Why Does Everyone Hate Florida So Much??

Lstcats · Dec 16, 2008

:saint:

I live in Largo, about 5 minutes from the beach. Usually December thru April are very good weather. Not much rain but blue skies and breezes without that horrible humidity day in and day out!:wink2:

Do you like Largo? I looked at the area and thought it was sort of run down. It seems cheaper than other areas and centrally located so was going to relocate there. But, now looking more at St. Pete area. I was there last mos. for 8 days and did not find any humidity or heat except for two days which was fine and tolerable. I stayed at madeira Beach for two nights and it was great! Went to job fair and made a lot of connections. Where do you work if you don't mind me asking and what do you know about Galen health institute and keiser. I teach nursing and CNA's? Thanks:saint:

SunshineBaby · Dec 16, 2008

where will you move to? if you don't like churches and like the liberalism:down:,cold weather, rude people, horn beeping and tons of road rage :argue:,
expensive housing avg. is 350k for a 3 bedroom w/ barely any yard, high taxes of $3-4,000 a year & fuel costs are additional to your electric bill, poor roads and tons of potholes that ruin your car, cold ocean water that is usually around 65 degrees for the summer (about 38 right now), high auto insurance about $1600 a year for avg. driver, paying $25 a day to park in boston garages, tolls for most rodeways which may rise to $7 for one way into boston (12 miles from my home), and no palm trees just bare ones in the winter. but, there are so many nice aspects also. it all depends what you like. florida doesn't sound so bad now does it?:wink2:

as a christian, this really disturbes me to read that there are "some" christians who yell hate speech. god does not hate anyone he does not hate gays at all. he loves us all but hates and laments over our sin .i hope that you know that. one of the reasons that i do want to move to the "bible belt" is that there is so much more christianity and it is more accepted than it is in liberal mass. so, i do love that there are jesus signs and churches everywhere. i am sorry that some people have judged you harshly. they are the ones that give christians a bad wrap. i am surprised that churches have their congregation on the street corners shouting . what type of church is that? can you be more specific? it sounds like a cult to me and not "true" christianity.

actually, i am a bleeding heart liberal and proud to be so :wink2:yes, these are "christian" churches and not cults. mostly, southern baptist.

sound really tough for you. we have had hurricanes up here and bad storms but nothing like you have experienced. i wonder if the wages are low because of your location in florida. i understand from another fl nurse that new grads start @ $22 an hour. i have blogged on many other sites here about wages and find that for the cost of living they are still low but far better than where i am. and, to be compensated for a degree is a good thing. we don't have that here in ma. it is all based on experience and the job you do. doesn't matter if you have a adn vs. a bsn or even a msn unless you teach nursing like i do. after reading all of this it sounds like you are so unhappy and should leave your job. the stress isn't worth it. the pay you are getting is disrespestful. we, as nurses, must stand up together about poor working conditions and poor pay. i know that fl is a "right to work" state so no unions. we have unions here and they really go to bat for the nurses but union dues are around $800 a year. maybe more. but, it is well worth it to make for ft 100-120,000 a year. but, that is not even enough compared to md's making 5-10 that amount. and, the cost of living here is comparable to that wage. i am broke living in a run down poor drug infested and gang area but, i am happy with only around $40 to 50k a year. i make what a new grad makes. that is what nurse educators make here which is the same as florida. i went to visit some instructors in new port richey so i know that is what they make and more and no state income tax. well, enough said. i hope you can find some peace at another job.

i can tell you that in my area new grads do not start at $22 an hour. we only have 2 hospitals. one starts at $17 an hour (the only one with peds patients) and the other at $19 an hour. there are no merit raises. instead, they have a point type system which they call career ladder that is the only way to earn a raise without a promotion.

yes, i grant you that food is expensive. i don't drink milk only soy so, i don't know about the price of milk. do you have to get your msn for school nursing. it is a law here that you must have a bsn and msn is preferred. i left after 4 years because it was not challenging enough. your electric bill per mos. is $200? is that d/t air conditioning? mine was $120 this past month for a small 1200 sq. ft condo and i was in fl w/ the heat off for 9 days. i loved the humidity but it was only about 80 degrees when i was there. my skin felt better. my hair was pretty good. i think it is something w/ the water. funny how people w/ curly hair want straight hair and vice versa.

no, i have a bsn. only an adn is required for school nursing here. i might be transferring departments and working in the healthy start division which is a program that has nurses follow at risk moms. i love teaching, especially under served populations so public health is my love. i will probably get my mph somewhere down the road.

electric bill is r/t air conditioning. we keep the house 75 during the day and knock it down to 72-73 at night. i can't sleep when it's hot.

i have very oily skin, so i could use some dryer weather. yes, i have always wanted straight hair. c'est la vie!

where do you live that there is so much crime? i drove 800 miles around tampa bay and the crime felt different too me. probably because i am used to hispanics, asian gangs, and not such a huge black population.kind of scary up around usf area. i was at the mcdonald's near nebraska ave. 3 times and found i had to be on the lookout at all times. but, when i compared my city w/ largo it was a 7/10 and largo was a 5/10. i looked at dunedin also but thought it was overrated. crime there is 4/10.

i live in the panhandle. there is a big drug problem here. so, most of the crime is related to that, especially in the poor or minority communities. many of my school children have one or both parents in prison. around 96% receive free or reduced lunch and are on medicaid. 85% of my student population is black, 11% white, 3% multi-racial. (all this data pulled off of greatschools.net).

like i said, i am well traveled as my dad was in the air force. i have lived many, many places. florida is still at the bottom for me.

oh and just so you know, you do go to work in a hurricane. the people who are scheduled to work when the eye hits are asked to spend the night at the hospital the night before their shift. you are also asked to stay at the hospital if you fear your home could be damaged during the hurricane and that will prevent you from coming in. if you do not show up for a shift during the disaster, you are terminated.

good luck and i hope you find fl to your liking. as i stated in my previous post, this is only based on my area- northwest florida.

saarein · Dec 17, 2008

I live between Largo and Seminole which is not bad. There are a lot of run down areas in Largo, but there are a lot in St. Pete, also. You just have to look long and hard for the right areas. Last month it was very tolerable with heat and humidity. Like I stated before we are in the months that are nice. It really heats up come June through October. During that time there isn't a day that the humidity is below 75%. I can tolerate the heat, it's that humidity that is a killer. I work for Pinellas County School District as a school RN. I have 4 schools with 4200 students. I have heard many comments on how some people would love being a school nurse because it's so easy. But being responsible for 4200 students is not easy. I do love my job. The students are usually great to work with, it's the parents that you have trouble with at times. I know Keiser is pretty good. I applied months ago when they had an add in the paper, but I have no experience with teaching. If you move to the Tampabay area let me know.

S.

hes2371 · Dec 18, 2008

Nurses down here in Florida have less education. There are too many LPNS and ASNs from 2 year community colleges and not enough highly educated RNs with their BSNs here in the Tampa Bay area. Nurses up north are better educated. Here in Florida, the hospitals don't care if you have your BSN. The salary for an ASN nurse is exactly the same salary for a BSN nurse. I never see job postings down here that say "BSN required". The hospitals do not give enough incentive for their nurses to go back to school and further their education. Tuition reimbursement is not great down here.

Where I am from up north in Cincinnati, an ADN makes just as much as a BSN. Just because someone only has their ADN doesn't make them less educated, it makes them eager to start in a workforce that is going through a shortage. I have my ADN and i feel very competent in my work. I can do everything one with a BSN can do with the exception of teach and be a clinical manager (which neither am I interested in). I became a nurse to take care of people, so therefore I think that my education is ample for the work I do. And I CAN'T WAIT to move to Florida in June!!!!

Lstcats · Dec 18, 2008

I live between Largo and Seminole which is not bad. There are a lot of run down areas in Largo, but there are a lot in St. Pete, also. You just have to look long and hard for the right areas. Last month it was very tolerable with heat and humidity. Like I stated before we are in the months that are nice. It really heats up come June through October. During that time there isn't a day that the humidity is below 75%. I can tolerate the heat, it's that humidity that is a killer. I work for Pinellas County School District as a school RN. I have 4 schools with 4200 students. I have heard many comments on how some people would love being a school nurse because it's so easy. But being responsible for 4200 students is not easy. I do love my job. The students are usually great to work with, it's the parents that you have trouble with at times. I know Keiser is pretty good. I applied months ago when they had an add in the paper, but I have no experience with teaching. If you move to the Tampabay area let me know.
I am shocked what I just read about school nuursing. That is horrific. How do you do it? I was a school nurse in a nearby city for 4 years and one nurse would have anywhere from 500-800 students. That is it and that was hard enough. At one school, we saw 100-120 students per day for two nurses and one aide. And, that was bad some days as we didn't stop at all. I was the only one who floated as I went to a small private Catholic school @ 11:30-2:30. There is a law here in MA that the ratio for school nursing be 1:500 so they try to keep it to that but no one wants to be a school nurse because the pay is so low about 1/2 what RN's make in the hospital well, maybe 35% as I only made high 30's to about 41,000 which is considered poverty level here in MA when RN's make over 100K per year in hospitals w/ over 20 years experience.
You would be surprised that nursing schools will take you without teaching experience. it is easy to get a clinical position here w/ a BSN but if someone has a MSN then they get it over you even if you have more experience. So, if you want to teach then try as it is really rewarding and does make you feel like you really accomplished something worthwhile. It is the most interesting job I have ever had but watch out for the schools that want you to just "pass" students when they fail. I left two schools for that reason because they (Dean and others) tried to get me to pass students in clinical and when I didn't they went ahead and did it anyway.

Lstcats · Dec 18, 2008

Where I am from up north in Cincinnati, an ADN makes just as much as a BSN. Just because someone only has their ADN doesn't make them less educated, it makes them eager to start in a workforce that is going through a shortage. I have my ADN and i feel very competent in my work. I can do everything one with a BSN can do with the exception of teach and be a clinical manager (which neither am I interested in). I became a nurse to take care of people, so therefore I think that my education is ample for the work I do. And I CAN'T WAIT to move to Florida in June!!!!

I agree that in hospital nursing a BSN is not any better than an ADN. In other fields like home care, school nursing, and other higher level jobs a BSN is a must and in fact, in MA is required for school nurses and most home care agencies want BSN grads. I teach PN and ADN programs and what they have to learn in an ADN program boggles my brain. High level stuff for 1st semester and boy are they smart. The programs now are so different from the early/mid 80's when i went to college. Very far advanced and much more to know so the drop out and failure rate is high. I don't recall but just a very few who dropped or failed back in the 80's. I graduated w/ about 120 students in a BSN program. The ADN programs can only take about 60-80 students in their programs. This has been my experience at the community college level.

Where are you going to live in FL? I really hope to live there one day which just may be next year. I need to make a decision about moving because of my health and financial situation.

nurseforlife · Dec 19, 2008

Can anyone tell me what it's like to live and raise two young children in Tampa Florida. I was considering there as a possible place to live and work.

I would really appreciate any information that you can give me.

Thank you.

intehflames · Dec 20, 2008

I grew up between Alabama and Central FL, and I most recently lived in Michigan for 3 years.. and I will never move out of Florida again. I guess it's because I'm a Southern girl.. but I was SO miserable living up north.. having to get up at 4 AM and scrape ice and dig my car out of the snow in 5 degree weather. And yes, you're still expected to show up for work. I had to drive in a snowstorm one morning, so early that the roads were not even salted yet. I could see about a foot in front of my car, and I was actually crying because I was so terrified.

And I'm not trying to say that all northerners are like this.. but I've noticed a lot of the rude types down here are transplants from Michigan and New York, etc. Not trying to offend anyone.

k_r_ah · Dec 20, 2008

I love Florida! I've also lived in ny state and md. ny was too cold. md too expensive. florida is just right.

Preeps · Dec 21, 2008

I would think compared to Chicago anyplace in Florida would be great!

AmericanRN · Dec 23, 2008

I live in Chicago and have visited almost every part of Florida, I am actually going to be visiting Ft.Lauderdale at the end on January. I ask anyone here that has ever lived in Florida and they have nothing but terrible things to say. They tell me the schools and education systems are bad and that the majority of the population have low Iq's and are poor. I don't know why this is, everyone seemed pretty normal to me?? I would like to move there one day and start a new life with my husband but I'm worried about salary and job placement for both himself and I. Why are some peoples experiences so bad, its so beautiful and the people are very nice. I just don't get it. Can someone help me understand why this is??

I am a transplanted New Yorker who has lived in NC and now in FL for the last ten years. The majority of the population does not have low IQ's, thats just nonsense. Far as poverty it really depends on what part of Florida one is in and there are pockets of poverty all over the country. The school systems vary by area and the teachers try but parents really need to get on the ball w/helping out their own kids. The school is not there to babysit or diagnose mental health issues. Parents also need to get more realistic about some of the nonsense their children are doing at school instead of blaming the schools for everything.

This is a right to work state though as are many southern states which pretty much means they have a right to fire you. Salaries and cost of living again depends on the part of Florida you work in and live in. A person working in Jacksonville for instance will clock more then someone working in a smaller town/city, however if one worked in Jacksonsville but lived in a smaller town like Orange Park where the cost of living is lower then they would be doing just fine. The housing market is also bust here right now so it's a good time to pick up a house if one has decent credit.

Many people don't plan anything out, they assume they know everything about an area because they visited twice and then move w/no plan and end up hating it.

The reason some people's experiences are so bad and others are beautiful is because wherever we go we bring ourselves w/us.

If a person comes in w/a defensive attitude and says stuff like "well thats not how we do it in NY or in MA" it will automatically put a southerner on the defensive and they are very likely to come back w/something equally as underhanded. On the other hand as New Yorker I don't care for southerners who have spent either a very brief amount of time in the northeast or got cut off twice in traffic by someone from the north and say that we are rude. Like I said if every experience a person has ends in some type of confrontation then the problem must be themselves and I don't care if they're from NY, Georgia, etc. I've met obnoxious people from all over the world and I"ve met fantastic ones. Keep your mind open to new experiences and ideas and incorporate them into your own lifestyle if you like them. Change is inevitable and we can either do it gracefully or go kicking and screaming into the future, the choice is ours.

Move where you want but plan it out and have plans A-Z. Most of all keep an open mind.

Lstcats · Dec 23, 2008

i grew up between alabama and central fl, and i most recently lived in michigan for 3 years.. and i will never move out of florida again. i guess it's because i'm a southern girl.. but i was so miserable living up north.. having to get up at 4 am and scrape ice and dig my car out of the snow in 5 degree weather. and yes, you're still expected to show up for work. i had to drive in a snowstorm one morning, so early that the roads were not even salted yet. i could see about a foot in front of my car, and i was actually crying because i was so terrified.
i am so grateful that you stated this. :yeah:i have been getting discouraged about moving to tampa bay because of what i have read here. right now, i am ready to leave at this instant. on friday, we had a snowstorm and then on sunday was another ice/snowstorm. the temps have been 10-20 degrees and it is so dangerous. on sunday, the roads were so scary that i was going 10-20 mph on a highway. i was not crying but so scared like i have never ever been. just can't believe i didn't see or was in a mva. took me 70 min. to get home when is usually 15-20 min.
and i'm not trying to say that all northerners are like this.. but i've noticed a lot of the rude types down here are transplants from michigan and new york, etc. not trying to offend anyone.

you hit it on the head. yes, people are rude up here including myself. :argue: i found when i was in fl driving around and blending in like a "real" resident and not a tourist that i loved who i was in fl:coollook:. i was much calmer and slower paced. i so agree w/ what you said about ny and it goes for boston as well. we pride ourselves on being angry...that is horrible but true. they even advertise that on a tv news station.