Would you move for a school?

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Specializes in Maternal Child, Home Health, Med/Surg.

If schools in your local area were becoming/are too difficult to get into, would you relocate?

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day, illusion9376:

If it made sense to relocate to an area where there was nursing jobs for new grads the foreseeable future, and the I could get into the nursing school in the area, then yes.

Thank you.

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Specializes in Cardiac/Tele.

I would apply to the school(s) in the area(s) to which I'd consider relocating before moving but after considering whether it would be feasible to relocate. Family obligations, prohibitive costs (it can be expensive to move far, and/or to break a rental lease), any current job... any of those might make it difficult or impossible for someone to move, depending on their situation. I relocated FAR away once for work and it cost me a couple thousand dollars to do it, all expenses considered (work reimburses, school does not). Knowing nothing about your situation, I'd say, consider any financial burden that relocation might or might not cause and weigh that against the strength of your application to a school in that new area. If you have no obligations where you are now and are free to move, can afford to move, and can get into a school there, it might be a good idea to do so. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in ICU.

No. But then again I have a child. Is it grades or test scores holding you back? I would retake any classes I needed to or retake my entrance exam test to make myself more competitive.

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Specializes in Maternal Child, Home Health, Med/Surg.

Grades, and it getting expensive to retake classes. I'll be retaking some more classes this fall in attempts to better my grades, and possibly another science in the spring. My local school has made it even harder to get in as of late.

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Specializes in L&D, infusion, urology.

I applied to state schools throughout the state, and was prepared to rent a room somewhere while my husband and son stayed at home. It would have been really tough, but we would have made it work. I would absolutely have considered moving had I not been accepted to the school near my home.

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

Possibly. I've looked at programs out of my area, and am planning that when I get to application time I will apply for them. Actually going would depend on the job market at that point in time, what kind of financial aid each institution offers, if any, and what my husband's career looks like at that point in time. This out of area school isn't on my list because it is easier to get into though. If anything it is just as, if not more competitive. The advantages are: I like the program they offer for what it is, and I have family in the area. I'd have to pay out of state tuition, but the cost of living is lower than where I currently reside, and there is a very strong market for hiring nurses at the moment in that region. A lot of factors come into play with the decision to move or not move.

Do consider that nursing school is stressful and it is a time to have a strong support system around you. Would you have friends or family in this new location? Are you a person who makes new social circles easily? What would be the cost of moving vs. the cost of retaking some classes or exams, or just waiting another year or two to apply to a local school? Do you actually like this other school, or is it just easier to get into?

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Specializes in LTC, Rural, OB.

As someone who actually did this, it is doable, but it is also difficult. I applied to most of the schools in my state and had better luck with the schools in the eastern part of the state and no luck on the coast where we were living. I moved 4 hours away from my husband in order to attend nursing school and then he actually ended up moving two states away a few months after I started. I will finally be done with school this weekend and we will no longer have this living apart problem. It took some time getting used to only seeing each other every few months and having to live with my father at almost 30 y/o. If there are other schools you can apply to and it is feasible for you to relocate, it is definitely worth it. If I had not applied to so many schools, I would not have gotten into one of the best schools in my state.

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I did because I want to be an RN, not just an LPN (Where I came from before, only had LPN schools).

Best decision I made because I'm going to a reputable school with lots of opportunities. It's really tough though I'll be honest as far as money.

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Yeah, it's something I have to consider. Basically the way I look at it is to not limit myself to pressing on. Thankfully I have no family obligations tying me down. The only thing I really need to consider if I do pick up and go is a place that has an avian vet. I have two pet birds and I couldn't imagine something happening where I couldn't get the needed help. By the time I get there, I might have both, one or none. They're happy and healthy now thankfully :D It's an important factor to me since I can't imagine not having a companion bird. Brings me peace and keeps me company. Very nice study partners AND distraction partners, LOL. SO yeah, the animal needs come along with my own. There's always potential of going to a particular island in AK to apply, but that bird thing....

Time will tell, but I know I need to go if I need to go. Would I rather stay around home and friends for schooling, yeah absolutely. We'll see.

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Yes. I moved 2 hours away. But I do not have kids, so I did not have that sort of responsibility.

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I moved 2 hours away. I don't have any kids either. It was the best decision for me.

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