Going to school in NYC but will want a job in Florida

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Specializes in L & D nurse!.

Hi All,

Yes, it's way to early for me to be thinking about this right now (I will start nursing school Aug 31st) but was curious... I looked up two hospitals that I would love to work at when I move to Florida after I graduate in two years and noticed that for every single nursing job you need experience... anywhere from 1 to 3 years experience depending on the job. How am I or any new graduate suppose to get a job? I am freaking out! Is it like this everywhere?

Please calm me down and tell me how this whole thing works?

Also, after I graduate how do I go about getting my license? Do I just apply for Florida or do I have to apply in NY first (because I will be graduating from NY) and then apply for licensure in Florida? Is that how it works? Please help!:o

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

Where in Florida?

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Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.

First, how expensive is your NY nursing education.

The pay rates in Florida are among the lowest in the US. While some of it is balanced by a lower COL, the pay rate is still too low for many people. If you are graduating w/a lot of debt, it could be a problem.

It generally is not difficult to get a position in Florida w/no experience, if you are starting in the Fall. The busy season in Florida lasts from Thanksgiving to about April or May. It is more difficult if you are seeking positions in April to early September when the focus is on trimming expenses/staff and surviving hurricane season.

But a focus would be on WHY you want to move here? Is it for a love interest, family or because you just have Beach dreams. Sometimes beach dreams can be fleeting....and it might be better to work elsewhere for a bit, get experience and then do some travel assignments to see if you would really like it.

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Specializes in L & D nurse!.
First, how expensive is your NY nursing education.

The pay rates in Florida are among the lowest in the US. While some of it is balanced by a lower COL, the pay rate is still too low for many people. If you are graduating w/a lot of debt, it could be a problem.

It generally is not difficult to get a position in Florida w/no experience, if you are starting in the Fall. The busy season in Florida lasts from Thanksgiving to about April or May. It is more difficult if you are seeking positions in April to early September when the focus is on trimming expenses/staff and surviving hurricane season.

But a focus would be on WHY you want to move here? Is it for a love interest, family or because you just have Beach dreams. Sometimes beach dreams can be fleeting....and it might be better to work elsewhere for a bit, get experience and then do some travel assignments to see if you would really like it.

Hi,

Actually, my parents live there and I already lived in Miami for seven years. My husband and I wanted to return to NYC (we are from NYC) for a few years before we settle down and have a family... so, moving to Florida will not be because of beach dreams. Actually, living in Miami... if you go to the beach you are lucky. You work all the time and it's hard to take time to go to the beach.

Well, I want to move to Florida because of family and very close friends... plus to settle down and have a family.

My worries are the experience that is required for a job. I could not find one that accepted a recent graduate without any experience.

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Specializes in L & D nurse!.
Where in Florida?
Miami
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Specializes in L & D nurse!.
First, how expensive is your NY nursing education.

The pay rates in Florida are among the lowest in the US. While some of it is balanced by a lower COL, the pay rate is still too low for many people. If you are graduating w/a lot of debt, it could be a problem.

Actually, I go to a Community College... so, so far no debt. Every semester is just about $1,000. So I would be moving to Miami with no debt at all.

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Specializes in critical care; community health; psych.

Jackson Memorial Hospital, a teaching hospital in Miami, accepts new grads. It's associated with the University of Miami School of Medicine. I can't tell you how much it pays or anything like that but if you like the atmosphere of a teaching institution, check it out. I'm originally from the Miami area and at one time, Jackson had it's own diploma nursing school. Also try Miami Children's Hospital. It's located by the University of Miami which, geographically speaking, is in the south end of the city. Better bone up on your Spanish though. Miami is a trilingual city (French Creole, Spanish, English) and it's tough to live and work there if you can't communicate with the locals.

Always make phone calls and ask to speak with a nurse recruiter. Chances are wherever you apply, they accept new grads but they're not the advertised positions.

As for your licensure, you make application to the place you want to live. I gave my school all the necessary forms and information and they took care of it for me when I graduated. NCLEX is a national exam and can be taken anywhere in the country. I went to school in Florida and applied to Pennsylvania for licensure so am familiar with the process. I took my boards in PA but could have taken them in Kansas or wherever.

Buena Suerta.

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Specializes in L & D nurse!.
Jackson Memorial Hospital, a teaching hospital in Miami, accepts new grads. It's associated with the University of Miami School of Medicine. I can't tell you how much it pays or anything like that but if you like the atmosphere of a teaching institution, check it out. I'm originally from the Miami area and at one time, Jackson had it's own diploma nursing school. Also try Miami Children's Hospital. It's located by the University of Miami which, geographically speaking, is in the south end of the city. Better bone up on your Spanish though. Miami is a trilingual city (French Creole, Spanish, English) and it's tough to live and work there if you can't communicate with the locals.

Always make phone calls and ask to speak with a nurse recruiter. Chances are wherever you apply, they accept new grads but they're not the advertised positions.

As for your licensure, you make application to the place you want to live. I gave my school all the necessary forms and information and they took care of it for me when I graduated. NCLEX is a national exam and can be taken anywhere in the country. I went to school in Florida and applied to Pennsylvania for licensure so am familiar with the process. I took my boards in PA but could have taken them in Kansas or wherever.

Buena Suerta.

Thanks RNKittyKat. Actually, I'm Cuban, so I speak spanish. That will not be a problem for me... actually an advantage. I lived in Miami for 7 years so I know Miami like the back of my hand. I went to UM and worked for UM for almost three years at Jackson so I know about them too. My worries is that I looked up Jacskon, South Miami Hospital, Baptist and all the jobs posted stated that experience is needed. But thanks for telling me that I need to call a nurse recruiter for those jobs open to grad students.

Oh, so I can take the NCLEX anywhere? Ah, good to know. I thought that I had to take it in NY if I graduate from NY... I guess it isn't so.

Un millon de gracias RNKittyKat!

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I live in Fort Lauderdale and moved here from New Jersey in January of this year after I graduated. I work at Mount Sinai on Miami Beach. Starting salary for a new grad is $21.50 with differentials for weekends and nights. I was hired as a new grad into a med/surg ICU where I worked for 3 months and moved to the ER (because I didn't like ICU). I know of several other grads that got hired into NICU, stepdown, telemetry, and med/surg. After I moved down here I realized that there a TONS of hospitals and every single one is willing to hire a new grad, no matter what the job posting says about 1 year experience. If they need nurses they will hire you. If you go into a high acutiy area like ICU, make sure that you find a hospital that will give you a decent training program. Mt Sinai gave me 4 days of ICU classwork and 5 weeks of preceptorship, at six weeks I was handling patients on my own...very scary! I currently also work per diem for Florida Medical Center in Plantation (fort lauderdale) Florida which is a pretty inviting place (I work on the psych floor there). A friend of mine is a new grad hire into the NICU at Broward General. As a previous poster said, Jackson Memorial hires new grads but as it is the county hospital the work load is hiddeous and the patients tough to deal with sometimes. In the Miami area, you also have Cedars (which is across the street from Jackson), South Miami Hospital, a few different Baptist run hospitals, and the hospitals in the same group as Broward General (should be able to find the website if you google Broward General) All the hospitals in this area pay about the same, in the $20-$22 dollar range base to start. A hell of a lot less than I'd be making in Jersey I can assure you and the living expenses are not any cheaper. If there is anything else you want to know, I'll try to help out.

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I've grew up in New Jersey and I always wondered if I should stay here in Miami or move back. I thought that the living expenses were more expensive in New Jersey but I guess not. New2ER, Why did you decide to stay here in Florida when the pay is so much lower?

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Carollady is 100% correct. You do not need to have experience to get a nursing job in any hospital in south Florida because they are all short staffed. Even though the recruiting ads all say they want nurses with x number of years experience most of them will hire you as a new grad anyway---especially if you are applying to work in med surg or telemetry.

It isn't difficult to get a license to work in Florida, as long as you can pass the criminal background check.

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