Who Loves Where They Live?

I would eliminate Panama City and Ft. Pierce from your list.  They're not bad places to live but the choice of hospitals to work at are limited. Orlando has lots of choices around it for living and working (I lived there 10 years).  I live in Jacksonville now though and like it the best of all the places I've lived in Florida.   Lots of jobs for nurses (Baptist, St. Vincent's, Mayo Clinic, Shands, etc), got beaches and we're just 2.5 hrs from Orlando or Savannah going north.  And cheap apartments in the Riverside area if you work at the big hospitals downtown. I loved Orlando also though.  I don't think you can go wrong anywhere in the state.  Each area is so unique. Good luck with your new career!  

I am an RN and have lived in Florida since 1981.  I also have been a traveler and agree that if you are coming to Florida for the money, don't!  But if you are coming to Florida because it is Florida than come on down.  There are a few hospitals that have unions. Two I know of are Jackson Memorial in Miami and St. Mary's in West Palm Beach.  I worked 17 years at St. Mary's and loved it.  I have worked in Kissimmee  (Orlando area.)  People there tended to go from one hospital to another in groups.  Not the worst places I have worked, but not the best. My favorite place I worked in Florida was Sarasota, but it is not really a young persons town.  I am at University Community Hospital in Tampa now. and find it is a nice place to work and will probably be here until I retire. Many of the hospitals in the larger areas have good programs for new grads.  If you haven't been checking them out, you should start, because many of them use students as PCT"s and then take them on as new grads. Palm Beach County is supposed to be the most expensive county to live in.  Good luck with your boards and finding the right job.