Making the Move to Florida

Jen1228 · Nov 5, 2007

I am also an RN that recently moved to FL from TN. Welcome! I applied at about 6 nursing homes and got call backs for interviews from 4. (Ultimately I chose to go with a hospital because I am a new grad). In TN, nearly every LTC facility had rehab, which is where the RNs mainly worked. Here, all the LTC facilities I have visited do not have a rehab unit. They put the rehab patients in with the LTC patients. Most do not really have a skilled nursing section either, which is what I was looking for. No IVs, wound vacs, etc. I don't think you will have a problem finding work in LTC, at least not in the panhandle. I only went to one nursing home that did not put RNs on a med cart due to budget issues. Another thing, all the hospitals around here have their own LTC facilities with acute care and rehab, they seem to want RNs more than LPNs. Hope this helps and good luck!

indigo girl · Nov 5, 2007

Thanks Jen, that was helpful, and gives me more of a realistic picture.

I appreciate the response very much.

indigo

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 6, 2007

Around here they only use RNs in LTC as DON's and other supervisors, not taking care of patients. LPNs rule that roost here. LPNs are even charge nurses. Those more advanced places like Skilled Nursing Facilities only need one RN q24hours.

No, not all LTC facilities have rehab.

indigo girl · Nov 6, 2007

Around here they only use RNs in LTC as DON's and other supervisors, not taking care of patients. LPNs rule that roost here. LPNs are even charge nurses. Those more advanced places like Skilled Nursing Facilities only need one RN q24hours.
No, not all LTC facilities have rehab.

Thanks for the reply, Tweety.

LPNs are charge nurses up north also, but most of our roles are interchangeable.

There does have to be an RN in the house every shift in most of New England, and that is usually the supervisor. Most LTC up here include skilled and rehab care.

OK. So life is going to be different down there. Looks like a specialty change

or going back to an old one, and no agency work for awhile, meaning a further

drop in income.

Ending a long term relationship sure has a lot of consequences. I know

things have got to get better, since they sure can't get much worse. Starting

over is never easy. And this little surprise was not a welcome one, but

better to know before I get there...

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 8, 2007

Good luck ig, I know how it is to move and start over...been there and done that a couple of times.

indigo girl · Nov 9, 2007

Good luck ig, I know how it is to move and start over...been there and done that a couple of times.

Thanks, Tweety. I know it will all work out eventually, and I will be better

off once I am out of here.

I am doing online searches now to find a home in the area. So many options, my head is spinning...

Hard to plan when I don't know exactly where I will be working either.

But, I am sure that somebody will want to hire me, LOL.

58flyer · Nov 9, 2007

Best of luck to you indigo, both in your personal and professional life. I would be happy to answer any questions you have about Florida. Been here a long time.

untamable07 · Nov 21, 2007

Best of luck to you indigo, both in your personal and professional life. I would be happy to answer any questions you have about Florida. Been here a long time.

Are you in Gainesville? If so what't the salary for graduate RN's?

nurz2be · Nov 21, 2007

I am in the Melbourne area if I can help anyone track information down. I am a nursing student but I have a lot of contacts in the medical industry. (Melbourne is 45 east of Orlando on the coast and about 2 hours south of Daytona). There are 3 seasons here in Florida, Hot, Hotter, and HOTTEST. We are in hot mode now. It was nice for about 2 weeks recently and it is heating back up again. Throw away your snow gear and buy a bikini, LOL.

In a lot of areas the housing market is horrendous. There are a lot of foreclosures due to the influx of people and builders who got WAY to excited when building. It is not a sellers market right now. Housing prices have tumbled dramatically in the last 1-2 years. Just be sure you shop around and find the deal you are prepared to live with for awhile, because it is TERRIBLY hard right now to sell.

The hospitals and most LTC in my area love new grads. The cost of living is a little high here, that depends also on where you are coming from. If I can be of any assistance holler at me (I am from Oklahoma) and I will see what I can do.

GOOD LUCK on your new exciting moves....

cooblu · Nov 24, 2007

I wonder if any of you could clarify something for me. I am moving to
Florida in about 2 months. My agency, which is a national one, has an
office down there. They are telling me that I will not be able to work in
LTC because I am an RN. Is this true?
They did say that I could work in Rehab facilities. Now, where I currently
work, most LTC facilities do rehab. Is this different in Florida?
I would appreciate your thoughts. If I need to make a specialty change
as well as a big move in location, I guess I'll just have to bite the bullet,
and get on with it.
Thanks for any reply,
indigo

indigo in florida you are as unique as anyonelse - meaning everone in florida is from somewherelse. now in ltc (in which florida is God's waiting room) you may work until you too are a patient in ltc...and then maybe. .true most of the ltcs are staffed by lpns, but the facility must have an rn, as the state requirements mandate that accessments (required periodic and prn) must be done per rn. if this your desire the opportunities are there, get a newspaper for whichever location your interested and use discretion. god be with you.

indigo girl · Nov 24, 2007

indigo in florida you are as unique as anyonelse - meaning everone in florida is from somewherelse. now in ltc (in which florida is God's waiting room) you may work until you too are a patient in ltc...and then maybe. .true most of the ltcs are staffed by lpns, but the facility must have an rn, as the state requirements mandate that accessments (required periodic and prn) must be done per rn. if this your desire the opportunities are there, get a newspaper for whichever location your interested and use discretion. god be with you.

Thanks for the info. I have been looking at the classifieds online, and I see that

I can be on staff in an LTC. The difference is that those facilities will not

use agency RNs, but will use agency LPNs. Therefore, if I choose to stay in

LTC, I must go on staff or be part of a facilities per diem pool, not a terrible

situation, just limits some of my options and limits income somewhat more than

just the move to Florida would cause.

I can see that Florida truly is "God's waiting room" given the numbers of elderly

that reside there. Good point!

Actually, I am not from away. I was born in Tampa, and have been "away"

a very long time.

One of the other issues that I have with moving down there is that I have no

idea which areas of Tampa/St. Pete are safe areas to live in. I have hired

some folks to advise me about finding a rental, but I am having less than

stellar help from this group. Trying to do things online is difficult, but I am

doing the best that I can. I just do not want to take the time to come down

first and have to come back up here given my home situation. Can you

tell that I am stressed? Nothing worse than having to live with your ex while

waiting for the license and trying to make decisions from afar.

I believe that it will all work out in the end. In the meantime, I will survive

(sing it Gloria Gaynor!). I can not wait for this to be over...

It can't be soon enough!