New Grad Advice

Hello, I graduated a year ago and have been working orthopedics/neurosurgery. I mainly took the job for experience. My goal is to eventually be able to work at Duke or MUSC in the southeast. Right now I live two hours from Charleston which is where MUSC is located. Some other nurses have given me the advice to go ahead and find a job there like Healthsouth or at a nursing home. They say it's easier to get to where you want to be if you live there. My only problem is I'm picky and don't want anything to hurt my chances of getting to where I want to be. My other option is to transfer floors to work trauma ICU at the hospital I'm at now for another year then try to apply for a job at MUSC or Duke in a year from now since that will be the preferred 2 years experience I need. I'm conflicted and thought maybe the experienced nurses on here could give me advice. Thank you!
Why wait a year to apply? Apply now and if you don't get a job there in the next few months then transfer internally to increase your resume and continue applying for jobs . You are not a new grad, so they will be looking for experience when choosing to hire someone. Moving closer and taking a nursing home job would not help. Hospitals hire people regardless of where you live, as long you can get a license and show up on the first day of work

Apply to Duke now. There are probably going to be openings. You won't need 2 years of experience in ortho, just an interest and the fact that you have been working in ortho helps. If you have worked less than a year, you are still considered a new grad and get the extra training (residency classes). I am not sure, but I think they are still offering moving stipends. PM me if you want. Go to the Duke Nursing website.

Stay where you are for now. Try to gain experience in the area you want to work where you are. In the meantime, keep trying to get hired where you want to be.