Tampa/ St Pete Hospitals (Fort Lauderdale, University: credit, hotel, find a job)

[AJGIANTS]

Hello ,
My wife and I are planing on relocation to the T/St P area from the NYC area by the end of the year. My wife is an ER nurse (3 years experience) and would like to know anything you can tell us about the Hospitals in the area (i.e. cleanliness, their specialities, overall ratings) . Also about the job itself- Salary benefits etc..
Thank you

[AJGIANTS]

anyone have any info?

[annesg]

Hi--I don't have specific info for you but I can tell you there are lots of hospitals....plus there's Moffitt Cancer Center, which has an excellent reputation and accreditation (I have been treated at the Mayo Clinic and they recommended Moffitt as well). I have been to St. Joe's and really like it as well--it's clean, well-run, has a good rep around here.

I have heard not-so-good things about Tampa General.

I know University of Tampa has a nursing school (undergrad and grad), maybe you could contact someone there for more info?

[Jesslyn848]

It really depends on which area you are interested in. There are many great hospitals with great reputations in the area. Unlike pp, I have known a few nurses from TGH and they were very happy, St Joe's, Bayfront (St Pete) and UCH are here too. My mother worked at UCH for a short time and didn't like it though.

[ukdame]

I am an RN and also been a patient at several local hospitals. You can pretty much het a job at most area hospitals now. Staffing is short so shop around . Pay is generally a lot lower in FL than up north. Moffitt and TGH have poor staff parking but good teaching institutions. St Joseph's , Tampa better for aptient and staff. I did not have a good experience in ER at TGH. over 8 hrs waiting for a bed opening and ER overflowing, which is normal for them. Mortan Plant Hospitals in Pinellas County also very good.

[wiltznucs]

[quote=annesg;3536624]

I have heard not-so-good things about Tampa General.

QUOTE]


I'm admittedly biased as an employee of TGH, however, I would point out that TGH boasts of multiple JCAHO Accreditations, has been named to America's 100 Best Hospitals by U.S. News and World Report for consecutive years, TGH is a Nursing Magnet Award winner which is given to the top 10% of hospitals nationwide, and did I mention that TGH was voted "Most Preferred Hospital in the Tampa Area" by the citizens of Tampa for the past two years?

The new Bayshore Pavilion at TGH is host to a world class ICU, Emergency Room, Women's Center, and Cardiovascular Center. TGH is a pretty good place to work, at least in my capacity I feel like the Facility has a genuine commitment to its patients and its employees. Thats getting harder and harder to find in modern healthcare.

[BucFan]

That's good to hear. Might be looking at TGH for a job.

[DecoDiva]

I haven't worked in any local hospitals but have been patients in both Helen Ellis in Tarpon and the ER at St Joe's. Helen Ellis was clean, staff friendly, only had one problem with one male nurse on the cardiac unit who tried to slip a med error past me (nice try).

St Joe's was much bigger, busier, not as clean and new; kind of confusing and hard to navigate your way around; the EMT's who took me there went out of their way to go there but they all recommended it out of the nearby hospital choices. I got great care from the ER doc; my nurse was not quite so sharp. I had to tell her when to alert the doc about my blood pressure, which was 232/110. she was going to discharge me and I said Hmmmmm I think maybe the doc should know my BP.

Thankfully those are my only hospital experiences down here.

When I first began my job hunt, however, I was hired off the bat as a Nurse Case Manager for a small agency and almost fainted when they told me the pay was $15 an hour. Shortly thereafter I found that RN's in the area start at around $52K so I said no thanks to that agency and moved on from there.

You can find more money if you've got the experience and keep on hunting.

[rusty78]

Originally Posted by AJGIANTS

Hello ,
My wife and I are planing on relocation to the T/St P area from the NYC area by the end of the year. My wife is an ER nurse (3 years experience) and would like to know anything you can tell us about the Hospitals in the area (i.e. cleanliness, their specialities, overall ratings) . Also about the job itself- Salary benefits etc..
Thank you

We just got back from Florida yesterday....Fort Lauderdale....and we ran into a couple while we were there...that were both nurses....one of the local hospitals had flown them both down....put them up at a local hotel...and interviewed them for a position....my neighbor....who is an X-ray tech... mailed his resume down to hospitals in the Tampa area...and several of them had flown him down from New York...for an interview....one of the hospitals offered move down expenses and assisitance with housing.....he is leaving next month for a position.... Last year when we were in Florida I read an article that there was a shortage of nurses throughout Florida and that it was not uncommon for one hospital to steal nurses from other local hospitals... So, do yourself a favor....start mailing out your resume and I am sure you will be find a job that you want....GOOD LUCK....

[aquafit2]

I would have to say the Tampa General Hospital is the best hospital in Tampa! I have had family in the ER as well as admitted and I have never been dissapointed. The administration is truly dedicated to having the best Hospital in the area! I wouldn't take anyone I love to any other hospital!