[RNsweetie]

I was a float nurse (my first position) and it was great, i learned so much I was floated to med, surg and emerg/ observation. I had exposure to everything and and really feel that it gave me a broad base for any type of nursing. I could have been pulled at any time during my shift, to where it was busy. that never did happen to me but the possibility was there.

At my current position, i am a permanent on post partum and when our cencus is low, we are ususally pulled to LDRP to take over PP patents and then they are free for labouring moms.

We are particularly slow this week ( a real rarity) I called in fro an LOA and hurray for me, got it!!! I think i shall clean the house!! (sad I know)

[lee1]

To Daytonite,

What kind of acuity system does your hospital use?? Is your system paperless???
Our hospital is now in the middle of switching to electronic system and we hope eventually the patient acuity will be transparent and easy to pull out the numbers as you describe. For example, every order will have nursing acuity already figured in.

Lee

[Tweety]

I work trauma med-surg, we float to med-surg, cardiac PCU, telemetry, skilled nursing and rehab, gyn, and rarely to post-partum (we used to float there more before they came up with an on-call system). BGasically everywhere but crtical care and progressive stepdown units.

If we're given an assignment we're uncomfortable with, it's up to us to speak up.

We keep a float list and float in rotation. If we have travel nurses, which we don't right now, they are the first to float.

[prenurse]

I work on a med-surg unit currently, we are always being pulled to other units: OB, ER, PEDS, PCU, ICU, Telemetry. We have a book that is kept showing which nurses were pulled when/where. We go by the book on who's turn it is to be pulled. I am going back to the ER Jan. 1st and down there nurses don't go anywhere; they are never slow and never have extra nurses.
If you do not go to a unit when you are pulled they can write a variance for insubordination. (sp?) unless you have valid reason why you don't want to go; like a speciality unit that you don't feel comfortable with.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I work in a closed unit, meaning we don't float. But we do get low-censused if there are not enough patients, so it's a double-edge sword.

[Mississippi_RN]

Originally Posted by SmilingBluEyes

I work in a closed unit, meaning we don't float. But we do get low-censused if there are not enough patients, so it's a double-edge sword.

I would rather float... I have told them repeatedly that they can send me off the unit to work but don't send me home... LOL.. Don't mess with my money. I live 30 minutes from work and if I don't get the time and get sent home... I end up in the red.

[Tweety]

Originally Posted by SmilingBluEyes

I work in a closed unit, meaning we don't float. But we do get low-censused if there are not enough patients, so it's a double-edge sword.

Our women's floors don't float either, except post-partum floats to gyn and gyn floats to pp. L&D and nursey doesn't float. ER nurses don't float anywhere either.

I might add that ICU nurses don't float to med-surg and visa versa.

[veegeern]

[quote=Daytonite] each unit maintained a float list that was usually kept in their report room. It was merely a log of who floated, what date, and to where. So, if 5 nurses showed up to work on the medical unit and they were told one person had to float to the surgical unit, they consulted the log to determine who the last 4 among them floated before #5 who was the lucky winner. There are times when some staff members will actually volunteer to go to the head of the line to the relief of the rest of the people on the unit that shift.

Now, PRNs were utilized first. PRNs where I worked were expected to float, no exceptions, unless they had been called in at the last minute and had made a special deal with regard to floating. So, after the PRNs had been moved around, the next group that got "picked on" was the regular staff.


This is basically the same way that it works in our hospital except that our PRNs are usually floated off the same log. An exception would be one that has specialized experience over the nurse whose turn it is to float. I'm on an Internal Medicine Floor. Most of the patients in the ICU/CCU are ours, so when a nurse needs to be pulled to "the unit" they are usually pulled from our floor. Sometimes that means that a non-medical nurse is pulled to our floor to work. If we have to go to somewhere like Peds/OB/L&D/Post Partum, then we generally take VS, give PRNs, etc... Also, our surgical floor is really good about weeding out patients with routine care and giving them to a surgical nurse that is pulled to their floor.

[SmilingBluEyes]

Personally, I like the closed unit. If I get low-census'd there is always the opportunity to make it back up in just one shift where all hell is breaking loose. I hated floating in my other hospital---I was never much use to them, and usually just wound up pushing meds and the minute OB got a patient, then I had to go back.

I am not really interested in working in foreign areas; I have enough to deal with in doing LDRP and GYN as well as newborn nursing. It's enough variety for me.

[HappyJaxRN]

They float us out based on acuity of our pts and based on the number of transplant pts we have. I haven't floated since July of this year. Swweeet. I hate floating because I feel backwards where ever I go...A lot of times tho, I'll have a better night if I float out. If we get any transplants tho, we are usually floated back because not anyone can be a transplant nurse. A float nurse usually takes our med/surg pts.

We have a float book that we go by and we take turns floating. Altho, if you're PRN staff, you always float first no matter who's in line to float next. That kinda stinks....but I'm not complaining....(not a PRN'er ).