I've been in Florida many times to visit and now that housing is coming back to earth I am considering the move.
First my experience as a nurse. I have over 13 years experience including LTC, Emergency, Charge Nurse and Med/Sur and Tele. I have my ACLS. Currently I am on an observation unit also called decision unit where we get the ER patients to monitor pending discharge in 24 hours or admission. It is a Magnet facility with all computer charting including bar-coded meds. Basically I can hit the floor running anywhere I go.
I have a family with three small children 2-7 years old. I've been a boat owner and that is something I look forward to again. My kids love to fish and boat. My girl is into cheer leading and the boys will be ready for football, soccer and baseball this year. My wife loves to shop. Luckily she also enjoys having a job. She is a CNA, completed a medical assistant program 15 years ago and is currently working as a unit secretary.
Knowing how slow this forum can be my first question is for links to other forums for Florida nurses. I use City-Data and GreatSchools.net but getting specific info on hospitals is difficult.
My next question is regarding salary. I currently earn $41/hr doing weekend nights. My base for weekdays is $30. Basically I would need to make at least $32/hr including differentials to live comfortably. From what I've been reading that should be possible.
Now location. I have family in Venice. Englewood looks really good for us. It is near the beach and family. The schools are good. Does anyone have info about Englewood Hospital? Venice Regional? Charlotte Memorial? Fawcett Memorial? I'm interested in how they treat their nurses, patient loads, benefits and salary.
Now another consideration is the east coast. Specifically Port St Lucie, Vero Beach and Fort Pierce? What can you tell me about hospitals in that area and what the benefits, working conditions and salaries are.
Finally a question on health benefits. Do hospitals in Florida pay everything or is there always an employee co-pay?
I think you don't know too much about staff salaries in Florida. You are being paid what an Open Heart Nurse gets in a specialized Unit. You won't get above $30/hr. staff in those areas you are able to work in.
For me, I work sttaight local agency and I do contracts when I can. I have a sick Mom and cannot budge out of area. If I could, I would be home in Florida about 13 weeks or so a year. My house and car is paid for but the best way to work is to have your own insurance and go for the money.
My advice is work part time for bennies and then do either local agency or per diem in another hospital to get your salry where you need it to be.
If I could I'd be back in Calif. working travel and local agency. I have no choice right now but I'm telling you that I could do quite well with that and some ot with my main job. Right now I have no choice but to give shifts.
Personally I believe I'm worth way more than $30/hr. I won't work for crap wages so the corporate fat cats can reap all the rewards of my expertise and experience. You Florida nurses really need to get together aand form some type of association. The cost of living has gone from extremely affordable to just getting by. It's a shame as I really like Florida beaches and being a boat owner. I'd be scraping to pay my bills if I could even afford a nice boat. I prefer to live a little better than that.
I'll continue to keep an eye on Florida but i'm weighing other options. I'm typing this from Phoenix right now. I may just take a job here. $45/hr nights with double time after 36 hours. New homes cheaper than Fl. 3400 sq feet for around $300k with 3000/yr prop taxes. Low home owners insurance. Hot, hot, hot in the summer but it's a dry heat .
Thanks for the replies. Keep them coming. I am aware of insurance and tax issues. I have equity in my house and down money. I can afford the insurance and taxes but see that home prices still need to come down some more. I have done extensive research regarding the Florida housing boom and now the current bust. My main concern remains income. If I can pull in 60k a year with base and differential working 12 hour shifts I'll be OK. I figure I can add another 10 with OT and my wife can make 10-12 part-time.
Do also be aware, that while OT may be ample in "The Season", in many areas, it may be nonexistant in the off-season. You also face the possibility of frequent "low-census" call off during the off-season. While one can use their PTO, it is annoying to use for calloffs, instead of vacation.
The fact is, no matter what your experience, getting what you request will be difficult and getting consistent OT difficult, also. You can try adding some agency hours, but be aware that the hospitals down here do not staff as well as up north and the assignments not that good. Agency also dries to trickle in the summer. As nearly all of your patients are older with many comorbidities, they can be more difficult to care for with higher acuity.
What does your spouse do and has she checked the payrates in the area? As wages are low across the board in Florida, you want to investigate this issue. In addition, many nonnursing jobs show serious seasonal lags and increases that can affect her wages.
As far as Florida nurses 'getting it together", given that a disproportionate number of facilities are Forprofit, and most of our patients are medicare/medicaid (seriously poor reimbursement for very sick patients), there is little way to do so. Several times each year, generally we see similar posts to yours....usually after two or three freezes. And the same issues are brought up. Thank you for bringing it up again. Perhaps we can export all the elderly in the state back to their state of origin and get healthier ones that do't overstay medicare reimbursement, export all of the homeless that live here, because it too cold to live in say Boston (medicare/insured don't pay well), or correct any of the other myriad conditions that make Florida a state that pays nurses poorly.
Personally I believe I'm worth way more than $30/hr. I won't work for crap wages so the corporate fat cats can reap all the rewards of my expertise and experience. You Florida nurses really need to get together aand form some type of association.
ALL nurses here, especially with the nurse/patient ratio DESERVE more than $30 but most won't see it. I will tell you what a friend of mine was told when she made a similar statement to a department head.... "You might WANT $38 and hour, you might BE experienced enough (She has been a nurse for 15 years), BUT if you won't ACCEPT the $30 our facility is offering you.....there are 150+ nursing students ready to graduate who will." Yes that was what she was told. She felt degraded that her experience didn't mean squat. The only thing it meant then was that she would not find herself in the same nervous situations a nursing student grad will. She refused the job and is still looking, 6 months later, for a facility who will pay her what she feels she is worth. Sad I know but it is the reality here, at least in my area of the coast.
Personally I believe I'm worth way more than $30/hr. I won't work for crap wages so the corporate fat cats can reap all the rewards of my expertise and experience. You Florida nurses really need to get together aand form some type of association. The cost of living has gone from extremely affordable to just getting by. It's a shame as I really like Florida beaches and being a boat owner. I'd be scraping to pay my bills if I could even afford a nice boat. I prefer to live a little better than that.
I'll continue to keep an eye on Florida but i'm waying other options. I'm typing this from Phoenix right now. I may just take a job here. $45/hr nights with double time after 36 hours. New homes cheaper than Fl. 3400 sq feet for around $300k with 3000/yr prop taxes. Low home owners insurance. Hot, hot, hot in the summer but it's a dry heat .
Yep, if it's money and boating your after, there probably are better areas to consider.
I love it when people say "It's dry heat". Yeah, it's 115...it's still hot. Give me 90 with humidity!
Seriously good luck to you. Florida is still a growth state, but growing at smaller rates, so with a steady stream of new recruits wages are depressed here. But I agree, we're worth more and the pay to cost-of-living (mainly from increased insurance and taxes, as well as the general inflation the rest of the company feels, but we've been ruined by hurricanes and an out of hand real estate market) has been eroded. I sometimes scratch my head in wonder at the end of the month and ask "why am I just barely scraping by (mind you I do save at least 15%)?
As far as Florida nurses 'getting it together", given that a disproportionate number of facilities are Forprofit, and most of our patients are medicare/medicaid (seriously poor reimbursement for very sick patients), there is little way to do so. Several times each year, generally we see similar posts to yours....usually after two or three freezes. And the same issues are brought up. Thank you for bringing it up again. Perhaps we can export all the elderly in the state back to their state of origin and get healthier ones that do't overstay medicare reimbursement, export all of the homeless that live here, because it too cold to live in say Boston (medicare/insured don't pay well), or correct any of the other myriad conditions that make Florida a state that pays nurses poorly.
We'll get right on that for you..........
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Check the margins on the "for profit" hospitals. Thay are doing pretty good. The CEOs make tens of millions off of those medicare reimbursments. Don't be fooled by propaganda. There are many areas in the USA that have a majority of Medicare patients that pay 30-40% better than Florida. Also check out the per capita wealth of areas like Naples. There is a lot of money there. I've had family in Florida for over 35 years and have been there many times. I am not trying to dump on the state or the nurses. The "myriad of conditions" you refer to are multiplied many times over again in places like the South Bronx, areas of Boston, LA, DC, etc. Still, the hospitals manage to stay profitable and pay a good wage. Of course they don't pay bonuses in sunshine so I guess they can afford to pay a nurse with more money. I've found money is a lot easier to spend than sunshine.
There is a big difference between "getting it together" and get together which is what I said. I still believe that it would be of benefit for Florida nurses to try and stand together and fight for equitable compensation.
Thanks for the replies. Keep them coming. I am aware of insurance and tax issues. I have equity in my house and down money. I can afford the insurance and taxes but see that home prices still need to come down some more. I have done extensive research regarding the Florida housing boom and now the current bust. My main concern remains income. If I can pull in 60k a year with base and differential working 12 hour shifts I'll be OK. I figure I can add another 10 with OT and my wife can make 10-12 part-time.
I've seen homes that are bank owned or short sales that are listed for under 150k. I'm anticipating 2500 for insurance and 2500-3600 taxes. I've got no credit card debt and don't mind driving a used car. I just want a small used boat and to fish and hang out at the beach.
I actually have a friend who lives in Melbourne. She finished nursing school two years ago but I lost her number. I could handle 34. I wish I could contact her.
How about the James Haley VA hospital in Tampa? Their benefits package is quite nice including 5 weeks of vacation. If you work in the main hospital its double pay for holidays, if you work in one of the clinics you have holidays off since the onsite clinics are closed on holidays.
Your wife could also work there as well if she wanted, they have many different type of jobs to offer.
It has a huge and I mean HUGE patient load. However all of the clinics are going off site in about 2 years and that will free up up physical space at the hospital itself.There is a parking problem but it will self correct as the clinics go off site. The VA also offers shuttle service to and from a local mall where there is whole sections roped off for VA parking both employees and patients.
Down the street from the VA there is also University Community Hospital, Moffit Cancer center and a slew of day surgery clinics, etc. There is a pediatric surgery center next door. It's like hospital central on that side of town.
The housing market here is bust we have lots of homes in foreclosure, etc. I bet you could pick up a decent one if you play it smart.
Far as your children you could live in Plant City, Temple Terrace, Seffner, Valrico, Brandon if you would prefer for them to not be educated in certain parts of Tampa. You can look up crime stats on Hillsborough County's law enforcement website and that can help narrow down the areas to not live in. What is nice to one person is intolerable for others.
if interested in east coast i live in broward and work at memorial. great place to work, near the water, my daughter competitve cheerleading and memorial is hiring, sign on bonus $5000, email for info if you want PM me.
you could make want you want easily i think..especially at night and with your experience..
OP - the housing here in Florida is predicted to drop another 28% in the next 5 years. They will have to reform the taxes and insurance sooner or later, or average people won't be able to afford it. Heck they already can't. Yes, the taxes and insurance are still very high and have COMPLETELY outpaced inflation....but I still love it in Florida. My husband is an avid boater and would tell you to come to Florida any day!
OP - the housing here in Florida is predicted to drop another 28% in the next 5 years. They will have to reform the taxes and insurance sooner or later, or average people won't be able to afford it. Heck they already can't. Yes, the taxes and insurance are still very high and have COMPLETELY outpaced inflation....but I still love it in Florida. My husband is an avid boater and would tell you to come to Florida any day!
Mrsz1968
I am hoping that this is true because this is crazy from what I'm reading here. Are you getting this from reliable sources? Florida will be my home in a few years and I want a house in Tampa desperately!!
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LadyNASDAQ
317 Posts
I think you don't know too much about staff salaries in Florida. You are being paid what an Open Heart Nurse gets in a specialized Unit. You won't get above $30/hr. staff in those areas you are able to work in.
For me, I work sttaight local agency and I do contracts when I can. I have a sick Mom and cannot budge out of area. If I could, I would be home in Florida about 13 weeks or so a year. My house and car is paid for but the best way to work is to have your own insurance and go for the money.
My advice is work part time for bennies and then do either local agency or per diem in another hospital to get your salry where you need it to be.
If I could I'd be back in Calif. working travel and local agency. I have no choice right now but I'm telling you that I could do quite well with that and some ot with my main job. Right now I have no choice but to give shifts.