Briern

Floating in the facility I work at has really taken a wrong turn. OR nurses, ICU nurses, Med/surg nurses, ER nurses are given a choice when census is down to either float or be OC. Ob, however, has to float. No choice. We have become the prn pool for the entire hospital. That wouldn't be so bad if hospital policy was adhered to. Policy states that nurses who float to another unit are not to be given pts. We should pass meds, start iv's, help with baths, ect. Policy is not even looked at. We are given pts and expected to behave like we have been done a favor! There are several nurses that are very close to leaving. They feel that their licenses are in jeopardy. I wonder if risk management is aware of the liability that the facility faces by not following it's own policy.