Nurse considering Pittsburgh

[rhondee]

Originally Posted by west seattle gal

How's the job market for experienced med-surg nurses and nurse practitioners?

There seems to always be openings for Med Surg , and I also see NP job openings as well. I used to work with NPs on a daily basis but for the last few years where I am working now, I happen to work with PAs or Hospitalists. That is only because of my current job.
I'm not around any NPs that I can refer to and get back to you on how the current environment is for NPs in the area but I can assure you they are being utilized everywhere and I see that they are in demand by the frequent number of job postings that I have run across.

[rhondee]

Cigna ( health insurer) is looking to hire 164 which will include a large number of nurses.

Cigna to hire 164 as part of its expansion - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

[rhondee]

I see that Excela's openings are in Greensburg, Latrobe and Mt Pleasant. The drive wouldn't be bad at all if you live in the eastern suburbs.

[Hatless Wonder]

The only med-surg jobs I can find around here require med-surg experience, and most are per-diem. Hospitals will also hire RNs as LNAs, for LNA pay.

[PA_Native71]

Originally Posted by Hatless Wonder

I'm a nurse, currently living and working in Vermont. I attended nursing school in Boston, and attended a hiring event (in Boston) by AGH the weekend before I graduated. I ended up interviewing at AGH and UPMC. Unfortunately, neither of them hired me. After 10 months of searching (and a job that lasted 45 minutes), I found a job in Vermont.

Unfortunately, between the tough economy, low wages, and high cost of living, Hubby and I aren't really making it here. It's also increasingly inconvenient to drive 2 hours, into another country (and another language), just for some city life. We're talking about relocation, and I'd like to give Pittsburgh another try.

From what I've seen, Pittsburgh has a lower cost of living (especially housing!), very good public transportation (Hubby doesn't drive), seasons, culture, and a thriving medical field. It seems that UPMC is trying hard to make Pittsburgh a 1-hospital town. It's also relatively close to my relatives in Ohio, New York, and Boston.

How is the job market for nurses? I currently work for a home health agency that has an office in Monroeville, so I may be able to move with a job in place. How is the job market for non-nurses?

How is the outdoors scene? How bicycle-friendly is Pittsburgh?

Well you can also try Butler Memorial they have been expanding and they have different nursing fields there, and the VA hospital is there too real good benefits and pay considering your cost of living and then you got Grove City, Clarion, New Castle, Oil City and numerous assisted care centers around if you would like a smaller town or rural living and easy trip to Pittsburgh and in these areas there is plenty of places to ride bicycles in fact a rails to trails is right by Emlenton, PA and goes all the way up to Oil City can't remember but think it goes to Titusville, PA but the trail to Oil City goes along the Allegheny River and that is like 30 some miles and the roads in that area are also nice to go riding on plenty of back roads to enjoy nature and sun, now from Grove City you can easily be in Pittsburgh in an hour, so you can make a game, concert, play and be home without too much trouble, lots of outdoor activities to do and the housing costs are low you can find a 3 bedroom 2 story home for less than 70,000 and be comfortable with a yard in and around Butler you have to look but in the rest of the areas it is easy to find or you find something that will make you happy, here is an example of what is available:312 Main St, Lyndora PA 16045 Home for Sale - Yahoo! Real Estate (http://realestate.yahoo.com/Pennsylvania/Lyndora/312-main-st:d4c981b11d5ac8b6f330776fd1d5c - broken link) Lyndora has really improved and cleaned up, as you can see very affordable and you can find something that you will enjoy just have to look, and nice thing about Butler is if you want to get away you have lots of state parks to go camping, Niagara Falls is 2.5-3 hours away by car, I-80 is north by 25 miles you have plenty of shopping and places to eat, Lake Arthur is a nice place to spend a day, and Pittsburgh is 30-45 minutes south (the joke here is Butler is the main suburb of Pittsburgh) and you have 2 main hospitals, Butler Memorial and the VA Hospital and it is just a nice area to be in people are friendly and you will be making friends in no time, the only thing you have to do is start looking and be determined to move to Western PA, good luck and welcome