Jobs that pay the least in Florida?

AdiaRN · Feb 10, 2011

I agree with you Blackcat99. I think the problem is we don't have union in FL to bargain our wages and most agencys feel like they can offer us whatever they think is competitive (in this case $12).

BeachCathyRN · Feb 10, 2011

Just moved to Florida and got a job offer at Kindred Healthcare basically longterm vent pt's. Offered 18.44 an hour and I am an LPN. A couple of LPN's I took the IV cert class with said they made 14.50 an hour at HCA hospital and the other one 17.50 at LTC with no shift diff. Would love to hear from other nurses!! :rolleyes:

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2011

The problem is greater than the "no unions"issue.

First, the majority of FL pts are primarily Medicare/medicaid, both of which are being cut to the bone. Second, given the age of the pts, there are multiple comorbidities and pts frequently over stay their DRGs. Placement also becomes an issue , when pts live far from their children and have a disabling illness-with nursing homes reluctant to accept pts with multiple comorbidities due to lack of payment.

Add in the proliferation of for profit facilities, and the stage is set for bad pay.

Given that FL recently elected to office one of the proven biggest Medicare cheats and a former executive of a major for-profit hospital chain, I don't expect things to change. A man who should be in jail and made his money cutting staffing and care is helping run the state.

elkpark · Feb 10, 2011

The problem is greater than the "no unions"issue.
First, the majority of FL pts are primarily Medicare/medicaid, both of which are being cut to the bone. Second, given the age of the pts, there are multiple comorbidities and pts frequently over stay their DRGs. Placement also becomes an issue , when pts live far from their children and have a disabling illness-with nursing homes reluctant to accept pts with multiple comorbidities due to lack of payment.
Add in the proliferation of for profit facilities, and the stage is set for bad pay.
Given that FL recently elected to office one of the proven biggest Medicare cheats and a former executive of a major for-profit hospital chain, I don't expect things to change. A man who should be in jail and made his money cutting staffing and care is helping run the state.

All of the above, plus the huge number of people (inc. nurses) continually moving to FL from other states and looking for work -- it is definitely a buyer's (employer's) market when it come to jobs. Employers can get away with offering minimum pay and benefits, and treating employees poorly, because there are always more people who want that job. My sister moved home to FL several years ago to be closer to my aging parents; in her previous location, she was near the top of her profession (not nursing) and had all the preferred skills/credentials/certifications. She went job-hunting in FL, and could only find entry-level type positions and salary -- when she tried to negotiate for better compensation, the potential employers' response was (basically), take it or leave it, if you don't want the job, there are plenty of other people who do, the door's that way ...

(I still find it hard to believe that even Florida elected Rick Scott -- I agree he should be in prison, not the governor's mansion.)

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Feb 11, 2011

The most annoying excuse given for low pay: "You get paid in sunshine".

To which my response is, "When Comcast, the IRS and Visa start accepting sunshine as payment, I'll accept it... Until then, I need cash.

FLmomof5 · Feb 11, 2011

I am going to point out a bit of the flip side.....

My brother (ASN-RN) with ~5 yrs exp earned over $100K last year. WOW! Right? He actually looked at moving here to FL and was so appalled at the low wages that he wouldn't even consider it.

Hmmmm

$100K - fed tax (income, SSN, MC) - NYS income tax - NYC income tax..... Wonder what his net was? (NMB so I didn't ask...)

He paid $3K/mo for a 2 br SMALL apartment. He left his car with my nephew on LI because it was $700+/mo to park a car. Last time I checked (in 1984) sales tax in NYC was 8.25%. He was a smoker. His cigarettes cost $10 a PACK when I was paying $25/carton! Everything costs so much more.

When you boil it down, it isn't how much you earn but what your DISPOSABLE income is. It is also....free time and what you can do with it....What you VALUE! I *hate* driving in ice and snow, scraping windows, being cold, shoveling snow.... I *hate* spending an hour or more a day in bumper to bumper traffic! (Sometimes I have to slow down.....but 295 does NOT become a parking lot every day like the highways in NYC/LI, DFW, LA, SF!)

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Feb 13, 2011

I was a native Floridian now a resident of MD

Last year in MD, I earned over 80k, with very little of it OT. In FL , the same amt of hrs, maybe 50k. In FL, I would have 6 to 12 pts per shift as opposed to 2 to 4, with much the same acuity. In FL, a third would have dementia or be sundowners, and with no sitters available, while here many sitters and very few confused pts. In FL hospitals, every penny is pinched til it screams, while here there are adequate supplies and staff to give safe care. My current apt costs maybe $150-200 more a month. I pay a very reasonable state income tax that supports responsible infrastructure and much lower sales tax. It took me all of 3-5'minutes to de-ice my car this morning. And is much easier to shovel snow than clean flood damage from 3 hurricanes hitting in 10 weeks.

I male more, I keep more and I can give care to my pts that I believe in, up here.

FLmomof5 · Feb 13, 2011

That is exactly my point....and MD isn't as "Yankee" like other New England states! (I used to work at the Goddard Space Flight Center and lived in Bowie.)

I am thrilled you have a life that works for you! That is sweet! For me, however, I will not trade the warmth for the ice storms that we got in Bowie! BTW, Jacksonville is tucked in....a bit west and those "evil" hurricanes bypass us every year!!!!

MursingMedic, DNP, RN, EMT-P · Feb 20, 2011

I am all about what you're saying, and now that I am getting closer to finishing my transition program (in Central Florida) and am not seeing the jobs available, I want to move out of the armpit of the south and to somewhere more reputable. If only I could get my wife to agree to the move. She hates snow.

Why does Florida have to suck so much. I am one of the only few natives I know and it drives me insane.

(Sorry for the venting. It had to be done.) :)

elkpark · Feb 20, 2011

Why does Florida have to suck so much. I am one of the only few natives I know and it drives me insane.

I am also a FL native -- left the first chance I got (at 18) and have never even considered living there again. I only return to visit my family occasionally.

(There are lots of places besides FL that never (or only rarely) get snow. :))

Blackcat99 · Feb 20, 2011

Thanks all. When I lived in Washington state the CNA's at the LTC were making $15 an hour. Here in Florida, Maxim and NurseCore pay $15 an hour for LPN's who do pediatric private duty care. :mad: . :down: :down: :down: