TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Moving to Baja Full/Part Time

Hi all! I posted this in "Introductions", but perhaps it was the wrong place...so am re-posting here:

My name is Danielle, I’m 52 years old, and recently obtained my California RN license. However, landing that first job as an RN is nearly impossible! Perhaps it’s the economy here in the US--coupled with my age--but a hospital won’t even consider an applicant unless you have at least “one year experience”. Although I owned a successful home-health agency for 12 years before selling it and going back to school for a bachelor’s degree in nursing, hospitals want “hospital experience”. My limited Spanish fluency is yet another draw-back.
So, because I receive about $900/month in alimony (which isn’t enough to live on in San Diego) I’m thinking about moving to the Ensenada area in order to volunteer as an RN at a medical clinic or hospital. This way, I could gain experience and become more fluent in Spanish.

Due to my limited income, I can’t afford anything luxurious, but because I have 2 small dogs, I do need a small 1-2 bedroom/1 bath house with a fenced-in yard. I’ve seen Punta Banda rentals online within my budget, but all are furnished. Is finding an unfurnished home uncommon? Are U-Haul/Penske moving trucks even allowed across the border? I have beautiful furnishings, but would be willing to sell it all, if needed. I’d just hate to sell everything “at a loss” if you know what I mean.

Bottom line: I’m looking for someone who may know of a medical clinic or hospital that would be willing to let me volunteer on a full-time basis for a year or so. Any ideas/leads on housing would be greatly appreciated! Preferably, I’d like to stay out of a ‘gringo neighborhood’ so that I could get fully immersed in the culture/language. Maybe even trade English lessons for Spanish lessons?

Thanks everybody!

Congratulations on making it thru nursing school. If you can get thru that, you'll be fine once you land a job. It's frustrating when hospitals want you to have experience but no one will hire you so you can get experience. And I commend you for trying to be creative and inquiring about getting some experience in Mexico, but if that's you're sole reason for considering moving to Baja, I think your time would be wasted.

Simply observing in a hospital will not prepare you for the responsibility of having your own assignment of patients. Nothing, not even nursing school, can prepare you for the feeling of that responsibility.

I saw the nursing job market swing back and forth in 30 years of RN-ing, From shortages of nurses, to staffing cut backs because there were so many nurses. It's cyclical and it will swing around again to where hospitals will offer New grad training and will be approaching nursing schools to entice new grads. You might have to hold on a few more years or be creative looking for your first job, but "volunteering" in a hospital, especially in a Mexican hospital, will not give you the experience a hospital nurse recruiter will be looking for.

Eventually your home health experience will be appreciated by someone. Hang in there.

Originally Posted by oladulce

And I commend you for trying to be creative and inquiring about getting some experience in Mexico, but if that's you're sole reason for considering moving to Baja, I think your time would be wasted.

I have to agree. The schools here are turning out doctors and nurses faster than a need develops. There is no shortage that I'm aware of.

There may be something however...............volunteering your services in one of the always needy orphanages between Tijuana and Ensenada. That would give you deep immersion into the language, as well as a certain segment of the culture.
It seems most of these facilities are operated by church groups out of the states.
If you are inclined to pursue this, try to separate the programs for utmost good from the programs for profit by researching the administrators. Everything seems to have an ugly side.

Not to mention, it's illegal for foreigners to work in Mexico....even volunteer work....unless you jump through all the Immigration hoops & are granted a working visa.

The Family Health Centers chain of low income medical clinics in San Diego is always looking for medical staff, an they have 22 locations throughout San Diego A lot of doctors right out of medical school start there to get experience. You may want to consider contacting them.

Caring, affordable, quality healthcare for anyone in need.

Originally Posted by tjsue

The Family Health Centers chain of low income medical clinics in San Diego is always looking for medical staff, an they have 22 locations throughout San Diego A lot of doctors right out of medical school start there to get experience. You may want to consider contacting them.

They would probably require a working knowledge of Spanish, judging from the abundance of Baja license plates in their parking lot.

Originally Posted by DENNIS

They would probably require a working knowledge of Spanish, judging from the abundance of Baja license plates in their parking lot.

It's helpful, but not required, because they're always looking for medical help. All of the medical assistants and receptionists speak Spanish, but not all of the doctor's and nurses do. They just have the medical assistants translate for them. I saw a doctor right out of medical school, and she didn't speak Spanish.

Thanks to those who responded to my post. I appreciate the feedback.

I've since decided that such a move will not be beneficial in the long-run.

All the best to talkbaja.com members!

~Dani

Originally Posted by dani6757

Thanks to those who responded to my post. I appreciate the feedback.

I've since decided that such a move will not be beneficial in the long-run.

Don't regret your decision. As per your statement concerning your income at the present time; "So, because I receive about $900/month in alimony (which isn’t enough to live on in San Diego"...............It would be difficult to get by on that amount down here as well....especially buying gas for your car. The old book, "Mexico on 5 dollars a day" is long ago obsolete.

Good luck in your future.

You might also consider landing a job with a temporary nursing agency, or a traveling nurse agency.

http://www.onwardhealthcare.com/jobs.../San-Diego-CA/