Float Nursing

FloatRN19 · May 18, 2015

Kind of fun seeing people say new grads can't float. So Im a new grad this year and I started as a float nurse. I can agree that I'm not the normal new grad, I worked as a float aide at one hospital and concurrently worked as an aide at another hospital at the same time. Yeah I know not nursing but it prepared me to be able to keep track of a lot of different everything. I wanted an icu job and that didn't work out very well. I decided between a float job at one of the hospitals I worked at and wait six months to orient to the icu, or take the one I have and wait 5 weeks until it was my time to orient in the icu after the other floors. I wouldn't have it any other way. I only float at my hospital right now but it's apart of six other hospitals in the city and ultimately Ill transition into a system float and make double what i do know. I'm lucky my director likes to hire new grads. Also you get exposed to everything and it doesn't let you develop bad habits.

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 18, 2015

Kind of fun seeing people say new grads can't float. So Im a new grad this year and I started as a float nurse. I can agree that I'm not the normal new grad, I worked as a float aide at one hospital and concurrently worked as an aide at another hospital at the same time. Yeah I know not nursing but it prepared me to be able to keep track of a lot of different everything. I wanted an icu job and that didn't work out very well. I decided between a float job at one of the hospitals I worked at and wait six months to orient to the icu, or take the one I have and wait 5 weeks until it was my time to orient in the icu after the other floors. I wouldn't have it any other way. I only float at my hospital right now but it's apart of six other hospitals in the city and ultimately Ill transition into a system float and make double what i do know. I'm lucky my director likes to hire new grads. Also you get exposed to everything and it doesn't let you develop bad habits.

I'm interested in knowing the orientation plan for a new grad float nurse. Can you explain?

FloatRN19 · May 18, 2015

I'm interested in knowing the orientation plan for a new grad float nurse. Can you explain?

Of course. I can explain it for two hospitals actually.

At the hospital I worked at you get 4 weeks on each unit with your assigned float pool orienter. (progressive, ortho/joint/ms and ms/oncology). Then in sixth months if there was space/need you'd orient to the icu to take full icu patients.

At the hospital I work at, I got one week on each unit(cardiac, progressive, ortho trauma and ms/oncology) , except the icu where I got two weeks. Each unit I get unit specific orienters and not a float pool irienter. Then I was asked what more orientation I need or want. I took one more day on each unit and one more week in the icu. The one more week in the icu was specific for vent training, Howvever, I had been taking vents in the icu the previous two weeks.

The interesting thing was that during the interview process I believe the manager mentiones it would be the standard 12 weeks for new grads, 2 weeks on each unit. Then when I got my schedule it was one week for each unit. And I figured I'd get paired with a float nurse for the remaining 7 weeks. Then found out it was the 2 more icu weeks and one week of cycling through the other units. The funny thing was though, on my first week on the cycle through the other units I got pulled off orientation and floated to another unit that was short at 0030.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · May 19, 2015

Of course. I can explain it for two hospitals actually.
At the hospital I worked at you get 4 weeks on each unit with your assigned float pool orienter. (progressive, ortho/joint/ms and ms/oncology). Then in sixth months if there was space/need you'd orient to the icu to take full icu patients.
At the hospital I work at, I got one week on each unit(cardiac, progressive, ortho trauma and ms/oncology) , except the icu where I got two weeks. Each unit I get unit specific orienters and not a float pool irienter. Then I was asked what more orientation I need or want. I took one more day on each unit and one more week in the icu. The one more week in the icu was specific for vent training, Howvever, I had been taking vents in the icu the previous two weeks.
The interesting thing was that during the interview process I believe the manager mentiones it would be the standard 12 weeks for new grads, 2 weeks on each unit. Then when I got my schedule it was one week for each unit. And I figured I'd get paired with a float nurse for the remaining 7 weeks. Then found out it was the 2 more icu weeks and one week of cycling through the other units. The funny thing was though, on my first week on the cycle through the other units I got pulled off orientation and floated to another unit that was short at 0030.

You are certainly NOT a typical new grad, good for you.

How much orientation do you get at the first hospital before you take full ICU patients?

FloatRN19 · May 19, 2015

You are certainly NOT a typical new grad, good for you.
How much orientation do you get at the first hospital before you take full ICU patients?

I can't remember, I want to say 2-4 weeks. Once you're off orientation there is still the possibility that you'd float to the icu to take their lower acuity patients if they are short staffed.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · May 19, 2015

I would not recommend a new grad take on a float position.

Mavrick, BSN, RN · May 19, 2015

I can't remember, I want to say 2-4 weeks. Once you're off orientation there is still the possibility that you'd float to the icu to take their lower acuity patients if they are short staffed.

Well, I don't know whether to keep complimenting your individual accomplishments or perhaps you went to a hell of a good nursing school.

It sure seems ambitious to expect your average new grad to take on such a big challenge as floating throughout the entire hospital as a first job. I give post op report to new grads and have to spoon feed the information to the point of spelling out CBI and explaining how to calculate fluid balance. There is just so much going on in the real world of nursing that can't possibly be covered in nursing school. So much of the time they don't know what they don't know.

Kudos to you.

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 19, 2015

I'm not questioning you, but I do question the wisdom of hiring new grads in float positions in general. (If your float pool manager "likes hiring new grads," apparently you aren't the only one.) Three weeks orientation in ICU, and you're on your own when you float there? That's just plain nuts.

ETA: How long have you been on your own?

joanna73, BSN, RN · May 20, 2015

While some new grads may be able to handle a float position, many cannot handle floating. They don't have the assessment, time management or prioritization skills. We've tried floating new grads unsuccessfully. Even with the orientation, most new grads are not ready.

PacoUSA, BSN, RN · May 20, 2015

I currently work a float pool in my hospital as a traveler. I'm in my 3rd week on my contract (2nd on the floor on my own) and I have already decided that I do not like floating this regularly. I tend to work 8 hours on one unit and then pulled to work 4 hours on another. Continuity of care is very important to me, and when I care for a patient in 4 hours, I cant give them the same attention that I can give in 12 hours. Fortunately, this is a single contract, and I was curious to try the float pool, but now that the cat has been killed, I will make sure my future contracts are with a steady unit, with of course the occasional floating expected.

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