Pulled to another unit by unit manager

Boog'sCRRN246, RN · Mar 15, 2010

I think it's amazing that your unit manager was going to work as a floor nurse!

bill4745, RN · Mar 15, 2010

It is not unreasonable that the manager stay in her own unit to be available for any problems which might require her attention.

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2010

She's the boss. If I were the boss, I'd work my floor, too, and float my staff nurse, just as she did. Unpleasant but lots of precedent all over America - unless you have a contract, union, or some written agreement. Even then, to keep on your boss' good side, guess what - you get pulled when the boss says so.

You might find you enjoy the other floor. Keep an open mind.

JulieCVICURN, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2010

Wow - how often do you see a unit manager work the floor? Mine does, but only for post op CABG and only in an absolute emergency. She never takes her own patients. I say kudos to that manager.

Moogie · Mar 15, 2010

I worked in a non-union hospital and it was very common for nurses to "float" from one floor to another depending on staffing needs. Usually, nurses were kept within their specialty in that medical nurses were kept on medical floors, surgical nurses kept on surgical floors and no one floated to specialty areas such as OB or ICU without sufficient orientation.)

Unless you were being asked to work in an area for which you were completely unprepared and would be unsafe (e.g., if you were being pulled from, say, medical oncology and reassigned to L & D or surgical ICU for the shift) I don't think your unit manager's decision was at all unreasonable.

I am also very impressed that the unit manager was going to work the floor. Most of the best managers I know do this on a regular basis.

CaLLaCoDe, BSN, RN · Mar 15, 2010

Your unit manager sure pulls her own weight.

Floating is no big deal. I hope your skills were up to par for that other unit.

SummerGarden, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 15, 2010

i was hired and assigned to a unit i really wanted to work and enjoyed working, however i spent more time floating then working on my assigned unit. in fact, i floated to the worse floors imaginable despite choosing not to apply to those floors when i graduated from nursing school. to make matters worse, the other dons liked me so much hr tried to transfer me without my consent because my don agreed to the transfer (yep, i left). :confused: thus, be lucky you only had to float one day!

nursinger · Mar 15, 2010

We float all the time. Kudos to your manager! :yeah:

JordiesMomRN · Mar 16, 2010

i understand what you're saying and you may not like this but, your manager had every right to float you. as long as it was within your division, ie critical care or med/surg. i actually think it's awesome that she actually pitched in and helped her team. if our census is low, we float. we actually each float about 5 times per year, within the critical care divison. sometimes its actually refreshing to see how other units function. not a big deal.

vivacious1healer · Mar 16, 2010

I agree with the other posters. Floating can sometimes be an eye opener either in a positive or negative light.

Kudos for your manager working the floor.

Last time our manager did that, her supervisor (the director) had a hissy fit, berated her for doing it, and insisted she change out of the scrubs, and get back into her office!

Our manager was trying to help out when there were NO float nurses available, and we were getting swamped with admissions, transfers, and post ops; which we were not allowed to say no, or block rooms until we got caught up. Our manager was trying to help ensure a safe unit, and keep the RNs from burning out.

Just one of many reasons why I detest our unit......

allnurses Guide · Mar 16, 2010

Floating to another unit isn't uncommon at all. I hate unfamiliarity, but I learn alot.