Fort Walton Beach Medical Center

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Is anyone familiar with this facility? Any opinions?

Any downsides?

I would like especially to know about nursing culture, how management is specifically ICU's and ED, not to mention perks etc.

Do they use their ICU's as a float pool?

Do they treat their nurses in a manner that they know its a small town with limited employment opportunites therefore can get away with BS? Ive seen that occur in other small towns where there is only two major hospitals and a few LTC facilities.

Thanks

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i don't think they use their icu nurses as float pool simply b/c they don't have enough of them. at one time (last summer)they were using alot of agency. even then the staffing ratios for icu were 1:3. it is also a hca hospital which typically means short staff and low pay. most people choose to drive to pensacola to work.

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Hmmm....

Is 1:3 typical of ratio's in Florida or the panhandle, or just that hospital?

In CA and MN its 1:2 period. If they run out of staffing they close those beds.

I dont know how sick their pt's are but with the pt's Ive had here and in CA theres no way I'd take more than 1-2.

Maybe I should look into moving to Jacksonville or the Orlando area. Id rather be in a small town but I like the idea of having choices and competition-

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well, the staffing ratio should be 1:2 but when you are short or have call ins, this is what happens. they don't believe in closing beds. that means patients must go to other hospitals and they lose money. they had rather work the poor nurses for little money and no help. i can't say those patients are less acute either. they don't staff based on that. if your thinking about orlando, stay away from the florida hospitals. they are also known for that type of treatment. i'm afraid closing beds in florida is almost unheard of. they just don't do it. i had a friend who refused a thrid patient and was told by the manager she probable needed to find another place to work. the next day she transfered to pacu.

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I dont know what to say....

I have nothing but respect for nurses in general and that would extend to nurses in Florida too.

But how did things get so bad there? The BON is difficult and more resembles a welfare agency reluctantly delivering handouts than one expediting access to professionals.

The hospital environment doesnt sound so hospital either (pardon the pun). On one pensacola hospital website Ive read that there will be only 635,000 RN's to fill 1.8 million jobs by 2010. What will hospitals in Florida do when there is nobidy to staff them? Or other states hospitals?

I dont think they get it....

I honestly think when I am old there will be no going to hospitals for acute illnesses or to die. We will die at home just as our relatives did 100 years ago. Perhaps that best-

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yes, the working conditions are very unfortunate. it is a beautiful state but they don't respect nurses. you are absolutely correct about the bon. i have heard horror stories about obtaining license there. it used to take as long as 6-8 weeks but now you are suppose to (by law - enacted by jeb bush) obtain a temp in as little as 30 days. i have still heard of people having problems if they didn't push to get their license. i guess they just assume that b/c florida is a destination state they can pay and do what ever they want and people will still come. there are a few good hospitals there, but they are few and far between. that is why i travel. tampa is a nice area, i hear tampa general is a good place to work but couldn't tell you from personal experience. i have worked at mortan plant in clearwater and can say that isn't bad. i can't help you with the salery b/c i was a traveler at the time.