Considering a career move to Texas? The Lone Star State has something for everyone. It has mountains and deserts to the west, beaches along the Gulf of Mexico, and forests near the Louisiana border. There are small towns, wide-open spaces, and large cities, such as Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio. And throughout the state, RNs can find a variety of great opportunities. Here are some quick facts about working and living here.
* The government predicts Texas will have 141,581 RNs by 2010, but it will need 158,372, an 11% shortfall.
* Texas is one of 17 nurse licensure compact states that have agreed to recognize the nursing license of RNs from other cooperating states.
* According to Homestore, Texas has four of the country's five least expensive metropolitan areas: McAllen, Seguin, Laredo, and Lubbock.
* Texas has no state income tax.
* In 2002, the average annual RN salary in Texas was $47,340.
* The Health Resources and Services Administration has designated 34 of the 254 counties in Texas as Nurse Shortage Counties.
* A survey in February 2003 among the Texas Hospital Association members showed an overall vacancy rate was 11.03% for hospital RNs. Some specialties vacancy rates were 14.62% for critical care, 13.96% for medical-surgical, and 11.79% for psychiatric nurses.
* Texas is home to 11 Magnet facilities: four hospitals in the Austin-based SETON Healthcare Network; Baylor University Medical Center, Medical City Dallas Hospital, and the North Texas Hospital for Children in Dallas; and Methodist Hospital, Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, all in Houston.
Interested? Contact the Texas Workforce Commission at http://www.twc.state.tx.us or the Texas Nurses Association at http://www.texas-nurses.org for more information.
Your Guide to Job Opportunities in Texas
CHRISTUS Spohn Health System
716 Ayers Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78404
Contact: Jaime Tiefel, Recruiter
Jobline: (361) 881-3752
(361) 881-3703 or (800) 643-2609
Fax: (361) 883-6478
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.christusspohn.org
Denton Community Hospital
207 North Bonnie Brae
Denton, TX 76201
Contact: HR Department
(940) 898-7063
Fax: (940) 898-7195
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.dentonhospital.com
Harris County Hospital District
2525 Holly Hall, Suite 100
Houston, TX 77054
Contact: Donna Wilkerson
(713) 873-5106
Fax: (713) 440-1252
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.hchdonline.com
Medical City
7777 Forest Lane
Dallas, TX 75230
(972) 566-7070 or (800) 224-4733 http://www.medicalcityhospital.com
Memorial Hermann
Houston, TX
Contact: Human Resources
Jobline: (713) 448-JOBS http://www.memorialhermann.org
Methodist Health System
1441 North Beckley Avenue
Dallas, TX 75203
Contact: Kay Kirby, Nurse Recruiter
(214) 947-6510
Fax: (214) 947-6529
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.methodisthealthsystem.org
St. David's HealthCare Partnership
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 397-4000 http://www.careers.stdavids.com
St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital
6720 Bertner Ave.
Houston, TX 77030
Contact: Linda Soudbash
(800) 231-1000
Fax: (832) 355-7026
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.giantcareers.com
St. Paul & Zale Lipshy University Hospitals/UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas
Dallas, TX
Contact: Dara Biegert, Director of HR
(214) 879-2660
Fax: (214) 879-2652
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.stpauldallas.com and http://www.zluh.org
Scott & White Hospital
2401 S. 31st Street
Temple, TX 76508
Contact: Pam Barton, Nurse Recruiter
(800) 527-JOBS or (254) 724-3042
Fax: (254) 724-5591
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.sw.org
Texas Health Resources
(800) 749-6877 http://www.jobsTHR.com
Beautiful vistas, year-round outdoor activities, and a relaxed Southwestern lifestyle characterize many communities in the desert states of Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Yet government figures show these states are feeling the nationwide nursing shortage, with Nevada being particularly hard hit.
"The nursing shortage in Nevada is more acute than in any other state, with an average of 520 RNs per 100,000 population," says Lisa Black, MS, RN, executive director of the Nevada Nurses Association. With Arizona at 628 and New Mexico at 656, all three states are still far short of the national average of 782 RNs per 100,000.
Salaries in this region of the United States are competitive. Estimates from the 2002 figures of the Bureau of Labor Statistics show Nevada RNs earn an average of $53,130 a year, not as high as neighboring California, but Nevada has no state income tax. Average yearly salaries of $49,800 in Arizona and $47,070 in New Mexico are near the national average.
Black says the need for nurses in all specialties in all areas of Nevada is "very acute." And, she says, "the living conditions are superb with mild weather year round." She adds that skiing, boating, hiking, and a variety of other outdoor activities are within a short drive of many northern and southern Nevada communities.
Schools of nursing are stepping up programs to meet the need for more nurses here. In 2003 funding was put in place to double enrollment in each of Nevada's university and community college schools of nursing. RNs can find opportunities to advance their education as well. "Reno and Las Vegas are home to university-based schools of nursing that offer online RN to BSN curricula, and MSN FNP certification," Black says. "Doctoral programs are in development at both locations."
Your Guide to Job Opportunities in the Desert States
Lovelace Sandia Health System
7850 Jefferson Blvd. NE, Ste 100
Albuquerque, NM 87109
Contact: Human Resources
(505) 262-7700 http://www.lovelacesandia.com
Scottsdale Healthcare
5111 N. Scottsdale Road, Ste 143
Scottsdale, AZ 85250
(480) 882-6950
Fax: (480) 949-5913 http://www.shc.org/employment
St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center
(CHW)
Phoenix, AZ
(602) 406-6729 (local) or (866) 754-6774
(toll free) http://www.ichosestjoes.com
Sun Health
13180 North 103rd Drive
Sun City, AZ 85351
Contact: Recruitment Department
(800) 486-5576
Fax: (623) 815-0652
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.sunhealth.org
TMC HealthCare
Tucson Medical Center
5301 E. Grant Road
Tucson, AZ 85712
Contact: Bruce Megenhardt
Phone: (888) 543-7486
Fax: (520) 324-5277
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.tmcaz.com
El Dorado Hospital
1400 N. Wilmot Road
Tucson, AZ 85712
Contact: Human Resources
(520) 721-5110
Fax: (520) 733-4084
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.eldoradohospital.com
TriWest Healthcare Alliancehttp://www.triwest.com
UNM Hospitals
2211 Lomas Boulevard NE
Albuquerque, NM 87106
Contact: Arlette Smith, Senior Recruiter,
Tricia Richards, Recruiter
(866) 837-9040, (505) 272-2110, (505)
272-0497
Fax: (505) 272-0785
E-mail: [email protected] or http://hospitals.unm.edu [email protected]
The Valley Health System
Human Resources Dept.
2075 E. Flamingo Rd., #204
Las Vegas, NV 89119
Contact: Tess Dejesus, Nurse Recruiter
(800) 872-9500
Fax: (702) 894-5602
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.valleyhealthsystem.org
Washoe Medical Center
(775) 982-4156
Web site: http://www.washoehealth.com/careers
Yuma Regional Medical Center
2400 S. Avenue A
Yuma, AZ 85364
(800) 726-YUMA (9862)
Fax: (928) 336-1404
E-mail: [email protected] http://www.yumaregional.org