Overflow nurse?

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Specializes in ICU/PCU/Infusion.

Has anyone heard of this terminology for a position before? I'm graduating in a couple of weeks and have been hired in as an "overflow nurse". The NM of the unit says it doesn't mean anything different for me (I'm still fulltime, eligible for benefits, etc.) it just means that it doesn't count against her budget.

I've never heard of this before, and I just wanted to get some opinions on it from you guys.

Thanks!

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I have no idea, but I wonder if it doesn't count against her budget does that mean that you float all over, and where ever you work that floor pays you out of their budget.

I would call HR and ask them what an overflow nurse is.

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Specializes in ICU/PCU/Infusion.

Nope, I'm starting (and staying) in the ICU. Thanks for the reply though!

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Yep - what the NM means is that you are not counted as one of her full-time FTE's - its all about the budget. Doesn't mean anything to you.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

are you sure, it sounds to me as being used where and when as necessary :confused:

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

No - when the NM indicates that its not on her budget - that is what its referring too. This new nurse doesn't count as a full-time FTE (full-time equivalent) for budget purposes only. Sometimes these people are classified as over-hires too.

Its not the same thing as float or resource or pool nursing.

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No - when the NM indicates that its not on her budget - that is what its referring too. This new nurse doesn't count as a full-time FTE (full-time equivalent) for budget purposes only. Sometimes these people are classified as over-hires too.

Its not the same thing as float or resource or pool nursing.

What or whose budget does that type of position come out of?

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Usually a hospital wide budget or larger division budget versus the individual dept budget.

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Where I work you are hired for a specific unit--if you are hired as "overflow" you only stay on that unit once your training/orientation is finished if there are openings on the unit at that time. I graduated this spring and was hired with a guarantee of being on the unit I trained on; another new grad was hired as overflow and only got to stay there because another employee of the unit had left in the meantime. You are, however, guaranteed a job somewhere in the hospital; it may not be the one you want.

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.
No - when the NM indicates that its not on her budget - that is what its referring too. This new nurse doesn't count as a full-time FTE (full-time equivalent) for budget purposes only. Sometimes these people are classified as over-hires too.

Its not the same thing as float or resource or pool nursing.

thankyou for clearing that up... guess going to be a huge learning curve once I arrive and start working in the US

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