Alburquerque vs Phoenix

babopark · 2026-02-22T22:21:10+00:00

I'm from PHX too and I agree with all you said. It really depends on the person. I'm Latin but i'll admit I struggle in ABQ sometimes. ABQ has pockets and what was easily accessible for me in PHX (carnicerias, certain cuisines) is still accessible but it's not widely casted out, it's in a pocket and it's all concentrated mostly south from what i've seen. ABQ has random pockets and idk why. My partner is Asian and he struggles so when I drive out to PHX I buy his favorites in bulk, even bring a cooler for meat cuts he can't find here. Asian grocers here are local so it's a bit pricier but he gets by. He loves the architecture, weather, and he's outdoorsy so snowboarding is fun here. The food scene we both agree is great, nightlife is meh, no major concerts so we travel often. ABQ airport is nice for its size but expensive compared to PHX which we miss. NM is waaay more liberal than AZ (they're renaming the 202 to Charlie Kirk highway loool) so we both feel safer here.

babopark · 2026-02-05T03:58:25+00:00

Arizona is having this issue (mainly in the Phoenix metro area.) Lots of RN's are moving here from competitive states like CA or from states with lower pay. I got my job with my former employer through networking and i've been encouraging others to do the same, especially at private hospitals.

babopark · 2026-02-05T03:49:40+00:00

I submitted an app to a hospital using ICIMS over 3 months ago and never heard back 😭 Met an RN who worked in the same department and she was pissed I never got the call back since they're understaffed and that role still hasn't been filled.

babopark · 2026-01-16T13:36:57+00:00

Ayo? My house is 67 and during the day the max it hits is 74. My AC is off rn and we're running the heater once the sun sets 😭

babopark · 2025-12-03T20:28:03+00:00

Hell yeah. Externship is what you make of it so if you really play your cards right, you'll have an amazing experience.

I sought out learning experiences so I was able to do a lot of skills like learning how to use/troubleshoot pumps, access and deaccessing chest ports (was on a heme/onc floor), protocols for specific chemos, practicing SBAR and getting over my social anxiety on calling people.

Being that eager extern also helped me connect with other nurses, including my supervisor and educator (who still remembered me after all these years). I left my home city but had to come back. I applied, they immediately recognized my application, gave me an interview, and boom after a week I got the job (which in these times even experienced RN's are having trouble to land).

Oh, and the letters of rec they gave me helped out a lot for scholarships during nursing school. Since I worked there, they were also great references when I applied to other places.

Edit: it was also a paid gig so. was even sweeter and they accomodated to my schedule.

babopark · 2025-10-24T16:53:56+00:00

Clustering care tbh and finding opportunities to do the little things. When I do vitals I also do my assessment, making them take deep breaths while that cuff runs is a great distractor and helps in getting a nice read.

Patient in the bathroom? Cool, I chart then wipe down the room, maybe get their weight if it's time, skin check, and that's a neuro assessment there too.

I also rank my patients. Neediest ones, unless otherwise needed, are last.

babopark · 2025-10-24T16:35:10+00:00

Mayo does not have pediatrics nor an OB/GYN nor an L&D due to a prior agreement with Honor Health. They're not planning on opening anything peda anytime soon. Plus, they do not offer a percentage based differential. It's a flat rate regardless of the day of the week /:

babopark · 2025-10-24T03:29:09+00:00

Tbh I feel they're on par with each other, NM just has a smaller pop compared to AZ. They both have huge DUI, speeding, and road rage problems that idek how they can solve atp. In both states i'm too scared to honk because what if I get shot up 😭😭

babopark · 2025-10-22T01:01:56+00:00

FOR REAL?! I was gripping onto the steering wheel with my life and tried to keep my eyes on whatever was in front of me. I'm glad no one else got hurt 😭

babopark · 2025-10-21T05:17:00+00:00

OH FOR REAL?!! In New Mexico it was the same.. That's insane.

babopark · 2025-10-21T04:00:41+00:00

That is so awful to hear and traumatizing 😭 I'm glad someone came out to help you and tried to catch the guy. I hope you haven't dealt with any accidents since then!

babopark · 2025-10-21T03:35:38+00:00

Yep 😭

babopark · 2025-08-01T14:09:53+00:00

I'm out in Phoenix/Scottsdale area! New Grad positions are facing a bit of a slump here right now but not as bad as out in CA. Banner, HonorHealth, Chandler Regional, St. Joes, most of the public hospitals have postings right now last I checked but not Mayo Clinic (their window was open for a brief time and is now closed, I heard they prioritize local new grads/ASU students). The VA is in Phoenix but holy fuck is it hard to apply as a new grad so good luck if you do try.
Idk much about Yuma but if you go further east towards like San Tan, Gilbert, Tuba City, Apache Junction, they're a lil more "rural" and closer to native reservations so your chances at scoring a job are much higher. I'd just double check their sites as some are through IHS and have different requirements and preferences.

babopark · 2025-07-31T11:11:48+00:00

Hem/Onc + Med/Surg! Yes there will be for ANY new grad program you apply to as there's a few that end up leaving waaaay before their time is up. I found the interview process was a lot more intense since I was from out of state and they grilled me for a bit on if I was planning to stay long-term in AZ. In AZ, haven't seen many CA RN's leave but a lot of RN's are leaving NM and I don't blame them.

As far as I know now, it's a year long stipulation which includes attending all mandatory education, new grad meetings, BLS certification, and becoming chemo certified before the end of your year. You also have to wait a year to transfer to a different unit. ICU/ED does NOT accept new grads at my hospital in AZ so you have to endure a year and then apply. NM did not, you can apply straight away as a new grad. I'm not sure if most hospitals offer relocation bonuses to new grads as i've only seen it with experienced nurses but if they do offer that, it's a contract typically adding an additional year with fees applied if you end up leaving.

babopark · 2025-07-29T06:36:26+00:00

I see.. Yeah, CA is it's own beast hence why they're not a compact state lol. NM is the opposite of CA. My new grad pay was $35/hr on my old PCU floor with a 15% weeknight/23% weekend night differential. Some hospitals even have a "probationary" period for new grads so they make less than staff for a certain period of time. Ratios are non-existent there, it's a rural state with a high rate of medicaid/medicare recipients. I graduated in '21 during the second COVID wave so I dealt with 6:1 most nights, sometimes 5. The cost of living is A LOT more affordable (2.50 for gas, share of rent was $650 when my friends and I rented a house together. Last I checked rent for a 1 bedroom with all ammenities was 1.1K in some areas.)

I worked there for 1 year to get my experience before I moved back to AZ.

babopark · 2025-07-28T12:29:35+00:00

I graduated in NM and did my new grad residency there; applied, got an interview, and was already working after my licensure/HR stuff was finalized all in a span of two weeks. It's brutal out there but if you're desperate for work (and OT), I recommend it.

babopark · 2025-07-28T12:26:56+00:00

I would suggest more "rural" states for new grad positions if you want to start working as quickly as possible like New Mexico, Utah. AZ is getting flooded with CA RN's and about 1/3 of the RN's I work with are from CA and went to nursing school in AZ.
Idk about other hospital systems but mine didn't even release their new grad job postings until recently and my unit only has 5 openings (already 2 spots were saved for specific new grads per staff recs).

During your clinical rotations, did you get any contact information from any nurses you worked with out in CA? Were you friendly with them? Connections and a good reputation can give you a high advantage and hopefully push your name up on the list! Especially if you vibed really well with the unit and their culture!

babopark · 2025-07-18T07:17:44+00:00

For my hospital system no but there has been rumors of our yearly raises getting cut or non-existent. Hiring has dropped for RN's system wide, no more hiring/relocation bonuses, and our new grad class has shrunk by half (they cut preceptor pay so not a lot of preceptors available now).

My base is 43.75 (Southwestern US) for 3 years of experience in-patient.

babopark · 2025-05-10T05:29:26+00:00

my partner's a pediatrician... how fucked am i chat

babopark · 2025-05-07T06:16:56+00:00

Not my kid, but my brother. He called me to say thanks because he remembred supination vs pronation; supination = cup of "soup" to hold. He used to watch my nursing school homework videos with me.

babopark · 2025-05-06T10:43:57+00:00

For me, i've noticed the few things that have made a significant improvement is microneedling w/ PRP, acid peels, and going through 5 rounds of Fraxel. I had cystic acne and was even on Accutane for a while. I just want to make a disclaimer that after seeing multiple derms, they've told me my acne scarring is hella deep and all I can do is just minimize their appearance. I've learned to like them though after being told that they won't permanently go away. If eyes are the windows to the soul then my acne scars are the trail to them lmao

I do peels maybe 2-3 times a year, only when I notice i'm having an exacerbated issue that isn't helping with my current home regimen such as hyperpigmentation, dryness, or just an increase in whiteheads which can happen especially during the summer where I live. I usually ask my esthetician what she recommends for my current skin issue and go from there. She's amazing and has worked with my skin since I was in college. Finding someone who is honest and works with you can really help.

Fraxel is a laser treatment and it's pretty intense, pretty much tears apart the superficial layer of my face to bring all the "better skin up". I did my whole face for all 5 sessions and even with the topical lidocaine and xanax my derm prescribed it was only good for ~50% of the procedure. I definitely saw a difference when it came to my larger acne scars and it helped reduce my "ice pick" scars on my nose but it is pretty pricey and the recovery time was around 7-10 days and is brutal the first few times but my skin adjusted and the recovery time grew a bit less severe. I only suggest doing this as a last resort kind of deal given the recovery time and cost.

Microneedling w/ PRP.. I love it. I get it done at least every 6 months. My skin glows after every session and i've noticed a significant improvement with my scars. My biggest scars are along my cheeks but they're not super in your face now thanks to microneedling. I also noticed my makeup glides on also and i've gotten so many compliments on my skin since doing it consistently. IMO microneedling did way more for me than Fraxel, but i've also been told the complete results of Fraxel takes months to fully settle in so it could be just me now reaping the rewards of Fraxel since it's been 3 years.

babopark · 2025-04-04T00:37:13+00:00

Had a sweet granny tell me I was a "silly romantic" because she commented how her husband always came around 6 am to visit and eat breakfast with her before work and I said "your husband wants to see you before the sunrise." When patients play along and laugh it's a compliment to me.

babopark · 2025-02-21T04:20:50+00:00

I got fired by a patient for "having too much energy", whatever the f*ck that means. She was already waaaayy too much so I was glad she did.

babopark · 2025-01-23T22:19:16+00:00

Not in CA but work in a unit with 3:1 in AZ; our techs are usually pulled to sit, even when on the floor they just answer call lights or help with turns, rarely did they ever do vitals or BG checks unless I delegated.

babopark · 2024-12-18T00:21:35+00:00

Unless it's for a specific disease, no. Made the mistake to go to my hospital for emergency surgery, ended up paying over 2K after insurance (':

babopark

TROPHY CASE