Salaries in Florida

poki · Dec 24, 2003

Hi PHM

Did they really recruited nurses from PR? Where are you working?

Panama City?

PHM · Dec 24, 2003

A contingent of various dept heads went to PR and hired some nurses to come back here and work. Our unit (Stepdown/Pulmonary) signed on two or three but only one actually came up. Her English is pretty limited but she's a damn good nurse. She mentioned that a routine patient/nurse ratio in PR is 10:1 and nursing schools are pushing out grads despite very little nursing jobs down there. Many graduate and work at McDonalds and elsewhere until they can find work.

I'm starting my last semester of the ADN program here in PC. I work PRN at Bay Medical Ctr as a Nurse Intern (PSA) and will be staying with Stepdown/Pulmonary when I finish. Really like the staff and supervisors so figure I'll at least give them my first year.

Cheers,

Phil

poki · Dec 25, 2003

Ohhh that is absolutely true about the nurse pt ratio in PR..

can also go to 1:12.. Im from PR also.

That's nice that you are starting on nursing..take all the oportunities the hospital gives you.. good luck.!!!

KZ5NN · Jan 10, 2004

WOW, you guys have really ruined my day...I was sure I had read an article in one of my wife's nursing magazines which listed Florida as one of the top three areas for RN pay, along with California and the Northeastern states. I was really hoping to semi retire in FL, but having just returned from spending a week in Ft. Walton Beach/Destin and the area around Eglin AFB, I get the feeling that real estate is appreciating far too fast to get by on less than $30.00! My son bought an average, tract house with about 1800 sq. ft. for about 175K six months ago and it is already just over 200K...Our house in CA hasn't done that well in 9 years! Well, back to the drawing board, I guess.

Thank you all for being so dedicated and caring. I have spent way too much time in hospitals, clinics, ambulances, etc. and I have people like you to thank for being so giving. You are very appreciated although we don't tell you often enough...THANK YOU!

dean

PHM · Jan 11, 2004

Florida salaries, particularly in the panhandle have always been supressed. Tourism industry pays minimum wage while making huge profits. Businesses tout "no state income taxes" as one of "their" benefits as an excuse to pay sub-human wages. The cost of living here still remains decent but nothing like ten years ago. Nursing pay has made pretty good gains compared to other fields. I interviewed five years ago for a Hilton Corp. hotel night ops manager (in charge of EVERYTHING and everyone). After telling me how great I was, how my college degrees meant so much to them, they "excitedly" told me they'd love to have me and were willing to pay me $18K/yr with "potential" for a $1K raise after nine months. I couldn't help but laugh in their faces (actually, smiled), picked up my folder and walked out on them.

Anyway, the real estate in the panhandle is selling like crazy. The old St Joe Co (paper products and largest Florida landholder) is now selling off real estate for development and changed their name to Arvida Real Esate. Development, prices, etc are growing exponentially.

As an avid windsurfer, I still love it down here and plan on not straying too far. Crime's still way low and plenty of activities to keep you busy.

Best of luck,

Phil

KZ5NN · Jan 12, 2004

Hi Phil;

Thanks for responding, I need all the info I get and it seems as two heads are better than one, in a case like this "the more the merrier". I had to smile also at your interview story...far too many would have probably felt that's all they were worth, accepted the "position", gone home and become comfortably numb and faced a seriously depressing future. Good for you for being strong, smart or just well enough to walk away.

What you said about the value of windsurfing to you is where I am now in the decision process...not decision making, but just trying to furnish some good, accurate input to my wife who is the RN in the family, enjoying her job after finally getting her degree about the same time I was forced into medical retirement about 6 years ago. On top of enjoying her job, she has been promoted to ICU clinical manager and gone from something like 18.00 with no benefits to over 37.00 with good benefits since 1997. This time last week I was looking around the Destin area and was really surprised to see all the development since the last time I was there in 1995. I really hadn't expected that. I think the whole family is really determined to live near the water which, as I'm sure you know, doesn't do much for keeping the cost of housing at a reasonable level..Oh well, time will tell I guess. Gotta go.

Thanks Phil

dean

kimflygrl · Jan 15, 2004

I have been checking around the central Florida area (Orlando, brevard county) and they are starting new BSN nurses at Florida Hospital 17.59 per hr and in brevard county around 17.00 per hr, this does not include shift differential. No one has offered up a sign-on bonus for any of the hospitals I have talked to, but I haven't done any interviews yet.

tamrnmomof4 · Jan 20, 2004

I am in central Florida...Lakeland...I work PRN at 24.00 hr and 6.10 night shift dif..so it is a little over 30.00 an hour. I am not complaining

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Jan 20, 2004

Originally posted by tamrnmomof4
I am in central Florida...Lakeland...I work PRN at 24.00 hr and 6.10 night shift dif..so it is a little over 30.00 an hour. I am not complaining

I grew up in Bartow. One of the main reasons that pay is better in Lakeland and surrounding areas, is that LRMC has a union, one of the few hospitals in the area that does. Prior to the union, the pay was not all that good.

Personally, I generally find it better to work/live in states with an income tax. You get what you pay for, and Florida has some of the cruddier roads and poor school districts. Florida does tax property owners for everything. Which means that Jeb's offer for low cost housing loans for nurses is a very hollow gesture.

tamrnmomof4 · Jan 21, 2004

Originally posted by caroladybelle
I grew up in Bartow. One of the main reasons that pay is better in Lakeland and surrounding areas, is that LRMC has a union, one of the few hospitals in the area that does. Prior to the union, the pay was not all that good.

Personally, I generally find it better to work/live in states with an income tax. You get what you pay for, and Florida has some of the cruddier roads and poor school districts. Florida does tax property owners for everything. Which means that Jeb's offer for low cost housing loans for nurses is a very hollow gesture.

I have to disagree....my property taxes are a little over $1200 a year....my children go to an excellent math and science magnet school, we have a great IB high school and I have no complaints about the roads...a lot better than the ones I have traveled up I-75!

PilotJim68 · Jan 22, 2004

In my opinoion, Lakeland is horrible. For various reasons that I really dont want to get into, and I have lived here off and on for 18 years, I wont get into all that is wrong with Lakeland. I have been all over this state and Lakeland is just plain weird in comparison. The people are really "different" here. The traffic "HORRIBLE". Is there more traffic elsewhere?? Yes, but it generally moves. The traffic and construction in Lakeland is unbearable....it literally takes me 1 hour to commute 20 miles to Winter Haven to go to school in the mornings and lets not mention the congestion on North 98 and S. Fla Ave. Sorry about the rant but this is one student that as soon as I am finished with my initial R.N. .....I'M OUTTTA HERE !!!! I am staying in Florida but not in Lakeland.

RNPATL, DNP, RN · Jan 23, 2004

Sarasota is not much better with SMH paying new grads $17.00 or so an hour. No bonus or sign on either. Patient ratios are decent at 5:1, but not sure what the pay is for experienced nurses. I just left the area to move north and am glad that I did, but Sarasota is a nice place overall.

I am not sure where people are getting the idea that nurses make great money in Florida. I have lived and nursed in Florida for a little over 19 years and can tell you from experience that the pay is generally pretty low. If you are living on the East Coast or in Miami, that may be a different story, but on the West Coast .... the only place to make any money is as a traveler or work for agency. Staff nurses are not making much.