Career Resources / Raleigh-Durham Nurse Life
Dreaming of a place where you can achieve your professional goals while also living your best possible life? It’s hard to think of a better place than Raleigh-Durham. While nursing is one of the most fulfilling careers around, it can also be emotionally and physically taxing. You need to know that once your shift is over and you’re on your own time, your environment will be inspiring and invigorating and that it offers endless opportunities.
The area known affectionately as the Triangle has all that and more. The Triangle consists of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Consistently ranked high atop “Best Places to Live” lists, the Triangle’s community has a well-deserved reputation for being warm and welcoming. It offers a great combination of family friendliness and innovation, career opportunities and cultural offerings. Sports enthusiasts will enjoy all of the area’s outdoor activities, as well as the easy access to the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west.
For health care professionals, the Raleigh-Durham area is a workplace dream. Though its history is rooted in tobacco, Durham has come to be known as the “City of Medicine” as a result of its growth into an international center for medicine, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology: healthcare is the city’s major industry, and the extended area is home to three major medical centers as well as a Veterans Affairs hospital and countless medical and health-related companies and medical practices. Registered nurses looking for a great place to work and live can’t do much better.
- Raleigh-Durham is Home to Top Medical Teaching and Research Hospitals
When it comes to excellence and innovation in healthcare, there are few places in the world that compete with Raleigh-Durham. Between Duke University Hospital, WakeMed Health & Hospitals, and UNC Healthcare, there are nearly 20 hospitals, dozens of urgent care facilities, and hundreds of affiliated private practices. The region is also home to other high-quality hospitals, nursing and long-term care facilities, clinics and specialty practices, as well as health-related businesses that offer nurses the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills outside of hands-on care. Nurses can also choose to teach the next generation of nurses at any of the area’s many nursing programs, which offer degrees ranging from the Associate level to terminal DNP and Ph.D. degrees.
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- Raleigh-Durham is an Innovation Magnet
Beyond the healthcare industry, Raleigh-Durham has become one of the leading areas in the nation for job growth and entrepreneurship. Raleigh was recently named the third most dominant city for STEM job growth in the nation from 50 metropolitan areas based on a variety of socioeconomic, business, and fiscal metrics. Included in the factors cited were the area’s above average business climate fundamentals and the Research Triangle being among the strongest for STEM trends, workforce quality, and quality of life.
But science and technology are not the only things that are driving Raleigh-Durham’s boom times. The city of Durham was recently referred to as the “Startup Capital of the South” by CNBC. Those interested in beginning a new business will find they’re in good company: there have been over 2,500 startups that have made themselves at home and supported by a supportive environment, startup accelerators, and even plenty of coworking spaces.
- Raleigh-Durham Nurses Enjoy Generous Compensation, Benefits, and Perks
The aging population combined with the national nursing shortage means that nurses are in high demand across the country, and the Raleigh-Durham area is no exception. Nurses working in Raleigh-Durham earn competitive salaries, and to attract and retain top talent, hospitals and other facilities are offering remarkable incentives including up to $20,000 in sign-on bonuses, up to $25,000 in tuition loan forgiveness, and up to $10,000 in relocation assistance. All this along with flexible scheduling, opportunities for advancement, the ability to collaborate with hospital administration in governance, and the ultimate reward of knowing that you’re working in an environment dedicated to the care of patients, their families, and the community at large.
- Economic Advantages of Living in Raleigh-Durham
Life in a region that’s experiencing rapid growth has many advantages, but a low cost of living is not usually one of them. Amazingly, Raleigh-Durham’s regional cost of living is 95.4, which is lower than that of the rest of the nation. There are plenty of jobs across all industries, but particularly in healthcare and the tech industry. In fact, the North Carolina Technology Association has reported that the region has the fourth fastest-growing tech industry in the country and with over 25,000 technology companies in the state, there has been an increase of more than 28% in the number of tech jobs. The state’s growing population is well-educated and talented, and the area was ranked one of the top three labor markets in the United States by Forbes.com.
- Raleigh-Durham Offers a High Quality of Life for Registered Nurses
In addition to all the advantages listed above, the overall quality of life in the Triangle is wonderful. The climate is pleasant with an average year-round temperature of 70 degrees. The housing market is strong, the area boasts one of the best airports in the country, and the region has easy access to both the east-west Interstate 40 and the north-south Interstate 95. Local transportation is supported by robust transit systems and Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill have active and growing cycling communities and pedestrian paths.
From a lifestyle perspective, the Triangle offers residents everything from the elan of being home to some of the world’s most notable universities to some of the best hiking in the country. The school system is strong and there is a vibrant arts and culture community offering an eclectic array of performances, galleries, and museums. Each town has its own, unique food and beverage scene, and nature lovers can access tens of thousands of acres of parkland, greenways, trails, and more.
There is a long list of reasons for registered nurses to put the Raleigh-Durham area at the top of your list of places to live and work. To get started on finding the right opportunity for you, visit Incredible Health’s website and job search platform, where top employers are waiting for you to log on so that they can reach out to you.
