st cloud nurses? (Minneapolis, Duluth, Rochester: middle-class, apartment complexes, rentals)

[goose7]

Im contemplating a move to MN within the year and was interested in St Cloud. Can anyone tell me what the job market is like for nurses -- RN's and LPN's. I've heard MN as a state pays 10% above the national average. Any info would be sincerely appreciated

[missmousern]

I am a nurse working at St Cloud Hospital. there are jobs here. We are not as short as a other areas in the US. Each dept contracts a traveller or two to cover summer vacation requests. We are well staffed. Here is the hospital web site: CentraCare Health System - St. Cloud, Minnesota
Centracare covers St Cloud and many of the surrounding areas so there are jobs in most specialties and the non acute care areas. Starting wages are listed about $26 an hour and goes up from there depending on degree and exp. I haven't looked lately, I don't know what the national average is now. It is in the middle of the state so it is the biggest facility around. Other areas with similar services would be Mpls/St Paul, Fargo, Duluth, Rochester, Sioux Falls.
Good luck.

[JenLee]

That $26/hr is for a new BSN grad, right?

[missmousern]

I was just rounding. It is for an ADN, then a BSN starts a bit higher. To be honest when you are a new grad there isn't a big difference between the degrees wage wise. The advantages comes later. I think the masters new grad starts at only 27 or 28 and change. They are beginning to require BSN for upper level positions, but stiil hire ADN's. They have a good tuition program for any schooling you want to do.

[goose7]

thanks for the info missmousern. I will have my ADN when I move with plans of advancing to a BSN and eventually my MSN. St Cloud seems like a nice area. Do you know if house rentals are affordable in the area as well?

[missmousern]

I am an ADN just finishing my BSN. SCH has a tuition reimbursement program once you have been there a year you can use. I have had nearly all of my school paid for though work. There are several MN programs that offer most classes online with some clinic time you arrange with preceptors of your choice. I am going to the MN State Moorhead program myself, but there are several others. I commute about an hour to work. Search the housing market in other threads. I am sure it has been discussed. I am not in the market so haven't looked into that.
Did you say where you are moving from? (Was that grammatically correct?)
Do you have experience in a specialty?

[ozzie679]

Originally Posted by goose7

thanks for the info missmousern. I will have my ADN when I move with plans of advancing to a BSN and eventually my MSN. St Cloud seems like a nice area. Do you know if house rentals are affordable in the area as well?

It is a nice middle-class town. I like the fact that it takes a little over an hour to make it to downtown MPLS. But there is rarely a need to go to the cities because everything you need is right here. You can also look in the bordering cities of St. Joseph, Waite Park, Sartell, and Sauk Rapids. The are the "suburbs" that connect to St Cloud. Housing is affordable and there are several new apartment complexes. There also is a plan to connect downtown to the university, with new retail and loft living. So if you like that scene, it is coming. I also believe that St Cloud Hospital has been a Top 100 for several years.

[PBC19]

Originally Posted by goose7

Im contemplating a move to MN within the year and was interested in St Cloud. Can anyone tell me what the job market is like for nurses -- RN's and LPN's. I've heard MN as a state pays 10% above the national average. Any info would be sincerely appreciated

Hi;

I was reading some info about you from previous posts. I do have some concerns about you living in St Cloud because you previously said you're looking for a gay-friendly town. I have lived in several small towns in the midwest and in general they are not the most gay friendly places. You'd probably want to consider the Minneapolis area which IS much more friendly - but have you been there in the winter?? ....because it's going to feel like Antarctica after living in Phoenix (where I have also lived).

I nearly moved to St Cloud this spring and did interview with SCH. I liked the hospital and I liked the town - but changed my mind and decided to stay in Seattle. (I love Seattle, it's just REALLY $$$). SCH offered me $3/hr more than I make in downtown Seattle, which was a nice surprise since the cost of living is MUCH cheaper in St Cloud. MN does have state income tax and WA does not, so the wage was probably equal. FYI - I do have my BSN and have been a nurse for 13 years.

It's a good thing you are interested in psych nursing - you couldn't pay me enough to go into that field :-). Pysch nursing is one of the few areas I've never done and have no desire to do. There are typically NOT as many jobs in that field....but also not as many nurses who want them so that may work in your favor. If you specifically want only that specialty and are a new grad, then you really have to go wherever you find a job to gain experience.

I'd like to offer some advice -
Pick cities where you may want to live, look on the internet to find out where psych nurses work, then call the unit (preferably at night when the nurses usually have more time to talk and can talk more freely because management isn't there) to ask questions like - "do you hire new grads? if not, what experience do you suggest I get first? do you like your job - why? do you feel safe working there?" You get the picture. You can do any job if you like your coworkers. Unfortunately, it's impossible to really find out the "culture" of a unit until you are already working there.....so tell yourself you can do anything for a year and then do it...you can always move later.

Try to get some experience as a CNA/tech on the type of unit you want to work on so you get a real idea of what that particular job is like. School is NOTHING like the actual job. If you cant get a tech job, then talk to a manager on the unit and see if you can just follow a nurse around ("job shadow") for one shift just to see what it's like. The great thing about nursing is that if you dont like one area, you can always switch.

You also have to find out what kind of nurses that unit hires - not all hospitals hire LPNs or ADN nurses.

Good luck!

Pam

[marmac]

check out the VA hospital in St Cloud.

[sfw1979]

check out Nursing
good luck!