I am a San Francisco / Silicon Valley native currently living in Puerto Rico and working on an accelerated second degree Bachelors in Nursing (in English). I will finish in May and then take the national exam (NCLEX). Then I need to find a job, which is near impossible for new nursing grads these days. Schools across the country are pumping out new grad nurses and no one is hiring the new graduate nurses

Yet both Juan F. Luis Hospital in STX and Roy Lester Schneider Hospital in STT hire new grads from our university. So I plan to fly to both STX and STT over spring break, meet with the nurse recruiter at each hospital and get a feeling for each island.

Is there one island over the other that would have more yoga and fitness choices? What I like about Puerto Rico is there is a ton of yoga and at least a dozen styles are practiced. Also, you can find capoeira and roller derby, nighttime social cycling groups around the city, all kinds of dance classes (salsa, bachata, cha cha cha, merengue, jazz, ballet, etc.). Pretty much anything you can find stateside I can find on PR and that worries me about smaller islands. Which of STX or STT would have more of these options? Which island would be healthier? Which would have more do to in general? Which island is healthier? Does one island have better surfing than the other? Or any surfing at all? Or kite boarding?

I really don’t know anything about either island and I want to find the best fit.

Any and all advice about the islands is welcome.

STX is quieter and has a really good yoga community here - but you will need to be active to be involved. If you search the threads on this board you will find info. I'm a certified teacher not teaching right now, but I may soon due to need!

There are lots of other classes here. But we always need more! And we have tons of awesome kite boarding. PM me if you'd like to be introduced to some folks.

JK

Oh I am active. I am on officer in our nursing association and I am the Vice President of the Intercultural Association. I got involved with another group outside of school and started planing monthly meetings.

Although I am just a student and have a lot of time on my hands. I will be going into the reality of having to work again. My first Bachelors I had to work full time while in school so it is a lot of fun having so much time to organize things.

What do you mean STX is quieter? I don't know if that is a good thing for me. I am very social.

Is their surfing on either island if you know?

And what type of yoga are you certified in? I do it all but Jivamukti and Anusara are my favorites. There is a lot of Ashtanga in Puerto Rico along with some Dharma and also Acro Yoga. Really strong yoga community here.

Not much surfing here on any island, waves too small - need to go to a different latitude.

Quieter = less tourist activity, but we welcome it all! I'm very social too.

I am certified in Viniyoga and yoga therapy.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2012 06:21PM by JulieKay.

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JulieKay
Not much surfing here on any island, waves too small - need to go to a different latitude.

Quieter = less tourist activity, but we welcome it all! I'm very social too.

I am certified in Viniyoga and yoga therapy.

Less tourist activity is very very much a good thing.

The surfing is not that big of a deal. I recently bought a surf board and then I started this whole Retin-A treatment on my face and I have to stay out of the sun completely. Was hoping to learn to surf in PR before leaving this bath tub. I would never bother doing it in CA because I would hate to deal with wet suits. So I was hoping to bring my surf board there but I'll learn kite boarding instead. ;-)

By the way Julie you have been very helpful. Would you happen to be around April 1st or 2nd?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2012 10:03PM by ChanelCinq.

Yes there is surfing in the VI. Very condition dependent, mostly reef/rock bottoms, exclusionary local vibes. From my experience, I would say that here is much more "to do for fun" on land in PR. In general, I found PR culture to be more inclusive. More water hobbie stuff in the VI: sailing, diving.

ChanelCinq, I sent you a PM

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blu4u
Yes there is surfing in the VI. Very condition dependent, mostly reef/rock bottoms, exclusionary local vibes. From my experience, I would say that here is much more "to do for fun" on land in PR. In general, I found PR culture to be more inclusive. More water hobbie stuff in the VI: sailing, diving.

Thanks blu4u. The surfing is not that big of a deal. I actually think I would prefer kite boarding. I have tried both and I can see getting more into kite boarding. I just don't like hassle. I like grabbing a board and going. Where kite boarding involves prepping the equipment.

Oh yeah there are tons in PR. Almost anything I could find in San Francisco I can find here in San Juan. I was quite surprised they have massive amounts of roller derby teams. There are over a dozen and growing. There are not that many in the Bay Area.

I find it inclusive in a way. I am a student here so I know a ton of other students both from the states and PR and I am an officer in two clubs so I know a lot of people and as nursing students we are all very helpful and all inclusive with each other.

I also venture out to do stuff on my own and find myself often in the middle of a bunch of Puerto Ricans. My first Bachelors was in French but I don't speak Spanish. And although ALL the Puerto Ricans speak (or at least understand) English as they start at age 5 they don't all want to speak English. It is in that way that I feel excluded sometimes. Or people start in English and don't even realize it but switch to Spanish. I don't always want to be the naggy one reminding them so I take off. It happens a lot with a group I cycle with at night around town. But it has also happened at yoga retreats. They really don't realize they have just changed languages.

But yes it is true people here are very welcoming. Blu4u have you lived in PR and the USVI?

"code switching" When I worked in San Juan the "business" part of our organization's meetings were in english, But the hi, howareya, howsyourweekend, doyouwantsomecoffe all went down muy rapido en espanol. Also, the later in evening, the more spanish. You'll find a similar type of code switching on STX.

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blu4u
"code switching" When I worked in San Juan the "business" part of our organization's meetings were in english, But the hi, howareya, howsyourweekend, doyouwantsomecoffe all went down muy rapido en espanol. Also, the later in evening, the more spanish. You'll find a similar type of code switching on STX.

So they switch to English Creole? That is a language I know I won't pick up. After 1.5 years in PR I definitely understand some Spanish. Sometimes I am in situations where I speak English and the other person speaks Spanish and we understand each other just fine. Though that never would have happened on my arrival.

I would feel a lot more comfortable telling someone in the USVI to switch back to English then here. There is a school of thought with some people here that if you live in PR then you should speak Spanish. I would have agreed before I moved here BUT I found out at the last minute and had no time to study and while I am here I have no time to study as I am studying nursing. And my classes are in English all my professors and classmates speak English. I used to live near school but now I live in Ocean Park, which is one of the Gringo areas. There are just not a lot of opportunities for Spanish and the times I did spend money on classes I was disappointed.

It would be a very different story if I lived in a Spanish only place and then again I would not be able to study in English. I think part of me feels guilty that I have not been able to speak more Spanish and I know I will not feel that way about Creole. I studied French in high school in CA and I got a lot of crap from people. I ended up later on studying Italian, Swahili, German, Indonesian but never Spanish and none of the others extensively. I had the block against Spanish because people would not leave me alone and let me study French. So I think that is part of my issue with Spanish.

Where as I will never feel guilty not knowing Creole because it would not be useful outside the Caribbean.

Come to STX! I'm starting a yoga herb farm and some medical tourism stuff. You can meet my resident 71-year-old Puerto Rican farmer. He knows lots about traditional medicine and food. Puerto Ricans are great farmers.I have a friend whose husband is a doctor and worked at the hospital. Pm me and I can see if he will chat with you. sTX is lovely and has a healing future. I hope you join us.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/14/2012 06:21PM by SydSol.

Hull Bay on STT has both a very active surf crew and yoga group right in the same spot.

Thanks guys. I am kind of leaning towards STX because it is less touristy and more residential. Not sure if I can handle all the mass amounts of tourists on STT.

Also the hospital is larger on STX and has a better program for new grad RNs.

So trainwreck is it the same group that does yoga and surfing. I heard they are good activities that compliment each other.

I'm always confused when I hear people (usually that live on STX) say that STT is too touristy... Yes there are a lot of tourists during the day when there are cruise ships in the harbor, but they are almost entirely confined to downtown from 9-4. This isn't going to be a concern if you're a resident because you're going to be at work. The north side of the island is the polar opposite of downtown, it's very quiet, no traffic, residential, with stunning views. St Thomas has a great night life from one end to the other, lots of people our age (I'm assuming you're in your mid-late 20's) and with a passport you can see any number of absurdly nice beaches, the british VIs, Willy T's (floating bar), world class fishing off the north drop, great scuba/snorkeling, surfing at hull bay or botany bay, STT Social Club for co-ed sports, etc etc etc etc.

The only beach that gets packed is Magens during the middle of the day when cruise ships are in, but that is easily avoided - just go there on Sunday if you want to go at all, most of us stick to neltjberg, lindqvist, sapphire, etc. and they're very rarely crowded, most of the time I go to nelt or lind they're practically empty.

Not trying to talk you out of STX but I really, really can't stress enough that you should visit for a few weeks to make sure you're making the right call.

PR has millions of residents, so I would suspect there is a variety of activities. Our little island has around 60,000 people. You will find things to do SUP, kiteboarding, zumba, yoga, surfing, etc. Maybe not as many different types of yoga, but yoga.

I promise you, you will learn the local creole or you won't be able to speak with your patients!

How big is Juan Luis? I have a hard time believing it is larger than SRMC...

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trainwreck82
I'm always confused when I hear people (usually that live on STX) say that STT is too touristy... Yes there are a lot of tourists during the day when there are cruise ships in the harbor, but they are almost entirely confined to downtown from 9-4. This isn't going to be a concern if you're a resident because you're going to be at work. The north side of the island is the polar opposite of downtown, it's very quiet, no traffic, residential, with stunning views. St Thomas has a great night life from one end to the other, lots of people our age (I'm assuming you're in your mid-late 20's) and with a passport you can see any number of absurdly nice beaches, the british VIs, Willy T's (floating bar), world class fishing off the north drop, great scuba/snorkeling, surfing at hull bay or botany bay, STT Social Club for co-ed sports, etc etc etc etc.

The only beach that gets packed is Magens during the middle of the day when cruise ships are in, but that is easily avoided - just go there on Sunday if you want to go at all, most of us stick to neltjberg, lindqvist, sapphire, etc. and they're very rarely crowded, most of the time I go to nelt or lind they're practically empty.

Not trying to talk you out of STX but I really, really can't stress enough that you should visit for a few weeks to make sure you're making the right call.

trainwreck82 yeah I may look and act like I am in my twenties but I am older then that. I have been hearing from classmates from both STX and STT that they see me more on STT because it is livelier.

I'll be working in the hospital so I could work swing or grave yard or a combo. So I could run into the tourists. I just think of the times I am in Old San Juan when more than one cruise ship is in and Old San Juan is 1 mile by 1 mile or maybe less and it has taken me 45 minutes to drive my car out when that many tourists take over the streets.

Ha visit for a few weeks. Yeah if only I had that luxury. That would be super nice but I am in my last three months of school and I am super broke. I saved up money before coming to PR. It was supposed to last for two years but it went faster then I thought so I am going to have to borrow some money when I move. I actually will be borrowing from my parents but I loaned my sister some money to pay off a houseboat about 7 years ago and my parents convinced me to do it so it's like I am borrowing from my own money. OK that was probably TMI but I didn't want to sound like a flake.

So anyway I will have two days on STX and two days on STT and those 4 days with airfare, car rental, and hotel are costing just under 1,000. That totaly broke the bank. We have nice, clean hostels and guest houses in PR. A shared room for 15 to 20 and a private room for 35 to 40. Not in the USVI. Yeah 4 days will be enough. I know some people at school from the USVI and I just found out that a gringo from CA that knows a friend of mine has been on STT for about 2 years or less. Since it is so small you guys probably know him. I don't want to post names but his first name starts with a "D." He went there with a female friend also from our school.

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East Ender
PR has millions of residents, so I would suspect there is a variety of activities. Our little island has around 60,000 people. You will find things to do SUP, kiteboarding, zumba, yoga, surfing, etc. Maybe not as many different types of yoga, but yoga.

I promise you, you will learn the local creole or you won't be able to speak with your patients!

How big is Juan Luis? I have a hard time believing it is larger than SRMC...

I was taking to a classmate about Creole but she said it is not another language it is just a dialect of English. I asked her to speak so one girl from STX spoke to another girl from STT and it sounded like English with an accent. Maybe like Ebonics. But it certainly was not like learning a whole new language. If I can live in Puerto Rico and not speak Spanish at all I am not so worried about the USVI.

East Ender I looked up the hospital sizes and there is not much difference. JFL is 188 beds and SRMC is 169 beds. I did hear that the new grad program for nurses is better on STX. They have a full year program with classes on STX. Where on STT they put you with a preceptor for 3 months. STX does that plus the additional 9 months of classes and learning. I may decide to pick the island based on the program.

Re: hospital size. I can't address Juan Luis, but at SRMC, there are actually more like 60 something actual beds. The last CEO said that there were 600 employees and 60 beds, so at a ratio of 10 people per patient, the best health care in the world should be at SRMC.

I may have my numbers slightly askew, but the ratio is the same....

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East Ender
Re: hospital size. I can't address Juan Luis, but at SRMC, there are actually more like 60 something actual beds. The last CEO said that there were 600 employees and 60 beds, so at a ratio of 10 people per patient, the best health care in the world should be at SRMC.

I may have my numbers slightly askew, but the ratio is the same....

On their web site it states SRMC has 169 beds. This does not include the various clinics. But I am sure it covers all areas of the hospital. 60 beds really does sound too small.

So yeah with the stats you provided they should provide the the best health care in the world at 1 patient per 10 employees OR they are super inefficient. Which do you think it is?

Like all government-run organizations, they are very heavy with employees who shuffle paper around, but do little to actually advance the mission. If you can get a copy of the Virgin Islands Daily News story on government salaries, you will find many "assistant administrators", "administrative assistants" and such. I know of one (non-hospital) department that is a service provider, but has no service providers on staff, only secretaries and administrators.

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East Ender
Like all government-run organizations, they are very heavy with employees who shuffle paper around, but do little to actually advance the mission. If you can get a copy of the Virgin Islands Daily News story on government salaries, you will find many "assistant administrators", "administrative assistants" and such. I know of one (non-hospital) department that is a service provider, but has no service providers on staff, only secretaries and administrators.

Yeah I expected there to be corruption. There certainly is corruption in PR but the island is bigger so we don't know about it as much.

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ChanelCinq
East Ender I looked up the hospital sizes and there is not much difference. JFL is 188 beds and SRMC is 169 beds.

There was an article in the Daily News this morning.I will try to link it when it comes on-line later. It states that JFL is licensed for 113 beds and averages 72 per day. They are downsizing their Medical Unit from 20 to 15 and Surgical from 17 to 15. They don't list the size of the other units. They expect daily average to be in the low 60s.

SRMC has 37 beds on Medical and 37 on Surgical.

The story is about the dismissal of 86 LPNs and CNAs. They have 90 RNs who were not affected.

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East Ender
The story is about the dismissal of 86 LPNs and CNAs. They have 90 RNs who were not affected.

That shocked me. They terminated EVERY SINGLE LPN and CNA at JFL. RNs do not perform basic patient care; LPNs and CNAs do, don't they? Who will now? I guess you better bring a family member or your housekeeper or a hired sherpa or something from now on if you have to go there. Scary just got scarier.

Iris I believe that the idea is with 60 beds and 90 RNs, patient care can be done by the nurse, like in the old days. Whether it will work out that way or not,I don't know.

[virginislandsdailynews.com]

For the article under discussion.