Would like info on relocating to Langley

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Hi, I might be relocating to Langley from North Carolina within the next six months tops, possibly next 3-4 months. I have been working on a Med/Surg floor for the past year and when I move I will have 16-18 months of experience. I have never worked anywhere else nor have I lived in Va..therefore I am wondering what type of salary I should expect, what type of neighborhoods/middle school/high schools are best (I have two kids that age). I understand my nursing license should automatically transfer to Va from NC.

Currently I was hired on at my hospital with the understanding that I would not get a raise after my first year due to budgeting, therfore my current wage is exactly what a new hire would make. (20.00/hr). I would like to be able to pull in a few more dollars per hour if I move although I have seen the new grad RN rates posted here which are lower than what I presently make. I feel that 22/hr would be fair of me to ask. I have also heard good things about Sentara from your posts here except for their 5th floor. I also heard some bad comments about Bon Secours? I am not familiar with any of these facilities or the location but if anyone is from near Langley AFB and has any helpful information regarding relocation/housing or the hospitals/salary and which ones would be a good place to work I am all ears.

I am not sure how to best describe the floor I work on a resume so as to accurately reflect the pt's we get because there are a few other floors at the hospital here that call themselves med/surg but we are the only floor in the hospital that gets all the post-op's. The other floors calling themselves med/surg get the long term chronically ill pt's. One side of our floor is all orthopaedic and the other side is surgical (lots of abdominal/GI surgeries on that end) as well but sometimes we get medical pts too. I am interested in Women's health or Women and Infants as well as Behavioral health nursing if that counts for anything, but obviously the most important thing to me is the work environment/professionalism/good management. Thanks for any input I really appreciate it! I woudln't want to be stuck on a horrible floor or have my kids in a bad school.

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It sounds like you are on general surgery

floor with medical overflow.

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

I just wanted to comment and say that for VA you will probably be offered more that $22/hr. I know in the Fairfax area new grads start around $25/hr, so I would expect yours to start around $27/hr

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Is Fairfax near Hampton/Norfolk? What hospitals would you recommend? So far I have heard that Cox high school is the best nearby...I am not sure if it is affordable though! Thanks you guyz!!

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Fairfax is up in Northern VA, a bit outside of DC.

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Specializes in Med-Tele, Internal Med PCU.

Langley is in Hampton.

To live I'd look in York County, Tabb, Grafton, York districts. I live in Williamsburg/York County (Bruton District) which would be 20-25 min to Langley. Personally, I would not recommend living in Norfolk/Virginia Beach and working in Hampton, there are 2 tunnels one with HORRIBLE traffic problems and the other is very inconvenient.

As for working on the "Peninsula" (Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg), you've got 4-5 options in no particular order: Sentara Williamsburg, Sentara Careplex, Sentara Port Warwick, Riverside, and Mary Immaculate (Bon Secours). New grad pay last year was +/- $20.50-22 range, plus differentials for nights & weekends. There are also Hospitals on Ft Eustis, Langley, and a VA Hospital in Hampton. I can tell you that worked as a Carepartner and tried out an ER RN position (as a NG) at Careplex and it was a positive experience, I did clinicals and have friends at Williamsburg and Mary Immaculate to which they all seem happy. Options on the "Southside" (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth) would start with Sentara Norfolk General, Children's Hospital of the Kings Daugters (Norfolk), Chesapeake General (I have heard bad from a respected co-worker that did some part time work there), Navy Med Center Portsmouth. Sentara does have other hospitals, but I know little or nothing about them. The pay rate is also less on that side of the water.

I am hearing that things are opening up at Sentara Williamsburg and Careplex, so you may start your focus there. All the best in your transition.

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your nursing license will not automatically transfer. you will still need to complete the application for licensure by endorsement - registered nurse. however, since north carolina and virginia are both members of the nursing licensure compact so it should greatly simplify matters.

the nurse licensure compact is an agreement currently enacted by 24 states. this compact agreement works much the way that your driver's license does. if you are a legal resident of any compact state you license grants you multi-state privileges to work in any of the other compact states as long as you maintain legal residency in the state your license was issued from.

when you relocate from a compact state and change you state of legal residence, what happens to your nursing license depends on which state you relocate to. if you relocate to a non-compact state your previous state's license loses its multi-state privileges and becomes a single state license for the state in which it was issued and you must obtain licensure in the state to which you move. for example, if you were to relocate to georgia (non-compact state) from north carolina, then your north carolina license would become a single state license (good only in north carolina).

if you relocate to virginia (compact state) you are allowed to work for 30 days on your north carolina license. this will allow you time to apply for licensure. after 30 days your north carolina license will no longer become inactive as you are only allowed to hold one multi-state license under the compact.

i hope this information was helpful.

nursing licensure compact fact sheet.

virginia hospitals and medical centers

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

You guyz have been SOOO helpful!! Thank you so much it was exactly the type of information I needed! I appreciate it!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Any ideas on schools in these area for middle school/high school age kids? They are more into academics and music/art than sports. Thanks!

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Specializes in Med-Tele, Internal Med PCU.

Here are some links to penninsula schools districts.

http://yorkcountyschools.org/

http://www.sbo.hampton.k12.va.us/

http://sbo.nn.k12.va.us/

http://www.wjcc.k12.va.us/

Schools that I've heard good things about include: (York County)- Bruton, York

(Newport News) Menchville, Woodside, (Williamsburg-James City County) Lafayette, Warhill. Understand that my (or my daughter's) experience is only with Bruton which was positive though 5 years ago. Bruton is designated as a "School of the Arts", York is designated "International Baccalaureate", though you just have to live in York County and be accepted to these programs. Other districts probably have these programs, I don't know which.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Thanks one is in middle school and the other will be a sophomore in high school. As long as you live in York county you can apply to those schools? Are the areas zoned depending on where you live in York county? Thanks! It seems like the pay rate is not high enough at all to make up for the cost of living :(

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Hello!

I live 5 minutes from Langley and I must say that if you have any other choice on a city to live in then pick elsewhere. I own a home on a quiet street in between the "good" and "bad" neighborhoods. I really hate it here and I would not send kids to school here. There is a lot of gang violence, robberies, shootings, etc. I would also like to add as a disclaimer I am from NY, LOL :D So I am no wimp, but I moved to the south for a reason.... Other then the military :) I got stuck here because my husband is stationed in VA Beach and I used to work in Richmond so we had to be in between. I can not wait to sell and move, in a few years.

But Hampton is really not, in my opinion, a great place for a family or a single woman (especially). I know if I had kids I would only send them to private schooling in this town and I would have an armed guard to transport them back and forth. I really love Williamsburg and Yorktown, they are much nicer areas but the only bummer is the drive due to insane traffic, not long distances. I have heard that the best schools are in Williamsburg.

I am only a pre-student but I have volunteered at the VA Hospital and it is okay, but I do not think I would want to work there. Too many patients are put into too many appointments that end up overlapping and causing a huge disaster daily. But I am prior military and I know that the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth is talked about very well for working in this area.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions about the area.

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