[owensmommy]

Originally Posted by scoutfinch

Hate floating! I work in a busy PICU, but occasionally we float to other units when our census is low. But our unit has a policy that if you don't call off for 6 months, you are exempt from floating for the next 6 months! LOVE this!! Great incentive to not call off for "just because"....

That is awesome! I need to suggest it to administration!!!

[NursingAgainstdaOdds]

We don't have designated float nurses. Charge Nurses compare staff to patient ratios at bed meeting and offer-up staff if it's available. Except our ICU, which has a habit of calling people at home to warn them they'll be floated if they come in, so they can call in. (Whoops, off topic, LOL.) I have not been floated since I was a new grad, and usually I was the one that would be floated because I wouldn't make a big stink about it and throw a fit (and the charge nurses told me so). I think that's ridiculous, to float the least experienced person, just because others don't think they should have to float. Now that I have a little more experience, I've not even been asked to float.

For my money, I have to say I frequently enjoy my experience when I do float. Usually, we float people to the ED and the ICU. I really get anxious about floating, because of that "new kid syndrome" when you get there, but usually it ends-up being kind of fun.

[ChristineN]

Originally Posted by NursingAgainstdaOdds

We don't have designated float nurses. Charge Nurses compare staff to patient ratios at bed meeting and offer-up staff if it's available. Except our ICU, which has a habit of calling people at home to warn them they'll be floated if they come in, so they can call in. (Whoops, off topic, LOL.) I have not been floated since I was a new grad, and usually I was the one that would be floated because I wouldn't make a big stink about it and throw a fit (and the charge nurses told me so). I think that's ridiculous, to float the least experienced person, just because others don't think they should have to float. Now that I have a little more experience, I've not even been asked to float.

.

That's not fair, if you get floated, everyone should have their just turn. At my hospital, we keep track of when everyone was last pulled, that way we'll know whose "turn" it is to go next. Nurses with greater than 20 years of service can't get pulled

[2ndcareerRNmaybe]

Employees who have been there 15 years are exempt from floating. Otherwise you can get pulled as soon as your orientation is over.

I've heard of people calling in sick if they see we are overstaffed to avoid floating. Problem is if another unit is really short they may pull from our unit anyway and that leaves us short.

I try to think of floating as a new adventure but really some days it's just a PITA.