked in southern California. My husband and I recently took a trip from our home, in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, TN, to Huntington Beach, CA to visit his relatives. To make a long story short, we fell in love with California! Furthermore, we ran into some old high school friends who just moved back to TN from San Diego, and they loved it, too (job carried them back). I've been researching things like the differences in cost of living (enormous), crime rates (about the same), etc. However, the info I have found is limited. Will anyone give me some "real-world" info about living and working as a nurse in that area of the US including housing and good places to work?? Thanks in advance!

[EllanRN]

I lived in San Diego for 15 years, got my RN down there and worked 2 years there. I loved my job but it got very crowded there and overdeveloped so I moved to th coast of Northern California. The pay in So. Ca is much lower than anywhere else in California, but I have to say I really did love my job there. I worked Tele at Sharp Memorial. Lived in the Northern Inland part of San Diego where the cost of living is more reasonable. The traffic is really bad but working nights helped me to avoid that. I guess the big city atmosphere wasn't for me. But if you really loved it, I would try and make a go of it. Have you considered Travel nursing? It would give you a taste without the committment.

[hogan4736, BSN, RN]

I worked @ UCSD ER (downtown, not La Jolla) from '99-'00...I lived in Phoenix, but commuted to SD (5.5 hour drive) for one week every month...I'd work 4-5 days out of that week. My (per diem) salary was 33/hr, nights. Never got canceled. I stayed @ my parents' house near the beach (they were rarely there).

Gallon of milk - 2.75

Gasoline - 1.60/gallon

Dozen eggs - 1.25

Housing can be more expensive, but something reasonable is possible, depending on the proximity to the beach. I like Alpine - 30 miles out.