Nursing Float Pools

[flygirl43]

Hi: I just came back to work from 9 months off due to stress and insomnia from a toxic work enviorment in a small rural hospital. I moved back to the city (my home) and got rehired by my old employer. We are a huge corporation with 7 sites and 10,000 employees. Great employer....always! The problem is, I came back to work on their "float pool". I figured after my last experience, I wanted to get to know the good units to work on, and where I never wanted to work! It is also providing me with a very diverse experience for my resume. Does anyone else out there on a "pool" feel like they are treated like crap when they attend work? On some wards I get double the pt assignment (and always the worst ones) If I dont get there early, I notice the assignment has been changed so I do get the worst of the worst. Im there to help you when you short staffed. Not be the slave. Without us.....you have a shift of hell. What about some respect????? Ive noticed some wards dont so this, but others are beastly. Can't wait unitl my old unit has some full time job postings. Anybody else out there on a pool? Do you like it? What has been your experience?

[LilyBlue]

I worked float pool for 5 years...my experience was much the same. Switched assignments, having to take a "team" in ICU and ER with no experience, many times nurses who would get annoyed if I didn't know something and had to ask for help.

I also found nurses on units who went out of their way to help me, gave me a fair staffing assignment, and checked to see if I was ok during my shift. Some days were great, and some days were hell. I think this is true of most hospital nursing shifts, though.