Waco,austin,temple??? (lpn And Rn Opportunities) (Killeen, Spring: 2009, homes)

[dasandman79]

how are these towns, is the housing cheap?,alot of crime? im graduating in june of 08 from lpn school and want to know if lpn or nursing is in demand in those areas?? I know someone that lives in china spring, texas. is that a dump. ilve never been to good old texas. please help!!!!!!!!!!!!

[NOTAM]

i am not familiar with the cities, as a place to live, but am from Texas and have practiced as an RN for most of my career in this state. i am from Ft Worth area originally. what i CAN say about any city in Texas, and especially the ones you listed, cost of living is low, and even lower as you go out into the outskirts/rural areas. and the BEAUTY of living in Texas is that you can work in a city and live in the country-most of Texas's cities, big and small are a short drive into rural areas. i will probably be working in waco, austin and temple on a per diem/prn basis on weekends, if i feel like it or need extra money, as i am moving to Ft Hood area in two weeks to work at Ft Hood. the great thing about that WHOLE area, encompassing Ft Hood, Waco, Temple, Austin, and all of Hill Country, is that there are SO many hospitals, big and small. i havent even counted how many will be within an hour drive radius of me, but there will be ALOT. RN salaries are good in Texas, now they ain't paying $45-60/hour like California, but hey, look at the cost of living difference. it's all comparable. RN's (and LVN's) get paid well everywhere because of the nursing shortage and the big rising baby boomer generation getting older and hospitals being fuller and many senior nurses who are baby boomers themselves, finally retiring or going part time. i dont know where you are from but you will LOVE Texas. i highly recommend any of those cities. Austin i think has a bunch of Seton hospitals all over, and Temple has the renowned Scott & White. you can write your own ticket anywhere....though i highly recommend you go for your RN, well you know, that will open up WAY more possiblities! and of course double your income potential. good luck!!

[daisybear]

Waco has a lot of health care related opportunities. They are building a new hospital off I-35 at Highway 6 (to replace the old Hillcrest, I think). Along with the 2 large hospitals, there are also several facilities that offer live-in care/nursing homes, mental health, plus Scott and White and the VA. That all aside from the private practices.

Waco is a nice, conservative community and people are generally friendly. As with any city, there are good parts and bad parts. It lacks in entertainment and events although they are doing a lot to re-vamp the downtown area and the nightlife around Baylor. It also has some pretty good public schools if that is a concern.
If living in Waco isn't for you, there is no traffic and no worry about a commute so check out some of the surrounding suburbs and small towns. (China Spring, Woodway, Hewitt, Lorena, West, McGregor, etc.)

[CMA2009]

My family and I are considering a move to Hewitt Texas. Is this a family friendly and safe community that offers family fun attractions? What about job opportunities? I am a Medical Assistant and my husband is in production. Are there opportunities in both of these fields? This is a big decision for me and my family. I would appreciate any information anyone can give us with this major transition. Thank you.

[NOTAM]

there are two large hospitals in Waco-Providence and Hillcrest (and the Hillcrest facility is a BRAND SPANKIN' new one, and supposedly VERY nice). i believe there is a VAMC in Waco too.

just south of Hewitt, is Temple, with the world-renowned Level I Trauma Center Scott & White, with about 600 beds or so, i think. also in Temple, the smaller, more family oriented King's Daughter Hospital, which i think is a Level II Trauma Center. and in Temple, a full service VAMC.

then in Killeen, you have Ft Hood, the largest military installation in the US, with Carl R Darnall Army Medical Center, Level II Trauma Center 200 beds. and Metroplex Hospital.

if you work on a federal installation e.g. VA or military, your license can be in any of the 50 states, so you don't have to pay for and apply for a TX LVN or RN license. you can keep your license in whatever state yer at.
i have found in my almost 20 year career (half in civilian, half in millitary nursing), that the federal installations utilize LVN's aka LPN's much more, even in critical care areas. in civilian facilities, LVN/LPN's are delegated primarily to lower acuity areas e.g. med-surg/floors/wards. matter of fact, i have worked in ER's and other critical care areas that are strictly RN staffed only, and that is the trend nationwide. so if you are not considering going back to school to get your RN, and want more clinical specialty opportunities, i would recommend you look into federal jobs. there are plenty here, both contract and GS/civil service.

Originally Posted by CMA2009

My family and I are considering a move to Hewitt Texas. Is this a family friendly and safe community that offers family fun attractions? What about job opportunities? I am a Medical Assistant and my husband is in production. Are there opportunities in both of these fields? This is a big decision for me and my family. I would appreciate any information anyone can give us with this major transition. Thank you.

[WillysB]

Originally Posted by CMA2009

My family and I are considering a move to Hewitt Texas. Is this a family friendly and safe community that offers family fun attractions? What about job opportunities? I am a Medical Assistant and my husband is in production. Are there opportunities in both of these fields? This is a big decision for me and my family. I would appreciate any information anyone can give us with this major transition. Thank you.

Hewitt was probly a small farming community that is transitioning into a suburb of Waco. So if you're looking for work in Hewitt, think Waco. I doubt that Hewitt itself has many 'family attractions'.

You can locate Hewitt on a google map.
You can check jobs for Waco at Craigslist or elsewhere.

Waco may have some growth but probly isn't a booming metropolis.

[texastea]

If you like things nice and new, Harker Heights (between Belton and Killeen) is getting a LOT of nice retail along 95. Super Target, Barnes & Noble, shopping centers with stone facades...really pretty.

[txstate]

Waco has 4 hospitals plus the one in Temple so you have choices and I-35 is the subway of TX

[NOTAM]

nice stone facade but generally a waste of space. i mean, come on, put up a multi-million dollar shopping center and put in a dollar store, a Maurice's and a Rue 21? uh, how many dollar stores are there tucked in between the pawn shops in killeen? probably a few dozen.
i am happy about Target, and Cracker Barrel though.
Chipotle is there, hear it is good. and i think a fasta food Asian food place is opening there.

Originally Posted by texastea

If you like things nice and new, Harker Heights (between Belton and Killeen) is getting a LOT of nice retail along 95. Super Target, Barnes & Noble, shopping centers with stone facades...really pretty.