Wanting to Work in California, I need to know everything.

fergus51 · Sep 19, 2004

OK, California is the state and Los Angeles and San Francisco are both cities (Los Angeles is also the name of the county, but that's not important for you). Cost of living is high, but it does vary. San Francisco is NOTORIOUSLY expensive. I live in a middle sized city and it isn't bad. Rent for a one bedroom in an ok neighbourhood is about $900, you can rent a small house for $1400. Car insurance costs me about $120 a month. Wages start at about 25$ an hour for a new nurse, plus differentials for working night shifts, and weekends. Ratios depend on the unit. Intensive care is generally 1:1 or 1:2, I think med surg is 1:5, but I don't work in that area, so I'm not sure. CNAs website has the lowdown, but I don't have it offhand.

What type of nursing do you do? What type of place do you want to live in (rural vs city, mountains vs ocean, etc.)? What type of hospital do you want to work in (teaching? small? large?)? Without knowing any of that, it's hard to recommend a hospital. When you narrow things down it will be a little easier. California has a population bigger than Australia, so there are a lot of places for you to consider.

Nurseboi · Sep 19, 2004

OK, California is the state and Los Angeles and San Francisco are both cities (Los Angeles is also the name of the county, but that's not important for you). Cost of living is high, but it does vary. San Francisco is NOTORIOUSLY expensive. I live in a middle sized city and it isn't bad. Rent for a one bedroom in an ok neighbourhood is about $900, you can rent a small house for $1400. Car insurance costs me about $120 a month. Wages start at about 25$ an hour for a new nurse, plus differentials for working night shifts, and weekends. Ratios depend on the unit. Intensive care is generally 1:1 or 1:2, I think med surg is 1:5, but I don't work in that area, so I'm not sure. CNAs website has the lowdown, but I don't have it offhand.
What type of nursing do you do? What type of place do you want to live in (rural vs city, mountains vs ocean, etc.)? What type of hospital do you want to work in (teaching? small? large?)? Without knowing any of that, it's hard to recommend a hospital. When you narrow things down it will be a little easier. California has a population bigger than Australia, so there are a lot of places for you to consider.

Thanks Fergus51,

Here's a bit of narrowing down, I work in Oncology/Heamatology and wish to stay in that area, but I would also work Palliative Care or Surgical Nursing as I have experience in these area's also. I have also worked in Emergency, but watching ER has turned me off it. I don't think I could cope!!!!!

I would like to live/work as close to the beach as possible. I doubt that I will get a car, so I would need to be able to walk to work.

I like large teaching hospitals. I work in the largest teaching hospital in Melbourne now, but it is only just over 1000 beds so I am guessing compared to that all your hospitals are quite big!!!!

$900 a month is about the same here for living in the city. If I can do it on $18 an hour now, I am sure i'll be fine on about $25 an hour.

Hmmmm so about the beach, what hospitals do you reccomend?? What is a good area to live?

Oh, I read somewhere you guys work 12 hour shifts? is this true? and if so do you get more than two days off per week?

We work 8 hour shifts, 40 hours a week. Have two days off each week and once a month we get an ADO, which is an allocated day off cause the working fortnight normally is 78 hours and nurses here work 80.

Oh, the population of california is bigger than Australia? You guy's must be cramed in like sardenes!!! No wonder you have so many hospitals.

Melbourne Is Australia's second largest city and we have less than 50 hospitals. In fact we work on a private public system and thinking about Public hospitals which are the major places people goto for health care with big emergency departments, there are only about 15.

WOW!!!!

Cheers,

Nurseboi.

youngRNstudent · Sep 19, 2004

Most places do work 12 hour shifts, and you would work only 3 days a week. That would be considered full time. Of course, there is a nursing shortage and you could definately work more (more $$$ of course with overtime)

There are some places that offer 8 hour shifts, and you would work 5 days a week instead of 3.

If you like teaching hospitals, I would recommend any of the UC hospitals (i.e, UCLA Medical Center, UC San Diego, UC San Francisco etc) Any university affiliated hospital sounds like it would be close to what you have been involved with. As far as the beach goes, there are tons of hospitals to choose from, but I can't think of any teaching hospitals near the beaches right off the top of my head.

Good luck!

jemb · Sep 19, 2004

California is very 'spread out". With very few exceptions, you will be unlikely to find a place to work that is 'safe' walking distance from your workplace. Most of California has very poor public transportation, and most of the urban areas are gang infested, so it is not safe to walk, especially after dark. In the Los Angeles area, Orange County, or the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino areas), you defimitley do not want to depend on public transportation. San Diego public transportation is better.

I don't know anything about San Francisco/ Oakland area transportation.

If you want to live near the beach, the cost of housing is higher than in the inland areas. A one bedroom unfurnished apartment will cost $1100. An unfurnished house will run $2000 and up.

You might want to check out the Santa Monica area. It is a coastal city in Los Angeles County. St. John's Hospital there has a good cancer center, and the city has rent control so the rents may be a bit lower than other beach areas.

Plenty of hospitals still have eight hour shifts. Lots of places have a combination of 8s and 12s.

I'm sure you will have no problem finding a hospital that would welcome you.

ChrisA · Oct 3, 2004

The Bay Area (those cities around the San Francisco Bay, including San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and San Jose) have pretty good public transportation. All the main hospitals are on bus lines, which are, as a whole, decent, safe, and efficient. Rents in San Francisco are quite pricy, but you can get a flat across the Bay in Oakland for much cheaper and travel across.

A good option might be Santa Cruz, which has a few hospitals (Dominican, for instance, where my cousin works), a wonderful public transportation system, and very good beaches. I went to uni there in the early 90's. Santa Cruz is about a 100 miles south of San Francisco, and is right on the coast. My cousin reports very flexible work scheduling there, where she works almost constantly for 3 weeks, and then gets 2 weeks off (which she spends reading, surfing, or travelling). Nice place.

Sheri257 · Oct 3, 2004

If you want to live near the beach, the cost of housing is higher than in the inland areas. A one bedroom unfurnished apartment will cost $1100. An unfurnished house will run $2000 and up.

That seems awfully cheap for beach communities. The rents I'm familiar with are at least fifty percent more, if not double that amount both in Orange and San Diego counties (unless you're willing to live in a bad neighborhood.)

If you want to live near or, even, within driving distance of the beach, you're usually going to pay a fortune. Don't let the higher pay in these areas fool you because housing, either renting or buying, will eat up a huge chunk of your paycheck.

:uhoh21:

featherzRN, MSN · Oct 3, 2004

I'm working at Cedars Sinai (near West Hollywood) and like quite a few employees I drive from the san fernando valley. Rents in LA are quite high, so I have a 45 minute commute to get the rent a little bit lower. Pay isn't bad in the area, at least $30+ an hour for a nurse with experience .

There ARE older buildings in the area with affordable apartments, mostly one bedroom in a block style building, but it's not too horrible.

I'm in Calabasas, which is about 10 minutes from a beach and we pay $1700/month for a two bedroom/two bath apartment that allows cats and has a garage. We CAN (and will) get cheaper, but we were in a hurry at the time.

bruinlaura · Oct 4, 2004

warning, california is hard to get around without a car, especially the los angeles area. however, i went to ucla for my undergrad and i lived in an apt near campus and walked by the med center everyday on my way to class. the rent is expensive. i paid about $2000/mo for a 2 bed 1.5 bath that was about 10 min walk from the hospital (well, actually i shared the cost with 3 other people). i felt it was a pretty safe area.

the upside to working at any university hospital is that there is usually housing close by since the students have to live somewhere within walking distance b/c many don't have cars. the downside is that you will be living among the students which is probably only fun when you are a student. :)

i'm not a nurse (yet) so i don't know much about pay scale or anything else. hope that helps :)

RNKPCE · Oct 4, 2004

I would look into travel nursing. That way your housing is paid for and you aren't locked into a long term lease. I agree that you need a car for almost anywhere in Cal, espec by the beach. San Francisco may be the exception but the beaches there are usually not the warm beaches people think about when they think of California.

I agree Santa Cruz may be a good option, again the beaches/water are on the cooler side but it is a nice community. A lot more laid back.

pickledpepperRN · Oct 6, 2004

For oncology City of Hope in the Los Angeles suburb of Duarte is considered excellent. The campus is beautiful, staffing good, and fine nurses.

I don't know the housing costs but it seems safe and clean. Beautiful mountain views. A Metrorail train station is nearby. One line goes to Long Beach.

Then there are good hospitals in Long Beach too.

ChrisA is correct that the San Francisco/Oakland Bay area has excellent public transportation. If I didn't want to drive that would be my choice.

ethelbsnrn · Oct 8, 2004

My specialty is CVICU, ICU, CCU, which hospital would you recommend in California that is excellent in their critical care services?