OK, I've had just about enough of Oregon's famously soggy springs (not to mention autumns and winters)........I love our summers here, and the scenery is gorgeous year-round, but every year I hate the damp and the cold and the gloom just a little bit more, and my DH and I have begun talking about moving someplace warmer at some point in the not-too-terribly-distant future.
We're originally from the San Diego area, but we don't want to go back there for a number of reasons, not the least of which are the cost of living and the overcrowding. We're both intrigued with the idea of moving to Arizona, although we're not nearly as certain which part we want to live in (the Sedona area sounds nice, but again, we want to be where it's warm and sunny most, if not all of the time). I'd like some information from AZ nurses as to the best places to live and work, what the salary ranges are for experienced nurses (I'm a certified Med/Surg RN) and a general idea of the cost of living (we'll want to rent a house with at least 2-3 BR and 2 BA).
Some other things I need to know are if there any particular health care companies with good reputations, and which ones I should avoid. Are there any electronics manufacturing companies located in your state, and where are they? What do you like, or not like, about where you live and/or work? Are the job prospects good, fair, or poor for RNs, especially older ones who may not want to work full-time? And if you came from someplace else, would you still move to AZ again if you had the chance?
Any help you can give me would be much appreciated. I don't see us doing this much sooner than four or five years from now when our youngest graduates from high school, but then, I may just get fed up with the emotional and physical lows that hit me every single autumn and last until the temps rise into the 70s again late in the spring......maybe we'll just pull up roots and GO one of these years. :)
