I am sick of people telling me this!! Its realy discouraging and when you hear it so many times you start to believe it. I'm going to be graduating from nursing school in may and I plan on moving to CA sometime before september to work as a new grad.
I live in pa right now and I'm going to pack up all my stuff and relocate. I might be moving with 2 friends, but I'm not really sure about it. I might end up just living by myself for a while. A lot of people tell me that I'll never make it because its sooo expensive.
I'm going to be living in the orange county area. When people start with all this negative talk about how expensive CA is and how congested it gets on my nerves.
It is possible for someone to live in an apartment and work at a hospital in Orange county and live comfortably correct? I won't be pinching pennies will I?
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
OP:
It's been five years....well, how did California work out?
Based on her posting history over the past few years, the OP never made it to California. I can determine from looking at her previous posts that she started working as a new grad in '07 in Pennsylvania, gained some nursing experience, and moved to North Carolina last year.
The problem is not moving to CA (I moved from Chicago back in 1998 and LOVE it). But,....you are graduating from nursing school and MOST positions require 1 year of acute care experience. New grads in CA are a dime a dozen. Yes, there are some, highly competitive new grad programs, but they are hard to find/get into. Pay in CA is generally high to match the cost of living. If you are willing to work in a less than perfect job/place on nights, you can choose wisely and have a little money to spare. Just be very careful not be running up your credit cards, etc.
You may fare much better to get a job in PA (where I assume the market might be better, maybe not) and after a year or two, apply and interview at various hospitals.
If you really want to CA, than just put your efforts into do it. Even if you have to wait a year. CA will still be here in a year and you might find a lot more job options then. Also, BUILD your CV. Take certifications (depending on your area). For example I tell new grads that want to do ED or ICU, to take ACLS, PALS, TNCC, etc. SET YOURSELF APART form the other applicants. Also, create a PORTFOLIO. A binder with your CV, letters of recommendation, examples of lecture or projects you've done, any CEU's you've done, awards. Just HAVING a portfolio will BLOW them away. Trust me. Good luck.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
You may fare much better to get a job in PA (where I assume the market might be better, maybe not) and after a year or two, apply and interview at various hospitals.
This discussion is from 2006. Based on a review of her posting history over the past few years, the person who originally started this discussion never came to California. I can determine from looking at her previous posts that she started working as a new grad RN in Pennsylvania in 2007, accrued some nursing experience, and relocated to North Carolina last year.
Since this is a still active thread....I am also hoping to move to Orange Co within the next 6 months or so to be close to my grand kids. There seem to be ED jobs posted in the area. I know I may have to work nights again which I hate, but it hasn't killed me so far and ED hours are usually fairly flexible.
I read these posts about no one hiring even experienced nurses but I have to believe someone is hiring, am I right? Or are they just posting jobs they never plan to fill.
In any case, I am looking forward to the adventure. I am not looking forward to traffic but plan to find an apartment as close to work as possible! Walking distance would be great :)
Wish me luck! I really want to be a part of the grand babies lives. I think it is critical for kids to have a relationship with grandma!
Since this is a still active thread....I am also hoping to move to Orange Co within the next 6 months or so to be close to my grand kids. There seem to be ED jobs posted in the area. I know I may have to work nights again which I hate, but it hasn't killed me so far and ED hours are usually fairly flexible.
I read these posts about no one hiring even experienced nurses but I have to believe someone is hiring, am I right? Or are they just posting jobs they never plan to fill.
In any case, I am looking forward to the adventure. I am not looking forward to traffic but plan to find an apartment as close to work as possible! Walking distance would be great :)
Wish me luck! I really want to be a part of the grand babies lives. I think it is critical for kids to have a relationship with grandma!
You might, you have tons of experience and ER is hard to fill because of the chaos. St Joseph in Orange is always hiring, but they are also one of the busiest ER's in Southern California...period. They get all the CHOC kids too because CHOC is in the process of building it's ER. I'd recommend Hoag Irvine for ER if they were hiring. It's a nice environment and not as chaotic as most ERs I've noticed.
You might, you have tons of experience and ER is hard to fill because of the chaos. St Joseph in Orange is always hiring, but they are also one of the busiest ER's in Southern California...period. They get all the CHOC kids too because CHOC is in the process of building it's ER. I'd recommend Hoag Irvine for ER if they were hiring. It's a nice environment and not as chaotic as most ERs I've noticed.
Thank you so much for the information and encouragement. My family lives in Costa Mesa but plan to move to Tustin next summer, so I just want to be close enough to be able to pick up kids at school, go to events etc. I see that Fountain Valley and USC, Orange have ED positions currently. I have also heard good things about Hoag, but nothing is posted at present. I will check out St Joseph's. I have worked at a "St. Joseph's" in two different cities while working as a travel nurse and they were some of the busiest places I have ever been! Must be something about St Joseph!
TheCommuter, BSN, RN
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