Question regarding Florida RN hourly rates

grannynurse FNP student · May 16, 2006

Hi,
My husband and I are considering moving to Florida in the next few years-either Punta Gorda or Tampa Bay Area. I am wondering what the going hourly wages for RNs in the hospital are for these 2 areas? In general what's the differential? Is there a nurse patient ratio? Do nurses get different pay in the hospital depending on specialty-ie ICU versus med-surg versus ER? Any info-good and bad is welcomed.
Thanks,
beth

Hi Beth. I live in Port Charlotte. All three of our hospitals are for profits. Fawcett is an HCA. Peace River (old St Joe's) and Charlotte Regional are owned by a group of physicians down in Naples. I have been a patient in the first two since the change in ownership. And worked for both a long time ago. Hourly pay runs from $22-$28 per hour. Peace River ER is new-less then 3 years-has a newest equipment but not computer charting on the floors yet. Fawcett's ER is more then 25 years old. The rest of the facility has been renovated. And they do have bedside computer nursing notes. Peace River uses Nxylesis(?) for dis pending its medications. Peace River has at the most, 8 to 10 patients. And they work 12 hour shifts. Fawcett has 7-10 patients and also works twelve hour shifts. Both pay slightly more for specialty areas. Fawcett has a stroke center. Peace River and expanded same day surgery. All three got hit, in August 03, by Charlie. Peace River and Fawcett lost their roofs and suffered water damage. Charlotte Regional evacuated its entire facility and suffer some roof and water damage.

The cost of a three bedroom, two bath, two car garage begins at about $132,000 depending on where you wish to but. The housing market has slowed down and cost are dropping. In the North End of town, along SR 776 there is a big development of shops, condos and homes going to be developed. We have the Town Center Mall, with Penney's, Macy's, Dillard's. We have a number of small local restaurants plus Red Lobsters, Olive Garden, Chili's, Applebees, TGIFridays. And of course our own Super Wal-Mart. And we have Fisherman's Village which managed to survive Charlie. If you have children the best grade school is Liberty Elementary, Murdock Middle and Port Charlotte H.S. We have three catholic parish's, several Baptist, several other protestant church and the nearest Jewish temple is in Sarasota. And we have a Muslim congeration,

If you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me.

Grannynurse:balloons:

BS1977 · May 16, 2006

Thanks so much for you response.

I noticed in your title that you are a FNP student. I am currently working as a new ANP in an Occ Health setting (graduated in June 2005). I contemplate returning to the bedside at times for a number of reasons while I still live in the state of California. Just trying to see if I should return to the bedside and if it will make a major impact if I do the move to florida.

I am currently in northern california and RNs make big bucks (new grads pretty much start at 40/hour-nurse patient ratio is more like 4-5 patients per RN) and NPs make less and have more responsibilities. NP jobs are also few and far between in my area but there appears to be more in florida in general.

Thanks again

Beth

NRSNFL · May 25, 2006

Beth-

Um....Port Charlotte definitely doesn't exemplify Tampa Bay standards. The pay is pretty reflective, but not the housing. I work at All Children's Hospital in Saint Petersburg in Pinellas County (Tampa Bay is primarily two major counties, Hillsborough and Pinellas) and a house the size the girl quoted would run you 250-300k and not to mention flood/hurricane insurance. Housing here is not as affordable as it used to be. Plus Port Charlotte seems to be the target for all the hurricanes coming up through the gulf. Anyhow, might be more NP jobs, but you will only make 30-35/hour and you have to swap out the housing here. Educations sucks in Florida no matter what "great school" you put your kids in. It's all about how much time you personally invest in their education.