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The Nursing Student's Guide to West Palm Beach Education and Careers
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In the late 1800s, Standard Oil tycoon Henry Flagler began developing the South Florida area, including Palm Beach. Up until that point the area had been sparsely settled, mostly by Native American tribes. Flagler used the setting on Lake Worth to turn Palm Beach into a popular resort area. He also purchased a parcel of land located across the lake to house his hired help that worked on his railroad and in the hotels. This land, which stretched from Lake Worth to Clear Lake, originally consisted of tent cities and bare-minimum facilities. Things began to change for the community when it became the Town of West Palm Beach in 1894.
From Small Town to Big City
As word of the area's pleasant weather and beautiful beaches got out, the demand for land increased and led to a frantic real estate market. Throughout the 1920s, it seemed everyone wanted a piece of South Florida. Property values skyrocketed, as did the population. But lack of building supplies, illegal land scams, and two consecutive hurricanes brought the land boom to an end.
During World War II the region was used as a staging area, and military production and support became the leading industry in the 1940s. Another building boom followed in the 60's and 70's, which changed West Palm Beach from a small town into a sprawling metropolis. Today the city covers 52.64 square miles and has an estimated population of over 90,000. The surrounding metropolitan area is home to nearly 1.2 million people. Yet the city retains its small town feel.
As described by the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches, "As you leisurely stroll along the beaches, it's easy to forget you are in a county with over 1 million people. The area maintains its charm with free weekly concerts in local parks, green markets featuring fresh, locally grown goods, and a myriad of special events including Florida's largest outdoor music festival, SunFest."
Top-Notch Medical Facilities
When it comes to medical facilities and services, West Palm Beach and the surrounding area have all the equipment and technology one would expect in a larger metropolitan area, including several outstanding hospitals. Saint Mary's Medical Center is a 460-bed acute care hospital with a wide range of services including hyperbaric chamber treatment, a wound healing center, cardiac catheterization, outpatient dialysis, and home health care. It is also the location of the Nicklaus Children's Hospital.
The Good Samaritan Medical Center offers 341 beds and numerous specialty services, including oncology, orthopedics, obstetrics and cardiac medicine. Columbia Hospital, a 250-bed acute care hospital, is a primary teaching affiliate of Nova Southeastern University (located in Fort Lauderdale) and a founding member of the Consortium for Excellence in Medical Education. In addition, several smaller facilities, clinics, nursing homes, public health programs, and medical research groups provide a wide range of employment and educational opportunities for health care professionals, attracting people from around the world.
Why West Palm Beach?
Mark Nielson moved from Los Angeles to work as an RN at one of the area hospitals in West Palm Beach. "I was drawn to West Palm by the weather and beaches, but the fun and friendly community is one of the reasons I decided to stay," he shared. "There are several other male nurses here at the hospital, and everyone has been very welcoming. Plus, when it comes to entertainment and nightlife, West Palm Beach is where it's at so there's always something to do after work. This is where everybody comes to have fun, and I've met so many new people since moving here," he added.
Another reason nursing students are drawn to West Palm Beach is the quality educational facilities with programs in the health care fields. The Nurse Assistant Training School, Inc., also known as the Academy for Practical Nursing and Health Occupations, was established to provide health care education opportunities for the under-employed, unemployed and underprivileged citizens of Palm Beach County. The school originally focused on Nursing Assistant training and other entry-level or basic skill occupations. It has since expanded to include programs such as Rehab/Restorative Nursing, Phlebotomy, Electrocardiography, and Practical Nursing.
A Network of Colleges & Universities
The Palm Beach Community College Nursing Program offers coursework and degrees in several health care fields including an Associates degree in Nursing and an RN program. The college has four separate campuses in Palm Beach County -- Belle Glade, Boca Raton, Lake Worth and Palm Beach Gardens. South University, a nationally recognized school, has a West Palm Beach Campus as well.
At these and other schools in the West Palm Beach area, students can train to become a Registered Nurse (RN), Nurse Practitioner, Legal Nurse or Health Care Administrator. They can study Critical Care Nursing, Forensic Nursing, Hospice Care Nursing, Nursing Informatics, Midwifery, and many other areas of specialization.
Along with a variety of educational and employment opportunities, West Palm Beach offers a sun-and-surf lifestyle with a slower, small community atmosphere surrounded by fields of orange trees, sugar cane, and other agricultural products. "West Palm Beach seems to offer all the best of Florida in one location," said Mark Nielson. "I'm glad I chose to move here, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fun, healthy lifestyle in a warm climate."