J9RN2010 says ...

Hi there! I am a nursing student in a suburb of Philadelphia, PA. My family and I are very much considering moving to Florida, the Tampa Bay area. My parents live in St. Petersburg. I will graduate from school in May 2010. We plan to move next summer after I graduate. Any advice on living areas and hospitals in the Tampa Bay area? I have an 11 year old and a 1 year old. I work in the ER now as a nurses aide/tech. I would love to stay in the ER once I am down in Florida. My husband is a teacher and football coach.  Any ideas, comments, or advice is greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

I live accross the state from Tampa( near Ft. Lauderdale) where is more populated and they do need nurses in the hospitals and, pretty much, in all heathcare facilities........but be ready to take a pay cut. I moved from Michigan 9 years ago and I took a big pay cut( for RN) and it is not too much different now. Your clients( patients) more difficult to deal with than the patients north( it must be the heat that makes them so demanding ). I moved to Florida ONLY for the weather and, believe me, it is the only advantage that I had by making the move.

If you are looking to buy real estate, the west coast is a bit better than the east where the taxes and property insurances are much higher. Overall the whole Florida has higher taxes and insurance than other states.......and rent is more expensive too.

J9RN2010 says ...

Thanks! I did hear that the pay was a bit lower but so is the cost of living so it kind of evens out. Does anyone have any status on how the education is? I just want to be sure that this is teh best move for my family. We will be leaving friends a a little family behind but I need to weigh out the pros and cons. pros are definitelty the weather.

The cost of living  is not that low. Your electric will be high.....it is hot, hot, hot more than a half of the year. Taxes, insurance high but then I compare to Michigan. Anyhow, I had friends that went to nursing school here in southeast and it was OK.

If I would make the move again?.......probably yes. Now, I love south Florida and you kind of get used to the life here.

J9RN2010 says ...

My parents have lived there for 3 years so I am aware of the heat, insurance, taxes, etc, basically all the negatives, which are not many. My main question is the about the areas, mainly on the west coast. I know nothing about the hospitals, colleges(for my husband to teach), and good school areas for my kids. We are going down in the winter to check out spots near Tampa Bay but I want to make sure I am not wasting my time. Advice on areas to stay away from or areas to look in to would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

One of my client's daughter goes a lot to the west coast, golfing, and she has been in Tampa, Naples etc. She says that is less populated than the east one but do some research on Florida state website www.myflorida.com and also search for hospitals or any healthcare facility at http://www.floridahealthfinder.gov/FacilityLocator/facloc.aspx . Contact human resources and see how job availability is.

If you look for good vs. bad areas, also guide yourself by rental/purchase price of the properties. Higher rent = good area. Also look into schools and see ratings and acreditations. Internet is a wonderful invention and will give you all the answers. People are subjective and it all depends on who is answering you. A person without children will not be intersted in school districts while a much older person will not have the same taste in outdoor activities.

You've got to do the "leg work".

I would seriously consider Wesley Chapel, FL...25 mi North of downtown Tampa....

J9RN2010 says ...

I'm back again. Still thinking about this crucial move. I graduate in 8 weeks:) So excited!  The jobs in the Philadelphia area are far and few between. I was looking online and morton mease has so many job openings! I have contacted their HR dept and am awaiting a call back. The other scary part is selling my house now. The houses around here sell for so much and they are just sitting. My husband has been out of work since last Sept. He's a teacher. He needs one more class for his cert but needs to pay his loans off first. To teach in FL all you ned is a BS, for PA you need a BS plus 30 credits toward your specialty. The pay down FL is a lot less for teachers too. We would def rent for the first year or so. The rent down in FL for a house is less than 1/2 my mortgage up here. I want to move so bad right now, hate waiting:) Any encouraging comments????

It is 10 months since I wrote to you, and how things have changed....not in a good way. Property wise is OK, just don't rent a house as you may not know if the owner goes in foreclosure and you will move again sooner than you want. Job wise...it is terrible. Since the change in Medicare rules to home health, many nurses are jobless. I receive a lot of call daily from RN's, LPN's with experience and without that are looking for jobs. Not to speak of the oil spill that will affect all Florida east and west. Other states are in no better shape, I believe, but I think it is a very bad time to move or make any career changes right now. I know teachers that lost their jobs as well. It is a difficult time and it is predicted that 2011 will be as bad or worse. I am so sorry that I have no encouraging words for you.

Gabby133 is right on target... Many companies are downsizing and preparing for the worst to come.