Realistic starting pay for RN's in N FL?

desperado8156 · Feb 7, 2005

Isn't it about time for all nurses there to create an HONEST rate of pay. Maybe if everyone starts to blackball some of these places, they will start to realize that they need to get up with the rest of the nation in compensation. Living in the sunshine state may be nice but, so are alot of other places. Barely getting by financially hardly makes one enjoy their job Just blackball these cheap hospitals til they recognize an honest days pay. I'm sure there is a differential for LPN,RN, and BSN Degree, so make em pay. When we organize and their wards are empty, then the Docs will end up doing all the things we do for them. The Docs will make them get up to speed or the Docs will leave. These hospitals are getting rich off of our dedicated work. Everybody in every city should step up and name a hospital over this bullitin board, to "LEAVE", and when the screws tighten, they will feel the pinch. There is a difference in a right to work state, and a right to a comparable wage. I for one am ready to work in a place I may not like as well, to get nursing pay rates in a more comensurate level. Let me know what you all believe in.

michelle95 · Feb 8, 2005

There is not much of a difference in LPN and RN pay here in Pensacola, either. I make 16 an hour as a PRN LPN in a nursing home and 14 part time at a home for the developmentally disabled.

I won't be getting much of a pay increase when I finish RN school...if I were to stay here. Luckily, I'm not.

It is ridiculous.

Ali_Oop07 · Feb 8, 2005

A large hospital in Pensacola offers a new grad salary of $15.64/hr with a $2500 sign on bonus.

Avarage around Mobile, AL seems to be $18-19

~Ali

desperado8156 · Feb 8, 2005

The only way it is gonna change is with action. As I said in my last posting, blackballing local hospitals , one at a time, one after another makes change possible. Anyone that wants to start organizing in a city can acquire a ficticious screen name and start the organization. If hospital "A" starts to see a change in their nursing staff they will have to comply with salary demands. All the nurses at Hospital "A" need to find new jobs in another hospital and quit en masse . Once they don't have staff to fill positions they will have to increase their rate to attract staff. What are they going to do,, operate without nurses. It may hurt a little in the begining, but no pain , no gain. Another possibility?? through a newwebsite ,,,floridaNursesforequalwages.com would be a good start. Im still in the north but am soon to be joining the fla staff. I have already asked for volunteers , so I'm waiting for replies. Do you think it was easy for Jimmy Hoffa to get the teamsters going. I'm not talking about unions, I'm talking about making life difficult for those cheap hospital corp to operate. Ya gotta start somewhere, and blackballing is the answer. When patients can't get their milk and cookies at a hospital, they will go to another

RNPATL, DNP, RN · Feb 8, 2005

The only way it is gonna change is with action. As I said in my last posting, blackballing local hospitals , one at a time, one after another makes change possible. Anyone that wants to start organizing in a city can acquire a ficticious screen name and start the organization. If hospital "A" starts to see a change in their nursing staff they will have to comply with salary demands. All the nurses at Hospital "A" need to find new jobs in another hospital and quit en masse . Once they don't have staff to fill positions they will have to increase their rate to attract staff. What are they going to do,, operate without nurses. It may hurt a little in the begining, but no pain , no gain. Another possibility?? through a newwebsite ,,,floridaNursesforequalwages.com would be a good start. Im still in the north but am soon to be joining the fla staff. I have already asked for volunteers , so I'm waiting for replies. Do you think it was easy for Jimmy Hoffa to get the teamsters going. I'm not talking about unions, I'm talking about making life difficult for those cheap hospital corp to operate. Ya gotta start somewhere, and blackballing is the answer. When patients can't get their milk and cookies at a hospital, they will go to another

Your comments are pretty harsh and strong in relationship to "blackballing" hospitals. If blackballing hospitals were a realistic approach, I would certainly hope that professional nurses would ignor the request. The only one that suffers in the end is the patient.

There are other methods we can use to force pressure on hospital administrators that chose to not provide proper wages for nurses .... join your professional nursing organization and be a part of changing legislation that helps nurses. Work to educate the public about the importance of their health care and the plight of nurses. There are so many other avenues and directions we can go in, that blackballing is not something I am interested in. I would venture to say that most professional nurses would feel the same way.

This is not to lighten the frustration that you have regarding wages in Florida. Many nurses feel the same way, but there are also options for nurses ... they can chose to work through the agency, they can chose to take a seasonal contract, they can chose to take a travel contract. There are many options open to nurses to earn a better wage.

Let's be practical and realistic about how one would approach improving salaries ... blackballing .. while an option, I suppose, is certainly not one that a prudent or professional nurse would give a great deal of thought about, in my opinion.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Feb 8, 2005

Charming .

We rail against the blackball tactics of "Group One" and its ilk. But then want to resort to their own tactics.

Two wrongs do not make a right.

Nurses already can "blackball" on their own. We network amongst ourselves, and decide whether the job is worth it and then accept/decline it. No need for fictious names/groups.

desperado8156 · Feb 9, 2005

yes it is harsh, but don't worry , hospitals will never have floors devoid of staff. They will get them as contract workers and have to pay more for them.

BETSRN · Feb 9, 2005

What can I expect realistically when I graduate? I have heard a huge range from starting at $15/hour to starting at over $30.

I know this has nothing to do with Florida but it is a food for thought for comparison. Here in Connecticut, one major hospital is starting new grads at $23/hour base and that is without a sign-on bonus.

Another major teaching hospital here is starting new grads at $50,000/year.

I know because I interviewed at both of them within the last couple of weeks and I asked just because we have been having this discussion on this board.

I think the pay in the south is pitiful. I would love to move there but it is not a reasonable idea at present.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Feb 9, 2005

I know this has nothing to do with Florida but it is a food for thought for comparison. Here in Connecticut, one major hospital is starting new grads at $23/hour base and that is without a sign-on bonus.
Another major teaching hospital here is starting new grads at $50,000/year.
I know because I interviewed at both of them within the last couple of weeks and I asked just because we have been having this discussion on this board.
I think the pay in the south is pitiful. I would love to move there but it is not a reasonable idea at present.

I worked with a nurse in NC who was an LPN that constantly compalined that her salary in NC was pitiful.

Connecticutt in a lot of profressions has a higher rate of pay. In fact isn't Connecticutt #1 in average salary?

I just found out new grads at my place of employment are starting out at $19.00/hr.

NoCrumping · Feb 10, 2005

Where in Florida?
Miami pays significantly more than Central Florida or the Panhandle. Large Cities pay more than small. NonProfit pays more than Forprofit. MD offices pay poorly, unless chemo/rad etc.
As a general rule, Florida pays poorly across the board. I have not heard of anywhere in the state that pays new grads $30.00, and few experienced nurses that are nonAgency make that, in central Florida.
Please research past Threads. Florida was listed in the informal "Salary Hall Of Shame" as the worst paying state.

I amin RI now, and read an ad in a mag saying 'south florida nurses are among the highest payed in the nation" so i called, got the info, it was an agency recruiting nurses to the general area......what can i expect to get for an hourly wage? anyone hear of Plantation Hospital???? thanks guys....

BETSRN · Feb 10, 2005

I amin RI now, and read an ad in a mag saying 'south florida nurses are among the highest payed in the nation" so i called, got the info, it was an agency recruiting nurses to the general area......what can i expect to get for an hourly wage? anyone hear of Plantation Hospital???? thanks guys....

I think (I am in Connecticut) that one has to be careful with agency work anywhere. They are paid well but the question is.......is the hospital using travellers at all? Some are and some are not. We have been in a budget crunch and we are NOT using any travellers at all. They may be the "highest paid in the nation" but are you in SAFE working conditions, how is the malpractice coverage, etc.? I read something on one of these boards about how safe you are when you travel (as far as malpractice and all).

I think one has to be careful and really cjeck things out completely.

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Feb 10, 2005

I amin RI now, and read an ad in a mag saying 'south florida nurses are among the highest payed in the nation" so i called, got the info, it was an agency recruiting nurses to the general area......what can i expect to get for an hourly wage? anyone hear of Plantation Hospital???? thanks guys....

I saw that ad (in AJN). They should be sued for laughably false advertising. We were making jokes about it at work. (on assignment in central Florida). There might be a scant number of RNs getting good wages, but not nearly what you would consistantly see in the North and West by far.

Chances are if the pay is actually good, the job is so heinous, you won't want it. And if you going for Perdiem/agency jobs, you will be worked to the nth degree for 5 monthes of the year and underutilized much of the rest of the time. Can you afford to just live on good pay for 5 monthes and lack of full shifts the rest of the time?

Yes. I have heard of Plantation, Florida. It is over near Ft.Lauderdale. It is one of the more expensive areas in Florida. Yet, traveler wages are less than Central Florida pay.

And if they ever try to con you into the DelRay Beach hospital, be aware that it is known by some very ugly names to local staff. There is also a facility in Jupiter that lies about their ratios. They are virtually always short of staff because no one will stay there.