You'll never make it in California

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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 critical care, PACU.

I did not mean to complain about california as a state. IF you read my previous posts on this thread you would have seen that I cant imagine living elsewhere; however, I find it mildly annoying that my mom makes more in the east bay than I ever will in south orange county. (of course I am very happy for her though)

I dont know why it is like that but it is and that is a shame. You just have to equate that at 28 dollars with taxes you are only making about 45k a year.

Question, several posters stated they will start at $40 and $45 an hour as new grads. Where are you expecting to work for this as a new grad starting rate?

I am guessing it is somewhere in the Bay. I started at $33.14 with 6 years experience just last year.

Specializes in critical care, PACU.
Question, several posters stated they will start at $40 and $45 an hour as new grads. Where are you expecting to work for this as a new grad starting rate?

I am guessing it is somewhere in the Bay. I started at $33.14 with 6 years experience just last year.

Ive heard rates like that for Kaiser. I was always quoted that and thought nursing was such a lucrative career, but its not and I still want to do it.

If you want to make it in Ca, you will. I moved here 3 years ago and lived in an apartment until I bought my house this year. I just started a new job at $10. an hour more than my old job. My old job still paid double what I was making in the midwest. And more importantly, NO SNOW!

Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

so your planning to move to caifornia...go for it!!! I love Fullerton California; as a teenager I volunteered at St Jude Hospital (nice place!) and now expanded...clean beautiful, nice:rolleyes:

I especially like the schools of study FJC and CSUF...took a lot of classes at FJC way before going into nursing.

Yes, California is expensive, but with sign on bonuses, bonus shifts at the ready and work that pays better than retail...go for it! Warm weather here you come!

Specializes in ICU.

I'm moving to San Diego to start a RN new grad program next week. I can tell you the pay is about ten dollars more an hour and my rent in PB (with a roomie) is fifty dollars more a month than I pay to live in downtown Denver. Each hospital i interviewed with offered a generous sign-on bonus and they all have ER and ICU new grad programs. Some even offer the BSN for free.

If you haven't already, check out some CA nurse mags (some are online).

There are ads in them from hospitals hiring nurses and listed are the incentives and often hourly pay each one offers. With the increase in pay and benefits, housing is expensive--but you are making more...so it works out about the same.

Because they are in critical need and have a union, I understand CA to be an awesome place for nurses.

And, hey, if CA was impossible for people to afford, no one would live there! Most people are not rich!

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 ICU.

I'm starting in SD as a new grad for $29 plus $4 diff for mandatory nights, $3000 sign-on, and BSN for free, with benefits costing $40/month.

Question, several posters stated they will start at $40 and $45 an hour as new grads. Where are you expecting to work for this as a new grad starting rate?

I am guessing it is somewhere in the Bay. I started at $33.14 with 6 years experience just last year.

Specializes in ICU.

I looked up hospitals on the internet, went to their sites, and applied...then flew out to interview. Hoag Hospital is big.

Thanks for all your help everyone! I was looking on craigslist just to browse and I found some nice apartments. My whole thing is I want something thats spacious, 2 bedrooms at the least -maybe 3. I want a pool outside, either washer and dryer in teh apartment or washer and dryer hookup and some utilities paid. I guess I'm pretty picky!

i just don't want to be living in a little box. if i'm paying over $1,500 i want something a little bit more spacious.

Does anyone know if theres any way to contact nursing recruiters through email? I'd like to talk to some of them to get more information about the new grad programs and I hate calling because i forget what I want to ask when I'm on the phone and i forget what they tell me.

I've never lived in PA before, so I can't do a comparison for you. However, if it was really that horrible, why would so many people live there? Yes, Orange county can be expensive. Yes, you could be traveling in traffic. Yes, you could be pinching pennies. It just all depends on your planning. Pick a hospital that is close to where you will be working or vice versa. Don't pick an apartment that is financially out of reach for you. There's so much to do (and spend your money on). I think you'll do fine (and have a lot of fun) if you want to. Just make sure to send your unsupporting friends a Christmas card with a picture of you by the beach with no snow in sight.

I agree---- xmas card on the beach indeed! Well said.

Where there's a will, there's a way! Iv'e lived in California my whole life. Yes, there are places in Orange County that are affordable. You can do it!

OP:

It's been five years....well, how did California work out?

Specializes in lots of different areas.

No kidding, thinking of moving from Indiana to Cali with the husband and kiddos. I'm an ICU RN, he's a business analyst (BS in computer science)

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