Critical Care Float Pool

You will either get the easiest patients, or the most difficult patients. Your assignments as a float nurse will completely depend on the personalities of the unit charge nurse.

As they get to know you , that could change. As with any new position, you will need to prove yourself.

That's kinda what I was thinking, hopefully since it's a relatively small hospital float pool, I will be able to prove myself and they'll get to know me over time.

It all depends on what kinds of patients are available. Sometimes it seems the whole unit consists of failure to wean, turn-water-feed patients. Other days, making any kind of assignment is difficult with all high acuity and new admissions.

As a float, if they are nice to you, will give you the lower acuity patients. Where I work, an outsider would never be given a balloon pump, fresh liver transplant or anything very unit specific.

Get well know, and prove your abilities and things vary more.

Likes: the per diem schedule, getting to know most of the nurses outside of one area, the variety, avoiding being in charge

Dislikes: Don't know the doctors as well, everything is a little slower trying to find supplies, floating to a department that is short-staffed and unpopular for good reason.

It can be daunting at first but as you circulate to the different units, learn their 'rhythm' and get to know your co-workers and the docs it gets much easier. I actually found the varience, challange(s) and continued learning experiences of going to different areas a nice break from the 'day to day' of being assigned. Bottom line, it will be what you are comfortable with...but at least give it a chance.

In my unit floats are always given the most stable patients. They are also the first ones to be given PCU patients when we have them. That said, there is still a lot of opportunity for learning and helping out on the unit with other, more critical patients. I think it would be good experience for you.