Working in California

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Specializes in med-surg, cardiac, ICU.

I have been comming to California to work from another state for 6 years, and have found that the highest paying nurses are in the San Francisco Bay Area. What is your thought?

Cheri Fels :redbeathe

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Specializes in med-surg, cardiac, ICU.

No, I do not think the shortage is over in the Bay Area. If you look at how many hospitals still have to hire Travelers and Agency Nurses to fill their needs, IT'S CRAZY! The shortage has not even peaked yet. Get your experience and put yourself out there. There are plentiful opportunities waiting..

Cheri Fels RN-BSN :redbeathe

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
I have been comming to California to work from another state for 6 years, and have found that the highest paying nurses are in the San Francisco Bay Area. What is your thought?

Cheri Fels :redbeathe

Here is my thought. The San Francisco Bay area pays some of the highest nursing wages in the state, because this area has one of the highest costs of living in the entire nation.
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Specializes in Transplant/Surgical ICU.

I wonder if the posters stating they are having a hard time finding employment are new grads? Maybe thats why hospitals feel the need to use travelers. They probably want someone who is experienced and hit the floor running as opposed training them. It may also have to do with cost, although I think travelers end up costing the hospital way more than training a newbie in the long run. My :twocents:, I'm out...

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There is a shortage of new grad positions in the Bay Area due to the limited number of positiions that only start two to three times per year and because of the number of nursing programs that are also in the Bay Area that have graduates that come out at the same time.

With two years of experience it is not hard to get a job, but it is not as easy as some other areas. The salaries are high and most look just at that, but the cost of living is also quite high as well as taxes.............and we are talking significant differences in rent compared to other areas.

New grads need orientation, when a hospital hires a travel nurse, they are getting someone that can jump in right away and fill an open slot that they have. Some facilities use more travel nurses at times, and then they cut back to almost none. It is always changing.

But coming to the Bay Area with a few years of experience is quite different than someone coming to the area that has none.

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