Floating 2nd day off orientation

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Help! I am brand new off of orientation and we are over staffed for this weekend. All the nurses are telling me that I will be the first on the float list since I have never floated. I am terrified of this since I have never had an orientation to the other floors that we float to. I talked to my educator today and her response was that this is how it works sometimes. I have issue with this because on my floor we only take 2 patients and the float floors take up to 4 and since I am an RN, I will be held accountable for the LPN's patients on my team as well. My floor is made up of all RNs so I have never done this on my floor let alone a floor that I have never really even stepped foot on. What is your guys opinion on this?!! I am scared to death to go to work with fear that I will have to float and will not be ready!

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Specializes in Emergency Department.

Most places don't let new people float until they have been there a certain amount of time (where i work for new grads it's one year) that's CRAZY! Definitely know that you are NOT comfortable with that and see if you can find an alternative.

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Specializes in Med/Tele.
Help! I am brand new off of orientation and we are over staffed for this weekend. All the nurses are telling me that I will be the first on the float list since I have never floated. I am terrified of this since I have never had an orientation to the other floors that we float to. I talked to my educator today and her response was that this is how it works sometimes. I have issue with this because on my floor we only take 2 patients and the float floors take up to 4 and since I am an RN, I will be held accountable for the LPN's patients on my team as well. My floor is made up of all RNs so I have never done this on my floor let alone a floor that I have never really even stepped foot on. What is your guys opinion on this?!! I am scared to death to go to work with fear that I will have to float and will not be ready!

You normally take 2 patients? Do you work in ICU? Well anyway, around here once you are off orientation you are fair game. Sadly. I would talk to the manager if you arent comfortable though. Try not to freak out! Some nurses just try to say stuff like that to intimidate you....they acted the same to me, they know you are new and they can can make you nervous and anxious easily. I have been a nurse for 9 months and got pulled once to a post op surgery unit (not day surgery) and I had 8 patients (normally I have between 5-6 on med/teleand everyone had wounds, wound vacs, fluids, pain meds, a few diabetics, etc. But I just paced myself and survived, plus I learned alot. My teacher encouraged us in school to get at least 6months to a year of medsurg because we would build our skills up...and when we have to float , we'd be better prepared in some ways by working in medsurg. Medsurg/tele is rough as hell but I have learned so much......I dont love medsurg/tele but I am just sticking it out until June so I can have a "yr of experience".

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Specializes in Rural Health.

It was a common practice after 6-8 months for an RN to float, but usually not before then. Come to think of it - even a tech couldn't float until they had been off orientation for 90 days.

Tell your manager you aren't comfortable with floating yet. If that doesn't work, I guess go and enjoy. The first time I ever got floated was to Psych (I was a tech) and I actually ended up loving it. It was a refreshing change that day.

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