Snowbirds. To a Florida native, it used to be a derisive term for thoseretirees that flood the Florida coast when the winters turn cold up North – butthese days, snowbirds are being viewed a little differently. Many staffingagencies and medical facilities are deliberately hiring snowbirds to help filltheir seasonal staffing needs. In many cities in Florida, the need for nursesfluctuates with the season, creating spikes in the available Florida nursingjobs during the best times to visit Florida.

This is good news for registered nurses who are looking for a change ofpace, or just a warm place to hang their hats during the cold winter months.September through April is prime time for travel nursing assignments inFlorida, and there are hundreds of positions that need to be filled duringthose months. The assignments include nearly every specialty in the medicalfield, including nurse practitioners, licensed practical and vocational nursesand nurse therapists in a variety of areas. Nurses with experience ingerontology are especially in demand, as are those that can be flexible aboutscheduling and job preference.

Because the increase in Florida nursing jobs is cyclical, many health caregiants in the hospital industry have started skipping the agency middleman andnow provide their own “snowbird programs.” An employee of one major nationalhospital company may choose to spend six months of the year working for ahospital in Rhode Island to be near family, then ‘retire’ to Florida for sixmonths and work in a Miami hospital when the northern winds blow.

What sorts of Florida nursing jobs are available for snowbirds? Just aboutany type of nursing job you can imagine. Most jobs require a current license,and one to two years of current experience. There are Florida nursing jobsavailable in ER, med and surgical floors, trauma units and ob-gyn. If youprefer to work outside a hospital setting, Florida offers nursing jobs inoutpatient medical management, home care, hospice care and residential nursingcare. With its multitude of theme parks, you’ll even find Florida nursing jobson site for such well known names as Disney, Busch Gardens and Six Flags. Thereare nursing jobs available in Miami, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Pensacola,Daytona Beach, Kissimmee, Jacksonville – and that’s just a few of the manycities that have open Florida nursing jobs.

Florida is easily one of the most popular destinations for travel nurses,but there are also many positions for full-time year round nurses in theSunshine State. If living in the sunniest state in the Union appeals to you,then take a look at what a Florida nursing job can offer you.

-Salaries increasing steadily in the past five years -Steady employment andjob security -Flexible shifts and scheduling -Beautiful weather year round -The opportunity to work with world-class practitioners in all fields andspecialties

Whether you just want a vacation from your everyday job, a recurringseasonal position or a permanent, full time career, you’ll find what you’relooking for among the wide open range of Florida nursing jobs.