Would you rather live at home in a small town or move big city?

Wuzzie · Jun 13, 2018

Stay at home for 1-2 years. Work OT if possible. Pay your nice parents some sort of rent even it it's just a token. Throw as much money as possible into paying off the student loans. Remainder of money goes into savings. Do not go on spending sprees. Get nursing experience to make yourself marketable. After gaining said experiencing and paying off loans land job in city of your choice with no financial worries. Get on with the rest of your life continuing to be a financial smarty pants so you don't go into retirement with nothing to live on but social security. Enjoy your life.

Kitiger, RN · Jun 13, 2018

Stay at home for 1-2 years. Work OT if possible. Pay my nice parents some sort of rent even it it's just a token. Throw as much money as possible into paying off the student loans. Remainder of money goes into savings. Do not go on spending sprees. Get nursing experience to make yourself marketable. After gaining said experiencing and paying off loans land job in city of your choice with no financial worries. Get on with the rest of your life continuing to be a financial smarty pants so you don't go into retirement with nothing to live on but social security. Enjoy your life.

Wuzzie, you nailed it! :yes:

This doesn't have to be an either/or type of decision!

JKL33 · Jun 13, 2018

Cons would be that I don't want to live in this city AT ALL. But I'll at least be by family.

...and have one of the easiest opportunities to get ahead financially you might have for a very long time.

Ditto Wuzzie.

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Jun 13, 2018

Ditto all three above. It is not an either/ or. It is a now/ later.

psu_213, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2018

I just wanted to add: I'm not sure that the 'for profit' thing matters all that much. I work for a non profit hospital, but we do lots of petty budget things, and the hospital still makes a big profit, just not for share holders.

Only you know what is best for you. Better financials by staying at home vs. the attraction of the big city. No one can answer that for you. I second what others have said--that it is not and either or decision that you have to make right now.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jun 13, 2018

I just wanted to add: I'm not sure that the 'for profit' thing matters all that much. I work for a non profit hospital, but we do lots of petty budget things, and the hospital still makes a big profit, just not for share holders.
Only you know what is best for you. Better financials by staying at home vs. the attraction of the big city. No one can answer that for you. I second what others have said--that it is not and either or decision that you have to make right now.

I think it does make a difference. For profit companies care about profits above all else. I just worked for a for profit company for the past 3 years and I will never do that again. I have never felt like any of my non-profit employers put profits ahead of patients though sure they did petty budget things too. But they never said "we're not going to service Medicare patients for this therapy because the reimbursement was cut" like my last employer did.

OP, I picked moving to the city over living at home when I was a new grad because I decided I'd rather pay rent and have my sanity than live at home to save money but go insane from living with my family. I never really considered working anywhere other than in the city, though, so living at home would have also meant a huge commute and the gas money plus the cost to part at the hospital probably would have canceled out any of the money I would have saved on rent anyway.

Not_A_Hat_Person, RN · Jun 15, 2018

If you don't want to live in your town, leave now, while you have a chance. No one can predict the future, and you may not get another chance to leave for a while.

RNKPCE · Jun 15, 2018

Do you get along well with your family? The first year as a new grad can be stressful, see all the posts here on AN, it might be nice to have some emotional support close by. Once you get experience you will likely be able to move to the big city. Too much change at once can be stressful. I feel bad for new grads whose only option is to move.

OrganizedChaos, LVN · Jun 19, 2018

Stay at home! It's a no brainer. Pay off loans, save money & work tons of OT. Life happens and you'll wish you worked more OT when you can't any more.

CityofAngelsRN · Jun 19, 2018

Stay at home (you never know how much time we get with our family) and pay off those loans! I'm in student debt up to my ears so that would be a dream come true for me! Also, in my opinion, magnet hospitals are 100 times better than nonmagnet. In general, better ratios, management that genuinely cares about staff issues/concerns, better scheduling, and just an all around easier time providing safe care. I worked at Cedars Sinai in LA which is magnet and if I didn't move, I would have stayed for life. Never more than 4 patients on med surg, managers constantly ask you how they can improve the unit, every possible resource was available, and I simply had the time to give amazing care. Honestly this is because they are magnet. Second hospital I worked at was not magnet and I had to fight for resources, we were always running out of supplies, management didn't want to hear your concerns, and I felt like I was fighting to keep my license. So, without a doubt I say pick the magnet hospital, get some quality time in with the parents, and pay off that debt )