Moving to Washington

U.S.A. Washington

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Hello,

Greetings from Southern California. Well, I'm just wondering how nursing is like in Washington State. My family and I have been turned off by the high prices here in Cal. Houses here in Southern Cal. ranges from $400,000 to $600,000 and climbing. We're looking for a place that is not as not as crowded and the housing are affordable. Any recommendations? Starting pay here for a newly grad. nurse is about $24/hr. How about in Washington? How much does housing ranges over there (depends of where you're recommending)? Just want to have a nice and peaceful place to raise our family without spending most of our time working to pay for a mortgage :crying2: . I would appreciate any input. Thanks.

I went to Walla Walla High School and graduated in 1982. I lived there until 1984 so it could be that things have really gone down the tubes!!

Thanks Deb...I am totally enjoying the beautiful scenery here. :)

I have an email in to the nurse recruitor at Bremerton now...their website implies that even perdiem nurses (who have no promise of working at all) must commit 4 weekend shifts a month/2 full weekends...which seems ridiculous to me.

I wouldn't mind 2 weekend shifts a month but 4 seems excessive. DH has put up with my crazy night/weekend/holiday work for 28 yrs so I owe him the favor of seeking non weekend work...he wants us to enjoy our weekends together from here on out . Can't blame him. I may have to look into some clinic work after all. :)

The drive to Tacoma is not bad from here and nights are my shift of choice...so I will check that out too. :)

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I would seriously check into agency work, then Mattsmom. Seems to me just the ticket if you don't want to commit to the perdiem requirements of most hospitals. Like you said before, you could always look into the Seattle hospitals. I have no clue what they do up there. I hate that they require perdiem to do ANYTHING, but what they want. Seems to me, we are promised NOTHING. Fortunately, where I work, they treat me VERY well, and seniority for me, is accrued equally to that of FTE, so I put up with the weekend requirement. I just do Friday nights, every week. We adjusted well to that. And they love it at work, most nurses there dont' want to DO Friday 7p to 7a.

Good luck!

Maybe we can get together someday.

Thanks Deb...yes maybe we can meet for coffee sometime... that would be nice! :)

I appreciate all your input, as someone new to the area.

Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

you are welcome. let me know if there is anything else I can do. Very familiar with Tacoma and Olympia.

Hi Washington nurses..I have joined you in this beautiful state and am getting settled into an apt in Port Orchard (for now) then we will save our $$$ and look for a home. DH wanted to retire in this gorgeous area, we just got here a little early...LOL! :)

Right now I am learning my way around and getting us settled, then will get my license transferred and look for some decent part time work with no weekend requirement ..(per DH request...he is sick of me working weekends) So..it may not be in a hospital, altho that is my forte. Anyone here work in a Tacoma hospital that has perdiem positions NOT requiring weekends?

I've looked into the Bremerton hospital but their per diem positions all have a weekend requirement. :(

Any suggestions or hints for part time work in the area would be appreciated...:)

I remember you replying to a post I had to all WA nurses, and you stated that your husband might get transferred to Bremton. I guess he took the job. I'm going up there on March 7th for vacation. I'm going to buy some land, but I'm not moving up there right away. My feet and mind are getting so hard to control. I just won't to pull up my roots and go. Heck, I not sure I want to even take the time to pull up the roots. It's my significant other and daughter that want to stay here in this miserable place. Oh well, enough complaining. I seriously hope you find happiness in your new home and job. Maybe when I get there, we can meet. Good luck to you.

Hey Foxfour, buying some land is a great start! We are saving our $$$ for some land up here ourselves, living in an apartment now socking it away. A coworker of my hubby's lives in Shelton and was talking about how beautiful it was out there, and i thought about you. :)

You sound like my hubby...he gets this itch to pull up roots every spring and move across the country...LOL!

Costs here are a bit higher than in Texas but then again so are wages for my hubby at least. He took quite a pay raise to come here and is enjoying it. :)

Seems a little strange up here in the nursing market, but I'm just now starting to check things out..nice to have a forum like this. :)

The only thing I miss about Texas is my son and my sister are there...it is hard to leave family behind even when they're grown.

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