By Christine Whitmarsh, RN, BSN
A nursing career in Florida holds a special place in my heart because that is where I began my career as an RN. I can attest from personal experience that Florida is a great destination for travel nurses to add to their wish list. As a popular place to retire, the Sunshine state is a diverse mixing pot of retirees from all around the country and from all walks of life. The national almanac of individuals represented, makes for some excellent bedside conversations with patients.
Urban and tourism prone areas such as Miami and Orlando, offer the travel nurse opportunities to connect with patients from an exciting mix of cultures and countries. Florida travel nurse jobs are hot commodities because of the job opportunities created by this diversity along with the predominantly older age demographic of patients requiring acute care and of course – there’s the sunshine. With hundreds of miles of beaches, a wealth of warm weather and sunshine and plenty of leisure activities to keep the traveling nurse busy during days off, a travel nurse assignment in one of Florida’s thousands of hospitals and clinical settings, tops many travel RN’s wish list.
Here’s a breakdown of some of Florida’s most populated regions:
Jacksonville: View an impressive city skyline and enjoy all the arts, culture, sports and entertainment events you would expect in a metropolitan city by the sea.
Panhandle: Home of the state capital, the panhandle faces the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and includes several popular beach and spring break towns. Further south on Florida’s west coast, enjoy the perks of a city on the Gulf in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area.
Central Florida: The Orlando area is home to the theme park empire of a certain little squeaky voiced rodent and all the satellite theme park and entertainment destinations inspired by Mr. Mouse.
Space Coast: Perfect for fans of the space program who would enjoy balancing a work assignment in a hospital on the scenic Indian River or Cocoa Beach with viewing a live space shuttle launch from your travel nurse accommodations.
Treasure Coast: An ideal assignment for the travel nurse specializing in geriatric nursing who enjoys relaxing days off at the beach and a tasty variety of dining options.
Southern Florida/Miami: For the travel nurse who likes to let loose on days off with some of the country’s hottest night club, busiest beaches, most exclusive shopping and most exciting people watching.
Florida Nursing Facts & Resources:
- The average salary for a travel nurse in Florida is $50K
- RN Specialty Alert: Reflecting national health statistics, some of Florida’s most prevalent chronic patient conditions are heart disease, stroke and cancer; these numbers are especially amplified due to the large numbers of seniors living in the state
Christine Whitmarsh is a Registered Nurse with a BSN from the University of Rhode Island. She is a freelance health journalist and medical writer and a contributor to Travel Nurse Source and Allied Travel Careers.
