You might try Jobs.MO.Gov This site lets you search by area, and types of jobs.

Saw in a poll of the poorest counties in all states, Oregon Co is the poorest in Mo.

I just found this thread. I'm an RN too! (But ready to retire) and would DEARLY love to move to the Ozarks. We go there at least once every summer. I know it won't happen though because our young grandkids are up here near St. Louis.

Let us know where you end up!

Watch Deliverance.

McDonald county, just south of joplin is a lot like what your looking for.

Thanks!

Not true for the area we live in (Shannon County). The people here are like the ones you describe, no contact no pleasantries.... I came from Georgia, where if you are at a door, and someone is coming, you hold it for them (regardless of anything else). Here the people give you a look like you are a nutter.

Get around West Plains and the like and the people say thanks and nod at you, but here in our little town and the few little towns around us, the people are not receptive of manners.

Cultural differences are funny. Where I grew up you didn't leave the house without your hair done and your makeup on - even to go to the mailbox. Up here - they think it's kind of weird if nurses wear makeup to work. I can give up my good manners - but give up my makeup? That's like running around in your pajamas LOL. Wait - come to think about it, where I grew up you might go to the mailbox in your pajamas but never without your hair and makeup done LOL

Was a visiting nurse for a while here in the mountain's of upstate Pa..Loved driving all around being on my own and meeting the older community. remember one day when my car was giving me trouble and had to take our old '69 green chevy p/u. Many patients said "when we had a truck like that one on the farm "..I was embarrassed to take it that day but it ended up being the best day for me and hopefully, some of the old timers too. Heard many storied about "their" truck and couldn't believe that I ..a "girl' was out driving around the hills in mine. So..expect to hear a lot of old timey stories and expect also to see some very sad sites in visiting the homes of your patients too.You probably will be the only medical person they might see for many months for their health care and you also will be making trips to the pharmacy for them also since some have no way of getting around. Some living conditions might surprise and sadden you and most will live just like any of us. But, remember you are there to care for their needs and to make a difference in their day and lives. Just go with the flow ...like the day the male cat "peed" on my coat in the middle of winter and I froze the rest of my visits. And I was always so very careful to put my coat up on a table too.. Needless, to say..I left my coat in my car on my visit to them after that..but,didn't blink an eye or fuss about it..Would not have wanted to insult them in any way. :oSo..guess that's enough advice for now. Enjoy your new home and enjoy meeting new people. Just keep a low profile..and learn and ask lots of questions. I do miss the "old timers" in our area now..since most are all gone. As soon as you open your mouth they will realize that you are new to the area. There will be no hiding that for sure...:happy: Best of Luck !!

I've been doing home health here for about 4 years now - best nursing job I've ever had. I definitely found my niche. There is nothing I love more than visiting the very rural people. I am the only nurse in our agency who actually prefers visiting the people in the old trailers or very old rural homes. When I'm sent to those homes I know I'm going to hear some very interesting stories about very interesting lives. They know I'm not from up here but they do open up really quickly to share their stories once they know I do not have the typical opinion of their lifestyles. Yes their homes can be pretty dirty at times because they're old and sick and independent, but within a short time the aides usually have everything ---- and span in the areas where the patients spend most of their time. The more rural the better, in my opinion. Sometimes I bring them eggs and homemade soap and they give me their government surplus cheese :) ETA oh my gosh - another word I didn't realize was a swear LOL. Rhymes with tick.

I can't choose my favorites - but this one couple I'm seeing now definitely comes close to being my all time favorites. He still shoots bears out the back window of his trailer, and his wife cans the meat. His neighbors are constantly bringing him venison. He has so many good stories. ONe of my favorites is the night a bear decided to break the back window and come into the trailer. After he got the bear out his friends and neighbors kept coming over and rubbing jelly all over the window to keep it coming back LOL

I think you would fit right in. My father was a pretty good house keeper, but your " because they're old and sick and independent," described him to a "T". ESRD, but still so independent. Never mind, your independent comment just got me to thinking.

problem with that and the Ozarks in general is there are no jobs. They all drive to the big cities, and no Poplar Bluff does not count as a "big city".

I live in St Louis and talk to construction guys all the time who drive 2 hours to here because there is no work where they live, and if there is it pays little with no benefits.

Good luck finding something, I think it is beautiful down there, just to visit though. See you on the Current river sometime.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I will find a home health job that offers what the company I'm working for now gave me before they opened a closer office. They let me keep the company car at home and my home was my office. I was able to see patients near me for the most part, but even if I had to drive 60 miles I didn't mind because the travel time was paid and they provided the car and the gas. My hourly rate for this company is less than average but bringing the car home makes up for it.

I take it you are in Wisconsin, well Missouri is not like Wisconsin or like the upper midwest, the taxes are low here, the government is minimal, and the safety net is cut to the bone at the state and county level. The private companies have way more applications than positions so they don't have to pay well or provide decent if any benefits. I wish I could move down there, but not until I retire, and when I do that I plan to move near the ocean.

Are you a HH nurse in MO, farmerted? Where near the ocean are you wanting to go to?

I'm in the UP of Michigan and there is a job shortage here too. My job doesn't provide affordable health insurance so I don't get it from them.

The agency I talked to in MO pays by the visit, not the hour, and they pay mileage but not travel time.

Some of you people seem to be a bit overreacting.

People are the same everywhere. You're going to have good bad and ugly people no matter where you live.

I LIVE in SE Missouri. But my brothers and I have 70 acres on the Black River in South Central Missouri near Clearwater Lake. This land has been in our family for 70+ years and was the place my Grandparents built a house and retired to in the 80's.

There are people who look down on us because we didn't grow up there and frankly we take care of our stuff better than most that live down that way(and that seems to bother some?). But we built relationships with our neighbors and they watch after the place when we are not there.

It's all about be personable. If somebody is going to show a sign of jealousy because you're driving a Caddy, that is their own dang problem, not yours. That's not a person you want to associate with anyways.

Just be yourself and don't worry about what others think.

We did have an issue with somebody coming on our land and tearing it up when we were gone. My brothers and I solved that. Hidden cameras throughout the property. We knew who it was so it wasn't a shock when we caught them. Instead of going to the sheriff we paid them a visit. Showed them the photos and gave them a limited amount of options. That ended up working better than going to the sheriff.

Well sed, where ever you move to.

I have a few homesteading friends in the Mo Ozarks. You couldn't run them out with a stick.

I always appreciate the "well we did it this way" approach.


Guess I have come to the conclusion there is more than one way to skin a cat. And it doesn't hurt to find out the other ways.