Florida RNs and Employers Aim for the Best Job Fits
Monday December 8, 2008
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The Biggest Employers and Most In-Demand Specialties
The shortage is hitting hospitals the worst and, according to Claudia DiStrito, RN, BSN, MSH, senior vice president of nursing and patient services at Mercy Hospital, Miami, and the former president of the Nursing Consortium of South Florida, "hospitals are still the largest employer." DiStrito, the incoming president of the Florida Organization of Nurse Executives, adds that there are "definitely some spots in home health, where the next largest group of openings are, as well as in skilled nursing facilities and public health."
Hospital systems with many locations throughout Florida are currently hiring, according to Julie Brooks, CHCR, president of the National Association of Healthcare Recruiters and recruiter at Manatee Memorial Hospital. The specialties hospitals are looking for range from med/surg to telemetry and surgery.
The experts agree med/surg positions are available, though DiStrito says they are not as abundant as they used to be, whereas OR and recovery tend to have vacancies these days.
"A lot of nurses want to go into critical care or work in the OR or ER when they get out of school, and there are fewer openings there than on regular floors," says Evelyn Gonzalez-Morlote, RN, MSN, BC, a recruiter for Miami Children's Hospital and the former president of the South Florida Association of Health Care Recruiters. "I would recommend being flexible and not being adamant about only working in [a certain] department."
DiStrito says home health, hospice, and public health are also areas that are in need, and Brooks also suggests looking into physician's offices, nursing homes, insurance companies, and schools.
DiStrito recommends Southwest Florida, where she says there are the most full- and part-time openings for RNs in such counties as Lee, Glades, Highlands, Sarasota, and Manatee. The well is a bit drier in the northwest part of the state in counties such as Walton, Liberty, Franklin, and Jackson, which don't seem to have as many openings, based on information from the Florida Center for Nursing.
Gonzalez-Morlote says big cities such as Orlando and Miami are prime targets because they tend to have more hospitals, but smaller towns are also worth looking at. "You might want to look at county hospitals and non-profits," she says. "It's not that there's a problem hiring new people, but it depends on flexibility. If you only want to work NICU days, now you have two restrictions that will make it harder."
Job seekers need to look at housing costs in these areas in relation to salaries, too. Housing costs in Florida can be high, DiStrito says.
What Are Employers Looking For?
Employers want experience, preferably two to five years of recent acute care, "if possible, in the particular area they want to work in," says DiStrito.
A positive attitude is also paramount. Hospitals can teach new nurses competency, but if they don't have the right customer service skills, Gonzalez-Morlote says it will be much harder to find a position. "Employers are looking for RNs who want to provide patient care," says Brooks. "Many have gone to behavioral interviewing, and employers are looking for candidates who will complement their current teams. Just because someone is an RN, it is not automatic they will be hired."
Those hospitals are looking mostly for college-educated RNs, according to Gonzalez-Morlote. "It has been proved that higher education creates a better outcome for patients. Most hospitals have set dates when they hire new grads, maybe once or twice a year around graduation.
"The biggest thing now is bachelor's degrees for nurses, that's where the biggest shortage is," says Gonzalez-Morlote.
Though it might appear that recent grads would be at a disadvantage compared to RNs with a few years of experience, given the choice between an experienced, inflexible nurse and a recent grad who might be able to mold himself or herself to an organization's culture and values without bringing in preconceived notions, Gonzalez-Morlote says the new grad will likely win out.
"A lot of it has to do with the graduates themselves and the way they present what they're interested in working in and if they can really [show interest] in working in a hospital environment and be flexible and willing to learn," says DiStrito.
The inflexibility of some nurses can put them at a disadvantage. "Part of the issue is they leave one employer and expect the next employer to offer them the same schedule or better at a higher rate of pay," says Brooks.
The good news is that age doesn't appear to be a factor for employers, who are happy to hire nurses of any age, as long as they fit in the particular unit with openings, the three agree.
Why Is it Hard to Find a Job?
DiStrito says one reason jobs might be harder to come by in South Florida has to do with the economic crisis gripping the entire nation. "We're all making the assumption that it's another effect of the declining economy that people are not seeking elective procedures at this point because the copay is too much for them," she says. "Because of that downturn, if someone is not qualified for a particular job a hospital might need, the hospital may be more selective about hiring. It's harder at this time, but it will turn around. New grads may have to take positiond that are not exactly what they wanted to start out with, but in time they'll get into the positions they want."
One of the keys to finding employment in a state facing a nursing deficit and a steadily aging and aged population is the willingness to move to where the jobs are. Gonzalez-Morlote predicted that there will be cities in northern Florida with a lot of nursing schools and graduates looking to stay in those saturated areas, "but if you're flexible about moving to other areas, there are places that will take you."
Brooks suggests having a list of back-up options in case the preferred position is not available and, because of the difficult economic times for those trying to re-enter the workforce after several years away, making sure they've kept up their acute care skills. "If they have been out of a hospital setting for more than four years, they have a difficult time adapting," she said. "Systems change so frequently, along with the medications, charting, and equipment, that sometimes they find it very difficult to return to the hospital setting."
Gil Kaufman is a freelance writer.
To comment, e-mail editorFL@nursingspectrum.com.
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