Ah, this things that happen when we presume... I actually started travelling because of a job shortage in my home town. 5 nursing schools and 2 hospitals does not leave much room for changing jobs. I've continued travelling for the experience and the pay. While I know I won't lose my skills in the 13 weeks I'm here, being in a newborn nursery again is making me feel like I'm back at the job I left a year ago.
One of the other travelers here has only worked NICU 3x in her whole assignment, and she's leaving in a couple weeks. I was even told on my first orientation night by my preceptor that I will probably be spending most of my time in nursery. She was in a bad mood that night, so I hoped she was exaggerating; she was not.
Easier is relative. Most ICU or step-down nurses would not say floating to a med-surg unit is "easier".
I've gone from having 3 babies that are totally in my care and constantly monitored to 4-6 babies that are in rooms spread out across the unit and are primarily being cared for by their parents. I spend a LOT of time reteaching and trouble-shooting breastfeeding. Anything I do that needs equipment requires me to push it down the hallway to the patient's room. I have to do all the clerical paperwork and put in the pediatricians orders in addition to my charting.
I'll probably stick it out. As I said, I'm not sure I really want to cut a contract short; I can't imagine that looks good, even if it's not my fault. It's suppose to get really busy in the next month, and they are paying me extra to staff me as NICU, even though I'm working in nursery. I just never thought that "occasionally" floating to newborn nursery would turn into almost always working in newborn nursery.
