Married couple with several years of nursing experience relocating to Florida

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Hello,

My husband and I are both registered nurses with several years of experience. We would like to relocate to Florida but are wondering if we would have a problem securing employment once we arrive. We have tried reaching out to facilities in Florida and have even applied for some jobs but we aren't receiving any responses. We would be taking a chance relocating without jobs in place. I think we would be fine but I am not 100% certain. We already have Florida licenses. Any input would be much appreciated.

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What city do you plan moving to?

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West palm beach

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I'm not sure in West Palm area but I live in Jacksonville and there's a lot here. Baptist, Mayo, St. Vincent's, Flagler Hospital. I believe Orlando has a lot of jobs as well. Not only limited to hospital jobs but a lot of rn jobs from skilled facilities.:yes:

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Okay, thank you

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Keep looking.. Florida is coming up on "season" when the state is inundated with "snow bird's" from up North looking for warm weather and safe driving conditions. A lot of hospitals will pay relocation bonuses if you sign a contract. I know this is very true on the West Coast of Florida and image it would be similar on the East Coast. Good luck!

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Thank you. That's nice to know.

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My advice, from having lived and worked in Florida for almost 20 yrs, is you both need to be licensed in Florida before applying and with the job market as tight as it is, maybe already living there..another option is to be licensed and go travel agency to get your foot in the door where or near where you want to live. If you aren't currently licensed in Florida or live there already it's going to be tough, unless you have advanced degrees and certifications, to get a response as the job market is flooded.

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Thank you. We are both already licensed in Florida. I have a BS in nursing my husband an Associates. He is completing his BSN.

I was thinking our not living in the area is actually hurting our chances of getting responses. We have discussed traveling.

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Many hospitals in Florida hire only BSNs that may be some of the issue w/your husband not hearing back - LTC and home health will hire AD RN's...I think the biggest reason you aren't hearing anything is because you don't already live in Florida...There are a "ton" of nurses in the state so applicants are easy for hospitals to pick from locally & like everywhere the job market is tough... If you have the experience (many agencies require 2 plus years and recent hospital experience) traveling would be a good way to get your foot in the door in the area of Florida you want to live and also give you an opportunity to check out the hospitals..many times a travel nurse who does well is offered a permanent position - traveling would be a good way to do that. I don't know w/your husband having the AD RN if that would hinder him from hospital work but agencies also staff home health. Good luck but again, I think it's just you not living there that is the issue.

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Thank you. There are job postings for Florida that are willing to hire ADN'S from what we can see. Florida currently has thousands of postings for RN positions. At this time I am wondering if the is a lack of experienced nurses in the state regardless of education level.....just wondering.

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Specializes in ICU.

You will definitely find work here, though the West Palm/Miami area is the most saturated area in the state. I would look into taking a travel contract first- that way you have some time to make money while you look for a permanent job and settle in.

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