why does the float always get jerked around

EmmaG, RN · Jan 24, 2008

One of the hospitals I worked would send you a letter within a few days after being pulled to another unit; it was signed by the DON, the division manager and the manager of the unit you helped cover. It thanked you for helping out, and included a survey about your experience. It asked if you were oriented to the unit (where things were and such), did you receive a fair assignment, were you introduced to the staff and given a particular resource person to go to if you were to need assistance... that kind of thing.

The first time I received that letter my initial thought was 'this must be a joke'. I was assured it wasn't, and that administration took them very seriously and always followed up on the survey responses, both positive and negative.

I thought it was a terrific idea. I wish more places would implement something like that...

GeminiTwinRN, BSN · Jan 24, 2008

I hate to say this, but that sounds like a typical patient load in the PCU at the level 1 trauma center where I work. The only exception is that I work dayshift, so our load is generally held at 4, although occasionally (read: once a week, grr) we do have to take a 5th patient.

I'm sorry your night sucked. As a float, you can just breathe and keep repeating.. "it's only 12 hours.. it's only 12 hours!" :)

Hope tonight is better if you're working! :)

santhony44, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 24, 2008

Some floors can't see past not having to deal with those patients themselves for that one shift. They don't understand that it really doesn't help them in the long run when no one wants to float or work extra on their floor.

BeachBayNurse · Jan 24, 2008

I love having float nurses, brings a new perspective to the night! It blows my mind why someone would not take into mind that the nurse is not familiar to the unit and try to make it a little easier on them. If I am making the assignment, I will try not to give the float any admissions if possible and the lowest number of patients that is fair to the other nurses. I will however give the float nurse the PITA pt, I have usually seen good results, it seems like the new face often makes a difference.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jan 24, 2008

one of the hospitals i worked would send you a letter within a few days after being pulled to another unit; it was signed by the don, the division manager and the manager of the unit you helped cover. it thanked you for helping out, and included a survey about your experience. it asked if you were oriented to the unit (where things were and such), did you receive a fair assignment, were you introduced to the staff and given a particular resource person to go to if you were to need assistance... that kind of thing.
the first time i received that letter my initial thought was 'this must be a joke'. i was assured it wasn't, and that administration took them very seriously and always followed up on the survey responses, both positive and negative.
i thought it was a terrific idea. i wish more places would implement something like that...

wow! that is a great idea. i've had my fair share of horrible floats, and i don't think that those charge nurses would have dumped on me quite so obviously and so badly if there was some chance it would come back and bite them in the butt! besides, it's always nice when managment appreciates you!

one of my former managers would always come and find you if you worked overtime or floated and ask how things were going, and to thank you for helping out. it felt good to be appreciated! but having it in writing would be even better. if it were in writing, trends would become clear and if there were a certain floor or charge nurse that habitually dumps on floats, that would become clear and could be fixed.

RNperdiem, RN · Jan 24, 2008

Sorry you had such a bad night.

My experience of 3 years as a floater were positive. I was given the lighter assignments,and charge nurses were very helpful

I think it has to do with the culture of the unit you are floated too.

Placing a floater with a good assignment comes way down the list of priorities on a floor staffed by lots of other floaters, travellers, new grads and a few burned out senior nurses.

Ms Kylee · Jan 24, 2008

When I get pulled, I always get the crap assignments while the other tech gets less patients and the "better" patients. It never fails.

YellowFinchFan · Jan 24, 2008

I floated tonight which I don't mind but I sure do hate it when a floor and it's nurses take advantage of the float. This was my load: 1st TB pt who is alzheimer and dementia,2nd homeless with a trach not capped and q 2hr morphine ivp, 3rd pt is ok, 4th pt with HIV and q 4 hr bolus gtube feeds and nurse lab draw, 5th pt is trach not capped-tpn-iv- tube feed- stroke and good side is restrained-confused-saccral wound that needs dsg change-2 q hr turn- q 6 blood sugar- nurse lab draw-and lets not forget contact isolation- and q 4 hr H20 flushes oh yes and the continous pulse ox because the sats go from 87-97% with his apnea episodes and yep you guessed it a full code, then 6th pt ok.......I am not trying to whine I am glad I have 10 yrs experience so once I got them settled I was o.k. but if they would of done this to a newer nurse they would of just had a horrible time.
I know not all floors do this but I did notice this morning that my 4 hardest pts were split up between the day shift nurses. :angryfire

That is not a fair assignment! We try to split groups up on our Tele unit according to acuity ...

If you feel it's unfair could you have complained and got extra help from the charge or another RN? We try to be fair to our floats because we need them and we appreciate the help.

One time a float pool nurse told us she thought we were dumping on her with the assignment - we all helped her out and split up her assignment at 3pm (we work 12's)

YellowFinchFan · Jan 24, 2008

One of the hospitals I worked would send you a letter within a few days after being pulled to another unit; it was signed by the DON, the division manager and the manager of the unit you helped cover. It thanked you for helping out, and included a survey about your experience. It asked if you were oriented to the unit (where things were and such), did you receive a fair assignment, were you introduced to the staff and given a particular resource person to go to if you were to need assistance... that kind of thing.
The first time I received that letter my initial thought was 'this must be a joke'. I was assured it wasn't, and that administration took them very seriously and always followed up on the survey responses, both positive and negative.
I thought it was a terrific idea. I wish more places would implement something like that...

That is a great idea...holding everyone accountable would definitely work!

I know complaining does help where I work - if you feel you floated and were dumped on they will not ignore it and they will hold someone accountable.

Most nurses have to float to us - and so I always thank them for their help (whether I'm charge or not) and I always tell them to come to me if they have any problems/questions - I've made some nice friends that way on other floors and I always think - If I ever get floated (rare) I hope the treatment will be the same.

mom4josh · Jan 24, 2008

We have a "reassignment survey" which is sometimes used, but I don't think that everyone knows about it. I use it when I have an exceptionally bad or good night on another unit.

When nurses are floated to my unit, however, I try to always make sure they are familiar with our floor, that they know they can come to me for help with anything, ask them if they need help if I see they are overwhelmed, and try not to give them a worse patient load than anyone else has. Not always possible if your whole floor is full of PITAs, but I try!

Unfortunately, no matter how hard you try, it still doesn't always work out... like if a patient suddenly goes bad or the previous shift dumped on the float nurse. I had this happen one night, and the float nurse wrote her manager and mine complaining about how bad things were and how I didn't help a whole lot. What she didn't realize was that I was dealing with my own crisis... a patient admitted who got to the floor with a B/P 70s/30s and a couple of other troublesome things. Like I said... I try!

A note to the manager of the unit you floated to with details about your horrible night will often take care of the situation for you and others who float there.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Jan 24, 2008

we had a unit that could not keep adequate staffing. People hated to be floated there because they were treated so badly. It became such an issue that we finally did two things - fired everybody and closed the unit till new staff could be hired. Old staff was allowed to transfer but none were allowed to work together. Turned out a few bad apples made the whole unit stink. The unit is doing fine now and, when floats are needed (less often now) they are treated better. Word got out and staffing is much easier.