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Old 09-30-2007, 07:01 PM
 
2 posts, read 7,142 times
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Hello and in advance thank you for any insight is greatly appreciated. I am currently a LPN going to school to become an RN and will graduate in May. I have lived in several states from Alaska to Maine to Mississippi. I currently am living in Oklahoma. My husband has MS and has a problem with the heat in Oklahoma. He can not tolerate 100 degree weather as it causes him to relapse. I personally am tired of tornadoes. We have been doing alot of research on the Rapid City area as the place for us to move. Does anyone know of any Neurologist in the area? What are the hospitals like? I have read the paper and went to the website for the news. Does anyone know the realistic wage of new RN's? My husband is unable to work and I need to know that I would be able to support the family on my salary alone as I currently do as a LPN. What do the teenagers do for entertainment? My baby who is 15 wont have a problem finding stuff to do because he is into fishing and hunting. However, the 16 year old isnt. What is the colleges like? My 16 starts college this Jan.
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Old 09-30-2007, 07:35 PM
 
Location: The Black Hills, South Dakota
412 posts, read 954,358 times
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I'm pretty new to RC myself, but here's what what I can offer.... There is a huge demand for nurses here. I see recruitment ads for them all the time. There are some retirement homes, urgent care clinics and private practices, but the biggest employer seems to be Rapid City Regional Hospital. I don't have any firsthand experiences with neurologists here, but perhaps someone else can point you in the right direction. Likewise I am not sure what nurses earn, but you can find out by going to Indeed.com (job listings and salary ranges for specific jobs by city) or by perusing the classifieds online at the Rapid City Journal. They have several nursing positions advertised right now. I have found that wages in general tend to be a bit on the low side here, but the relative cost of living is also quite low.

It does occasionally get up to/over 100 in the summer--and it did several times this year--but I'm told that this was an unusually hot summer. It was also a dry heat, which made it bearable. If your husband's health is affected by heat, you might check to make sure that whatever home you rent or buy has central A/C. Tornadoes do happen (got pictures of one on my second week here!) but they are uncommon.

Your 15-year-old will have lots of outdoor activities. The Black Hills are full of opportunities for hiking, hunting, fishing, biking, you name it. As for stuff to do in town, there are a couple of movie theaters, the Rushmore Mall, Dave & Buster's, a couple of zoos/wildlife exhibits, lots of parks, the library... there's a lot more that I just haven't discovered yet. It's a big enough place that if you want to find something to do, you can find it.

Two major colleges here are the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City--which is geared toward engineering, geology, meteorology, etc.--and the state university in Spearfish. There's also a technical school and at least one community college nearby, though their names escape me right now.

Hope that helps a little.
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Old 09-30-2007, 07:56 PM
 
Location: So. Dak.
13,495 posts, read 37,325,994 times
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Shelly, come on up and you and your family are welcome in our state. You'll fit right in. We've found Okies to be a lot like us since they are friendly and look out for each other. Kbat has given you more info then I know and I'm guessing that Busy and others will be able to add a bit more.

There are always openings for nurses in our state (probably like that all over) so you shouldn't have any problem finding employment. They are paid quite well compared to most of the other occupations~probably in the AREA of 30 per hour.

Rapid City Regional has a good rep so I'd guess they have a good neurologist over there. Sx. Falls has an excellent one and excellent neurosurgeons and I'd guess that Rapid has the same thing. (first hand experience on that here) I'm looking for WARMTH so we can trade places. Seriously, eastern OK is very nice.
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Old 09-30-2007, 08:01 PM
 
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota
3,940 posts, read 14,666,641 times
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Shelly-

I live in Rapid City, and my mother too has neurological issues. Yo will find that Rapid City's healthcare and especially neurologists are OUTSTANDING! My mother goes to Dr. Rice, Dr. Seljeskog, and Dr. Teuber, all of which are at The Spine Center and Neurological Associates. These doctors have saved my mother's life and they are great!

For fun, teenagers spend much of the time in the mountains at Pactola Lake, Sheridan Lake, or Angostora Lake. Hiking, biking, 4-wheeling, climbing, and outdoor activities are very popular here. There are also several huge volleyball/tennis courts in Rapid City, and frisbee golf is popular too. There are TONS of parks and golf courses in Rapid City, and there is a skate park downtown by the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Teens also cruise 8th Street, eat at Sonic, and just hang out. The Rushmore Mall has about 120 stores with a Herbergers, Target, Sears, and JC Penney. There is also a new mall with 150 stores being built by I-90. This will have a Dillard's, Barnes and Noble, Linens N' Things, Super Target, and a Gordman's. We are also getting a Cabela's.

Weather in Rapid City is very dry, hot in the summer, and cold in the winter. This was an unusually hot summer for Rapid City because we had about 10 days in a row with 100 degree temperatures. This is uncommon. Winters average around 25-30 and when snow hits it tends to melt quickly. It is usually 10 degrees cooler in the Black Hills.

I hope this information helps. If you have any questions or need to know something, don't hesitate!
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Old 09-30-2007, 08:28 PM
 
Location: So. Dak.
13,495 posts, read 37,325,994 times
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Danny, this is a bit off topic, but what were your Mom's neurological problems? I've had two spinal fusions with two MORE herniations.
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Old 10-07-2007, 01:44 AM
 
2 posts, read 7,142 times
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Thank you for all of the information. It is greatly appreciated. Its great that this website allows people to ask questions of people that live in the current state. I hope to fit in as we plan to be in Rapid City area for a very long time.
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