hey friends, I had been contemplating working in the states since I graduated , left that thought alone when I got hired here right after graduating nursing school. Well now the thought has reoccured to me, kinda wanting a change, wanting to see more than my own country... a new start etc, Its not gonna be tomorrow or anything , I was just wondering if anyone had any thoughts on potential cities for a young'ish, single, med-surg workin RN
I think it would have to be the big city cuz I'm such a total city girl.... plus I'm a slave to public transportation for the time being , but I cannot stand being far away from a mall etc (yeah yeah how girly I know!) , there are so many things to consider, and I'm only in the first stages of even thinking about it really , but still if anyone has any definite "yeah thats a great place" or "heck no, dont go there" advice lemme know!
Wendy--go to Boston! I lived there for 2.5 years and loooooved the city. Great public transportation, lots of cool laid-back bars and great restaurants. Outdoors activities, the beach is nearby, culture, and it's clean and safe!! A tad pricey, but not as bad as S.F. or NYC. In fact, I may move back up there after school.
Seattle is to far away (2.5 hour drive -vs- 15 minutes) Portland is slightly more laid back than Seattle and as a bonus you can live & work in Vancouver, WA and avoid the OR state income tax, pay lower housing costs and since we are so close you can enjoy the benefits of OR (including no sales tax).
(and I know lots of cute, non-psychotic, gainfully employed guys your age)
BTW...as I recall (from when I hired an LPN from Canada last spring)...all you have to do to get a WA license is is submit papaerwork and take the NCLEX.
I moved to San Francisco from Chicago a little over a year ago. Nursing is great here and the money is excellent. The unions are strong and working conditions are not perfect, but some of the best. If you are a city girl, then you'll love it here. No need for a car. Rents are coming down, but it is very expensive to buy property. You'll make a lot more money (at least $70k/year). Great restaurants, theatre and shopping. No smoking anywhere!
The negatives are that it's crowded, dirty, full of homeless people, the people are rude and the traffic is way bad. San Francisco has the problems of a much larger city (it is a city of only 750,000 people).
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
Ask Jenny P or Moonshadeau how good a cheese steak is! We indoctrinated them at the Reading Terminal Market when they came to the ANA convention in July.
I prefer Geno's over Pats...no Cheese Wiz---American Cheese and Fried Onions the way to go. Occasionally splurge with mushrooms too. Peppino's Pizzeria in Delco also makes mean cheesesteak. We treat the Cheesesteak as an edible religious relic here; to each their own taste.
bewbew
162 Posts
food for thought, hapeewendy, how about nursing downunder??
we are also desperate for nurses, and what a great way to travel!
here's a link on jobs available now......
http://www.nursingjobs.com.au/
hope this helps
:)