phoenix-

It took about a month. I didn't have to mail anything in. Everything was electronic, including CEUs and fingerprints (which I got done by finding a FieldPrint satellite.) Good luck!

You know, everyone warned me against HCA without giving an actual reason why aside from some outdated complaints I found online. I ended up going against the consensus. I work for St. Pete Gen now and I have yet to encounter a problem. No one seems that unusually unhappy. Pay and staffing are union-maintained and decent compared to the area. From what I'm seeing, there is good potential for growth, specially considering HCA has a pretty strong foothold in this area. I work with a lady who also transfered from NY. Fair warning, the pay in FL is significantly less. I transfered from Vegas myself and had to roll with a paycut. I don't have an actually number for you right now but I can probably find my union booklet and give you one when I get home. St. Pete and Tampa are inundated with hospitals, so you shouldn't have trouble finding work with agencies or as PD/float pool, specially with your experience. Good luck!

Hi, everyone. I could really use your assistance and advice. I am planning to relocate to another state and have been applying since I received my license. I received an offer letter via email from a hospital on the 13th. As usual, there was that dreaded line: "Your offer is contingent upon successful completion of our pre−employment screening process." On the same day, I received a request "to complete my information", ie., SSN, DOB, etc. On the 20th, a representative from HR contacted me with instructions to complete a Pre-Check form. The next day, the same HR representative contacted to finalize my medical appointments, orientation dates and start date. Here's the trouble. If I am to make it to FL in time for my scheduled appointments and orientation, I have to put in my two-week's notice next week. The only thing I worry about with regards to bg checks is that I did not mention a four-month nursing job I had on my online application because I didn't feel it mattered. I know it's not customary to call the future employee when pre-employment checks are done, but i wish there was a way to be sure this opportunity will not suddenly be taken from me, mostly because I'm moving across the country and can't afford to not have a job. I know people have done this kind of move before, and I am lucky to have a job lined up while others don't get that kind of privilege, but I suppose I need to hear others' stories, good or bad, that are similar to mine and how you all survived it, because this will be my very first major move on my own and I'm quite nervous. What are your thoughts? Do you think it will be okay for me to put in my two-weeks' notice? Am I overthinking things? I'm a little inexperienced with the hiring process within the nursing world, having only done this for the past year and a half. I could really use the advice of those wiser and more seasoned nurses out there. Thank you so much in advance.

Hi. I'm in the process of moving from Vegas to FL. If you really want to come here, I say get a license and start applying. LTAC Hospitals like Horizon and Kindred would be good places to get some acute care experience. You might even try applying for their ICUs. In addition there are many STACs here in Vegas that you might try applying to. The job market is iffy, and STACS are harder to get into without starting at MedSurg, but with more than two years of experience, you have an advantage. Just follow the common sense rules: research, don't quit or move, without locking down a job, and keep in mind that Vegas changes its face as you turn from tourist to local. Then again that applies to all new places, so if you're like me and consider yourself to be adequately prepared to start somewhere new, I say just go for it. Good luck! :)

Hi, everyone. Thanks for the responses! :) I got my license approximately three weeks after sending my application, including all requirements, electronically, so yay! I've been applying to jobs since. I'm in dialogue with St. Pete Gen (specifically in PCU) and Bayfront. Does anyone have an opinion on either facility?

Hi, guys. I used Fieldprint (Fieldprint Fingerprinting, Serving Florida - Home). They have livescan equipment all over the country that services FL. I didn't need hard cards. Everything was electronic, in addition the picture. I'm just waiting for everything to get processed now. I submitted my application towards the end of March.

... of Tampa/St. Pete's/Clearwater Hospitals I'm sure this has been covered over and over again, but I would love a 2013 version, as we all know the flimsiness of our dynamic professional world. So give it to me, ladies and gentlemen. I am moving from Las Vegas to Florida within a couple of months with one year of Med-Surg/Telemetry experience in an LTAC Hospital, plus-minus a couple of months depending on the offers I get. After sending out some feelers, I've already got a couple of permanent placement/agency bites, so let's cross our fingers and toes that this won't be as scary of a professional move as it already is a personal one. (Yes, I'm being optimistic about this). I'm already painfully aware of the inevitable pay cut. As this move is driven by love, I'll just have to bite the bullet on that one. So what do I wanna know? 1. Whatever you have on your acute care hospitals, short-term or long-term! IASIS vs. Baycare vs. Kindred vs. HCA vs. Others. What do you love? What do you hate? What makes you wanna scream and cry and just set the entire place on fire for? 2. I want Critical Care, preferably Cardiovascular or Trauma, with possible venture into ED in a few years. With the market being the way it is, I thank my kind deities every day that I even got an acute care job almost as soon as I graduated. So don't get me wrong, I will transfer within my company if I have to (because this move is non-negotiable), but I would much rather go into critical care within a large STAC with a solid Trauma/CV center where I can at least see a clear path towards my goal. Do I have a chance in hell of achieving this with my one year of experience? Should I even waste my time gearing my CL/Resume to these hospitals/positions? And if so, which hospitals should I be targeting? 3. A little OT but what's up with this Endorsement?! x.X I submitted the application electronically. How do I know if they've received the rest (Electronic fingerprint, NurSys verification, CEU)? Do I get a deficiency notice? What are your endorsement experiences? 4. Has anyone else made this move from Vegas to Tampa? Thoughts? Thank you in advance everyone! ^_^

The title says it all. I will be moving from Las Vegas to Tampa/St. Pete's, FL in a few months. My endorsement license is in the works (I hear it takes a month or two, so I have some time) and I've already started sending out feelers. Almost immediately, I get calls from permanent placement agencies, which got me thinking about all the little decisions I have to make before June rolls around. June is the magic mark. I would be hitting my one year of Med-Surg-Tele experience plus a few odd months as charge nurse at a SNF. I work for Kindred, which, according to the forum, is evil in healthcare form, but as far as my limited experience goes, I really had fun with this company. I learned and am still learning a lot, but that might have something to do with the location/co-workers than the company, I think. So here are my questions: 1: Should all opportunities turn out to be equal in relative value (not in the financial sense, of course), is it better to transfer within a single company as opposed to getting a new job altogether? 2: I am not sure if my limited years of experience should factor in on my decision-making. Ie. Would my resume look worse/better with either/both option?