Florida nurse

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I am living in Florida for now, but I want to move back to CA. I plan on going to school for nursing while I am here, but want to move back to CA after I'm done and have graduated from nursing school. Does anyone know what I would need to do before I move to CA? Are there certain things that Fl rn's can do that CA rn's can't do?

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That is a good question. I am in the same position. I started my prereqs. I was also informed that Cali laws are different and that you may have to take their test in order to be licensed in the state of California. If you find any more info let me know.

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I have my BSN from U of Miami, but am currently working in Cali. If you take your NCLEX in FL and have a current/valid FL RN license, you just need to apply for 'licensure by endorsement' in California. Might take a few weeks, unless you personally hand in the application in Sacramento, in which case they do a one-day walkthrough.

In any case, you don't have to take the NCLEX again or anything like that.

As for practicing nursing in CA vs FL- it's mostly the same, except you get paid 1.5x for every hour you work over eight hours (great for those of us that do 12s). Also, Cali has RN to patient ratios mandated by state law. 5:1 max on M/S and 4:1 max on Tele. And we get breaks. Also the law. (I remember not getting them in FL)

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Thank you. That helped a lot.

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Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU, s/p Open Heart surgery.
I have my BSN from U of Miami, but am currently working in Cali. If you take your NCLEX in FL and have a current/valid FL RN license, you just need to apply for 'licensure by endorsement' in California. Might take a few weeks, unless you personally hand in the application in Sacramento, in which case they do a one-day walkthrough.

In any case, you don't have to take the NCLEX again or anything like that.

As for practicing nursing in CA vs FL- it's mostly the same, except you get paid 1.5x for every hour you work over eight hours (great for those of us that do 12s). Also, Cali has RN to patient ratios mandated by state law. 5:1 max on M/S and 4:1 max on Tele. And we get breaks. Also the law. (I remember not getting them in FL)

Jeez! I have my BSN from Barry and have been thinking about making a move to Cali since I went there on vacation earlier this year... you're making nursing sound better and better over on the west coast!

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Specializes in Occupational health, Corrections, PACU.
I have my BSN from U of Miami, but am currently working in Cali. If you take your NCLEX in FL and have a current/valid FL RN license, you just need to apply for 'licensure by endorsement' in California. Might take a few weeks, unless you personally hand in the application in Sacramento, in which case they do a one-day walkthrough.

In any case, you don't have to take the NCLEX again or anything like that.

As for practicing nursing in CA vs FL- it's mostly the same, except you get paid 1.5x for every hour you work over eight hours (great for those of us that do 12s). Also, Cali has RN to patient ratios mandated by state law. 5:1 max on M/S and 4:1 max on Tele. And we get breaks. Also the law. (I remember not getting them in FL)

Hi, I am waiting for my CA license now. Just a note....no more walk throughs in CA since Aug. (maybe Sept?). They will not give any license out until the fingerprint records go through the FBI-which effectively did away with the walk-through thing. Just thought I would let you know. Good luck. One question from me, though....

I did a travel assignment in Fla. at 2 different hospitals back in 2003-2004. One was union and one was not. Are many hospitals in Fla union? Is CA all union at every hospital and other facility?

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"Hi, I am waiting for my CA license now. Just a note....no more walk throughs in CA since Aug. (maybe Sept?). They will not give any license out until the fingerprint records go through the FBI-which effectively did away with the walk-through thing. Just thought I would let you know. Good luck. One question from me, though....

I did a travel assignment in Fla. at 2 different hospitals back in 2003-2004. One was union and one was not. Are many hospitals in Fla union? Is CA all union at every hospital and other facility? "

Interesting. I had no idea they did away with walk throughs (got my cali license that way in late 2007).

As for unions, few RNs in Florida are union members. In Cali unionization is wide spread and the CNA (California Nurses Association) is a very strong union.

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