The California job landscape ensures that there are plenty of jobs available in many professions. Many institutions have critical staffing needs and you’re likely to find one that matches your preferences. For instance, Director of the School of Nursing at Cal State San Marcos in San Diego County, Denis Boren, believes there is a huge unfilled gap for nurses (especially where experienced) in California.
Boren asserts that the average age of nurses is in the upper age limit. Many were due for retirement around 2008, but the recession changed their plans even causing part-timers to go full-time. With many retirements now looming, a shortage is expected by 2020.
California presents numerous opportunities for a nursing career, with travel nursing affording the practitioner the liberty to choose assignments and locations. Other benefits include the ability to live without the burden of rent and to be reimbursed travel expenses in a state renowned for its high cost of living. The travel nurse is essentially paid to travel, and a Registered Nurse (RN) can earn a sound travel nursing salary in California.
7 Top Areas for Travel Nursing Jobs in CaliforniaIf there was ever a list of top cities to visit in California, with a thriving travel nurse job market, this is it.
Los Angeles Metro
This area encompasses Santa Monica, Fontana, Downey and Baldwin Park. The metro area of La La Land is home to 13 million people, with an abundance of travel nursing jobs and unlimited destinations and attractions. Plan to discover other priceless treats like the cosmopolitan Evergreen Memorial Park and Crematory, Griffith Observatory (includes a fabulous view of the iconic Hollywood sign and the LA basin), Bradbury Building and take a bus tour to see the most-treasured tourist experiences.
Pier and Santa Monica Beach are highly-regarded beaches. Along with the people panorama of Venice Beach are awesome sights to behold. A camera is a great asset, along with an open mind. The typical Los Angeles experience is a concert at the Hollywood Bowl and a picnic dinner, and while destinations to unwind are plentiful, we invite you to try Las Vegas and Big Bear Lake.
Palm Springs and Indio
There is the unmissable Highway 111 linking every city in the Coachellla Valley and both Palm Springs and Indio are located on it. If your assignment is in one city, you have a ticket to all, and winter and spring are the best time to appreciate this. The snow on the luxuriously frosted peaks of San Gorgonio (11,502 feet) and San Jacinto (10,834 feet) is breathtaking. Consider an exhilarating gondola ride to the pinnacle of San Jacinto.
The magic of spring on the desert, with carpets of wildflowers and blooming cactuses forms part of the local ecosystem on display at the Gardens in Palm Desert and Living Desert Zoo. The Modernism Week in Palm Springs’ each February is a showcase of the modern mid-century. Visitors can also relive Sinatra, Elvis, and Liberace in the Springs’ Las Palmas neighbourhood. Down time destinations include San Diego and Joshua Tree National Park.
Eureka
Up north on the beautiful Humboldt Bay, lies Eureka with more than 100 Victorian structures and a rich history. It’s also worth taking in the Humboldt Botanical Garden, the Sequoia Park Forest & Garden, and Sequoia Park Zoo.
To unwind, there is a gorgeous scenic drive up on Highway 101 (Redwood Highway) to the Oregon border. Many interesting viewpoints and stops lie along the way.
San Francisco
Cable cars are part of the good public transport system which allows you to visit all the attractions for which the City by the Bay is famous. Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and Pier 39 to mention but a few. Some of the most lucrative California travel nursing jobs are located here.
Palo Alto/Santa Clara/San Jose
The Bay area cities bring Silicon Valley to mind. This is where the digital tech revolution thrives today, but the area also includes the Santa Clara Mission (founded 1777), and the Winchester Mystery House, with its secret passages and resident ghosts.
Other notable destinations are the Palo Alto’s 2,000-acre Baylands Preserve, sacred for bird-watchers, it includes 15 miles of multi-use trails. There is also the San Jose’s Tech Museum of Innovation with its 3D IMAX theatre.
Unwinding is easy in prime destinations like Carmel, Monterley, and San Francisco.
Modesto
10th and 11th streets between G and K streets, were the boundaries where it all happened in 1973 when George Lucas made “American Graffiti” in this Central Valley town. The town’s real cruisers inspired the film. There are maps telling visitors where every scene was shot, and Modesto commemorates this heritage each June with the American Graffiti Festival and Car Show.
Down-time destinations include Yosemite National Park and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Templeton
Templeton has quite a reputation amongst the locals. One benefit of professions like travel nursing is the discovery of unknown pearls like this 8,000-person town in Central California. Antique shoppers find it a prime destination, and it’s also emerging as a notable wine producer.
Cambria, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo – voted America’s Happiest Town, and Hearst Castle are great places to get away from the bustle of city life.
Article written by James
(Photo by adamreeder via Flickr)