WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — If you're a nurse looking for a job in Palm Beach County, there are plenty of opportunities.
There are currently more jobs available in the health care industry in Palm Beach County than health care professionals to fill them.
It's one of the stressors local hospitals deal with every day.
WPTV examined the high-demand industry and what factors may be driving nurses to take jobs outside of hospitals.
West Palm Beach registered nurse Khadejah Davis said becoming a traveling nurse was an easy decision.
"What made me want to do travel nursing was the burnout," Davis said.
She said two years ago she left her job at a local hospital. Patient-to-nurse ratio, employee turnover and pay were her top reasons for the decision.
"It was very difficult, so working 12 hours with a 30-minute lunch break, it's really stressful," Davis said.
Burnout is one of the reasons why there are tens of thousands of nursing jobs available right now.
CareerSource Palm Beach County said some local hospitals expanded and posted more jobs. At the same time, there are vacancies when health professionals leave the industry or the area.
"The employers are having a hard time," Tom Veenstra, the vice president of administration at CareerSource Palm Beach County, said. "There aren't enough workers in the field, and the challenge in Palm Beach County is the cost of affordable housing too."
Davis said when she began travel nursing, she was shocked at how much more money she could make.
"I want to say almost like double, almost triple [the pay]," Davis said.
However, across the country, she said hospitals are dealing with a high number of uninsured patients, especially in states like Florida that have not seen Medicaid eligibility expand.
"I've done a nursing assignment in Texas, and it was busy," Davis said. "It didn't feel like an ER after a while. It felt like it was an urgent clinic because, again, they didn't have insurance. They came in for minor things."
She said her profession has many responsibilities.
"We're the counselors. We're the health care providers. We're a lot. We're the nutritionists," Davis said.
Despite the workload, Davis said she enjoys her career.
"I can't see myself doing anything else," Davis said.
WPTV contacted local hospital groups in our area for data on emergency room visits and how it compares to last year. WPTV also asked about hiring and what positions are the most difficult to fill.
Below is a statement from HCA Healthcare:
"We have carefully handled the changing dynamics of healthcare these last two and a half years, and we are fortunate to be part of a healthcare system that has resources and initiatives in place to help us recruit and retain top talent in various roles.
To help address the global nursing shortage, we continue to invest in the recruitment of nurses while also expanding care teams to include positions such as licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/LVNs), paramedics, patient care technicians and nurse externs to help our nurses on the tasks that only a nurse can do.
HCA Florida Healthcare routinely hosts job fairs and recruitment events, we also provide 100% tuition coverage for nurses obtaining their BSN or MSN through our partnership with Galen College of Nursing, which has campuses in Gainesville, Miami, Sarasota and St. Petersburg. We recently instituted pay enhancements for many nurses and provide alternative shift options to promote increased flexibility.
HCA Florida Healthcare has a duty to help build the pipeline of future caregivers. Last year, HCA Healthcare announced a $1.5 million donation to Florida International University to expand its College of Nursing and offer scholarships to deserving students, $1.5 million was also given to Florida A&M University to help strengthen students’ pathways from undergraduate to graduate to management careers in the healthcare industry.
We care deeply about our care teams and take action to show our colleagues what we’re doing to support them inside and outside of the workplace. We will continue advancing a culture that prioritizes protecting our patients and our people no matter the challenges the industry faces."
Meanwhile, there is a big career fair planned just for health care jobs in Palm Beach County at Nova Southeastern University's Palm Beach campus Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with some employers saying they will be hiring on the spot.
