Psych Nurse Tampa Florida (Veterans Affairs)

Published

I am currently a Psych RN in Ohio with 1 year experience and am at a standstill in deciding what to do with my career.

My family and I desperately want to move out of Ohio but I'm not sure which venue is best for my wife, daughter and I.

We are looking into travel nursing, but not sure if now is a good time to be in Psych Travel Nursing.

Next option is to consider a straight move to one of our favorite destinations in California or Florida. Our move is based around the limited number of universities that offer the MSN Psych which I will be completing in a couple years.

Does anyone know anything specific about the VA in Tampa?

I am interested to learn about the are, facility, pay, benefits, good neighborhoods to live/apartment complexes, proximity to USF. I have heard that RN pay in Florida is even lower than here in Ohio which is discouraging because I love my job and benefits here.

Any advice or input is greatly appreciated!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

2Tall, Sorry I don't have much info about the VA in this area, but I couldn't help leaving you a reply. See, I am from Dayton, Oh. And your post caught my eye as I am sitting on my patio drinking a cup. It's a chilly 65 degrees today. But the weather guy says it should reach near 75. Think I might do some fishing today. OK, I know that was mean, but, had to do it...:D

Seriously though, I'm not sure of the name of the VA in Tampa. There is a huge center in St. Petersburg named Bay Pines. I know 2 people who work there. One in the clinic, one in the hospital. Neither of them are psych, but have never heard them say anything bad about the place. Good luck in your search.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

There is a VA hospital in Gainesville (UF territory) that you could look into.

(BTW, lived in Beavercreek, OH years ago when my Dad was stationed at Wright-Patt!)

Like the previous poster....I SO love the weather here. I tell my NE family that we DO have winter here....it is called January! Spring arrives in FEB, so ya gotta love it!

I am a NS at FSCJ in Jacksonville right now, so I can't tell you a whole lot. Yes, pay is lower here, but I would think that the VA, as a government facility, would have more of a consistent national pay structure.

Good luck to you and yours! :D

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in jack of all trades.

Keep in mind also your license from another state is valid at any VA hospital or Federal facility. The VA in Gainesville is also associated with Shands. Teaching hospitals in this area due to UF which also has a MSN program/PhD program. VA also has a VA Travel Nurse program.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thank you for your replies. The cold weather here in ohio is a constant reminder of how bad we are ready to move. Thanks for rubbing it in rayk!

Lacie - I DID NOT know that my Ohio nursing license would be valid with the VA and I am getting ready to complete the florida licensure so I would love to save a couple hundred dollars! Will verify first, but thank you for mentioning that!

Tampa is sounding better and better the more research I do. South Carolina has been our state of choice but it just doesnt seem to have quite the opportuities I am hoping for at this time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in VA, Ortho, Med/Surg.

RayK..how dare you go fishing haha! I'm jealous. I'm in Tampa and still have no boat...I want to freshwater fish so bad.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in VA, Ortho, Med/Surg.

BTW--there is a VA hosp. in Tampa...forget name too haha.

I would love to to into psych...but do they hire LPN's? I have no psych training either.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Too many to list.

A few of the staff from my current unit left for the VA in Tampa in the past 2

years. It takes awhile to get hired over there. I have heard good things about

them, and know some docs that work both places. I actually live not far from

there, and I am thinking of applying myself. I think it is called the James A.

Haley. The one is St. Pete is supposed to be a nicer facility. We are hearing that

charting is computerized, and orders as well. Surely it is less stressful than my

current situation.

It's no lie that the weather is lovely here although we will get down to the 30's

at night this week, but not freezing. I am looking out at my beautiful lake

at the cormorants, and herons, and loving the physical beauty of this place.

The temp as I write this is 70 degrees.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in neurology, cardiology, ED.

I don't know much about the VA in Tampa specifically, but here are some things that apply to all VA facilities:

-Computerized charting, as in no paper chart whatsoever

-License transfers to any state

-Pay is based on where in the country you live, it's called "locality pay"

-It can take up to 6 months for them to "clear" you security-wise, so don't get discouraged if you don't get called right away for an interview

-Because it is a federal facility, OT is based on 80 hours in a pay period, rather than 40 hours a week which means you could end up working 60 hours one week, 20 the next, and get no OT :o

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi 2Tall,

Sorry, I don't know anything about Tampa VA. I am a Psych RN at the Phoenix VAMC, and I love it! Our benefits are great,

our staffing is wonderful compared to private hospitals and they are very pro-education. After one year they will pay for you to return to school for an advanced degree. You never get cancelled for low census, and the pay is good. You can go to this website and look up pay in Tampa. RN's are Title38 employees so be sure to look at that pay scale.

Website= http://www.opm.gov

I also did travel nursing in Psych a few years ago. I really enjoyed it but I had to stop when our daughter was ready to go to high school. The pay is good, but the benefits were not so good. I also hated not knowing if the hospital was going to need me after the 13 week period. I usually didn't know until almost the last week of my contract if I would be staying or leaving, and that is difficult when you have a family and children in school. A lot of hospitals have cut out a lot of travel nurses due to budget issues. I know at our VA, they stopped using travel nurses a few months back.

Good Luck To You and Your Family!

Happy New Year

Mytoon38

Up Vote Up Vote ×

"...It can take up to 6 months for them to "clear" you security-wise, so don't get discouraged if you don't get called right away for an interview"

Do you mean they security-clear all applicants before they interview? A local VA CBOC (community-based outpatient clinic) had over 100 applicants for 3 RN positions...it seems the VA would perform the security clearance after they had narrowed down, interviewed and selected.

I see many RN positions available on the VAJobs website in California and Florida. I'm not sure where in South Carolina you were interested in moving too but the hospital in Columbia has a few RN positions and the CBOCs in Greenville and Spartanburg are hiring LPNs.

There is a VA Hospital in Long Beach, CA.

Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
BTW--there is a VA hosp. in Tampa...forget name too haha.

James A. Haley Va hospital in Tampa. Can anyone tell us good things about the pay and benefits?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion