What's it like in Oregon?

[BritterSweet]

I just passed the NCLEX exam and can now get my license to be a registered nurse! YAAAAAYYY!!!

 

So now it's time for me to search for jobs and places to live. One possible choice is Oregon, but I've never been there. I've visited Seattle, Washington several years ago, and my dad says it's very similar to that place.

 

Are there any ENA members who live in or have been to Oregon, especially Portland? What's it like living there? How is the climate? How are the people? How is the food? Do the stores sell Japanese products like miso?

 

Just in general, what are the pros and cons?

[SeattleSigh]

I grew up in Portland and get back every few months. It is a great city, but how about you PM me, and I answer all your questions.

[Seraphim]

Oregon is beautiful but rainy.

[luminousone]

I used to live in Portland. It is beautiful, and a fun city to live in.

 

The weather is mild for the most part during the winter. It tends to be lower 30's and drizzle during much of the winter with little sunshine.

 

The summers are nice with little rain, and not much humidity. The fall is fabulous - with beautiful sunshine (usually) and gorgeous colorful leaves.

 

If you love winter sports then the mountains are a little over an hour's drive away with nearly year round skiing. The coast is about 2 hours away the other direction.

 

As far as food, some stores do sell miso and other similar products - mostly at the health food stores and the premium supermarkets. There are also Asian stores there as well. And Trader Joes.

 

There are a number of hospitals there to choose from for work (and of course the surrounding clinics). Some of them are: Providence St. Vincent, Providence Hospital, Legacy Good Samaritan, Oregon Health and Sciences University Hospital, and the V.A. Hospital.

 

Some people can't take the lack of sunshine during the winter - it tends to be grey, which may be difficult for you coming from Hawaii. But if you get yourself outside for running, hiking, biking, etc. rain or shine then that should help - along with Vitamin D supplements and perhaps a full spectrum light. Others like that the weather is mild. The vegetation tends to be lush most of the year, due to nature's irrigation...

 

The traffic has increased since I lived there - it used to be that I could get anywhere in the city in about 20-30 minutes. Not so anymore... But it is still much much better than the traffic in Seattle!

 

Hope this helps!

[BritterSweet]

Thanks for the responses so far.

 

I've never done very much winter sports, for obvious reasons. But this would be a great opportunity to try skiing!

 

Oh, there are Asian stores? That's great, because I usually cook and eat Japanese food.

 

Thank you for the list of hospitals! I didn't know about some of them, and shall take a look at any openings and if they accept any new grads.

 

As for the lack of sunshine during the winter, I don't think I'll have a super hard time with it. In fact, I mostly tend to stay out of the sun, and I like rain! I've gotten comments on how light my skin is because of it. It makes me glad to hear that the weather is mild. I don't care for extremes.

 

Yeah, bad traffic can be a downer. Is it safe to ride a bicycle around?

[paradisa]

Congratulations on becoming an RN! I don't know anything about Oregon, but I am an RN. Definitely have a job in Oregon or wherever before you move there. In some areas of the US, it is definitely challenging to secure employment as a new grad nowadays. Again congratulations and if you have any nursing questions, feel free to ask!

[luminousone]

There are other hospitals but those are the best I think - and I forgot Legacy Emmanuel, a pediatric hospital.

 

As far as biking, I haven't lived there in 10 years, so I can't say how safe it is. But I do know that they have some bike lanes, and my ex used to bike commute to work about 8 miles.

 

The VA and the OHSU hospitals are up on a hill, which he used to bike up each day. You would get in great shape!

[friendsoulmate]

If you live in Hawaii, which is considered the most popular place and state to live in the U.S., because of it's warm weather, clean air (Oahu smells like a bouqet of flowers, wherever you go), and high standard of living, then how can any other state, such as Oregon, seem more attractive? From the outside looking-in, the only good reason a new graduate would want to leave Hawaii, is because a state which has the highest standard of living, also has the highest cost of living, so being a new graduate, trying to get a new financial start, it would be best to find a place to live with a lower cost of living. Is this true in your case? Any major metropolitan area, such as Portland and it's suburbs, is not going to have a lower cost of living, unless you are living in an unpopular suburb, or if you decide to live in a small town, just outside the city limits, then you'll get a break on the rent expense. In my opinion, the Portland-Salem area is the most attractive place for young singles to live in Oregon, if you can find an affordable place to rent. The real estate/rental industry knows this too, so they price it accordingly.

[BritterSweet]

Its very hard for new grads to find any work as an RN in Hawaii. There may be a nurse shortage nationwide, but not so much in the islands. All the hospitals want someone who already has experience, and a few years ago, some hospitals closed down, leaving many other healthcare workers out of a job and thus joining the competition for work at the remaining hospitals. At one of the medical centers where I went to clinical, most of the nurse aides are actually licensed to be RNs and are waiting for an opportunity to open. And a couple of my nursing school classmates are working as CNAs hoping for the same.

 

I want to move to the mainland because there I probably have a higher chance of being an RN right from the start. And I'm specifically aiming for the northwest because then I'll have some relatives nearby. After I have about 1 or 2 years of experience as an RN, then I can decide whether I want to return to Hawaii or continue experiencing life in the continental US.