Nursing in Texas (Dallas: fit in, credit report, employment)

[ChristieP]

I work at a private-pay LTC center, and we pay our charge RNs $25 hourly to start for PRN work, and more for nurse manager positions. Our DON and ADON make about $65k. Our LVNs make about $19 hourly.

Yes, you can do travel nursing, but you won't get health insurance. Expect to pay about $500 monthly for an individual policy, and the coverage won't be good.

[cmdavis]

I just took a travel assingment at a methodist hosp. in south dallas, I will be starting, july 30th. I was very suprised at the nurse/pt. ratio, 1:7 at night no charge nurse without an assignment. we are 1:5 here in FL and we have a charge nurse without pt's.
CM

[Texas Hopeful]

I am looking to settle in the Plano or Frisco area. I would really like to avoid working nights...weekends and holidays are ok. That is a growing, upscale area with some really nice new facilities, but no idea what they pay? Thanks for all the discussion...it is helpful and much appreciated. A small local hospital sounds divine to me after the pace in CA...then again the bigger hospitals are sure to pay better with more benefits. I am not seeing much in the way of incentive deals or relocation offers, except for positions I'm really not qualified for.

[mckinneydeb]

Lisa Jane, I'd say you have a very marketable degree. North Texas doesn't have a huge number of free standing psych facilities (there is a reason for that, check out some archived articles in some of the papers) but there are some and many, many clinics. If you have expertise in pediatrics, geriatrics or chemical/substance abuse you're already a head of the game.

When I was in management, I didn't like dealing with headhunters, but that might be a place for you to start. One of your local agencies should be able to promote you here. You can also do some online research into the larger hospital systems if you want a hospital position. Try your state's association of psychiatric nursing and see if they have contacts here in Texas. Might provide you with some ideas of what is available and what the going pay rate might be. Good luck.

[SAtoDallas]

Originally Posted by bellestaroftexas

i dont get it. i only have my associates degree, not a BSN, and like i said, i havent worked for under 25/hour in over 10 years. even at a prison i made more than that in North Texas, and that is easy work.
yes sign on bonuses are huge down in South Texas-i got suckered in. matter of fact, one offered me 25K sign on bonus for a 2 year contract, i didnt take it because that was WAAAAAAAAAAY too good to be true. i mean, it was true, but it was a border town! no way am i living on the border.
my next job will be in the Hill Country and is over $30/hour,base, not including shift diffs, etc....

I believe nursing is the only field in which San Antonio and South TX have the Meteroplex beat. My wife is an RN and has been for about 3 1/2 years she currently makes 22 and change from what we hear Parkland pays the most but you probably work the hardest and Baylor in the burbs pays better than downtown. To the lady from California you have to remember the cost of living here is probably half of what it is is where your at. So even though your checks are less you still end up with more money because it is so much more affordable to live. Plus according to my wife alot of nurses are making 60-80K depending on how much they want to work and shift differential etc.

[Julie Becker]

Hi, I just happened to find this site. I plan on relocating to Dallas, next year and was looking for motocross info, and came upon this site. Anyways, I'm a regisered nurse who works for a very large HMO. I work for Kaiser Permanente, and love it. I have been there for 20 years, and I make 50 bucks an hour. It is difficult to leave my job, because of the pay and benefits. I'm thinking of working 4 12 hour shifts, and having 10days off. I hate to give up the pay, and benefits. It will be like having a travel job. One shift more than pays for the airline ticket. I have family here, and since I probably will have to rent my house out, I'll be able to stay in my basement apt. So until I find a great job in Tx, that's my plan. Plus with Kaiser my children have insurance until they're 25, and that's available with only a 20 hr week position. Also since I've been with Kaiser so long, I get a lot of vacation time. I also have over 400 hours sick leave which is worth 20 grand. Anyways, I work in cardiology, and really don't ever want to do bedside nursing care again. I want to work in a cath lab, or do cardiac procedures like I do now. Just thought I'd put this info out there.

[kimhaw]

Most good travel agencies will have ins. for you for a minimal amount. It may cost a little more for the whole family. I am doing travel nursing first until I find a good hospital I want to be at for a while.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by Julie Becker

Hi, I just happened to find this site. I plan on relocating to Dallas, next year and was looking for motocross info, and came upon this site. Anyways, I'm a regisered nurse who works for a very large HMO. I work for Kaiser Permanente, and love it. I have been there for 20 years, and I make 50 bucks an hour. It is difficult to leave my job, because of the pay and benefits. I'm thinking of working 4 12 hour shifts, and having 10days off. I hate to give up the pay, and benefits. It will be like having a travel job. One shift more than pays for the airline ticket. I have family here, and since I probably will have to rent my house out, I'll be able to stay in my basement apt. So until I find a great job in Tx, that's my plan. Plus with Kaiser my children have insurance until they're 25, and that's available with only a 20 hr week position. Also since I've been with Kaiser so long, I get a lot of vacation time. I also have over 400 hours sick leave which is worth 20 grand. Anyways, I work in cardiology, and really don't ever want to do bedside nursing care again. I want to work in a cath lab, or do cardiac procedures like I do now. Just thought I'd put this info out there.

Not a bad plan. I live in Dallas now but was a recruiter for a travel nurse agency based in L.A. before coming out here. You won't find the kind of money here that you make as a staff nurse at Kaiser.

[mckinneydeb]

While your pay will be significantly less, your specialty is definitely a selling point! You should have no problem finding work either through an agency or at a facility. Contact any national agency and chances are they have an office in Dallas.

I recently read about the agreement reached between one of the nurses union and a hospital system in CA. The salary increase was incredible! But you're not going to find anything like that here, even if you work through an agency. North Texas just doesn't pay as well as other areas of the country and even the state.

[sheri257]

No one seems to have mentioned Group One, which is located in Dallas. Very controversial. There's been lots of discussions about it on nursing boards.

Basically, the hospitals in Dallas share employment information on nurses. So ... if a manager doesn't like you and puts in a negative report in the Group One data base ... forget about getting another job at other Dallas hospitals.

If you're going to work as an RN in Dallas ... beware of Group One. Look it up on nursing boards like allnurses.com. Plenty of info there.