[mattcastens]

Does anyone out there work in a hospital that has a "closed" critical care float policy, that is, a policy where CC nurses only float to CC areas? I am currently on a committee that will be submitting a proposal to our hospital's Staffing Advisory Committee for closed floating. If anyone has such a policy in place, please leave a message here or e-mail me. Thanks!

[Patricia116]

At my hospital, ICU nurses need float only to critical care areas; however, the CCU nurses must float to every, single, unit in the hospital!! We are currently working on a proposal to close our unit as well. My question is why the hospital has chosen to view the ICU nurses in a different light than the CCU nurses. But I digress. Good luck with your proposal. Let me know how things go.

[vaughanmk]

The hospital where I work all ICU nurses, regardless of the specialty are required to float. They are the last ones to go home for low census. I believe the hospital consideres critical care nurses the most adapt to work any floor. Although they try not to send them to mother/baby, peds, etc. Only adult floors.

[susanmary]

[pickledpepperRN]

Critical care nurses often lack competency for caring for the volume of patients in a telemetry or medical/surgical unit. Adult nurses cannot be safely assigned to pediatrics or to pediatric patients in the ER.

ANY floated nurses should be oriented to the unit unless there is a disaster (like an earthquake or plane crash).

SusanMary is correct. I have and will perform functional nursing. That is performing tasks in partnership with the registered nurse assigned to the shared patients. That can be a BIG help.

We have "Floating Clusters" in our contract. Critical care can go to telemetry, but they cannot float to ICU. Telemetry nurses can float to medical/surgical. We get a 4 hour orientation before being required to float. The 4 hour orientation is part of orientation for experienced new hires. No new grad floats for the first year.

Wish I could give you such a policy.
Patricia116, your hospital has a silly divisive policy.