Moving to larger facility, float pool LONG

[ParrotHeadRN]

Hi everyone,

It's been AGES since I've been here, life has been very hectic this year. I put off writing this because I didn't want to only be here when something was wrong, but I can't help it. I need to hear from anyone who has experienced what I am getting ready to experience.

I have worked my entire nursing career (about 3 years) at a small community hospital. I have become very comfortable there, know what I am supposed to do, all my coworkers, all the docs, the patients, etc. I know how to do my job and feel I do it well for my level of experience. I really love what I do, as well.

I have lately been feeling very dissatisfied with my place of employment. I haven't been feeling we have been getting the backing of upper management for one. I work a med/surg floor and we are constantly getting dumped on by other departments even though for the last season we have been constantly running on full capacity ourselves. I work nights and we are expected to run to the pharmacy for the ER because they can't leave the floor in case something comes in. And it's okay for me to leave MY pts?? Other departments transfer pts to us when they are too busy. When do WE get to do that? NEVER. Mgmt says they will "look into things." NOT. The last two snow storms we had, I packed and came in and stayed both times for three days because not only do I NOT drive in bad weather, I know other people don't either and I wanted to help out. I never got even a thank you, which is okay, but when I was sick after staying there and working for days, they were pretty ugly when I called in. And I think the closeness of my unit is getting to me, people think they can say anything they want to to me (and to each other) because everyone knows everyone else's business. Sounds like I'm pretty unhappy as I reread what I'm writing! Also for family reasons, I really need to work days.

I got so fed up that I went on an interview at another hospital, MUCH larger, a little farther away. It's a float pool position and the base rate is a little higher than what I currently make. I have accepted the job and start in the middle of march after about a two week break. I've already worked the last day with my old employer.

I was so excited at first. I felt like I would get a lot of experience I would never get where I am now. And I felt that float pool would be perfect for me because I wouldn't have to get all involved in the politics.

Now I am starting to really be scared. I've left the only place I know, where I KNOW I can do my job well. I've never been involved in a code and am terrified. And I'll probably go months without seeing the same face twice. All the things that first appealed to me now are scaring me to death. What if I am in over my head?

So, I'd like to hear some experiences from anyone who's either moved to a much larger facility or works float pool. Both of these are new experiences for me. I'd like to have a little bit of an idea what to expect. I'm sure the mentality will be completely different there. I don't know. I'm just sick at the thought of it now. I'm even starting to think that my old job wasn't so bad and I should stay where I am. I feel comfortable there, anyway. Know what to expect. Maybe if I change my attitude, I can feel better about being there. ACK!

[Agnus]

Your story sounds a little like mine.

First let me tell you that I heard someone say as they were getting onto an elevator, "that is why I like float pool; there are no politics."

I know of a nurse of 30 yrs who is going to float pool for the same reason.

Change is always scarry. It is stressful. AND that is what makes us grow.

I started out in a very small speciality hospital. It was like an ICU or a high acuity stepdown unit. We were very close. I had face to face contact with everyone from the CEO to the supply manager every day many times a day. We knew each other very very well.

I worked there as a new LPN grad one year, then got my RN. I tried a hospital twice the size but still small in an ICU. The did not have the budget to train me and they made promises they could not keep. They ate me alive. I went back to my old hospital after about 6 weeks.

I stayed there for two more years. I started feeling I needed to cut back on hours and they announced they were closing. Leaving there was the hardest thing. I never had such feelings about leaving a job before.

I went to hospice, perdiem. They were vicious to each other and to me. (hospice of all places!!) I stayed until they said they did not have census enough to keep thier thier regular staff bussy. I did not actually resign at the time. Then 4 months later I received a letter that I had refused to work for the past 4 months and did not have a current PPD so they were going to assume I was resigning. Both were complete bold face lies. So I sent a very diplomatic letter of resignation and referenced some of that in my letter.

and sent a copy to thier HR (hospital based hospice)

Next I went to a very large hospital. I now work in a challenging speciality area. I see knew faces all the time due to the number of travelers. I am still sorting out the travelers from core staff.

It is a new area for me. Although I had very limited and different experience in a part of this speciality at my old hospital.

I received 80 some hours classroom training here. 6 weeks with a preceptor. I have only been on my own about 2 weeks. In that two weeks I have made some embarrasing mistakes. One was a serious med error althought nothing bad actually happened to the patient. Phew!

One was also a potentially serious error in letting a fragile pt off the floor without an RN.

This is all new. It is different, complex and intense.

However, it is a speciality and therefore I don't have to know everything about everykind of patient. (My old speciality hosp took lots of different kinds of pts. and I had them all)

I will in time learn this speciality and learn it well. That is what keeps me going. It is scarry. I ask LOTS of questions. Yesterdary I was overly cautious and asked even more. And you know what? I was praised everytime I did as my charge saw I was trying to be as careful, cautious and competent as I could.

We sometimes get floats on our floor. They are expected to ask questions, they are not expected to know this speciality. As they float here more and more they will learn more and more. Everyone knows a float nurse is not of our speciality.

One advantage you will get is you will taste everyting. I envie you that. You will develop skills that make you valuabe in a lot of different areas, I envie you that.

It is said that everytime you change jobs or specialities you are starting again as a novice. Everyone who changes does this. No one was born a nurse and no one was born in a speciality and no one was born knowing what they know.

You will not have all the skills and knowlege of some one in a speciality. You will have skills and knowledge to draw on that they do not have. Everyone's background is different, even within one area of nursing. This is an asset.

Acknowlege what you don't know. Ask questions. And honor your strengths.

It is natural to be scared in this situation. I will be natural to be scared until you start to see and feel you can function in the pool. This is a growth step for you.

You might be surprised to find out that even in a large hosp. you will start to see the same friendly faces over and over and you will develop relationships. Hospitals and nursing in general is a small town.

I ran into 3 nurses from my first hospital since I have been here. Just yesterday I had called for assistance from case management. I came walking down the hall and I saw a case manager (and I don't know the case managers here) but I knew. It was so natural so right to see her looking at my patient's chart. I knew immediately. It was a nurse from my first hospital. What a joy to know this person and feel totally comfortable with her. I just knew my patient's problem would be dispached without a hitch.

Not that I had a problem with case managers there, but knowing this person it felt sooooo comfortable.

You will have these experiences. Good luck. take a deep breath and go for it.

[LesJenRN]

Agnus-

Where are you down in AZ? I worked in Chandler for 6 years in their ICU. Loved it and loved my coworkers. Are you in the Phoenix area? I sure miss it......

[ParrotHeadRN]

Wow Agnus,

Thanks SO much, you have made me feel SO much better. I think one of my biggest fears is that they will NOT welcome my questions and actually get annoyed with me. One of the things I do love and appreciate about my former position is that we could talk about EVERYTHING, every time I had a question I knew it was okay to ask. So I DO ask a lot of questions still, and we DO talk about what is going on with our patients a lot. I have learned a lot because of it. I just hope the new facility is similar in that respect.

Thanks again Agnus!

[Agnus]

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[Agnus]

anyone who criticizes you for asking questions has a problem not you.

I reciently heard a nurse criticize a new grad. She rolled her eyes say of the grad. "she looks up everything."

Yea, she took initiative and the RN did not know the answer herself to her latest question until the grad looked it up.

I'd rather have the grad care for me than that nurse.

[kimmicoobug]

I am a new grad, and I do look things up because I want to make sure I know what it is I need to do to provide the best care. Just had to mention it because the senior nurses do roll their eyes at me, and call me a nerd.

Anyways, my year in med-surg will be up in Junish or so, I have toyed with going to the float pool. I have floated to ortho/neuro puhlenty of times and feel OK caring for these patients. If anything, it has helped me in med-surg when I suspect my patient may have stroked or any other weird neuro abnorms. I get floated to OB all the time (hate the unit and love it...) and often work extra shifts in this department. The only place I haven't gone is ICU because I have not been oriented. I stand my ground on this one. But I have thought of going float because now that I have had some really sick patients in med-surg, the thought of possibly going ICU kind of appeals to me. Going float would be a good way to see if I would like it or not. Those are some of the benefits I see. The disadvantages, no real patient continuity. Anyways, good luck to you. Try to maintain a positive attitude.