Floating as a Travel Nurse

[kbugrn]

To all my fellow travelers...anyone thinking of signing on in Southern California with one of the major hospital systems on the ICU needs to understand that they will be floating 2 out of 3 shifts to which ever floor the hospital wants you to...when I interviewed with the traveling coordinator she did inform me that travelers are the first to float but said it rarely happens....well they have hired 7 travelers that are currently assigned to the ICU and we ALWAYS float, it's actually rare that we work in ICU...so if you like to be a Telemetry/Medsurg/Neurostep down Nurse then that's a great assignment...otherwise run for the hills!!!!!!!! :angryfire

[nightingale, RN]

I have removed the name of the facility.

Please keep in mind, when you sign a contract, if it is NOT in writing, the facility, any faciity may do this.

Get it in writing, if you do not want to float. I usually state that I will be treated like regular staff when I reference floating.

[nightingale, RN]

Here is another Thread, here on AllNurses, regarding floating as a Traveler (Agency Nurses also get this asked of them):

Floating Assignments

:angryfire :angryfire :angryfire I hate floating a lot. I view it as poor Management.

[fergus51]

Some hospitals will hire an excess of travellers specifically for the purpose of using them as a float pool. All you can do is leave.

[kbugrn]

This "facility" specifically told me and 7 other travelers that they would "rarely" float and I wanted to let everyone else know what to expect, but if I can't tell you which "facility" then it doesn't help...I have been a traveller for a long time and NEVER floated this much, in this "facility's" case they did hire an excess of travellers to staff the floors and that's not right...I also work agency and don't float, b/c when they call and tell me a opening for the night I simply say yes I'll work there in the ICU and that's that...I was hoping to give some folks a heads up before they travel out to Southern Cali expecting this wonderful position at one of the major hospital systems in the area to know what to expect, b/c in all honesty I feel as if I'm loosing my skills as an ICU nurse and that is not right, and yes I will be leaving and going to Denver already signed the contract and I only have a few more shifts.

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

There is a forprofit facility in PA that routinely overhires Tele nurses and does the exact same thing, floats them continually to medsurg units, etc.

[nightingale, RN]

The deliberate flaotingh would burn me on a facility too. I do not blame either of you for being mad; los' cientos (I feel your pain).