Jacksonville Employment

U.S.A. Florida

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Hello,

i am am a new nurse working on a very busy cardiac stepdown unit in Iowa for the last year. I am an ADN about to start a RN to MSN program.

My my husband and I are planning to move our family from Iowa to Jacksonville for a change of scenery and culture. We have 3 very active school aged children.

I will need to make at least what I am making now which is 40,000 year on night shift. Considering my husband will likely make less than he is making here, I really should make more to help.

I am used to fairly acute patients, post opens, heart failure, etc. I am worried I won't find similar work. Any help would be appreciated!

Thanks,

Christine

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Specializes in PACU.

I believe Florida nursing wages are pretty low... expect around $22-27/hr I've heard depending on the part of the state. I've heard new grads can start as low as even $18/hr :nailbiting:

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I currently make 21/hr before shift differentials. I will have a year of acute care under my belt. I am also ACLS and telemetry trained. I hope that helps. I live in Iowa which is about the lowest paid state, so the bar isn't set real high for me. ;)

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I'm in Jacksonville. New grad ADNs can make up to $24/hr to start at certain hospitals in the area so I'm sure with your experience plus night (and weekend) differential you'll be able to find something no problem!

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Thank you. Do you recommend any hospitals? I have looked at the list but just wanting to know personal preference and who may pay better.

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I work for St. Vincent's and love it there. They seem to pay toward the higher end of the scale too. Baptist is also a good organization from what I've heard and seen during clinical rotations while at school. Memorial and Orange Park are both HCA facilities and are therefore for-profit, however I have some friends who work there and like it (I personally would rank them lower than St. Vincent's and Baptist on my list for desires employers, just because of my own personal beliefs against for-profit healthcare institutions). Then there is UFHealth which is a great place to learn because it is a teaching hospital - it is in a less desirable part of town and serves a lot of the uninsured and underinsured community, however I've heard great things about the learning opportunities there and they have made some recent improvements within the organization to make it better for patient and employees.

Good luck with the job hunt and the move!

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You have been a ton of help! Thank you. Everything I have read is so negative and telling me I basically won't be able to work with how competitive the market is down there. Needed the hope! ;)

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No problem! I think you'll do just fine. Persistence is key!

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Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.

Its pretty easy to make $21/hr in Jacksonville. The area is averaging $23/hr for new grads. If you go the UFhealth.org (formerly called Shands) the branch in Gainesville displays their rates online. I know they start new grads BSN's right out of school at $24 ADNs get $23.50 before differentials. I guess the Jacksonville branch pays similarly. Your speciality would probably get more. Try putting in your application ahead of time before you move, because they take a while to call back. See if you could at least land a phone interview. Also many are pushing for BSN's in that area and Florida in general as first preference so be aware of that. Yes some do take ADNs but you may have to sign a contract to get your BSN. I'd also suggest calling recruiters ahead of time to find out what they looking for. Besides UFhealth there is also Mayo Clinic (which I heard is hard to get into), Baptist Health system, Memorial hospital, St.Vincent/St. Lukes.

In my opinion UFhealth probably has the highest acuity and easiest to get into, they are the only level 1 trauma center in the area, if thats what you looking for.

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Thank you! I will get online and start looking at that website. I am nervous to apply too soon because my husband will be the true bread winner and he needs to get a job first, but I will for sure apply ahead of time! Thanks for the info! I will sign a contract easy. I am just about to start an RN to MSN program that will give me a BSN in 1 year and an MSN in a little over 2 years. I hope they don't mind it will be in progress.

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Specializes in Med Surg, PCU, Travel.
Thank you! I will get online and start looking at that website. I am nervous to apply too soon because my husband will be the true bread winner and he needs to get a job first,

I think you underestimating yourself, most couples I know the nurses are the bread winners be they male or female. Unless maybe you married to a doctor or something. Keep looking and continue your education and you will catch up to your husband's pay soon enough just depends on your specialty.

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we are very fortunate that my husband makes a good income here. Double mine. It will take a bit for me to catch up and I am ok with that. I love what I do. ;)

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