Floating after 4 hours?

fergus51 · Jul 23, 2005

This happns in our unit if someone is coming in at 11pm. The traveller who starts at 7pm will look after the patients, but when the regular staff member comes she'll take them and the traveller floats. This is in our contract I believe and probably the only benefit of being regular staff. Some of the travellers complain, but they know it's a condition of their contract and fortunately we're usually busy so it doesn't happen often.

mattsmom81 · Jul 23, 2005

This happened to me both as agency AND on PRN staff at a large HCA hospital...I was made to work all 3 ICU areas in a 12 hr shift..many many times. It was difficult to even accomplish basic necessities and chart in a 4 hour periods. Unfortunately some hospitals rely on this method to cover all areas, and agency/travelers will get the brunt of it.

mac23 · Jul 24, 2005

Where do you work?

real51 · Jul 26, 2005

What's the deal with floating after four hours? I just started at a new hospital, and they consistently will float me to another unit after four hours. Is this common practice? It makes me not want to travel! It's bad for the patients and bad for me! Help!

it happened to me in st louis almost i informed my agency they spoke with the facility and it stopped i dont mind floating but it should be done in rotation with regular staff i was very upset i did not renew my contract :angryfire

real51 · Jul 26, 2005

This happns in our unit if someone is coming in at 11pm. The traveller who starts at 7pm will look after the patients, but when the regular staff member comes she'll take them and the traveller floats. This is in our contract I believe and probably the only benefit of being regular staff. Some of the travellers complain, but they know it's a condition of their contract and fortunately we're usually busy so it doesn't happen often.

i disagree with you on that as a contracter you are contrcted to that unit i do believe you should float but in rotation with regular staff i have been traveling for 5 yrs and that has happened to me in 1 state at one hospitol it went on for 2 months i informed my agency who were not aware of what had been going on it was corrected unless your contract is for a floater you should not automatically be floated daily :)

suzanne4, RN · Jul 26, 2005

Used to do that at several different facilities when I worked per diem agency. And I actually loved it. At oen facility, I would work ER for 4 hours, then could float to Endoscopy for another four, and then do my final four in the OR. Of course, I have training in all of these areas and the hospital knew it. By being so flexible, I had very littel chance of getting cancelled.

In another state, I would get floated also, but it never bothered me. Just enough time to get everything done for that four hour slot, then the next unit. It also helped keeping my skills up in the different ICUs. You can look at it that way. Just much easier when you know about it at the beginning of the shift.

Remember that working agency, or doing travel work, you are there, and getting paid premium prices to help out the staff that is there, and if there is an area that is short, you are going to float. If you do not want to, make sure that it is in your contract before you sign it and that the facility is aware of it.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 26, 2005

Where my travel contract is now, if needed, I can be floated only two times per two week schedule, the travel nurses will float first, and it also depends if you are on a short term contract, or a long term. We will float before the regular staff. It has never been an issue with any of us. With CA staffing laws now, the most patients that we will get is 4.

real51 · Jul 26, 2005

Where my travel contract is now, if needed, I can be floated only two times per two week schedule, the travel nurses will float first, and it also depends if you are on a short term contract, or a long term. We will float before the regular staff. It has never been an issue with any of us. With CA staffing laws now, the most patients that we will get is 4.

that is definately not a bad ratio and floating only 2x per 2 wks is not bad where i was they floated me 4 days out of 5 after working 4 hrs it was a nitemare california sounds great ive never signed a contract stating i am to float although i have met other nurses who have and thats fine with them because it is part of their contract! so far its not been in mine

fergus51 · Jul 26, 2005

i disagree with you on that as a contracter you are contrcted to that unit i do believe you should float but in rotation with regular staff i have been traveling for 5 yrs and that has happened to me in 1 state at one hospitol it went on for 2 months i informed my agency who were not aware of what had been going on it was corrected unless your contract is for a floater you should not automatically be floated daily :)

I am speaking for my facility only. Here travellers ARE floated before staff (not necessarily daily). They are not put in rotation with the staff. Like I said, this is about the only benefit of being regular staff and the travellers know about it before they accept their contract with us. I would not put up with being floated if there was a traveller on the unit here because I know it's in their contract and in mine that they go first. If they don't like it they are welcome to apply for a staff position. Since we are busy, they don't get floated all that often anyways, but they will always be floated before I will.

I don't complain about all the nice benes travellers get and most of them know better than to complain about the benes I get as staff.

suzanne4, RN · Jul 26, 2005

i disagree with you on that as a contracter you are contrcted to that unit i do believe you should float but in rotation with regular staff i have been traveling for 5 yrs and that has happened to me in 1 state at one hospitol it went on for 2 months i informed my agency who were not aware of what had been going on it was corrected unless your contract is for a floater you should not automatically be floated daily :)

You hit it on the head. You are contracted to that unit.............notice the word contracted. You are not staff of that facility, and if it is not in your contract, then they can float you at will. Unless it is stated in your contract otherwise. That is why it is so important to get everything in writing.

My regular contract from my agency has a clause in it that I will float when requested to a unit where I have training...................

real51 · Jul 27, 2005

You hit it on the head. You are contracted to that unit.............notice the word contracted. You are not staff of that facility, and if it is not in your contract, then they can float you at will. Unless it is stated in your contract otherwise. That is why it is so important to get everything in writing.
My regular contract from my agency has a clause in it that I will float when requested to a unit where I have training...................

YOUR RIGHT I WAS RECENTLY OFFERED A CONTRACT AS A FLOATER IM TRYING TO DECIDE THERE ARE SOME BENEFITS AS FAR AS LEARNING THE OTHER UNITS AND INCREASING YOUR KNOWLEDGE I USUALLY DO 3-6 OR 9 MONTH CONTRACTS AND I ENJOY BUILDING UP A RAPPORT WITH THE STAFF ITS REALLY HARD TO DO IF YOUR ARE FLOATED DAILY