Miserable in my NICU, hate Orlando, need suggestions!!!

Gompers, BSN, RN · Sep 29, 2005

There are lots of great NICUs out there, all over the country.

What kind of place do you want to live in? Do you mind cold and snow? Or do you prefer heat? Do you like the plains, the ocean, the mountains? Do you have any family that you want to move near?

Off the bat, I'd suggest California. Better weather than Florida. Every kind of terrain - desert, mountain, ocean - plus every kind of town, from huge like L.A. to tiny small towns further out in the state. Plus with the safe staffing laws you are sure to have better experiences with patient assignments.

BlueYYsRN · Sep 29, 2005

Kristina,

OMG! Take a deep breath girl...

Where would you like to go? Like you said its a big country. It definately sounds like you need a change. Being miserable with your job and with where you live probably means you are miserable most the time. It would be very hard to suggest someplace without knowing what you are looking for.

prmenrs, RN · Sep 29, 2005

I would think Step 1 would be to make a list of all possible places you [both] think might be good in which to live. Then start w/places that have NICUs, places that have reasonably priced housing (that eliminates SoCal!), places that have climate you can deal with places w/recreational opportunities, don't forget religious affiliation....and so on. When you have a list of 5-10 (or less), make field trips (a weekend or so), look on line for the local newspaper, see if you have any friends in that area and what they say. In other words, start evaluating further. When the choice is narrowed to ?3-4, try interviewing. Try to pick a place that has more than one NICU, so if one doesn't float your boat, there's an option w/o a major relocation.

Those are my suggestions. Sorry you're so miserable! :flowersfo :icon_hug:

ladylynx · Sep 29, 2005

Okay, to put it simply, I am BEGGING you for ideas, and am willing to listen to anyone who has a moment to suggest something to help.
I am absolutely, positively miserable. We moved to Orlando a year ago and I hate it.
Hate the city (for various reasons: no personality, same chain stores and restaurants on every corner, too many suburbs spread out too far, housing SUCKS and is COMPLETELY overpriced for my salary, just as hot as where we came from AND it rains OFTEN and gets muggy and gross, not close enough to the beach to make up for it, etc.).
Hate the hospital (for various reasons: horrid management who doesn't give a crap about ANY complaint, staff hates their jobs and are bitter and rude and it shows in their work and spend all shift complaining about how horrible it is but are too beaten down to do anything, care for the babies suffers because of these and other reasons, docs don't agree with each other and this causes babies to "suffer" as a result, pay is PATHETIC at 19-21/hr for 4-6 years of experience, work you to death and give you babies who should be 1:1 or 2:1 on a 3 baby assignment, training is a joke- every nurse does her own thing and, again, overall quality suffers- I'm trying to be DIPLOMATIC here, if you know what I mean- etc. etc. etc. Dirty unit, cluttered, no one CARES, staff says nothing has changed in 20 years, yadayadayada, people call in sick all the time and no one does a thing about it but complain, travel nurses say the hospital is the worst they've EVER been in, they're risking their licenses, not coming back, etc.etc.).
I need your help. I just am beside myself. I have been trying to make this work, but, aside from meeting a couple of really nice co-workers, the rest is terrible and I can't do it anymore. I LOVE working in the NICU, lovelovelove it. I would, however, as a last resort, move to something else (and trust me, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO DO THAT; it's move to something else or quit nursing altogether- my absolute last two choices).
I had a dream, which I thought would be fairly simple, given determination and hard work, to make come true. All I wanted was a nice place to live- nice town, small or large, whatever- some place with pride and personality and not just another series of Old Navy's and Wal-Mart's and just some generic "You Could Be Anywhere" town. Or at least, a nice "neighborhood" that is part of a bigger city or something. City, country, I didn't care- I'd make it work. Somewhere we could actually afford to buy a house or condo/apt within reasonable driving distance to the hospital. A tiny yard so our dog had room to run, or nice park nearby, perhaps an extra room for a child later on, some sort of family (which we've hoped for but haven't physically been able to produce, unfortunately).
I really, really wanted to find a nice hospital/unit. One that I could really make a difference on, one that did things that were actually good for the babies, one that strove to improve developmentally, one that appreciated its hardworking staff, one that I could settle in to and make friends and not have to job hop all over the place. ONE WITH PAY THAT ACTUALLY LET YOU AFFORD TO LIVE THERE, instead of Orlando, which pays you 20+/- bucks an hour but in which, for example, a one bedroom apartment in a ten year old building that got new siding and a new name and sign was now going for $200K. Or if you want to buy a new/slightly newer home in a decent area you wouldn't have to pay $240K for generic looking stuccoed crap with no yard and a zero lot line with your windows two feet away from your neighbor's windows and some ridiculous homeowner's association charging you $300 a month to tell you that your lawn is the wrong kind of seed and you'll have to redo it or be fined some more. There is so much wrong with this place.
Tell me, someone, tell me that you've seen something better. Are you there now? Did you have to move but were heartbroken? Is this possible? I know, I just know, deep in my heart, that we can't all be living like this. I am willing to move ANYWHERE to make this happen. The country is big, and I've barely seen any of it. Hubby is ready to pack up and drive us out of here, if we could only figure out where to go.
I used to moderate this forum with Sandy, and I know that everyone here is super-helpful, and so I am asking you to please let me know, if you happen to think of it: Where would you suggest? What have been your experiences? I'm desperate. Honest.
Sincerely,
Kristina

I see I am not the only one. I just left December 2004, after visiting Georgia during one of the hurricanes passing through Florida...I decided to leave. My next choice would have been Nashville, TN. I am much happier although even Georgia is in a class by itself, but at least it is overflowing with opportunity. I lived in Orlando for 3 years and St. Cloud for 1 year. After 1 year in a house in St. Cloud I sold my house with a profit of $27,000 (after paying both Realtors). I too found central Florida rediculously "overpriced and underpaid" and my children hated it also. Even having to pay for those crazy toll roads was draining our pockets.

I realize this does not answer your question, but even 3 other ladies moved here right after I did and I hear more from the Orlando Hospital where I worked and are moving out of Florida. Just remember the stress of unhappiness is never good for oneself or the family. There are too many of us nurses in the Psych Units already. Good luck.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Sep 29, 2005

I just did a clinical in NICU (loved it) and the nurses here couldn't have been nicer or happier. They all got along, and they were very kind to us students-even though there were 3 nursing students, and 1 RT student. I live in AZ, but it's a little hot (no humidity!!!) during the summer. Winters are awesome. The cost of living is a little high, but not as bad as you've described in Florida.

dawngloves, BSN, RN · Sep 30, 2005

Well thank Goodness you left New Orleans is all I can say, no matter how much Orlando sucks!

Definatly figure out where you want to go first. I don't know if this'll help, but here's a quiz to get you started:

http://cityculture.org/test.php

Now, I've worked a few different places and have come to realize there is no perfect place. There is always something or someone to aggravate you. If there is a Shangrala of hospitals I'd love to hear about it! But obvioulsy there are places that should be run away from and it sounds like you are there.

All this said, have you considered coming up here to work with me?? :)

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Sep 30, 2005

Well thank Goodness you left New Orleans is all I can say, no matter how much Orlando sucks!
Definatly figure out where you want to go first. I don't know if this'll help, but here's a quiz to get you started:
http://cityculture.org/test.php
Now, I've worked a few different places and have come to realize there is no perfect place. There is always something or someone to aggravate you. If there is a Shangrala of hospitals I'd love to hear about it! But obvioulsy there are places that should be run away from and it sounds like you are there.
All this said, have you considered coming up here to work with me?? :)

Cool! I did that test and it picked the city I live in now!

tinygeezers · Oct 5, 2005

I got out of Orlando about a year ago and truely love it here in my new town, but realize that again not all Nicus are created alike or equally. I joke that the altitude must be why the babies are treated differently here but some of it is good and some improvements could be made. Seems like the comfort zone is "because we have always done it that way" more than ever. I found Orlando to be friendlier due to everyone being transplants where as here most grew up in the same town they live currently. G lad to have gotten out of Orlando but realize this aint manna from heaven either.

Ps Its fall here and it only October, what a novel idea. In Orlando fall is 2 days in Jan. when the trees get offend because the temp has dropped below 60.

tinygeezers · Oct 6, 2005

oh and another thought, try changing rooms in the NICU, worked for me for a little while til we just had to get out all together.

imenid37 · Oct 6, 2005

My best friend from nursing school has lived in Orlando for about 15 years. Not me. WAAAAAYYY too hot! I have feeling she's at the same places you, but on mother-baby. How about central PA? It does get cold here, but the cost of living is low. We have several NICU's in our area that are level III Hershey Medical Centre (has an NNP education program onsite), Pinncale Health-Harrisburg Hospital, Women and Babies-Lancaster General, York Hospital, and Holy Spirit (small, but level II I think). Further north there is Geisinger Medical Centre which is a large rural teaching hospital. The cost of living there is even lower. I live in a small town about 50 miles from Baltimore. We can go to Balto. Oor DC in 1.5-2 hours, but can mostly leave our doors unlocked. Heck many of my neighbours even work in the Baltimore area where salaries are actually quite good if you don't mind the drive. I hope you find something that suits you better. Life is too short to be miserable. Try these websites:

http://www.wellspan.org

http://www.geisinger.org

http://www.pinnaclehealth.org

http://www.lha.org

http://www.hsh.org

http://www.hmc.psu.edu

KK7724 · Oct 7, 2005

Man,

I am reading this post and it is becoming more and more apparent the road I have ahead of me as a military wife.....an officer's wife, I'll add. Oh yeah--he's making a career out of it! Well, that being said, I went to 4 long hard years of Nursing school and I'm working in a regional Level III NICU and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!! The pay is good! I'm making $22/hr on days as a new grad! Nights will be $27! Well, our next assignment is Charleston, South Carolina....okay, so I'm thinking cool...I'll probably get paid more. I live in Alabama that lowest paid state for nurses, right?? WRONG!!! There is only one Level III in Charleston and the pay for an experienced RN starts at $20.05!!!!! Of course, the husband is like...okay. I'm like...You don't understand!!! I'm expected to go from a hospital where we do everything!! We change our vent settings based on our blood gases, we intubate our own babies, some of our Neonatologists don't even look at our kids! They listen to what we say and ask us what they need! So, I have to go from this great first experience, to a hospital that is different and that expects me to do the same hard work for less pay. That sucks!