What's up with south Florida this year??? Horrible staffing !!!

[davis336]

My goodness!! Im in the Ft Myers/ naples area this season and it's a nightmare!! Someone decided that they didn't need to hire as many travelers as usual to save money and now the nurses are paying for it!! Patient loads of 7-8 on telemetry floors!! It's terrible!! I wonder what brilliant higher up decided that they were going to cut costs by keeping out travelers!! I used to love this area in the winter but I'm changing my mind quicky!!! Has anyone else run into these problems?????

[BelleKat, BSN, RN]

Seems like most of the Florida hospitals have decided to see how far they can cut back on essential personnel this year and like you found out,it's really bad. I don't know what has to happen.

[CHATSDALE]

maybe the economy has factored into this as well...some of the people who would winter in Florida have decided to stay at home this winter

also in florida the number of houses in bankrupcy means that the people who lived there are somewhere else

[mediabandits]

It could be the economy or maybe they are jst outsourcing to staffing agencies.

[ZooMommyRN, ADN, RN]

Season seems to have started later, and unfortunately you guys are paying the price Our mangers have sever friends and NCH & with Lee Memorial and they are hearing the same thing, we're just now starting to get slammed with admits and averaging 6-7 per nurse at night (somehow days got 4 each the past few days) yet I hear their hiring freeze is still in effect which is crazy if it is! Hope they get some travellers or at least some seasonal nurses in before you guys meltdown *HUGS*

[GomerPyle]

[color=olive]how about an 8-10 pt assignment from 7p-7a? i am currently employed by one of the largest healthcare providers in the tampa area as well as the entire west coast of florida. we always get a minimum 8 pt. assignment on the busy med/surge floor i work. i'm a fairly new rn having just passed my nclex in may. after 6 weeks of orientation, i was returned to my home hospital for a supposed 2 weeks additional preceptorship. needless to say, that 2 weeks turned out to be about 1 week. the first night on my own i was given an 8 pt assignment. i was told that everyone gets 8 pts. and i'll have to adjust accordingly. since july, i have yet to have less than 8 pts. every night. during the christmas season there were plenty of call-offs, and it would not be uncommon to have 10 pts. the organization i work for has a rather large pool of rn's to draw support, yet i'm a little perplexed at the ongoing short-staffed situation. this job is producing twice the stress levels of my previous employment in the defense industry and i'm not sure how much longer i will last:rolleyes:

[chicookie, BSN, RN]

Tell me about it. Northeast Florida its the same thing. Out of the 7 major hospitals, only two are really hiring, and even then you feel the burden. I heard that all the floors are total nightmares.

I think I don't want to work until this crisis is over. I wish.....

[bagladyrn, RN]

Don't count on getting travelers - the hospitals in FL just aren't hiring us! I've been trying to get home to FL since before starting my current contract (about 4 months now) and there are just no positions being offered. I think the Powers That Be see staffing, and in particular seasonal or contract nurses as the quickest way to cut the budget and they know that those who have the jobs can't afford to complain too loudly or "vote with their feet" as they would in a better economy. Good luck to you - and maybe I'll get home someday!