How does your unit determine who floats?

[BiscuitStripes, BSN, RN]

I started on this unit first week of March. I got 4 weeks of orientation and because I was new they didn’t float me initially. They decided at my 3 month mark I was okay to float. 

So I got float yesterday and was told today I’m next to float again. I asked how I just floated yesterday. I was told it goes off float hours for the year and I now only have 12, thus am the lowest. So basically I’m going to continue to float until I effectively make up 6 months worth of floating when I didn’t even work here or was eligible to float. 

Every other hospital I’ve known goes off who hasn’t floated in the longest. How does your hospital do it?

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

That sounds like an odd system to use. We have a binder and your name goes in whenever you float, that puts you at the bottom of the list. The system you mention would penalize people just for being new employees. Weird. 

[NewEnglandRN16]

We go by per diem first, then by a rotating list. Also you can’t float until 6 months of orientation. But we are union so it’s easier to follow the system since it’s in the contract. 

[Davey Do]

2 hours ago, JBMmom said:

That sounds like an odd system to use... The system you mention would penalize people just for being new employees. 

Yeah.

It's as if they're letting the new employee drown and allowing the putrefaction which produces gases make them float!

When I worked at the State Hospital back in the early '90's, they had a similar method of determining mandated overtime. When I was new there, I was constantly mandated.

Being relatively young, having just built a house, and having a mortgage to pay off, I didn't mind much. In the span of something like a few months, I went from the top of the list of being mandated to the bottom.

[londonflo]

Are you able to volunteer if the float is to an area you like/know? I always volunteered if I figured I could do okay in the area, to avoid having to go to some areas I disliked. Plus I learned to know some staff on that floor so it was more enjoyable,

[NurseBlaq]

1 hour ago, Davey Do said:

Yeah.

It's as if they're letting the new employee drown and allowing the putrefaction which produces gases make them float!

 

You have such a way with words, Dave! ?

[Sour Lemon]

I'm per diem, and so always the first to float. I floated for about three years straight. Every. Time. I. Worked.

When I finally got back to my home unit, everything had changed- even the locks. And my annual evaluation was interesting, because the manager of my unit didn't recognize my name and wasn't sure who I was.

At my last few hospitals, people usually took turns or the most suitable person was sent. I've never heard of the system you're describing. It sounds kind of sucky.

 

 

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

PRNs are first to float then it goes by a list. That is a very odd system. It sounds like you will be floating for a while. 

[NurseBlaq]

They're taking advantage of you. Ask to see the written policy that says that. If they can't provide it, call HR and ask them for the float policy. No one will be able to provide it to you because it doesn't exist. They'll continue to do it as long as you allow them to do it unchecked. Put an end to it now or just get comfortable floating.

[hppygr8ful, ASN, RN, EMT-I]

We al float down here Georgie!

 

[Hannahbanana, BSN, MSN]

There was an ongoing whine based on the perception that teacher’s pets didn’t float as much as others, so we decided to use actual data.
We kept a list of all staffers and wrote the dates they floated next to them. It was easy to scan and see who floated the fewest numbers of times. If there was a tie, oldest float date went. 
We also let people volunteer to float, so you could build up a big bank of floated dates if you wanted to. End of fuss. 

[gere7404, BSN, RN]

We don’t float out of the ER. 
 

floors keep track of the dates of when everyone floated last and float whoever has the longest time since they last floated. Certain nurses with long enough service time have it in their contract where they don’t have to float.