"floating" safety

[nrsman1]

I've often wondered about the safety of "floating" to other floors in the hospital. I have noticed that often most floors simply do things different. Not only that but you rarely get a orientation to the unit to which you are floating, so you are best winging it. In defense a patient is a patient, unless you float to a critical care area and you have never worked that before. I dont know just wanted to throw that out there and see what you all think.

[roser13, ASN, RN]

When I worked a med/surg unit, floating was my worst nightmare. I used to dread coming to work when I knew my number was rotating up to be the floater. I always thought that floating to an unfamiliar unit ranged from frustrating to dangerous. Not knowing where supplies are when you're in a hurry or not knowing the personalities/preferences of the MD's who frequent the floor is frustrating. But not being particularly skilled or experienced in the floor's patient population can be (I think) dangerous.

If you're lucky, you'll float to a seasoned floor with a charge nurse who takes compassion on a floater and gives you the least complicated assignment. I've seen it happen both ways...I've had a lovely set of patients in adjoining rooms with lots of nurses stopping by to offer help. And I've had 5 or 6 patients strung out across the unit, all of them the "problem" patients that no one else wanted. The thought process seemed to be "let's give the floater the worst of the worst, cause she's only here one day.":angryfire

[RNperdiem, RN]

I used to be in the float pool for a while.

I agree with roser13 about the charge nurse. A helpful charge nurse will make the biggest difference between a good and bad day.

[NightNurseRN]

I have always had positive floating experiences. A few months ago they floated to me post partum(never worked there before) and I was so nervous at first because the day shift nurses were flying through report so fast and using abbreviations I haven't heard before. However the charge nurse had given me the easiest pts (ones probably being d/c'd the next day) and all the other nurses were extremely helpful.

[NICUQueen]

I worked NICU for almost 20 years. Being floated to med/surg was very much a stress for me. I did not know where anything was, even the sink to wash my hands was in an inconvenient place. It was one of my main reasons for retiring when I did, I hated it that much!