Hello. I graduated nursing school in May 2007 and I had only been off my NICU orienation for about 6 weeks and was recently floated to PICU. I am struggling enough to keep up with my time management and nursing skills in NICU that being sent to PICU was kind of a shock. Apparently any NICU nurse off orientation is up for floating and my hospital has had a low consensus right now. I was given no prior orientation to PICU and had never even visited the floor before. The charting was completely different along with everything else. The supply room is different, the meds are stored differently, and they even do nursing skills differently (they are not as sterile and don't use mask and cap for changing fluids, drawing labs, etc.) They had given me a full 2 patient assignment. The patients were both babies. One was a neuro kid which i had never taken care of that kind before. Both were on at least 6 drips a piece with meds every 2 hours, assignments more difficult then what I have had in NICU. I asked for help a few times from other nurses, but 1 was a NICU float too and the other 2 near me it was their first week at that PICU. I couldn't keep up and didn't feel safe at all. Even with the PICU charge nurse helping me, I still felt behind. When my charge nurse came to see how I was doing, I just broke down and told her I couldn't do it. Fortunately with her help and the help of some other nurses, I was able to get everything finished and charted. I just hadn't felt so overwhelmed and down on myself before since I started NICU. The good thing is that they said it will probably be at least 1 year before I float again. I just felt so awful that night that I am going to dread being floated again.
So anyways, do NICU nurses float at your hospitals? If so, do you at least get an orientation first?
There seem to be 2 different subjects in this thread. One issue is being miserable for having to float. The more concerning topic is taking an assignment where the nurse may not be qualified to care for the patients.
On the matter of not being happy about floating, I am very sympathetic.. been there.. done that.
More concerning is being asked to take an assignment when the nurse may not have the minimum competencies. On this matter I would strongly advise any nurse to REFUSE THAT ASSIGNMENT. I have been in this situation as well. The powers that be may rant and rave and threaten, but more often than not they will back down and change the assignment. I have been threatened and even disciplined by one ex-employer. But I wore that discipline like a badge of honor. My responsibility is to my patients, not to compromise patients to meet a budget or save overtime costs.
this is also my concern, please dont ever take an assignment for which you dont have the knowledge/orientation...if something happens it will be your lic., when you say you didnt have an orientation/didnt know......wont hold water with the BON, or the court.
morte, LPN, LVN
7,015 Posts
this is also my concern, please dont ever take an assignment for which you dont have the knowledge/orientation...if something happens it will be your lic., when you say you didnt have an orientation/didnt know......wont hold water with the BON, or the court.