Where in the US do they need RNs really bad?

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That a hospital job could be gotten easily. Places that are undesirable to live/small town/big town, whatever. Clean lic/no convictions. I'm over 45 and have no hospital exp. All replies appreciated. Thanks! :)

Specializes in Dialysis.
Thanks to everyone. This was helpful. I recently thought about relocating too. I have that to my advantage, no kids or spouse/SO. It would be a new adventure. I could keep applying here but I'd rather maximize my time and efforts. There are so many new grads to choose from here, I'm going to be passed over. I've worked almost 2 years in psych now, so I've saved up a decent amount of money to do this.

Would it be better to relocate, then apply for jobs or apply then relocate? I was going to do relocation then apply because it shows you're serious about it but hey, if doing the latter works then I'd rather do that.

Don't relocate first. What if you do and don't get a job? Money down the drain. Apply and state willingness to relocate

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Specializes in Ped ED, PICU, PEDS, M/S. SD.
Nursing shortage in Northwest Indiana/Chicagoland area.

Really? Where?

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Specializes in ICU.

I'm kind of amused by the people talking about how terrible some places are to live and advising people not to move there. That's the whole point of this thread. The places that have jobs have them because people don't want to be there. It's not like there's a huge nursing shortage in Miami, Portland, San Diego, NYC, or anywhere else people really enjoy living. It's always the toilets that haven't been flushed in years, so to speak, that allow you to land a job in your dream specialty right out of nursing school.

I would consider where I got my first job to be somewhat of a toilet that hadn't been flushed in years. It actually smelled like a toilet a lot of the time because of all of the stagnant swamp water.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
The places that have jobs have them because people don't want to be there. It's not like there's a huge nursing shortage in Miami, Portland, San Diego, NYC, or anywhere else people really enjoy living. It's always the toilets that haven't been flushed in years, so to speak, that allow you to land a job in your dream specialty right out of nursing school.
You've hit the nail on the head. Job opportunities are going to be most abundant in undesirable 'armpit' locations and traditional Podunk towns because few people want to live there.

For instance, people who relocate to California set their sights on San Diego, the greater Los Angeles ares, the San Francisco Bay area, or Sacramento, yet all of these employment markets are terribly glutted since people flock to these cities.

On the other hand, the armpit cities of California's Central Valley (Fresno, Delano, Bakersfield, Stockton, Porterville, Visalia, Hanford) still have somewhat healthy employment markets for nurses. However, it's because this region lacks desirability due to the hot weather, agricultural stench, and high rates of poverty.

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Specializes in LTC.
I'm kind of amused by the people talking about how terrible some places are to live and advising people not to move there. That's the whole point of this thread. The places that have jobs have them because people don't want to be there. It's not like there's a huge nursing shortage in Miami, Portland, San Diego, NYC, or anywhere else people really enjoy living. It's always the toilets that haven't been flushed in years, so to speak, that allow you to land a job in your dream specialty right out of nursing school.

I would consider where I got my first job to be somewhat of a toilet that hadn't been flushed in years. It actually smelled like a toilet a lot of the time because of all of the stagnant swamp water.

Tons of jobs where I live in California, but NOBODY wants to live here (AEB a fairly low cost of living by California standards)! Lots and lots of high paying jobs for LVN too, facilities can't fill them. My hospital system (still using LVN) offers a signing bonus for experienced RN plus a referral bonus. Seriously, if you have some experience and might want to live in BFE meth-y California I've got the job for you!!! I could use the bonus j/k lol. New grads have opportunities here too, but less so if you don't graduate fairly local. It's biased towards the local programs.

There is always opportunity on those towns off the freeway or interstate that you pass and wonder why on earth people even live there and who actually chooses to.

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I went to NTI conference in May 2015. There were 2 hospitals from Florida offering 20,000 and 10,000 dollar sign on bonuses. They have large retirement communities there and need nurses. Also San Diego is building a bran new Keizer facility.

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Specializes in Emergency, Trauma, Critical Care.
Tons of jobs where I live in California, but NOBODY wants to live here (AEB a fairly low cost of living by California standards)! Lots and lots of high paying jobs for LVN too, facilities can't fill them. My hospital system (still using LVN) offers a signing bonus for experienced RN plus a referral bonus. Seriously, if you have some experience and might want to live in BFE meth-y California I've got the job for you!!! I could use the bonus j/k lol. New grads have opportunities here too, but less so if you don't graduate fairly local. It's biased towards the local programs.

There is always opportunity on those towns off the freeway or interstate that you pass and wonder why on earth people even live there and who actually chooses to.

Haha, the other thing with california is its very difficult to land acute jobs without a BSN.

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Specializes in LTC.
Haha, the other thing with california is its very difficult to land acute jobs without a BSN.

My hospital system still uses LVNS in acute care, so yeah, they easily hire ADN RN. I just live where people don't want to. That's all. Where people don't search for jobs because it's not desirable. They call it a medical wasteland. Seriously. I see a specialist in a city a few hours away and that's what he calls it.

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Puerto Rico. Yesterday I spoke with an HR manager at Hospital Cardiovascular at Centro Médico and she said they have 54 positions open now. BSN only. No experience necessary, all training provided in a very long, intense preceptorship (this is a public teaching hospital).

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Specializes in Orthopedics, Med-Surg.
Puerto Rico. Yesterday I spoke with an HR manager at Hospital Cardiovascular at Centro Médico and she said they have 54 positions open now. BSN only. No experience necessary, all training provided in a very long, intense preceptorship (this is a public teaching hospital).

BSN only? Then they must not need RNs really bad.

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I'm in Bismarck ND and there's still tons of nursing positions open here in all specialties. Although oil has slowed down in the northwestern part of the state, business is still good in Bismarck which is the state capital and an agriculture and railroad hub. It's a very nice, safe, although cold place to live in the winter. Nice thing about oil slowing is its much easier to find rentals and prices have come down a bit. You could pretty much find a job in either of the Dakotas or Eastern Montana quite easily.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
BSN only? Then they must not need RNs really bad.
I concur. Any organization that incorporates weed-out mechanisms into the pre-employment process (e.g. 'BSN only') is not in terribly dire need of nurses. Otherwise, they'd hire RNs with ADNs and diplomas.
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