Brand new RN may relocate to Casper or possibly Lander/Riverton. (houses, live)

[jody_wy]

And Star Valley medical is one of the top rated rural hospitals in the country Star Valley Medical Center - Home

[Juntra]

Thank you, Elk Hunter and jody_wy. I will take a look at the VA and Star Valley Medical. Thanks for the link!

[Froggie Legs]

I worked at Westward Heights nursing home as a CNA (though I had a Minnesota nursing license) in Lander and loved it. Beautiful scenery, friendly town. There is also a hospital there, and several clinics. Do visit, esp in winter.

[Dangerous Dave]

I would strongly advise a trip to Casper before agreeing to anything. It has it's perks, but the wind is downright abusive.

Lander is a nice little town, but far away from any larger market shopping/services of any kind.

Star Valley is one of the nicest parts of the state, and the VA does have a small clinic there. I believe it's also close to things in Idaho Falls, so you have that as a hub. Jackson isn't too far, so you have decent skiing nearby too.

Sheridan is a decent place, good hospital and, as mentioned, the VA hospital. No long commutes, in the spring, summer and fall I generally ride my bicycle everywhere.

[Juntra]

Thank you, Froggie Legs and Dangerous Dave!

Lander really does look beautiful, from what I can see in the live webcam. There's snow everywhere! And looks like a really nice and peaceful little town. I was hoping for a call back from the SageWest hopsital there but it sure is taking them a while to cintact me like they said they would. The lady from human resources I talked to was super nice.

Even if I don't end up working in Wyoming, I still intend to visit!

I chose to apply to a hospital in Lander/Riverton because I saw that it was closer to Jackson than Casper.

[jody_wy]

Star valley even closer

[northernborn]

I throw a vote in for Cody, wy

west park hospital, lots of other medical offices, urgent care there too.

I'm amazed at what I can get taken care of in cody, and if not there then nearby billings, I actually went to billings every Monday and Friday all summer this year and never got tired of the ride until I hit the city itself.

cody doesn't have the skiing that Jackson does but there is plenty of cross country and sleeping giant has downhill, its a little mtn but there is tons of back country skiing and YES everyone goes into Yellowstone pretty regularly, Jackson not as much, at least for us.

we have friends native to casper and I lived for a time in Cheyenne and bar nunn but I really did not like casper at all,

Id second the recommending a trip to the towns, and throw a second for Cody in there too!

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by northernborn

I throw a vote in for Cody, wy

... I really did not like casper at all, (I agree, but not all agree!)

Id second the recommending a trip to the towns, and throw a second for Cody in there too!

Please visit Powell when you are in the Cody area, nice community hospital, college, friendly people, ag centric (stable), and close to MT, YNP, Bighorns.

Sounds like you will have a LONG trip! I would recommend flying into SLC, going to Star Valley and up through Powell, Billings, over to Sheridan, loop through Casper and Lander. Add Sturgis / Rapid City / Cheyenne & Laramie if possible. Denver is another flight option. I use SWA low fare calender (<$100) and rent $5-$15/ day cars on Hotwire or Priceline. I stay in Guest homes ($10/night worldwide) and eat via discarded / blemished produce and day-old bakery from grocery stores ~$5/day.

Works well, I travel about 50% of the year.

[Brian_M]

FWIW, my mom moved from MN to Lander with a nursing job, then turned that nursing job into a nursing education with the community college in Riverton, then director of that dept, then nursing curriculum development for online schools (Walden and others I forget) and author about nursing education.

Between Lander and Riverton there are 2 hospitals, 4 or 5 nursing homes, a couple senior centers (assisted living, I believe they all have a nurse or two on staff) and the college. Of course, the college puts out a class every year so the local market Might be flooded. You could do worse than live in Lander, but I'm biased... born and raised there.

[TNT25]

Originally Posted by Juntra

My dear Wyoming residents,

Firstly, I'd like to introduce myself. I am a brand new registered nurse from the Los Angeles area. I am a Thai-American, and I'm 30. I am considering moving to Casper, WY to work as an RN.

I've been checking the weather and webcams for weeks so I am aware the weather is very cold in winter and very beautiful in summer. I also see that you guys get wind there constantly during all seasons, so that could make winters very hard.

I am looking to get an apartment close enough to walk to the hospital where I might work (WBI).

I've been reading a lot of past threads about Casper, and it looks like Casper's a great place for new families, so it seems pretty safe, right?

Can anyone please tell me more about what life is like in Casper, and how the cost of living is? I'd be making $26/hour and my apartment will probably be $700/month. Will I have plenty of money left to live life?

What do people usually do on their days off? Is skiing something people do everyday during winter after work? (I've never skiied before though, but want to learn.)

What's your opinion on the scenery?

Is it a normal thing to take a little vacation in Yellowstone or Jackson Hole for residents in Casper?

I'm also interested in seeing rodeo events too.

How is driving in town? I can't imagine it being as hectic as Los Angeles.

Most importantly, how are the people in town? Are they welcoming? I doubt there's many Asians living out there in Wyoming in the first place, so I am wondering if I'll be treated any differently.

I have been dreaming about a small town life in Wyoming for quite a while now. I just need to know if this is the kind of life for me. I have been an indoors girl most of my life, and I've been wanting to be outdoors more often now.

Any info you can give me about life in Casper or its vicinity will be appreciated!

If you also have information on Lander or Riverton, I'd love that too, as I was just contacted by a hospital in that area just now.

Thank you very much!

If you're interested in cross-country skiing, Lander will be an awesome place for you. When there's sufficient snow (as there is right now), the golf course offers a variety of groomed trails. Every day you will see a variety of skiers, from beginners to advanced, and also the local middle school and high school ski teams (and the view of the Winds from the golf course is amazing as well). For more varied scenery and terrain, you can drive 25 miles towards South Pass to the Beaver Creek nordic trails at about 8000'. For downhill skiing, your closest option would be White Pine at Pinedale, followed by Meadowlark above Ten Sleep, Hogadon above Casper, and then Jackson Hole.

As far as tolerance and welcoming, you shouldn't have any issues in Lander. It is a very eclectic town, and some would say it's a great deal more progressive than most other areas in Wyoming. The elements contributing to this are numerous, but consist of NOLS, a burgeoning art scene, different conservation agencies and groups, the reservation influence, a high-percentage of government agencies, etc. Good luck with your application process!