Florida has a school nurse shortage. Is poor pay the reason?
Pinellas officials said they will look into raises, but suggested the problem might be more complex.
Tampa Bay Times | By Jeffrey S. Solochek | Updated March 28, 2024
Pinellas County public schools are struggling to meet their goal of at least one nurse per campus.
As of March 21, the district had 32 of 123 positions open. And with demand for nurses outstripping supply across Florida, some fear the number of vacancies will only grow as other nurses leave for more lucrative positions outside the schools.
Hoping to stem the tide, some of the Pinellas nurses who remain have launched a campaign to pressure the district to boost their salaries in the next round of contract negotiations.
“If you want to hire professionals, you have to pay professional wages,” said Jennifer Reznick, a nurse at Cypress Woods Elementary in Palm Harbor. This month, she added a second school to her assignment.
To Reznick, the need is clear.
The Florida Hospital Association projects a statewide deficit of 21,700 licensed professional nurses, or LPNs, and 37,400 registered nurses by 2035. To recruit and retain nurses in that market, she contends the district needs more competitive pay. She’s been saying so for nearly three years.
“Eventually, they’re going to find they can’t hire any nurses,” Reznick said. “I stay because, who else is staying? I’m here to fight the good fight.”
After receiving a 4.5% raise last year, Pinellas school district LPNs make an average hourly salary of $20.29. For a full-time 10-month contract, that comes out to $30,730 a year.
By comparison, the average hourly wage for LPNs in the Tampa Bay region three years ago was $23.02, according to the Florida Center For Nursing’s most recent report on the state’s nursing workforce.
By comparison, the average hourly wage for LPNs in the Tampa Bay region three years ago was $23.02, according to the Florida Center For Nursing’s most recent report on the state’s nursing workforce.
Stephanie Long, chief student support officer for Pinellas County schools [ JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK | Times ]
She noted the number of openings in the district decreased from 16 to seven after the county commission targeted the need in 2017 by raising the local health department property tax by 2 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. It hovered around six open slots until the pandemic.
