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The Southern states, including Florida, are noted for their warm climate, easy lifestyle, and reasonable living costs. For nurses interested in careers in this part of the country, here's a look at three medium-sized cities. Information comes from CNNMoney, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, America's Career Infonet, and Salary.com.

 

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Known as "The River City" for its location on the James River, the Richmond, Virginia area, with a population of 513,278 is near the middle of the state. Average July high temperature is 87[degrees], January low is 27[degrees]. Median household income is $46,484, and median home price is $154,039. State income tax varies from 2% to 5.75%, sales tax is 5%. There are 10,880 RNs in Richmond, with a mean annual salary of $49,330. Clinical nurse specialists earn a median salary of $71,905. VCA Health System is one of the largest employers here.

 

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

The Winston-Salem area in North Carolina, with a population of 229,041, is in Forsyth County in the middle of the state. Eighty-eight degrees is the average July high and January low is 27[degrees]. Median household income is $42,691, and median home price is $121,575. State income tax is 6% to 8.25%, sales tax is 7%. There are 11,670 RNs in Winston-Salem, with a mean annual salary of $48,660. Clinical nurse specialists earn a median salary of $65,352. Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, and Forsyth Cardiac and Vascular Center are large employers in the region.

 

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

The Greater Orlando area in Orange County, Florida, has a population of 773,856, and is the largest interior city in Florida. Average July high temperature is 92[degrees], January low is almost 50[degrees]. Median household income is $45,022, and median home price is $159,610. Florida has no state income tax, and the sales tax is 6.48%. There are 12,450 RNs here, with a mean annual salary of $46,200. Clinical nurse specialists earn a median salary of $69,746. Three large healthcare employers here are Florida Hospital, Orlando; Orlando Regional Healthcare, and Arnold Palmer Hospital.

 

Your Guide to Job Opportunities in the Southern States and Florida

Duke University Health System

 

Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina

 

Contact: Nurse Recruiter/HR

 

(800) BE-A-NURS (800-232-6877)

 

Fax: (919) 681-7397

 

Web site: http://www.dukenursing.org

 

Florida Hospital Waterman

 

1000 Waterman Way

 

Tavares, FL 32778

 

Contact: Karin D'Aurora, Recruiter

 

(877) 298-7329

 

Fax: (352) 253-3454

 

Email: Karin.d'[email protected]

 

Web site: http://www.fhwat.org

 

Orlando Regional Healthcare

 

1414 Kuhl Ave, MP-113

 

Orlando, FL 32806

 

Contact: M. Radcliffe, HR Dept.

 

Fax: (407) 237-6374

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Web site: http://www.orlandoregional.org

 

Pitt County Memorial Hospital

  
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P.O. Box 6028

 

Greenville, NC 27835

 

Contact: Employment Office

 

(800) 342-5155

 

Fax: (252) 847-8225

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Web site: http://www.pcmhcareers.com/magnet

 

South Carolina Hospital Association

 

Contact: Anne Howard

 

(803) 796-3080, ext. 264

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Web site: http://www.SCHealthJobs.net

 

Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare

 

1207 TMH Court

 

Tallahassee, FL 32308

 

Contact: Tammie Burris, RN, Nurse Recruiter

 

(850) 431-5785

 

Fax: (850) 431-6555

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Web site: http://www.tmh.org

 

VCU Health System

 

P.O. Box 980066

 

Richmond, VA 23298-0066

 

Contact: Jaime Cook, Nurse Recruiter

 

(800) 755-NURSE (6877) or

 

(804) 628-0918

 

Fax: (804) 628-8873

 

Web site: http://www.vcuhealth.org/careers

 

RNs are very much in demand, according to Debbie Waters, BS, nurse recruiter at Kaiser Permanente, in San Diego, California. Kaiser Permanente is an integrated health care organization, with 30 medical centers in nine states and Washington, DC. Waters says all in-patient specialties (med-surg, critical care, emergency, NICU, peds, operating room) are in demand here, plus specialized RNs, such as enterostomal therapists, and clinical nurse specialists/educators. There's also a demand for nursing management positions, as well.

 

"(There are) great opportunities for new grads," adds Waters. "We partner with local colleges, attend career fairs, and interview RN students particularly in their last semesters. Many times jobs are offered before they graduate."

 

She says salaries at her facility are competitive for the San Diego area. May 2004 Bureau of Labor Statistics figures show the average annual salary for an RN in San Diego is $61,710. For California, it is $66,920.

 

MEDIA COVERAGE

Lately, the media has been covering issues surrounding California's nursing job market. A recent article in USA Today says the state has 14,000 openings for nurses, and a California Hospital Association spokesperson says hospitals use travel nurses in many cases to plug the gaps.

 

SFGate.com reports that California governor Schwarzenegger is trying to delay implementation of the law mandating one nurse to five patients on general floors, because of the difficulty with finding enough nurses. He is supporting nursing education, however, with federal and state funds, to expand programs to meet the demand for more nurses. The California Nurses Association opposes delaying the implementation of mandated ratios, and is campaigning aggressively against the decision.

 

And a recent Silicon Valley-San Jose Business Journal article reports that hospital efforts to fill positions and meet mandated staffing ratios is putting pressure on long term care facilities, which typically offer lower pay and more patients per nurse than hospitals.

 

Your Guide to Job Opportunities in California

California Department of Corrections

 

2201 Broadway

 

Sacramento, CA 95818

 

Locations Statewide

 

Contact: Recruiter

 

Toll Free: (888) 232-4584

 

Fax: (916) 227-4370

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Web site: http://www.corr.ca.gov

 

Cedars-Sinai Health System

 

8723 Alden Dr., SSB-110

 

Los Angeles, CA 90048

 

Contact: Thea Bruzdzinski

 

(310) 423-6320

 

Fax: (310) 423-0378

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Web site: http://www.csmc.edu/careers

 

Memorial Medical Center

 

1800 Coffee Road

 

Modesto, CA 95355

 

Contact: Jill Steele

 

(209) 572-7194

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Web site: http://www.memorialmedicalcenter.org

 

UCLA Healthcare

 

10920 Wilshire Blvd.

 

Los Angeles, CA 90095

 

Contact: Sheri Monsein, RN

 

(310) 825-8141

 

Fax: (310) 825-3102

 

Email: [email protected]

 

Web site: http://hr.healthcare.ucla.edu

  
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