milkshake1

I am a school nurse in Florida and I love my job. It is challenging, but worth every second of it. Currently Escambia County which is Pensacola has a nurse in every school. As I understand it, we are one of the only counties in Florida with this type of comprehensive school nursing. All our nurses are RNs with at least an ADN. Many are BSN nurses, which I believe is really vital to this type of nursing. What part of Florida are you looking to move. We have the Naval Air Station here in Pensacola, so this might be a good spot for you. Amy

Some hospitals offer nurse extern positions after you have completed your first year of nursing school. I found a local hospital offerred this position and I worked one summer in between the 1st and 2nd year of my ADN program. You do basically the same thing as a patient care tech, but get paid better and the hospital is banking on the fact you might work for them after you finish your degree. I don't know what part of FL you live in, but check into that once you start your program.

I have two children and started school when my first son was 10 months old. I had my second son in the middle of my ADN program. I am about to finish my BSN in 3 weeks (yeah!), but must admit my husband has been a wonderful team player. He helps with everything. My kids love the fact that we both take care of them and have really divided the chores, etc. It can work with a good support system. Good luck!

I am about to graduate with my BSN from a RN to BSN online program at the University of South Alabama. It took me 3 semesters to finish this program and has been wonderful. My clinical component was one of my choosing, so it is a field I am interested in. Like the previous post, I had to complete a health assessment class which required a full head to toe assessment on my husband. I videotaped it and the instructor grades it based on each system and the required criteria. I also had to complete a teaching project which was a lot of fun. Overall this program has been easier than getting my RN. I think you will find many of the online RN to BSN programs are less stressful than ADN programs. Good luck! Amy;)

Here in Florida the average dayshift salary is about $17.00 per hour. I was looking into jobs in GA and several hospitals in North Georgia start floor RNs at $19.00. This doesn't count experience, but it is still better than Florida. The one good thing FL has going for it is no state tax.

I love being a nurse. Floor nursing wasn't for me, but I have been working as a school nurse and love it. I agree with others who stated there are so many options in nursing. I enjoy knowing my work has a purpose, I can sleep at night. That is one of the many reasons I love being a nurse.

I completely understand how you feel. I have been a nurse for two years. I finished my ADN in May of 2005, worked for 6 months and then started back toward my BSN. I am graduating in about 3 weeks with my BSN. I am so proud of myself, but it has been challenging. I have two small children, work full time and go to school. I knew if I got away from school for too long, it would be hard to go back. Think about taking at least six months to get settled in your new role, then look into starting your BSN. You will be amazed at how much you learn in six months of floor work. Good luck! Amy;)

I am about to finish my BSN online at the end of July 2007. I am also working toward my MSN online and find the course work very managable. I am amazed at how easy the workload is compared to my ADN program. So for those of you who are not sure if continuing your education is worth it, it is definitely worth it in my opinion. I have two small children, so having access to class 24/7 made life so much better. Any thoughts!