Socal RN thinking of moving to South FLo

jillyk*rn · Apr 4, 2006

hi,

i don't know about the vero/melbourne areas. those aren't really south florida. i live in hollywood/ft lauderdale. tons of hospitals down here, but the price of housing is rediculous.

i'm sure someone will jump in with more info about those areas.

i know here there is a local mag - florida nursing spectrum - has a few articles, tons of job ads. maybe try their website to see if there is something that you are looking for.

good luck!!!!

Tony35NYC · Apr 4, 2006

The cost of living in South FL is not as high as it is in SoCal but it is still high if you consider that nurses earn far less in Florida than they do in California. There are hospitals in south Florida that are paying RNs as low as $18.50 an hour, but I've heard you can do a bit better if you work agency or contract. Real estate in south Florida is still very expensive and the cost of property insurance is going through the roof because of all the disastrous hurricanes they've had down there. Also, in south Florida there are no unions and they don't have patient ratio laws like the one that exist in California.

rjflyn, ASN, RN · Apr 4, 2006

As the other posters have noted Melbourne is actually considered central Florida. As with most hositals you hear good and bad about them all, everyone thinks the grass is greener at the other hospital in town, from my exp one can find something bad about anyplace.

As far as unions go they are far and few between. Interesting enough I worked an travel assignment at one in Rockledge. Having worked at a unionized hospital in the past as staff in Michigan my general impression was that you have to be joking your unionized, you couldnt really tell.

As the other posters have also mentioned your going to make more by working agency. Travel assignments make lest than agency but only marginally more than staff.

As far as housing its all over the place one can find a $150,000 home but it takes some time to find one in that price range thats not just a dump.

Rj

jamminworld · Apr 5, 2006

I have worked in both south florida as well as la. Florida has NO pt ratio I have had to take up to 10 pre and post op cardiac pts with no CNA. 4-5 Step-down/Progressive care pts. California def. makes it easier with the 5:1 ratio and where I was only 2:1 in stepdown. You feel like you are giving a better quality of care. I also agree unions down here are a big joke. Pay is considerably lower $20.00/hour is the average starting rate. With raises varying (I know of a nurse that was actually given a 28 cent raise.) Also shift differentials vary greatly. Go with agency if you want the money. Housing is getting higher and higher each day. Down where I live if you want a house nothing fancy and with no yard expect to pay at least $300,000

dzylzyRN · Apr 7, 2006

I dont mind not having any union. My current hospital right now doesn't have a Union and it's just working fine. We practice Shared governance so every staff has a voice.

Been researching not just South Florida now but also Northern part like Jacksonville and Gainesville. Am interested in working in a 'magnet facility' as I currently work in now. Has anybody work in any Magnet facility in florida? Is it any better than any other hospitals in FL that are nonmagnet.

rjflyn, ASN, RN · Apr 8, 2006

Personally I dont really think it makes that much difference. i have worked in several hospitals in the last 15 years or so. A couple of them have become magnet hospitals since. Neither from talking with friends who are still at those places had to do much as far as changing their ways of doing things. Others however have had to make significant changes.

As far as that goes my wife had surgery in a "magnet hospital" and as far as that goes i was far from impressed. If we would have had a choice she would have had that surgery done at the hospital I worked in that is not a magnet hospital. Insurance and that particually procedure was not offered there.

Rj

I dont mind not having any union. My current hospital right now doesn't have a Union and it's just working fine. We practice Shared governance so every staff has a voice.
Been researching not just South Florida now but also Northern part like Jacksonville and Gainesville. Am interested in working in a 'magnet facility' as I currently work in now. Has anybody work in any Magnet facility in florida? Is it any better than any other hospitals in FL that are nonmagnet.