Can you live off of a cna salary in south florida???

Nursing Students CNA/MA

Published

Specializes in Cna.

Hi im new to florida i live in fort lauderdale area.I haven't started working yet, live with my parents currently,But looking at the price of living here is a cna salary enough to pay for a apartment and car???Im from buffalo ny where it's very cheap i was able to get by had great pay,But just would like some input from other cna's in south florida.Is it doable am i just overreacting???

Specializes in PACU, LTC, Med-Surg, Telemetry, Psych.

Depends on how you define "living".

Do you have a partner to help with bills?

If you have cheap rent, no car note, and are really healthy enough to not need insurance - possibly. But, you will have to budget hard.

Realize that with the exception of really nice places or federal VA, CNA is pretty much the flipping burgers of medicine.

Important, yes. Compassionate, maybe. But do not expect compassion or importance from landlords, employers, and creditors. The residents eat better than many struggling CNAs. some places.

Be careful as CNA is the most expendable person in the chain. Some places can even hire aides without CNA.

Get more valuable training as soon as possible. Unless, this is some calling or this is something to piddle around with as an extra income.

Specializes in PACU, LTC, Med-Surg, Telemetry, Psych.

By the way. In Florida and Mississippi, you may find yourself dealing with HMA, a holding company that manages hospitals. They tend to send folks home a lot and if you make someone mad at one facility, this blocks you from multiple places. They own A TON of places. They have a reputation of being cheap.

It has been in vogue for older folks with a bit of cash to migrate to Florida, so you will have plenty of nursing homes to choose from. However, pay lacks some of these places.

For flexible hours, you do have agencies. It pays slightly more, but can be unreliable if you are not the current "favorite".

Be sure to check out mental health, too. Sometimes this is higher pay and easier work if you can handle folks flying off the handle and having to be tied down and drugged.

Specializes in Cna.
By the way. In Florida and Mississippi, you may find yourself dealing with HMA, a holding company that manages hospitals. They tend to send folks home a lot and if you make someone mad at one facility, this blocks you from multiple places. They own A TON of places. They have a reputation of being cheap.

It has been in vogue for older folks with a bit of cash to migrate to Florida, so you will have plenty of nursing homes to choose from. However, pay lacks some of these places.

For flexible hours, you do have agencies. It pays slightly more, but can be unreliable if you are not the current "favorite".

Be sure to check out mental health, too. Sometimes this is higher pay and easier work if you can handle folks flying off the handle and having to be tied down and drugged.

Thanks i have got hired at maxim but haven't got to work yet which im assuming because im pregnant but they say no work yet.I'll also look into mental health im pretty sure i can handle that i've had some crazy residents in the past.:)

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