Living & Nursing in Las Vegas

What happens in Vegas…You know the rest of that, don’t you? You probably also know it’s one of America’s fastest growing cities. Right here in The Entertainment Capital of the World. What you may not know is how great living and working in Vegas can be! For a city supposedly built on casino gambling and entertainment, this place is an amazing hometown as well!

Las Vegas is exciting! No doubt about that, but consider this:  Glitter Gulch and the Strip filled with casinos, fantastic hotels, non-stop gambling, entertainment by giant stars and all that neon are only a small part of Las Vegas. There’s much, much more!

You have to know a bit of the history of Vegas before you can understand why it has become such a desirable place to call home. Believe it or not, prehistoric southern Nevada was a swampy marsh full of water and plant life. As with most things, time changed that. The swamp retreated underground into an intricate network of limestone aquifer, and the wetlands of the area became as arid and parched as the surrounding Mojave Desert—except the Las Vegas valley.

The artesian springs creating the oasis that was to become Las Vegas was discovered by Spanish traders exploring off the Spanish Trail that ran from Texas to Los Angeles. Indians native to the area knew about it but were pretty good at keeping a good thing a secret! The area was christened “Las Vegas,” which means “The Meadows” in Spanish. That oasis and its water allowed for easier travel to California and the coming gold rush. Then came the railroad, and the desert oasis became a prime railroad stop. The town was incorporated as Las Vegas in 1905.

See, it wasn’t gambling that built Vegas - it was water! However, gambling did follow pretty quickly. Gambling was illegal (but plentiful) in Vegas until 1931, when it was finally legalized during the Great Depression. Vegas thrived during the Depression because of the railroad development, gambling, and the construction of a fair-sized chunk of concrete called Hoover Dam that was being built 34 miles away. During World War II, nearby Nellis Air Force Base became a major military installation, bringing thousands more pilots, airmen and their families to the area.

The first of the new-style, big-time gambling casino hotels was the Flamingo Hotel completed in 1946 and built by “Bugsy” Siegel. That began the boom of the hotel casinos that continues even today.

What began as an oasis for weary travelers became an oasis for gambling, for the military and soon became no longer purely a traveling destination, or short time oasis, but home to thousands of citizens who thoroughly love the desert oasis.

There’s much more to the history of Vegas than this, but now let’s forget history and get to your future in Vegas! Obviously, there’s plenty of entertainment readily available for your spare time, but there is more - much more!

Las Vegas is generally acknowledged as including the unincorporated surrounding parts of Clark County. The famous Las Vegas Strip is mostly outside the city limits, stretching into Paradise and Winchester, two unincorporated towns bordering Vegas. The city of Las Vegas itself has a population of approximately 559,000, with the Metro area exceeding 1.8 million. The city is located in an arid basin surrounded by mountains. Temperatures in the 90s are common in the summer months - BUT, there’s little humidity! Winter temps average 60 degrees, and the nights can reach 40 degrees. It does snow in the surrounding mountains but seldom in the city. While there is plenty of green grass, trees and shrubs, the city is encouraging residents to move more toward the traditional desert landscape both for the “atmosphere” and for water conservation.

The economy of the area is naturally driven by the tourism, gaming and convention industries prevalent here. These create offshoots such as the restaurants, hotels, retail shopping and facilities needed to support them. Plus, technicians are required for lighting, sound and more for the extravagant shows. Electronic gaming machine production has also played a part in the growth. Of course, the Air Base makes a contribution as well. As one of America’s fastest growing areas, the construction business has been forced to grow with it, creating another facet of the area’s economy.

Median income for a household in Vegas is $53,000. Roughly 26 percent of the population is under 18. Nine percent are aged from 18 to 24, and 32 percent are from 25 to 44 years of age. I could go on, but let’s just say the median age is 34 years.

What if you don’t gamble? The city and Metro area are filled with museums; there are ten urban branch libraries and eleven rural branch libraries. Thirty-five miles from Vegas is Mt. Charleston, featuring winter skiing, hiking, horseback riding, picnicking and tours. Sixteen miles away is Bonnie Springs, an old western town in the beautiful Red Rock Canyon. Take a shuttle to Hoover Dam ( one of the seven wonders of the modern world) and Lake Mead, just 34 miles away for swimming, skiing, camping, boating and fishing—and I’m sure I’m leaving out something.

Valley of Fire State Park, with its scenic landscapes of hidden canyons and unique formations, petroglyphs and Indian civilization remains, is 55 miles away. Death Valley is only 135 miles away and the Grand Canyon is about 300 miles—one of the great things about Vegas is you are within driving distance of some fantastic places no matter what you want to do.

Stay at home and there’s still 30 golf courses, more than 85 tennis courts, eight bowling centers (yes, it’s cool again!), swimming pools, and water parks with surfing, swimming, rafting and water slides. There are family amusement centers with miniature golf, go-carts, roller skating, batting cages, bumper cars, virtual reality—even an ice skating rink! I’m tired just telling you about it.

Need a little culture? How about the Allied Arts Council, Nevada Dance Theatre, Las Vegas Symphony Orchestra, Nevada School of the Arts, Reed Whipple Cultural Center, Las Vegas Little Theatre, New West Theatre Company, Rainbow Company (children’s theatre) and the Nevada Opera Theatre?

All this plus twelve acute care hospitals, four hospices, several licensed nursing homes and private psychiatric hospitals that need someone just like you.

It’s a great place to live and a great place to work. You may want to… Stay in Vegas—for good!

Photos and information courtesy of Las Vegas News Bureau/ LVCVA.