floating assignments

[scarpbooker06]

Hi Is it common for a hospital to float a traveler every 4 hours per shift to another area of the hospital? Is this a common practice? I have interviewed in Duluth, Mn Icu. The manager says that it common practice, I would work where the need is. I think this would be a very stressful assignment. I am interested in feedback.

[nightingale, RN]

I would not say common but to float or not float can be written into your contract. I have done this; it usually happened infrequently at the end of 8 hrs for the shift that did not have matching Nurses to complete a shift. It was very stressful.

The Manager you interviewed stated it was common then it is; at least she/he was honest. I would prefer to not float or at least be limited to the amount of times you do float. I have often had it written in that my treatment would be the same as regular staff (if this suggestion helps at all). If staff regularly floats then you would too under these circumstances. The flaoting really sound inefficient.

[cvryder]

It appears that floating travelers is pretty common. I don't know whether the rationale is "they travel, they should be used to anything" or "our regular people would complain so we'll float the traveler instead." Every 4 hours sounds pretty excessive, though. In one hospital where I worked for several years before I started traveling, they began readjusting staffing every 4 hours when they got in financial trouble and started micromanaging.

My last two assignments have varied considerably. At my previous hospital I was floated numerous times; travelers were *always* floated first, no matter if you'd been floated the shift before or not. After I made a huge stink about conditions on one floor I was pulled to, I was floated only to areas considered critical care...until my last night, when I was floated to a completely out-of-my-world hem/onc unit. Where I am now, ICU travelers are floated only to ER, other ICUs, or tele, and pretty darn seldom at that.

[zipporah]

I am keeping track of floating too and am interested in hearing what goes on in other parts of the US. In tacoma, wa, travelers float in turn, in philadelphia and naples fla, travelers float first and float out to tele. every 4 hours is too crazy.

[bebe on the road]

On my current assignment, i have been floated after 4 hrs to fill in the gaps between the 8hr and 12 hr nurses. But usualy i am floated only that day for my full 12 hrs. Sometimes having the 4hr float works well. I have been in the middle of the shift from hell and been floated out after four hours to a much calmer assignment.

[jde8767]

On my first travel assignment I would float almost every night at 11p. IT WAS AWFUL. House sup. would call at 2245 and say that I am being pulled to another unit at 2300. Now, I make sure it is in my contract- I make my company put it in writing that I will be floated like the normal staff (take turns). I have not ran into this problem since.

[Going2go]

The only place I have heard of this (floating every 4 hrs) is at Kaiser. However, I know of hospitals in Az that SPECIFICALLY hire ICU nurses and then float them where ever(but it's for the full 12 shift) My friend worked at such an assignment and said she spent about oneday a month actually in ICU unit. When I interview, I ask about float policies, tell them I will float PCU/Tele and then write that into my contract.

[niecy_nurse]

I am presently on assignment in Los Angeles. I work the CCU unit. Even though I hate floating, at least they do it fairly. We take turns right along with the regular staff. Sometimes I welcome the break :).

[sassyd]

I work just outside the sacramento area with a large named hospital. The hospital states that all travelers will float to other said named hospitals in the sacramento area. It was never placed in my contract, so i refuse to float, since I never agreed to drive to other locations. Something to watch out for when working in Sacramento.