I want to be a "new girl!" (need RN position!)

[medicsandy]

You aren't going to get hired without your license. They can't hire you to work in a position that you aren't licensed to do. Get your boards out of the way and then start applying. If you test in DC, you'll also have to go through the WA requirements to switch your license over to a WA license. Every state is different on what they require you to do.

Hate to tell you this....but it rains several months out of the year in Washington....not packed into a few months. You're not going to be able to dodge the rain out there.

Best of luck!!

[ITri4VT]

Yeah last time I was in Seattle, my buddy talked about that bike park, however, I don't think I'm brave enough to handle some of that stuff

 

So I finally graduated, I've applied for my WA State RN license and I've scheduled my NCLEX exam for 1/11/11. I knew I was NOT going to stay in DC so I just applied straight to WA and if I end up in another state, it's not too hard to switch. I changed all my cover letters to say all the updated info, and I did get one positive reply to an email for a small hospital in Durango... but it's a PRN position (no benefits).

 

I've also applied to just about every job on the Providence Health site in their WA/OR locations.

 

I know this will get easier after my exam when I can (hopefully) say I have a license!

[selkirk]

Don't let the doom and gloomers get you too down. While it rains and is a grey quite a bit on the west side of the Cascades, there are a whole lot of climbers / skiiers / outdoors folks who love it and for a good reason! The trick is to be flexible in you're objectives and willing to drive a bit. There is a reason nobody who lives here is a single sport athlete. It seems like everyone climbs rock, alpine, glaciers, ski's, and maybe one or two other things as well.

 

There is desert climbing 2.5 hrs from Seattle with good sport and gear that provides a great fix during the spring and fall. Mix that with some adequate skiing that's reasonably close, sailing and the ocean / sound if you're into that. It's been my experience that if you want to get out you usually can find someplace dry to do something fun from about Feb through Oct. Nov / Dec / Jan are for skiing and pretending to ice climb. Not to mention some pretty good biking if you're into that sort of thing.

 

 

[ITri4VT]

Yeah, I'm warming up to the west side

 

Finally, a new grad position at the Swedish Issaquah ED was listed, so I've applied for that, as well as a few more at Swedish and a TON with Providence Health all over WA and OR.

 

NCLEX exam in less than a week!

 

 

[ITri4VT]

I passed my test, so now I'm officially an RN... still waiting on the paperwork/license though...

[ZimZam]

Congrats!

[markwebster]

Both my kids work as RN's in the ER room at a large hospital in Tacoma, swing shift. They both also got hired in their last year of nursing school as Nurse Techs, several months before graduating. That hospital uses the Nurse Tech positions as a sort of apprenticeship program for future RN's.

 

They tell me that the hospital hesitates to hire new nurses right out of college because they have to spend around $15,000 on 'on the job training'. In this bad economic climate, they would like to avoid that, especially if experienced nurses are available. My son tells me they are fully staffed right now, and not planning on hiring any new RN's in the ER (ED) for a while. But I have been surprised at the amount of turnover I hear about there. People move away, change departments, or get promoted to management, etc.

 

Tacoma is a decent location for a climber, a great gym with an active community of friendly climbers, and both trad and sport climbing within an hour or two's drive.

 

[JZickler]

Seattle is a beautiful part of the world. I lived there for a it but alas the rain, traffic congestion, rude people, and ridiculous commute time to travel a short distance compelled me to seek dryer pastures. I'm now In Spokane and totally digging it. The economy here is built on the medical industry with several major hospital and the Intercollegiate School of Nursing in the downtown core. If you want to climb ridiculous amounts of sport routes EVERY DAY this is the place to be (i.e. Deep Creek, China Bend, Post Falls, Dishman). And you don't have to take a number and get in line to climb a route! There is also gratuitous amounts of mountain biking, from casual single track to sphincter clenching huck lines, it's all here! Spokane is in the process of improving it's urban bicycle infrastructure with a newly adopted Bike Master Plan which has established several sharrows and dedicated bike lanes. There is a surprisingly sizable bike scene here. There are two decent ski resorts within an hours drive (Mt. Spokane, 49) and many more close enough for a day trip (Schwitzer, Silver, Red Mountain). The Selkirks in North Idaho offer decent backcountry ski opportunities and lots of unexplored granite for the summer months. My girlfriend and I (she's a nursing student and a Seattle transplant) have a little place on the "South Hill," a historic neighborhood with narrow Maple lined streets and bungalow homes and we love it! Close to down town, trails, work, coffee shops, grocery, parks and the folks here smile and say "hello" when passing by. We really like the four distinct seasons and the different recreational opportunities they provide. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing more beautiful than a sunny summer day at Alki Beach and the white trash factor is a bit higher here, but overall I definitely prefer the tempo of life in Spokane.

 

Good Luck!

 

 

[ITri4VT]

Got my license number and I've been applying to every position (that doesn't specify a level of experience) at:

Swedish

Providence

Seattle Children's

Virginia Mason

Northwest

and today I've started with Franciscan

 

For Providence, the jobs have been:

in/around Seattle

Olympia

Spokane

Portland

Salem

Medford

Hood River

Missoula

 

And I've applied to Salt Lake Regional in SLC, as well as at Intermountain.

 

I found only ONE specifically "new grad" position... today. I'd really like to follow up with that. It's at the Colby Campus in Everett with Providence. I can't find any contacts for nurse recruiters or HR people or managers at that hospital.... anyone have anyone I could get in touch with?

 

I'm still feeling really stuck And my climbing gym membership ends on Feb. 10th... so I've really gotta get out before then

Edited January 26, 2011 by ITri4VT

[Le Piston]

Try to Google Providence Regional Medical Center Everett or www2.providence.org/northwest washington. The web site has a place "Careers"...click on that. There is a drop down screen for Career Areas, click on New Grad Nursing. It will give you the particulars (starting wages, etc) and icons for applying or getting more information. I unfortunately don't have any contacts there, but you can e-mail your information and I'm sure they'll get back to you. My first nursing job was with Providence (back in the day) and I enjoyed working for them. Good Luck! By the way, Everett isn't a bad location for climbing access in Washington.

[ITri4VT]

Thanks for that. I am a lot more gung-ho about the west side of the mountains now than I was at the beginning of this post! I've got a few Residency positions that I've applied to (and haven't been rejected yet, haha) so hopefully something will turn out positively soon.

 

I had a call back yesterday from St. Clare's in Lakewood, about an Emergency position, and she wanted me to come in for an interview... when she found out I wasn't yet in Washington, she said she'd see about getting me a phone interview first, and get back to me. If i don't hear from her by 3:30pm your time today, then I'm gonna try calling back....

 

 

[Edbaja]

Just throwing it out there, have you checked Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Wa? They have a good ER intern program and they are still looking. If St. Clares doesnt work out or if you want to explore other options look into it (I'm an RN there as well and climb Good luck!

[ITri4VT]

I did look at SWMC's program, and the next internship starts in the summer. If I'm still looking by then I will certainly apply! Vancouver is close to Portland, no?

 

I've set a "hard date" to move to the Seattle area for March 14 (when we begin the drive!). My boyfriend's lease is up on the 16th, and he's not going to move back in with his parents, so we're heading out, job or no job! If something good comes up before then, we'll leave sooner. I have enough money to last for a few months at least, until the loans start demanding payback...

 

[sobo]

...until the loans start demanding payback...

Just watch out for these guys...

 

[Alex]

This thread is proof that you pretty much can't go wrong West of the Mississppi. I moved West from NY in 1993,....never went back, never wanted to.

[sobo]

I was born in Washington...

Moved away from here in 1969... traveled the world.

Landed on the east coast in 1976.

Went south in 1980... hated it.

Moved to the west coast in 1981, but couldn't make it stick.

Got stuck back in Houston in 1982... still hated it.

Moved back to the east coast in 1983 for school.

Moved back here in 1988... never went back, never wanted to.

 

[ITri4VT]

...until the loans start demanding payback...

Just watch out for these guys...

 

 

That was a scary movie... (despite that it starred Jude Law!)

 

Swedish hospital recruiter got back to me today, explained the process and the fact that I'm not an internal candidate, nor a local candidate, means that I'm prob low on the list. I guess I gotta get out there!

 

Oh, and I was:

born in Michigan

lived in SE Pennsylvania

moved to Northern VA (where I am now)

to SW Virginia @ Virginia Tech for undergrad #1

spent a summer in Frisco CO

to San Antonio TX (in the summer) to train triathlon

to Rammstein Germany to race triathlons

to Colorado Springs at the Olympic Training Center to train triathlon

to Christchurch New Zealand to train triathlon/get burned out!

back to SW Virginia

then to Brevard NC to work in Wilderness Therapy and CLIMB CLIMB CLIMB!

then back to Northern VA for nursing school.

 

Time to move west!

Edited February 4, 2011 by ITri4VT

[Water]

My experience has been that being out here is really important as far as showing a potential employer you're ready to be their person--though I've heard of plenty of cases of people accepting a job from afar, it seems like for entry roles lots of places get calls from out of towners looking to get in. I wondered if nursing would be different since I am led to believe it is an 'in-demand' area of employment, but seems my hunch still held true (somewhat surprised).

 

good luck! and yes, at some point, just move out and you will find a role in due time!

[Burke M]

I moved to Seattle last summer from NYC and I cant even begin to tell you how great its been. Just do it, you have lots of flexibility and freedom, if you have to find a shit job to pay the rent until something permanent happens do it but by all means try to make the most of the summer. Winter isnt that big of a deal here but the weather is very different from the east coast so you do have times where things get ugly.

 

People in Seattle can be a little "stuffy" but if you traveled and it seems that you have, its no big deal.

[ITri4VT]

We found a little house to rent in Shoreline! Not exactly closest to the mountains but it's a great neighborhood and has a big backyard.

 

We are currently in Denver... on our way to Salt Lake tomorrow, and then still deciding if to push the whole way to Seattle or find a place in Oregon or Idaho to stay in between.

 

[Alex]

Seems like you have the requisite number of toys to fit right in when you arrive ! It looks like a very modern move. When I moved to CO in Spring '93, I had an 86 Honda Civic hatchback I bought from a buddy for 200$, a custom plywood and 2x4 roof rack, and could only take what fit in the car, including my cello.

[sobo]

Very similar move to Alex's for me. From VA Tech, fall of 1988, a 1970 2-door Volvo, no roof rack. Climbing and camping gear stowed in the trunk (out of sight and under lock and key) and clothes, cooking shit, and other essentials in the back seat. Eight weeks and $1,000 of the best road trip evuh!

 

Glad you're finally going to make it out this way, Michelle!

[DPS]

Alex, was that the Honda that we were rear ended in coming back from Big Four one winter?

[duckfeet]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but does anyone know how the job market for Respiratory Therapy is the mentioned areas of Seattle and central WA?

[DPS]

FYI: Swedish is opening a new hospital in the Issaquah Highlands. They are hiring all types of health care professionals. Issauah has incredible access to trail running, hiking, mt biking and is 15 minutes from the nearest rock climbing and 30 minutes from accesible alpine climbing, ice climbing, rock climbing, bc and front country skiing.