Float Pool (Clinical Support Team)

[koverfel]

Hi everyone,

I just accepted my first part-time nursing job on float pool (also known as clinical support team) and just wanted to know what helped you transition from nursing school to working as an RN. Has anyone else started on float pool, or worked for float pool, and if so, what was your experience?

[brownbook]

I always loved floating. It was the "impostor syndrome". (I am making that up, no idea what the impostor syndrome is or what it means.) As a newish nurse, when I worked in my regular assigned, unit I stupidly felt I should know everything, and was afraid to ask "dumb" questions because co-workers would find out what an impostor I was.

When I floated my co-workers knew I was a float and I didn't feel dumb to ask, what is that, how do I do that, etc. As I floated I became more confident and learned that even nurses with many years in their own unit didn't know all the answers either. Maybe I wasn't an impostor. I was always welcomed and well supported by my co-workers when floating.

I was exposed to many units, learned a lot, no patients were harmed by the "float nurse". You will read on Allnurses and hear nurses say, "I wouldn't want my family taken care of by a float nurse!"

Because I volunteered to float even when I started working per diem I would be called into work and regular benefited staff would be called off, because they wouldn't float to another area of the hospital.

[Crush]

Agree with above but would add from my own experience, my time working med-surg was invaluable. It comes down to your comfort level and your facilities orientation period. Never be ashamed to ask questions.