Florida Hospital locations (new grad RN)

wayemika · Dec 8, 2015

im not a new grad but still a newer nurse. im doing a phone interview today at 2pm for one of the florida hospital locations. i will let you know what i find out

runner502 · Dec 8, 2015

Good Luck! I would love to hear how it goes!

wayemika · Dec 8, 2015

ok so the majority of questions centered around how much experience I have. that was the focus, if you have under 1 year they prefer you to apply to the new grad program. that they are really open to if your under the one year make and you have a good shot of getting into the areas of med surg/ED/ICU. i will know something about a in person interview or skype interview by next Wednesday.

CardiacRNLA, BSN · Dec 9, 2015

I work at Altamonte Springs and they have an Oncology PCU that does take New Grad RNs. I was part of the GN program at Orlando. Altamonte is a good campus but it is OBSESSED with scores and its reputation. So much micromanagement. I work Med-Tele now. They make nurses do so much and do not advocate for their nurses. I love my coworkers I am going to have to leave. The Oncology PCU manager is all in everyone's business. Seems like a lack of autonomy. But it is a good place, community feel and you should take it to get the much needed experience.

runner502 · Dec 9, 2015

Well, that worries me since oncology is the area they contacted me about. I did get calls for Winter Park and Orlando, both oncology. I'm not sure if I will be contacted for an interview at Winter Park, but the Orlando recruiter left a message at the end of the day about setting up an interview. I haven't heard back from the Tampa location yet and it still says under HR review. What is your opinion about these locations?

wayemika · Dec 9, 2015

those are some very good points. its why i like night shifts. less management to ride you. as nurses our work can be hard but the people we work with make all the difference

runner502 · Dec 10, 2015

I think your assessment was pretty on. I had my skype interview with the oncology managers and the recruiter. The recruiter was fine, but I didn't exactly get a warm and welcoming feeling from the managers. They seemed to want to focus on the negative aspects of what I didn't have or hadn't done. They also didn't exactly give a rave review of the unit and basically said it was very busy and stressful. I had one scenario question that I answered pretty well for the most part, but they kept going back to one where I wasn't giving them the answer they were looking for. So, it didn't seem to be a great fit, at least on that unit! I'm glad I did it for the experience anyway. I'm supposed to be hearing from the Tampa recruiter soon and will have an interview in about a week or so for the Orlando oncology. Do you have any information on other Florida hospitals that accept ADN new grads and are actually good hospitals that value their nurses? It's really hard to know without being there.

CardiacRNLA, BSN · Dec 11, 2015

I have heard that Oncology on FH-Orlando is tough as well, it seems to be a "heavy" specialty. I don't know anything about FH-Tampa or much outside the Orlando 8-main campus region. But most if not all the campuses in the area, like Deland, Fish Memorial, etc have GN programs. FH-Orlando is tough because the nurses do EVERYTHING! Phlebotomy, tele strips, and the techs cannot do anything except for toileting and ADLs. Nurses have to go with monitored patients throughout the campus (which is large). My unit at FHO was 45 beds with 3 techs (15:1 ratio), so the techs were stretched thin and could not help.

I am not sure if I could do it again. But FHO is not as obsessed with hourly rounding and customer satisfaction like Altamonte Springs. At Altamonte Springs, they are obsessed with scores, especially pain management. The Oncology Manager (to whom you spoke), made my friend who floated there call an MD for better pain management. This a cancer patient with a level of 4! You have to have "pain brochures" in each room listing the meds and alt measures for pain relief and you have to update it every time you intervene. You also are expected to write the pain goal on the whiteboard every shift.

Sorry for the vent. I just want to give you a good picture LOL. But a job IS a job, just to get in the door!

runner502 · Dec 11, 2015

No, please do! I appreciate an insiders view. My gut tells me that I would not be happy at Altamonte. At least with those managers on that unit. Since I would be relocating and having to change my license to FL, I don't feel comfortable just taking something that is sending out red flags already. I may not even get an offer anyway since they didn't seem to thrilled about me either! So, where are you planning to go if you leave? What are the better hospitals in the area that other nurses seem to be happy with?

_zoubisoubisou_ · Dec 11, 2015

Have you checked out Wolfson's Childrens Hospital in Jacksonville? When I did my peds rotation there, I was blown away. I'm not a peds person, don't ever want to work in peds, but that hospital and the staff were so amazing, I'd take a job in a second. Their new grad residency deadline was 11/30, but it still let me apply today (12/10).

wayemika · Dec 14, 2015

that really is a good hospital. you couldn't ask for better training. that is if you like peds