I pick the days that I'm dumped on....

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

As a float nurse, I'm 10 for 10 as far as being dumped on. The managers say that it shouldn't be that way but nothing changes. I reported my concerns verbally and filed my complaints in writing. Yet nothing changes. I'm an experienced nurse, well over 20 years....27 years this year, as a matter of fact, and I find it absolutely remarkable that rookie nurses can be sitting down relaxing 3 hours into the shift when it takes me more than 12 hours most days to do ALL that is required for my particular, hand-picked set of patients.

So, my solution to this? I stay off the clock 5 out of 7 days per week AND my cell phone is placed on silent on my days off!

What does it take to effect change when the managers just can't seem to recognize the negative correlation between workload and nursing shortage even when serious issues are put in writing? I know, budget is limited, staffing is based on the needs of the facility, etc. But what about team leaders looking out for their 'friends' or regular staff instead of making sure EVERY nurse has as fair assignment as possible? When we can look at the assignment and see at a glance that the float nurse has the majority of the empty rooms, thereby getting the bulk of the admissions, or are assigned to the only isolation rooms, frequent flyers who are known drug seekers, restrained patients, etc., FAVORITISM IS THE ISSUE and should be addressed! I had one team leader to tell me that I was getting so-n-so because Nurse Betty needed a break. But what about float nurse? When every leader on every floor has this rationale, the float nurse never gets a break. I've seen new nurses quit because they, too, are dumped on as being the 'new kid on the block'. When does it end? What do managers do to actually TRY to retain nurses?

If anyone has a working solution to this problem, please let me know. Otherwise, for me, it's tea time because I have 5 days off. LOL!!! When it changes, I may actuallly get to listen to my ringtone for a change.

[eatmysoxRN, ASN, RN]

Doesn't seem fair. The method at my hospital isn't much better as we split halls and don't base acuity unless we know it will be ridiculous for one nurse. Like we had a CABG to prep (we have 1:8 ratios) and about half the floor were totals and we had about ten with major psych and wandering issues....

It's unfair sometimes. It would also be hard if assignments were extremely split though.

~ No One Can Make You Feel Inferior Without Your Consent -Eleanor Roosevelt ~

[dah doh, BSN, RN]

I'm sorry! We never dump on our float or registry nurses! We look at them as lifesavers and try to give them easier assignments. Is that the case when we float elsewhere, nope! We get patients that no one wants to care for! But we hold ourselves to a higher standard. Have you considered changing jobs?

[DoeRN]

OP I completely relate to where you are coming from. I'm a float nurse too. And though I like having control over my schedule, I DREAD going to certain floors. I know I'm going to have a terrible day when all the staff nurses on the floor kick back and gossip or talk about what they are doing over the weekend. I'm in burnout mode and am finding a way out.

I know usually we make more money but we have to put up with more crap too.

So sorry I don't have any answers for you.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[NotMyProblem MSN, ASN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN]

I'm sorry! We never dump on our float or registry nurses! We look at them as lifesavers and try to give them easier assignments. Is that the case when we float elsewhere, nope! We get patients that no one wants to care for! But we hold ourselves to a higher standard. Have you considered changing jobs?

I actually did change jobs. SOS, just different faces doing the dumping. For now. I'm just trying to hang in there until I complete the BSN. I hate sitting behind a desk with a passion but I think I will head for the health department and/or some type of community work. But even that is at least a year away....

[Morganalefey]

Wow, this surprises me. In my hospital, we always try to give a lighter load to the float (i.e. no one on a drip, etc), and try to give them 5pt's so they don't get an admit. That doesn't always happen, but we try.

I'm shocked to hear that there are floors that dump on the nurses coming to help them out.

I guess they'll get pay back when it's their turn to float.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Our unit is pretty hit or miss on how we treat floats - depends on who is charging. I do think that the floor/tele float pool likes to come to our unit because we generally have lower pt ratios.When I get floated to other ICUs, I have been told to my face that I'm getting a more difficult pt because I work on a burn unit and so should be used to dealing with difficult pts. Sigh.

[dah doh, BSN, RN]

Hang in there! There appears to be a light at the end of your tunnel! Have you considered getting out of the float pool? Maybe you'd get dumped on less if you worked on one of the units permanently.

[LynnLRN]

My history with this:

We would give resource RN's the easiest patients. They wouldn't get post-ops because we only wanted our trained RN's to get them and we did our best to avoid giving them admits. A few RN's that were great RN's loved coming to our unit because they knew it would be an easy day because of how we assigned float people on our unit. However, there were always a couple resource RN's who were AWFUL never got anything done, complained the whole time, and were completely flustered the whole shift for no reason when you compared their assignment to everyone elses. These nurses of course thought they were dumped on.... after a while we really got to know them and actually CHOSE to work short if they were the only resource on because they were no help and created more work for everyone else. Some people just are not cut out for hospital nursing.

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

although they say so, floats never get dumped on where i work if anything they cry and cant handle our typical assignment and get an easier own. the pts are split up and you get who you get. they are split up the same way for our staff. if we dont get a float than those pts are just split up to floor staff.

[Tina, RN]

I was a per diem float nurse at a hospital before getting my school nurse position. I got dumped on, BADLY! LOL

I remember one morning when the charge nurse gave herself and the other 2 nurses a full team of patients. I only got 3 or 4. However, there were THREE admissions coming and they were ALL for me! I'm not one to make a fuss, I was there so infrequently I would mostly grin and bear it. But that time I spoke up, believe me!

[dudette10, MSN, RN]

I'm a float and there have been a couple of times where the assignment sucked, and I noticed a float reported to me, and I reported to a float for two consecutive shifts. All in all though, the assignments have been manageable, so I can't say that we always get dumped on where I work. When acuity in general is higher on a floor, it is more likely to happen, though. There are just so many more perks to being a float--making my own schedule, not putting in for hours if I need a break, superb pay--I suck it up and deal when it happens.