Assignments and floating...how do you deal???

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

i am posing this question to management, not to staff.

this is a loaded question, i know, but i was wondering how others deal with this issue. i am a weekend supervisor, the only one in house. its a small facility (97 beds, divided over 5 units, not equally though). staff nurses and techs are assigned to permanent units, per-diems are not. which means, they report to the office to find out where they will be working. there are a lot of per-diems, none of which are ever hired to work on a specific unit, (although everyone has their preferences).

there is a 24 hour roster that is posted in the office. it includes the entire house. each staff member who looks at it can see how much staff is going to each unit, who is floating where, and who has called in sick or cancelled. i really have a problem with the latter part (for privacy reasons). i don't think it's everyone's business who is calling in sick, or has a death in the family, ot who got granted a holiday. and the staff scrutinizes the list, and then have the nerve to question "why do i have to float and not the other unit?" or a per-diem will ask "why am i going there and she doesn't have to?"

they will also come in and ask "where am i working on wednesday?" if they don't like their assignment they will either ask to switch units (which may not be possible), or will cancel or call in.

i'm sure this goes on elsewhere (questioning the floating). i am also a floor nurse elsewhere, and can fully appreciate being on the other side of this. nobody likes to float, but sadly it is a part of nursing. but where i work staff, it is not up for public display (who is floating, who is calling in sick, and how much staff they have on the other units).

so my question is, do you justify who goes where when staff complains? and what measures do you have in place to inform the staff who is floating and where per-diems report to?

other managers have also complained about this issue (it's gotten ridiculous). i was hoping i could initiate a new system.

sorry so long.

[Chaya, ASN, RN]

For our unit we keep a float list. Per Diems float first. An "extra shift" doesn't count as a float. Beyond that, we have a chart- each person's name and the last time the "wenT". Earliest date floats again.

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

for our unit we keep a float list. per diems float first. an "extra shift" doesn't count as a float. beyond that, we have a chart- each person's name and the last time the "went". earliest date floats again.

we have that too, on each unit. mgmt just states "one nurse has to float to wherever". they then refer to their list on the unit. we would automatically reassign the per-diem first (erase her fom one unit and write it in on the next). we don't like to refer to the per-diems as 'floating', as they do not have a specific home unit.

i've seen that same issue with the 'extra shift', which is another whole story.

[laurakoko]

I know this was intended to be answered by management, however, this situation is currently what I am experiencing as a floor nurse. ( I also used to be a manager, if that is relavent.)

I changed positions app a year ago to PRN. At the facility I work, PRNs are assigned to a specific unit. It means we must fill the min requirements for scheduling on our home based unit, and then we can pick up shifts where ever after that. Well, I am currently on a telemetry floor. I schedule myself there, and have recently been cancelled (because they are well staffed with FT), or floated to the under staffed units. (When scheduled on my home unit.) My home unit didn't use me! For the last 2 months! So, I scheduled myself on the units that DID need staff, and I floated ANYWHERE without a complaint. I even would volunteer to go to other units when the FT would complain if they were pulled. I recently recieved an email from the manager now, that if I don't schedule myself on my home unit, I will be terminated. I am appaled by the email, and can't believe that in being so flexible and willing to do anything, I am being "dinged" for it. I did not intentionally NOT schedule shifts on my home unit, as I talked in depth with the staffing coordinator, and she was more than elated for me to fill in in other places BECAUSE I wasn't needed on tele, and other places had lots of "holes".

I have so many other issues, too many to type, but I feel because I once was the manager, and charge nurse on this unit, and had 2 babies in 2 years, and had to demote myself and go PRN, for my family, administration is trying to get me back, or something?!?! I wish I worked for you.......

[BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN]

I have so many other issues, too many to type, but I feel because I once was the manager, and charge nurse on this unit, and had 2 babies in 2 years, and had to demote myself and go PRN, for my family, administration is trying to get me back, or something?!?! I wish I worked for you.......

We should do lunch! :chuckle I have the same issue at my other job (where I work the floor as a per-diem). I haven't ventured to the 'other floors' voluntarily (I actually might like it if I do :chuckle ). But I feel the same way about going per-diem: I am constantly reminded thet I have 'lost all of my seniority'. But who's there in a pinch? Who covers the weekend shifts that your staff princesses don't want to work? I was never management there, but have been there for almost 4 yrs (2 yrs as regular staff), I know what I'm doing, I (used to) like the job, and like a sucker, will never brek ties with this place and say 'yes' when you need me (That needs to change, BTW).

As far as my supervisory issue, I don't know if that would fly. I mean, most PRNs prefer a specific unit, some don't mind at all, and some won't imagine (and threaten to leave when asked to go) going to a unit other than their first choice. It's a very small place, and one sick call tips the balance. There is one staffing coord. and she tells me that people constantly want to know where they are working, and put in preferences. She constantly reminds them that there is no guarantee, and where she pencils you in may not be where you stay. They still come in complaining when they are 'moved'. It's quite a battle.

[kyti]

I am a House Supervisor dealing with these same issues. When one unit is short we look to see if another unit is over. The least senior nurse floats. The exception would be if the least senior nurse did not have the skills to care for pt on the new unit. When this happens ,I explaine to the more senior nurse why the decison was made. (our PRN nurses have no senority) We still hear alot of "why do I have to go, why can't so-and-so go " That why we try to be very consistant with our float policy. I know no one likes to float, but pt care and safety come first.