Nurses in Tampa/clearwater/st pete area

U.S.A. Florida

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My family and I area considering a move to your area when I graduate in Dec 2004. I will be graduating with a diploma RN, but I do have an unrelated BS in Environmental Health. I am interested in what you think are the best hospitals to work for and which are the worst, based on salary, benefits, staff/client ratios, and fellow employees. What are the starting salaries, and how is housing in the area? How are the schools? I am more than likely going to go into emergency nursing, but I don't need to start out in that dept if the requirements are higher (I know here, some hospitals don't hire new grads in the ED, some do).

Thanks for letting me pick your brain!!

ps we are planning our summer vacation in the area to scout housing, etc. I am very excited. :) Thanks.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

Hi! If I were to eventually go into emergency nursing I would pick one of the trauma centers like Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, or Tampa General or St. Anthony's in Tampa. They all have awesome ERs, with competive pay. I think the pay in Tampa is slightly more. Most of those ERs require critical care experience, or a critical care course. So think about taking a critical care internship when you get here.

I hear good buzz about Morton Plant in Clearwater and St. Anthony's in St. Petersburg.

I haven't heard good things about the smaller privately owned hospitals, like Largo Medical and Columbia hospitals. The nurse-patient ratios are worse so I hear.

Housing is pretty tight in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as it is an peninsula and has no land left to develop. It it the highest per capital per sq mile population in Florida. 800,000 crammed into that space. But traffic flows wells in St. Petersburg and there are gorgeous beaches, nice restaurants and entertainment.

Tampa can be more spread out and has a lot to offer as well.

I can't attest to the school system. But I hear there are good and bad schools around. Sorry, I can't help you there.

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I heard that Plant High School is pretty good, and Academy of the Holy Names, a Catholic school. Both are in South Tampa. The elementary schools and middle schools in the Hyde Park area are supposed to be nice. I don't have any kids though! If you can afford to live there, I definately would. Tampa General is close by too. :roll

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