Float Team or Ortho???

Floating takes confidence and adaptability. If you like more stability- probably not for you. Also, floats might be subject to cancel before regular floor.

Ortho is very heavy. All patients are an assist when getting up to the bathroom, sometimes 2 assist. It can be very busy with giving prn pain meds. It is nice because most patients aren't really sick, so they end up leaving sooner. However, it is my experience working in ortho that the patients can be a little demanding. I personally didn't like it, but I know people who love it. If it were me, I would do the float pool.

I love ortho! Personally, float pool scares me. I have floated few times when the need arose and I feel like such an outsider. That may be for you, but I like knowing where everything is and familiar with MD idiosyncrasies. If you use good body mechanics and take the help PT/OT gives, it is not anymore physically demanding than any other floor. Good time management and being proactive with prn pain meds makes that a non-issue.

I was a float pool nurse for 3 years and loved it. You learn so much and get to know a little bit about everything, instead of just one specific floor. You never have two days that are the same, which can be a good thing. Most floors are thrilled to see the float nurse cause with out you they would be working short. With floating you will still get to work Ortho

Floating has it's own set of benefits and challenges.. please expand on " a little" afraid.

Ortho can be heavy physically. But, f you have a tech... go for it!

I floated for 6 months when my med/surg floor was closed due to low census. I LOVED IT!!

Always going to a different unit. No unit politics to get involved with. You may find an area you would like to make a permanent change to. It gives you the chance to really utilize all of your nursing skills. Just because you like the manager in Ortho, doesn't mean you would like her managing style once you became her employee.

How do you get along with CNAs? In ortho, you are very dependent on your helpers because the patients usually are not able to get around independently. Liking the manager is good; having good aides is better.

Float pool is a mixed bag. Have you ever floated to those units before? Talk with a few of the float nurses and ask them about their work. Are the float nurses given good assignments? Do they always float to those same floors that can't seem to retain staff?

Thanks for all of your input, it really does help me to make a tough choice. Floating is scary just because I'd be so out of my comfort zone knowledge-wise. I'm also nervous about getting the toughest assignments on the floor; those patients that all the nurses need a break from. But then again, float nurses have some great skills, they make more money, and typically have better schedules. One day I hope to be a travel nurse, and working on the float team would help to prepare me for that. And as some of you have already pointed out, I've worked on some dysfunctional units, and I wouldn't have to worry about those politics on the float team.

I think a cardiac background would be a good fit for float pool. I find ortho very "routine" but that may just be my facility.

Ortho is back breaking and a lot of running your butt off with prn meds. I say float pool!