RN jobs in Hawaii? (transplants, insurance, attorneys)

[timbersoap]

Hi,
I am a Canadian Nurse, with an American licence through Minnesota. I have never worked in the States however. I am considering relocating myself and my family to Hawaii, but I am unsure of the job market for experienced RNs. The recruiter that I was in touch with a few years ago has become unreachable. Does anyone know if there is a need for experienced RN's in Hawaii? or, does anyone have any contacts for a nurse recruiter?
thanks so much,

[vahnessuh]

The first question is going to be whether you already have the visa to work here. If not, I would say you are going to have close to zero chances of working in Hawaii. Hawaii itself already has tons of nurses looking for work. Add into the mix the mainland people wanting to relocate to Hawaii looking for nursing jobs.

For you to work in Hawaii, the hospital must apply for a visa for you to work. I doubt whether they'd want to go through all that trouble when there's tons of nurses hankering for the same position that they don't need to do much work for.

Unless you have a super specialized experience in a nursing field that is rare...

[PaliPatty]

Also, I believe that if you get a visa that is sponsored by a particular hospital you cannot work anywhere else.
Realize that, if the census of your unit goes down, it is very typical here to send the nurse with the least seniority home. That would be home, without pay (no PTO until you've worked at the hospital for a while). Home, without pay, and without the ability to work anywhere else (agency, per diem, etc) because of the restrictions of your visa. Staffing needs are re-evaluated every 4-8 hours (depending on the time of day) and yes, you can be sent home in the middle of your shift if the patient census drops. With the drive to cut hospital operating costs the hospitals are pretty merciless when it comes to sending "extra" nurses home, at least on Oahu.
Even though hospitals are pretty packed right now they do go through slow periods where those with lower seniority lose hours, repeatedly. I've seen Canadian nurses head back home because they couldn't afford to stay here after weeks of losing a significant number of hours.

[timbersoap]

oh wow,
thanks for that information. I had no idea!! you have provided me with some great details that I would have never considered. Thanks

[FallenIntoGreatness]

We had a travel nurse give her input in another thread. She didn't like how she was treated and felt she was being mistreated because there were lots of local nurses without work. Maybe you could message her for more info about nursing in HI?
Haole Hate?

[hotzcatz]

Does a Minnesota license transfer to Hawaii? In other trades the licenses don't transfer, although I don't know if healthcare licenses have the same difficulty or not.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Does a Minnesota license transfer to Hawaii? In other trades the licenses don't transfer, although I don't know if healthcare licenses have the same difficulty or not.

I think her bigger issue is that she is Canadian - since that skill is not in short supply I don't see how she'd get a visa to work in Hawaii.

[PaliPatty]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Does a Minnesota license transfer to Hawaii? In other trades the licenses don't transfer, although I don't know if healthcare licenses have the same difficulty or not.

I believe Hawaii has reciprocity agreements with all states, referred to as "licensing by endorsement." In other words, if you have a valid current RN license in one state all you have to do is complete the paperwork and submit it to the HI BON, pay the fees, and you get your HI license.
Here's the application for anyone interested:

http://hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/boards/nu.../pvl_nurse.pdf

Ahhh, memories....

You can't use a Minnesota license in HI unless you work at a military facility---they accept nursing licenses from any state.
The big issue is the visa, as Viper said. HUGE issue.

[tyvin]

What area of nursing is it, do you have your BSN (I think all Canadians do the BSN) and how many years of experience do you have...these are questions that would be helpful in order to advise you. Under what circumstances did you qualify for the MI RN license?

The competition to get a job is nasty. You've got the local nurses who are experienced and no job and the ones that have graduated and have no experience. The steets are paved with new grads from every university and every community college from every island (don't forget the online ones as well). Then the ones coming in from the mainland; new grads and experienced as well. Also the foreign nurses from PI and other coutries where the PI nurses have special visa arrangments compliments of our legislature due to the almighty faux nursing shortage that never was.

Another thought for you and anyone else reading this post is you could hang your own sheild. Many RNs here and on the mainland are becoming their own bosses by opening up assited living homes, life coach, medical records inspection for attorneys, insurance companies etc..., informatics nursing, occupational nursing, wound care, ect..., ect... The opportunnities are only limited by your imagination.

Experience is the key. If you've got over 10 years experience in peds, ICU, ER, you do stand a better chance then most at bedside nursing.

[PaliPatty]

There actually WAS a nursing shortage when I came here, some thirteen years ago. My phone was ringing off the hook soon after I sent my job applications from the mainland. I actually got a relocation bonus. Imagine that.
But no more. There is an absolute glut of nurses in Hawaii. And not just new grads---thanks to the closing of two hospitals here in the last few months there are many very experienced nurses out pounding the pavement. Many of these nurses have experience in critical care, solid organ transplants, open heart, OR, and other areas that are in demand here.
They will most definitely receive preference over nurses from the mainland.