Orlando Area Hospitals

KetuUCF · Oct 17, 2008

Florida Hospital new GNs start at $21.20 per hour and Orlando Health new GNs start at $21.45 per hour (this doesn't include differentials for working evening or the weekends), I know because I got offers to work at both hospitals. I decided to take the offer at Orlando Health, specifically Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies because it pays a little bit more and it's closer to my home in Kissimmee.

KetuUCF:heartbeat

flomichrn · Oct 17, 2008

cost of living in the orlando area is as expensive as it in the midwest. most people think that its cheaper to live in florida, the costs have skyrocketed in the last 4 years. food prices are the same. housing prices are the same as the midwest. the wages for the professional nurse in central florida are abominable and a disgrace!! here in central florida, you can count on making $13 to $15 less an hour than your midwestern counterparts. expect to have fewer paid holidays than your contemporaries in the midwest as well, 5 for arnold palmer /winnie palmer hospitals as an example. be prepared to use your own personal time off. i can't understand the belief that using your own personal time off is a paid holiday, but there it is. once you've been employed for 3 to 5 years depending on the hospital you can expect a matching program for your retirement account, about 4-6% for every dollar you put in.

the traffic conditions have been touched on as well. keep in mind, that since katrina, and a huge influx of people to the warmer weather, orlando is also beset by a rise in criminal activity in these last 4 years.

if you don't mind commuting, then living in a surrounding bedroom community might be the answer for you. if you have children,be sure and check the school system where you want to relocate. florida schools are not good, but some of the burbs are doing much better.

good luck on your decision for relocation.:)

untamable07 · Oct 19, 2008

Does anyone know the shift differential for Winnie Palmer/Orlando Health? Also how many hospitals do they run? What are the working conditions and do they have supporitive staff? Any tuition reimbursement, sign on bonuses?

9livesRN, BSN, RN · Oct 22, 2008

I have been living in orlando for the past 5 years, let me tell you what i think:

- i first moved here and lived in an apartment in the milenia area. crime is terible there even though it is not cheap!

-then i moved to kissimmee, where traffic is a pain and not as calm as it used to be

NOW- i moved to Davenport FL i live in a gated community on a 4 master bedrooms house with a pool which i share with roomates and the rent is 1300 a month for a brand new home safe and in a calm community.

although the house and neighborhood is great i have to commute 50 minutes to my school from davenport to winterpark(will graduate next year) and then i work until 12.30 am, and comute another 50 mins back home.

i was hating orlando due to the crime, disrespect and high prices of everything, plus international drive was the spot to be robed, and home invasions were making the news everyday.

there are great areas here though, like davenport/ waterford/ apopka/oviedo/winter ssprings/ and so on.. but to live "safe" you have to somewhat comute! (in case you cant afford something nice nearby)

now that i live "outside" and just drive to winterpark i don't mind it.

you can learn the traffic patterns of orlando TIPS

DO NOT MERGE ON I-4 EAST BOUND BETWEEN 730-8 AM BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING TO BE STUCK by orange blossom trail and will take you a good 20 minutes, so get on it before or after those crazzy 30 mins.

do not take 408 west bound at that same time, or you will expect delays... and so on and so forth...

you get used to the pattern and can get arround it by getting where you want a little early (will save gas by not being stuck on traffic)

i don't know much about the pay yet since i am still in school, and once i pass the board i will move to tampa!!!

PureLifeRN · Oct 22, 2008

I lived in Orlando for 2 years and thought it was an "ok" place to live, although too far away from the coast for me! Wherever you choose to work, just make sure you live close and dont have to take toll roads. The toll $ really adds up! I never had problems with traffice because there werent too many people out at 6:15 in the am! Florida Hospital is good, but each campus is TOTALLY different so it's hard to generalize. Pt to nurse ratio on med-tele is 1:6, PCU 1:4, ICU 1:1 or 2. Heard good things about ORMC but they pay less for new grads (but not too much).

untamable07 · Oct 23, 2008

ok thanks for all your advice!! I don't graduate until May but I'm considering all my options.

KetuUCF · Oct 23, 2008

PureLifeRN, Florida Hospital actually pays less than ORMC. FL Hospital is offering new GNs $21.20 per hour and ORMC/Orlando Health is offering $21.45 per hour. Plus the diffferential at ORMC is more as well, it's 8.00 added when an RN works nights, whereas at FL Hospital it's a percentage of 15% to 18% of your base pay.

-KetuUCF:heartbeat

untamable07 · Oct 23, 2008

Does anyone know the details of ORMC or FLA Hospital's benefits: health insurance, vacation, 401k, etc. Also, do they pay you for 40 hours or 36 hours?

KetuUCF · Oct 23, 2008

Full-time variable at ORMC is three 12 hour shifts, which means you're paid 36 hours every week or 72 hours each two weeks. Whereas being just full-time is working 80 hours every to weeks or 40 hours each week. At FL Hospital you can work 36 or 40 hours per week, just depends on the position you accept and how many hours the unit needs you to fill. I just got my paperwork for my benefits at ORMC and they offer a PPO and an HMO. On my unit at Winnie, my manager said once I accrue PTO(paid time off) I can take a week or two weeks off in about six months. At FL Hospital you can accrue PDO(paid days off is how they call it) as well, and you're eligible to use it the first full pay period after your 91st day on employment. But keep in mind other nurses maay have seniorirty to take the actual days off ahead of you. Earlier I said that FL GNs were starting at 21.20, I was wrong. I am getting this from my GN paperwork from FL Hospital, it's actually 21.44, but I denied the offer and took the one at ORMC which is 21.45. At FL Hospital, all full-time employees are required to take off 136 hours (approx. 17 eight-hr days) before the end of the payroll year to year. FL Hospitals insurance plan has a Plan A and a Plan B for health insurance. Plan A doesn't have a deductible and is more expensive it's 32.97 bi-weekly for the employee only and 11.16 bi-weekly for Plan B which has a 500 deductible per covered person/1000 per family per year. They also offer Dental insurance, Vision insurance, & short term and long term disability, life insurance, cancer & other diseases insurance, and a flexible spending account for medical, dependent care-daycare, and adoption assistance. For retirement they contribute 2.6% of your wages to retirement account following the end of the calendar year. The Adventist Health System will also match 50% of the first 4% of wages you contribute to the AHRP (Adventist Health Retirement Plan). The plan's vesting requirement is 5 years of vesting service. If you want more info call the benefits service center at 407-767-6990 or 1866-289-6990.

Going back to ORMC the HMO is 26.99 bi weekly (Employee only) if you make 30,000 to 60,000 per yr. The PPO is 44.56 bi weekly (Employee only). The Dental PPO that has a $25 deductible is 6.14 bi weekly for employee only. The Dental PPO with a $50 deductible is 12.43 bi weekly for employee only. The Dental HMO is 6.95 bi-weekly, no deductibles. They also offer a Vision plan, Life Insurance, a Retirement Savings Plan (6 year vesting) and will match $.50 on the dollar up to your contribution of 6%. Under the PTO plan at ORMC, you decide with approval from your supervisor, when and how you will use your PTO hours, like I mentioned above on my unit. ORMC also offer Short & Long Term Disability, Pharmacy plan, and a Flex Spending account: a healthcare flexible spending account and a dependent daycare flexible spending account. If you want more info call the benefits office at 321-841-8623.

Hope this helps!

-KetuUCF:heartbeat

PureLifeRN · Oct 24, 2008

PureLifeRN, Florida Hospital actually pays less than ORMC. FL Hospital is offering new GNs $21.20 per hour and ORMC/Orlando Health is offering $21.45 per hour. Plus the diffferential at ORMC is more as well, it's 8.00 added when an RN works nights, whereas at FL Hospital it's a percentage of 15% to 18% of your base pay.
-KetuUCF:heartbeat

Sorry! When I applied a 2 years ago, Fl Hosp was offering more. :nurse:

untamable07 · Oct 26, 2008

Yes all that information was great. Has anyone ever declined benefits because they were covered by their spouse? How much more did the employer offer?