JOBS in Florida

111th, ADN, LPN · May 21, 2015

Good luck! I work for a very large Urgent Care in Orlando and was hired on at $15/hour (with experience). :banghead: It was definitely a shock coming from a Northern state.

Your best bet probably will be LTC. Arnold Palmer in Orlando hires LPNs with IV cert but I'm not sure of the salary. I haven't noticed any hospitals in the Tampa Bay area that hires LPNs.

SteelGrey · May 22, 2015

Check out the jail/prison systems if that is something you think would be a fit. I believe one of the big companies is called Corizon but you could be making in the 20's with shift differentials

happymama · May 25, 2015

Try looking for a job in Baycare.

BeachBliss114 · May 28, 2015

Thanks everyone !

Yes it's shocking how little LPNs are paid ccompard to northern states. I almost wish I had gone straight for RN. I am getting burnt out on school but don't lack many classes til my Associates in Nursing. Maybe slow and steady is the way to go now. Thanks everyone for the suggestions :)

NurseSpeedy, ADN, LPN, RN · May 31, 2015

The tampa bay area hospitals want RNs. I have seen some LPNs but they were either grandfathered in because they worked for the facility prior to when they stopped hiring LPNs or are currently finishing up their RN and knew someone who was able to get management to let them start working for them as an LPN(with prior experience in same field). I am going back for my RN and I know many people in my program who are LPNs working as PCTs in local hospitals. A plus with this set up is a foot in the door when you get your RN and tuition reimbursement. Many are also requiring a BSN either prior to hiring a new RN or will hire if the RN agrees to complete a BSN program within a given number of years.

Long term care is probably your best be for the pay range that you are looking for. I would advise looking into the company prior to applying. There are some that are less than legal with their staffing when it comes to numbers which can be dangerous .

Home health will start around $16 for private duty shifts, which is low and time goes by slowly sometimes but many cases will allow you to study during down time when there is nothing left to do for the patient.

MD offices are not likely to pay anywhere near what you are looking for down here.

Good luck!

MedChica · Jun 3, 2015

First, a little complaining: Nursing in Fl sucks.

This state attempts to lowball nurses and I didnt go to school to be a med aide. It's completely inefficient. I dont care anything about delegating skills away to unlicensed persons. Fact is, the pts are too many and nurses have MORE IMPORTANT things to do than be chained to a cart for 2 to 4 hours a shift. Thats not nursing.

- St Pete/Clearwater is a good area. Lots of PRNs available. I dont work that area. But, Bon Se cour is hiring. Theyre always hiring. They tried to lowball me with $17 base and $2 shift diff. A weekend double nonbaylor...with makority psych pts. The recruiter tried to tell me that avg pay for a lvn with 2 yrs experience was $17 for the tampa area. Frankly, I couldn't care less. $17/hr is s*** . Secondly, don't insult me acting as though a $2 shift diff is something spectacular and I shld tap dance for joy because you're now paying what you shld be offering as a base. Furthermore, I earned $20 plus baylor as a new LVN. So...'whatever'. Why shld I accept more work for less money? Good luck staffing your facility on a weekend. So, the phone call ended. I get to Fl months later and recv a call offering $21.6 for the position. That's more like it! I didnt take the job, though. So, I tell you all of this to say: Hit up Bon S ecours! LOL

The gettin's good. You may do better than I did. These facilities want a whole lotta something for nothing.

- Dont attempt to commute to central Tampa or Brandon for a job. Though this city is small, Tampa/St pete is not a commuter city. The highway system is completely inefficient.

- When you get here, know that youre going to have to get fingerprints AGAIN before you get hired with your first job. The job will send you.

My advice?

-- Dont touch LTC/Rehab/SNF unless it's PRN or PT. PRN pay is generally $21. FT pay is much, much lower... It's like that in MOST places around the city bc many facilities are under the same company. Some of the places dont pay time and a half, either.... I'm not lying. I was warned against picking up shift when I was FT w/end by coworkerd. When I rail against Fl, i do it with good reason.

-- Dont sell yourself short. Dont work for pennies unless the exp or shift benefits YOU and dont be afraid to walk if they dont offer what youre worth. Screw these facilities. It may not look like you have options bc its difficult for an out-of-stater to secure employment but just wait until you hit Florida. You have experience; therefore, you have options. Jobs are all over. Spot interviews will never cease to be.

-- Don't limit yourself. "Well, I've only worked peds so I guess I can do nursing hom--" No, ma'am. What *can* you do? We're both bridging to RN and the exp will be valued whether or not we remain as we are.

****Nonclinical positions are an option. i recvd interview requests for Case Management and MDS. I backed out but I do know that LVNs do well in case management bc it's an RN position. I cant provide info for you to f/u on. I deleted the mssgs but these are tampa positions.

****There are two psych facilities that i know of in tge tampa bay area. Gracepoint and some facility up in n. Tampa.

****Dialysis. I bombed the interview. Bad nerves. LOL Davita is ALWAYS hiring, though. You need an IV cert. You do a phone interview; then, they bring you in to interview with the nurse manager and another whose job title isnt related to nursing.

****Staffing. Today, I recvd a job offer with Visiting Angels Senior Homecare. 22/hr. 813 929 7067. POC:christal bectal. Ive never done honecare so I dont know much about it but I'm posting info in case anyone is interested.

****Urgent Care. Interviewed but did not accept with an urgent care clinic of adventist. Two 12's and a split. $15-17/hr.

****Corrections. I got on at the hillsborough sheriff's office. $22/hr. Infirmary. No med pass, praise Jesus. I havent started so I dont know about shift diff but it's gotta have some.. Also, I think the scale may be different because another that I know got on at 21.5. The jails are staffed by naphcare.

MedChica · Jun 3, 2015

Also forgot to mention

***Government positions.

Do a profile on PEOPLEFIRST. https://peoplefirst.myflorida.com/peoplefirst%28bD1lbiZjPTIzMA==%29/logon.htm

I rec'vd an interview for a govt job. Something related to public health in Pinellas County. I don't even remember the type of position I applied for. Most times, I'm just "fishing". Looking for the better deal Anyway, a woman called and was like, "Are you still looking for employment?" Yeah, sure. Scheduled me for an interview. I cancelled. I don't know the particulars but it was a govt job. Pay should be decent.

The VA and Macdill are options as well.

I haven't looked into doc offices and hospitals. Hospitals do hire LPNs. It's just seldom. I know this so I put energy into looking for higher paying positions and "skill stacking", as I call it. I purposely jump specialities.

I'd only agree with $15-17 if I were going to be working in something like dialysis or urgent care (or crit care) because the skills gained will benefit ME. It's a fair trade-off, to me.

Lastly, if you have your IV therapy of ACLS cert. You won't earn more money. You WILL be more marketable, though.

Beyond this, it's a waste because you're not going to do anything but sit on that knowledge. That's the thing. That's what hurts. I obtained and renewed for no good reason, beyond making me look good on paper. If someone codes, you'll be switching off compressing and working the ambu until the ambulance arrives. C'mon - the LTC 'crashcarts' don't have crap on them but O2, masks and tubes. LOL

For most LVNs in a noncrit care type speciality, a BLS is sufficient. In my opinion.

ASPIRING2BGREAT · Jun 4, 2015

Great info @ MedChica

Thanks for the insight! I'm in South Fl waiting to test, afterwards I'll move to the Treasure Coast. Sadly I hear decrease availability and less pay.

I guess I'll see

BeachBliss114 · Jun 6, 2015

Thanks so much for all of your help and insight. I have a list made and will be applying this upcoming week if I can stay ontop of it :)

You are very right in the aspect of $ in nursing. I feel there is obviously a realistic standard, but you are correct. We shouldn't sell ourselves short. Those that take ridiculously low pay don't help the next nurses coming along. My first job I just needed a job so badly, that I took the first one I could get. A Dr's office job @ 14 an hr. The most I could have gotten is 14.50, but that's an physician's office. I felt like everything was so repetitive.... Thanks for the pep talk because if we move to FL I don't want to take another 14/hr job. We have been renting where we are now and have been here a long time and luckily rent hasn't gone up yet. But if we move, our rent will literally be 4 to 5 times as much (for what we are wanting, anyways). So I will need a good paying job. It's so bizarre how little LPNs are paid compared to northern states.

I made a profile on peoplefirst and nothing has caught my interest yet but I will be looking more diligently soon. Keep us up to date on your new job and what you think about it! I am very interested to see how you like it.

Thanks again so much for the info! I just hope everything in life works out haha- it will, it always does!

BeachBliss114 · Jun 6, 2015

So one should get paid more in a specialty ?

dream61792 · Feb 29, 2016

Does the state of Florida hire new graduates?