Tampa, Fl RN salaries??

[Student_Michelle]

Hi I'm a nursing student and i live in Tampa, Fl. I would like to know what are the salaries for the RN's in the Tampa Bay area? because i was wondering, if after i graduate i should move to Ny or Cali since i heard there salaries are great just starting off so are there benefits. can anyone confirm this? Thanks:nurse:

[goodstudentnowRN]

Good for you Danish, I wish I could be employed as an LPN since I can't get a job as an RN...I am so happy for you..are they taking on new grads?

[Danish, MSN, APRN, NP]

I was told they turned down a new grad that has worked here as a pct for 2 years. Im sorry this is happening to you...it stinks! Have you thought about ltc to get experience?

[Danish, MSN, APRN, NP]

I just checked the job board and there is a med/surg position posted for a graduate nurse at Morton Plant North Bay hospital in New Port Richey...not sure how far away you are, but its a great hospital and you could always transfer after 6 months.

[itsmejuli]

As a new grad LPN its not easy to find a job.

[goodstudentnowRN]

I am in West Palm Beach and I have applied for that Job...Let me hope I get through.

[Tampa121]

Hi there, I am an RN associates degree from MA, moved here 4 yrs ago , plenty of ICU,CCU, M/S, Homecare experience, oh and Case Management. I've been an RN since 19995, prior to that LPN since 1973 and I am only earning 29.80 hr, only 10.00 more than the LPN's I work with. I am a Case Manager for a4 ALF's and see pts in the community, 4 mtgs a week with 4 DON's, I am required to do all SOC's, Recerts, Discharges, measure all wounds wkly, no OT, working about 18 hrs a day!!!! I commute to Sun City 1 hr away in am and 1.5 hrs home, no lunch. So, yes I love the weather and I moved here to be close to my only son, BUT, I have lost 20lbs, now weigh 105, not good for 5ft 4 in, my health is suffering, every job I get here is worse than the previous one! Understaffed, underpaid, so I am seriously contemplating returning to MA.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

Klsana00, I don't think you need to worry about being insulted with a $21/hr offer. As an ER/ICU nurse you should be received with flowers and bon-bons. It's a tough market for new grads, but not for nurses with mileage and skills.

Think again.

While s/he should be greated with flowers and bonbons, as should all nurses should that opt to work in FL, it rarely actually occurs.

New grads (depending on part of the state) are getting offered anywhere from 17-23/hr,. I know nurses with 10+ years experience getting offered 26-30/hr.

FL is notoriously poor paying and understaffed. Not to mention the yearly chaos caused by the snowbirds. There is the code purple, when the hospital is completely full with beds in the hall and triage full, and yet they will divert. If you are ER, in a busy facility, you may end up holding a pt in the ER for several days, and multiple hall beds, while when you transfer one to a unit, they will be transferred to a hall bed on that unit, to wait for a half a day or more to wait for a room to open up by a discharge, or a death.

If you are ICU, be prepared for the code purple when the facility is full, and you will have 3-4 pts, that would normally rate 1-2 pts per nurse due to acuity. And being pushed to transfer out someone less than stable out to the floors, only to be called to code them several hours later. Or repeatedly coding the 90 year old in a fetal because the family refuses the DNR.

I, as an oncolgy nurse actually had to code a pt in a room, that was right across the hall from a "hall bed" pt. After we called the code, cleaned up, transported the body, and cleaned/turned over the room for an admit, guess which room the hall bed pt went to.

Even with screens around the hall bed, the pt did know enough of what went on.

There are some advantages to Florida, the sun, the beach - but you do have to weigh the cons also. It is not one of the better nursing environments.

[goodstudentnowRN]

Caraolladybell, true...I am in Florida as a new grad and cannot find a job...I am going crazy. I have my student loan to pay and it makes me so depressed:madface::madface::sniff::sniff:

[HealthCare10]

GoodstudentnowRN and others, Have you looked into working for any health plans? On the whole, they usually pay above average. I do know that WellCare Health Plans Inc. (located in Tampa) and is now hiring RN's and they are holding a job fair next week. You may want to look into Cigna and United as well?

[itsmejuli]

Healthplan jobs require clinical experience.

[Flnurse30]