Anyone work at Shands in Gainesville,FL?

FNP grrl · Jan 25, 2004

hi there. i got my BSN at UF, Gainesville (graduated 1990). though i am really an NC mountain girl at heart (FL is just too darn hot & flat for me!), Gainesville was a cool place to live.

mind you, this was a few years ago now, but i enjoyed the fact that Gainesville was an active/ lively college town (i wasn't into the football/frat/sorority/hard drinking scene but there is that too)---it had plenty of the funky culture & activities that large universities can offer (sports, decent restaurants, arty movies, travelling exhibits, lectures & concerts, interesting people, etc)- but in a fairly small town setting. my favorite part was access to natural attractions- cool things like a huge natural sinkhole, a large prarie wildlife reserve, and easy driving distance to the springs and Atlantic & Gulf coast beaches. i recall that the cost of living was reasonable. you may want to check crime statistics- i remeber that being somewhat higher than i expected for a town that size.

i did med/surge clinicals & i worked in OR and PICU as a nursing assistant at Shands while in school. all were big, busy, fast-paced units--i worked really hard & learned a lot. it had all the potential advantages (access to extensive medical libraries, exposure to cutting-edge technology & research, high acuity) & disadvantages (huge size, always highly busy, large teams of students of every medical discipline) of a very large university teaching hospital/ tertiary referral center. the surrounding region, at least when i lived there, was overwhelmingly rural & indigent- so there were a lot of medically underserved folks there, which can be challenging. i don't know anything specifically about NICU.

hope that helped a bit. good luck w/ your move.

NICU_Nurse, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2004

I checked out this hospital in our search, also, and I'd highly suggest that you call the recruiter and speak with them. They'll send you a nice, fat packet of info, including breakdowns of all the units, staffing ratios, etc., and starting salary information. I found it EXTREMELY helpful (not just your typical "Work for us and find out why we love it here!" BS most places send out). I spoke with a recruiter about six months ago (and have left it at that so far, since we're not quite ready to move) and she recommended getting familiar with the NICU supervisor before I move to ensure they had a spot for me when I got down there (giving them time in case there are no openings when you move, originally). Also, I believe they were offering some relocation assistance (don't know how much, exactly, but they'll tell you). I was very pleased with the recruiter- she was very honest and really nice (unlike some others, who don't seem to give a hoot that a nurse *wants* to come work for them!). Good luck! Whatever you find out, you may want to post on the Florida message board- there are a lot of people considering moving to FL and it would be a nice gesture.

NICU_RNwantsFL · Feb 1, 2004

Thanks, both of you - I appreciate your taking the time to answer my questions - you've been very helpful!:kiss

yazmum · Mar 8, 2004

[hi i have been working in Shands NICU for about three months. I have come here from the UK. I did love my job in the UK but wanted a change so i have moved with my family to the States. I have found Shands very helpful and have enjoyed the new experience very much. The work is interesting and because it is a university hospital with some of the best doctors around we see all sorts of difficult cases. I know it is eary days yet but all the signs are looking good for a long and happy future at Shands.

Good luck with your decision, yazmum :-)