Yikes! Relocating to Chicago Area/ New Grad

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Hi All,

My husband is being offered a position on the North side of Chicago (northfield) and we know NOTHING about IL. (currently live in St. Louis). So it looks like we are moving.

I'm hoping you all might be able to give me advice (please!).

I graduate in December - so he'll move before the kids and I. What are job prospects like for new nursing grads? :confused: Are some areas/suburbs/hospitals better places to be than others job-wise? We would like a community with a great school district, too. We're okay with a commute - just hopefully not longer than 30 or so minutes

I'm just feeling overwhelmed right now, and the accelerated program I'm in is so demanding. :cry: Yes, I feel like crying!

Your input is very appreciated!

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Worst time at this moment. Most of the bigger hospitals like rush, uic, u of c, loyola, advocate are in a hiring freeze. I must of sent out like over 50 resumes with no response. They all cancelled their summer and fall new grad program so that kinda tell you what is going on in this economy. Northfield is a nice suburb. You have a few hospitals in your area like glenbrook hospital, children's and rush you can apply to. Hopefully in Dec when you graduate, things will be better :)

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Naperville is has a great community and schools as well.

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.
Naperville is has a great community and schools as well.

Your kids will hate you for living there, though.

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Specializes in post surgical, tele, icu.

I agree, it's been hard for all nurses. You might have better luck in the burbs than the city.

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There are jobs open at Northwestern Memorial downtown if you want to work in the city!

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jjlopez, are they hiring new grads do you know? their website listing doesn't seem to have positions that are good for new grads?

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congrats on passing nclex! i recently graduated in may 09. i passed nclex on july 15 and started an rn position with northshore university healthcare system july 27. they have a new grad program and i started with 25+ new grads (of adn and bsn rns). northshore is really good about hiring new grads. i recommend contacting the hr department of the hospital you want to work at (build a relationship). northshore has 4 hospitals, which are glenbrook, highland park, evanston, and skokie. glenbrook, highland park and evanston use computerized charting for everything and skokie is converting in december. they also have tuition reimbursement for nursing school.

good luck!

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I'm a new grad with a RN license looking for jobs in Chicago too. I've found there are a lot of positions at U of C, Resurrection, Weiss, Sinai but for only experienced nurses. I've been applying for jobs since the end of August and have not received any feedback. I may start looking for a LTC job. Shawn, what nursing home do you work at?

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Your kids will hate you for living there, though.
What's so bad about Naperville?
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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.
What's so bad about Naperville?

It's one of the Yuppiest of the Western burbs, focused on being a good place to raise younger children. It's also far enough from Chicago that heading there for the 'cool' places, or heading anywhere autonomously, really, is more or less out of the question.

Put yourself in a 16-yr-old's mindset and figure it out.

Here's a better way to think about it:

Picture in your mind the town someone would design to appeal to 30-somethings with young children.

Then pretend you're a 16-yr-old who has to live in such a place.

That's why.

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^ I grew up in the Naperville area. ;)

Does anyone work at Edward Hospital? I want to work at Edward Hospital as a PCT/CNA before I start nursing school.

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