New Nurse possibly moving to Harlingen, Texas for a job!!! (Dallas: fit in, transplants)

[NewNursey]

I am a new graduate nurse living in Chicago, Illinois with my fiance. His family grew up in the Browsville/Harlingen area of Texas. I have been searching up and down for a nursing job and with the economy the way it is the only place willing to hire a new graduate with no experience is Southern Texas. I have an interview at Valley Baptist Medical Center. I am white and my fiance is half hispanic. I am wondering if moving to the RGV area for a couple of years just to get nursing experience is a good idea. I have no idea when the economy will get better and when other areas will start hiring new graduates. I have applied to over 75 jobs and my only interview is with Valley Baptist. Please help with any advice!!!!

[abraxas33]

[FONT=Verdana]Hi, my husband is a new grad (physical therapy) too and we decided to move to the Valley for many reasons. We are from Dallas and yes, he did get several offers here but they were not paying as much. In the Valley they were offering him almost 30 percent more to start as a new grad and the cost of living is so much lower too. You will see that they will pay you more than most places. I haven't moved down there yet but here is what I noticed. Yes, there are tons of Hispanics and barely any other ethnicities in this area. I am Asian and my husband is white, so in an aspect it is a culture shock. We both do not speak Spanish but I don't think that is a problem by any means because the couple weeks I was down there, nobody really bothered us or was hostile to us. They were actually very friendly and nice for the most part. They do tend to stare but if you have a thick skin, I don't think it will matter. The other culture shock would be how small this area is (well, the Valley is really spread out though) and how much we take our amenities in big cities for granted. To put it in a nutshell, it seems like the 80's are back again. There are few chain restaurants and stores but if you are not into that, then there are great local areas to eat and enjoy. I don't think they have much of a nightlife or bar scene there. If you want more modern things, I think McAllen would be better. Also, Valley Baptist seems like a great hospital, my hubby had a interview there too and he seemed to like it but he didn't want to do inpatient so he picked someplace else. I guess the bottom line is, you will need to come and visit and see if you can live here. Even though we did visit, we gave ourselves about five years to either stay here because we like it or move back to a bigger city. I know a lot of people will harp about border towns, crime, Hispanics, etc...all the negatives but I know it is what you make of it. You will have to look at the pros and cons of your situation. If you find a good neighborhood, friends, and a great job, the negatives come far and few. This is coming from someone who hasn't lived there but this is what I noticed being there for about two weeks-and yes, I am from a big city, I have a masters degree, I have lived in small and large places, so don't think I am some backwards hill billy country girl. Don't get me wrong, I am not raving about the city because it is great but telling you what I noticed about the cities down there and meeting the people who live there. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana] [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]-I guess the only downfall of that area is the social structure, at least for me. My realtor says there is a huge social structure, unlike many places. For example, doctors and lawyers are on top, then allied health workers/nurses, teachers, police officers...etc... In that essence, that is my only complaint, my husband has been living there by himself for about six weeks. He complains to me that the only people he knows are OTs and PTS, and I think it has to do with the weird social structure down there. For me, I am used to being friends with whomever and not based on job or how much money you make. I don't know about Harlingen but in Brownsville, it is very noticeable who has money and who doesnt. I noticed women dressed in their Sunday best, LV purses (in Dallas everyone carries a LV purse but noticed that only "rich" carry it there), fine jewelery at Chillies. I thought that was hilarious. But that is only me though. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri][SIZE=3] Good luck on your decision and job search. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[bgrn198]

I would also maby check out McAllen there's a little more to do as far as nightlife and shopping and you also have minor league sports with the Vipers NBA development league and concerts at the State Farm arena.

McAllen CVB | McAllen, Texas

McAllen Chamber of Commerce

Downtown McAllen - Your Guide to Night Life in McAllen, Texas

State Farm Arena

NBA Development League: Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees – Official Website - Official website for the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bee hockey team. Located in Hidalgo, Texas. News, Game Schedules, Tickets, Photos, Video, Wallpaper, and Events.

La Plaza Mall - McAllen, TX 78503 | Simon Malls

Palms Crossing - McAllen, TX 78501 | Simon Malls

Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets

Hospital in McAllen - McAllen Medical Center

[MerlinGus]

There isn't a social structure here except for the ones that you make. Have you checked other hospitals in the area like Harlingen Medical Center, or the ones in McAllen (that's only a 40-minute commute AT MOST). Abraxas nailed it on several parts, and there is a social ladder PROFESSIONALLY. This is a mainly hispanic culture that looks at doctors as demi-gods (forget about lawyers, they really don't rank that high). This area also has a long history of political patronage, who you know versus what you know, and who you're related to. Local sheriffs, police, entire school systems have very open reputations for corruption.

I don't know how long your fiance has been away from the Valley, but for you, it WILL be a culture shock. I'm a Nuyorican (New York Puerto Rican) and even after 5 years I've yet to fit in. Clubs, decent ones, are few and far between. Sports here are focused on football, which is the state religion. South Padre is nice for a day or two at the beach. If you like to run or bike you can do searches on local clubs that host races.

You don't have to learn Spanish, but you should. You also need a thick skin. The health care down here is big because, to be honest, people are unhealthy. We have one of the highest rates of childhood obesity here, a huge population in severe poverty, a large undocumented population that has to use hospitals as their sole source of healthcare. Due to cross-over crime you will see some serious injuries.

If you have a 5-plan, make sure you and your fiance are on the same page that your stay here is simply to gain experience and move away.

I know I pointed out the worst case scenario, but in the 5 years we've been here (we're transplants from the northeast), I have met some incredible people, true-blue.

[hellpaso]

You do realize this post is 3+ years old, right?

[BobTex]

Originally Posted by hellpaso

You do realize this post is 3+ years old, right?

And another one hit wonder!