Janetkaye

It's hard getting a job in FL. Especially in Polk County. I think Ocala is in Marion County. My husband and I moved to Florida 5 years ago. I have job hunted for 3 of those years without luck. I don't want bedside nursing anymore. I have done that for over 30 years. I have a master's degree which I think hurts me. I have a lot of experience in HH, acute care, care management, clinical educator, with a speciality in Pulmonary and Anticoagulation. It seems like hospitals (yes, some hospitals have lots of job openings for MA) and doctor offices want MAs or LPNs. MA jobs are in demand where I live. Maybe I am being picky, but I get a sinking feeling when I think about going back to work at bedside. I think I need to stay away from that. I want to continue nursing and have been self contracting in my community doing things a HH nurse would do but without pay. I want to keep my skills active. It seems like jobs are hard to come by here in FL. I ran into a dental hygienist who works as a cashier for Lowe's now because she could not get a job after months of searching door-to-door and on-line. She lives in Polk County too. She had 20 years dental experience and moved to FL from CA. It seems like it's just hard to get a job in FL unless you got your education here or grew up here. You definitely need to know someone to help you get a job. Connections are very important. I don't really know what the expectations are for nurses or healthcare here in FL...I can't seem to figure out what institutions, etc are looking for. If you have a little age on you, it's even harder. There is age discrimination. I know I have felt devalued, unimportant, and rejected as a nurse here in FL. Some agencies pay $18.00/hr for HH nurses. The wage, at least in Polk County, stinks for nurses. I made more than that wage in the early 90s. I like FL but the job situation in central FL is not good. I have had interviews, both phone and face to face, but no job offers. I took MSN off my resume, lowered my salary expectations, and still nothing has helped. The longer I am out of work, the harder it will be to get re-employed. I told my husband it might be worthwhile to get my NP but he says, good luck with that ...you will be 2 years older and if you can't get a job with the experience and education you have, why do you think you can get a job as a NP? I don't have the finances to go back anyway to get the post graduate certification. It's hard for older nurses to get employment. Nursing requires so much more than just a nursing degree. I have learned that certifications are a must. Experience with business, accounting, computer informatics, good writing skills, data entry, etc. is important to excel in the nursing field. I see all this in my job searches. I have also concluded that a BSN with a certification will give you more luck at finding a job than a MSN. Maybe I am being cynical but with 3 years of job searching and looking at requirements for nurses, this is what I have learned. It might just be here in the South, particularly in my area. I know in VA where I had my career, MSN was a requirement for some jobs in hospitals and academia, of course. So good luck. I hope you have found a job already.