Nursing in Texas (Dallas, Plano, Howe: insurance, low crime, homes)

[NeedtoLeaveOrangeCounty]

Hi,

I am a 36 year old single woman, with one daughter, age 15. I am thinking about moving from CA once she graduates. I am a Registered Nurse with 3 years of expirence, and I am interested in moving to an area with affordable housing (even though my daughter will be off at college, I would still like to buy a home), a fun area for a single person in their late 30's and early 40's. And even find a nice divorced man with no minor children in his mid 40s, and Also, I would like to find an area that pays its nurses well.

California pays their nurses the best for the Nation, but with housing costs so high, they could pay me $150k a year, and it wouldnt matter, nice homes here in decent areas are about $800K and only going up. However, I dont want to work for $40K, I have a BSN and I have heard horror stories about nursing wages in Texas being rock bottom. If I could make the same as a waitress, why put up with the nonsense and stress of having someones life in my hands?

Does a place like this exist in Texas? I am pretty conservative politically, so it would be a nice change from the mess that is Mexifornia, and with more and more illegals making a run for the border, state income taxes will have to rise and I am not prepared to pay more than the 9.3% state income tax we have now. I wont have a child in the school system, but I suppose school systems matter, as good schools usually follow low crime and better neighborhoods.

I have considered Phoenix, but what an UGLY town, and not too far behind CA prices.....

My email is CWilson555@aol.com, please feel free to email me there, as well as here.

Thanks,

Carolyn

[Dallaskid]

Nurses hear start at around 20 an hour and then you have to add for experience and shift differentials. If you want conservatives around you then, you have your choice of suburbs.

[Dallaskid]

Nurses hear start at around 20 an hour and then you have to add for experience and shift differentials. If you want conservatives around you then, you have your choice of suburbs.

[NeedtoLeaveOrangeCounty]

wow, thats awful pay rates, I make $33 an hour now. Not sure if I would be willing to take a 40% pay cut.

[socketz]

Nurses appear to make an average of $25 per/hr across all Texas:

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/...N)/Hourly_Rate

Since Dallas has a higher cost of living than most of Texas, why would the salaries be lower ?

Have you looked at online jobs or at the websites of large hospitals like Baylor or Plano Presbetarian ?

If the salaries are that much lower and out of skew, then the supply of nurses here must be greater than the demand. This would seem odd though as nurses are in demand across the country.

Nurses make alot in CA because socialized medicine is king and they work nurses tails off out there....$31 an hour is not great for the amount of work nurses do and bs they have to put up with. I've known many that have left the field because it was not at all what they expected.

[NeedtoLeaveOrangeCounty]

Actually, most people are on private employer payed insurance programs. I would imagine Emergency Rooms would have to see everyone that come in, but unless its life threathening, hospitals send people to County. I imagine with Arnold tryign to make all children covered by the state, we may see a decrease in unpaid medical bills, but an increase in taxes to pay for it. Texas has a similar situation with illegal aliens there, however your state government doesnt make the citizens buy them health care, housing, food stamps, education, incarceration, etc.....I wish someone here would start looking out for US Citizens, not the poor refugees from third world countries. Nurses are leaving in droves here....not even because of the pay issues, more like exposure to TB, Hepititis, and non compliant patients. Its really sad, like I said in a previous post....its Mexifornia.

In California, we have a maximum of 5:1 patient ratios. The unions insisted on it. I am not a big union fan, however, in that aspect, I definatly see a better patient care ratio. I have heard horrror stories about Texas, with no laws about patient ratios.

Just weighing my options....may look at travel nursing, that pays agency rates, and buy in Texas to take advantage of the no state income tax, and low housing costs.

Being a staff nurse is for the birds....

[socketz]

Employer paid medical plans = Kaiser/Aetna HMO 90% of the time. That's socialized medicine to me. The only way I cna get an appointment within a 3-4 month span with a doctor, is to first go to urgent care. Once in Urgent Care, it seems you move to a different list. My wife's Mom was a Sr. RN for years and now teaches at I believe Maric College. She knows few peers that enjoy nursing.

[NeedtoLeaveOrangeCounty]

Well,

I guess its the most cost effective way to deliver medical care....HMO. I dont really know too much about insurace, other than its expensive. Lets not forget its a business....and they will do what they can to make a profit. Pay employees as little as possible, give patients as little as possible. But, I suppose the alternative is for them not to do do any research and not offer any of the procedures they didnt offer even 10 years ago. Someone has to pay for that stuff....

[SlowlySinking]

I moved to Dallas from Los Angeles and was pleasantly surprised at how low the cost of living was. Yes the salaries are less but it costs less to live. Coming from CA to TX is the best direction. Check out the cost of homes of equal size and you can see. My home in LA was 1400 sqft and $300K, here I only spent $118K for a 1450 sqft home in a nicer area.

[debct]

Try ct, we have a big nursing shortage. With a BSN you you be in high demand. I know soem two year RN'S making about 30 and hours. I know LPN"s making 26 per hour. HOusing is expensive here, but less then where you are. We also have some good hosps. we have Yale New haven and St. Francis in hartford.