"I am sorry - I refuse to float to Peds!"

Nurses Safety

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.

It was my time to float the other night and I was to float to pediatrics. No way Jose!

I have never felt comfortable with children and my specialty has always been with the adult population.

I stood my ground and refused pediatrics.....they said my assignments wouldn't be that bad - 3 infants and 2 older kids - NO! THE ANSWER IS NO!

I would rather be budgeted home that work with kids.

If I was a patient on an adult unit I would not want a neonatal or peds nurse caring for me after a major procedure......I think its safe to say that a child would feel uncomfortable in the hands of an adult nurse.

Sorry if that offends peds nurses, but i can't and i wont work peds.

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You can do whatever you want. However, it is far easier for them to find a nurse that will float than to try to work with you.

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Specializes in M/S, Travel Nursing, Pulmonary.

You didn't do anything wrong.

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg, ED, Psych.
You can do whatever you want. However, it is far easier for them to find a nurse that will float than to try to work with you.

Thank you dear......

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Specializes in Pediatric/Adolescent, Med-Surg.

As a peds and adult nurse, I'm surprised they would let you be assigned to infants. At hospitals where I work where adult nurses can float to peds units, they are only allowed to take care of pt's that are over 14 (most of those pt's would have adult order sets, adult norms, etc).

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Specializes in Neuro/Med-Surg.

dear god, if they floated me to peds to work with INFANTS I would be worried about my license. I have held a baby twice. I have no idea what is normal and what is not. I have no idea how to start an IV in a baby or how to assess. How do I give meds? HOW DO I EVEN FEED THEM???

If they could have guaranteed only older children (like, over 13) maybe I would have done it. But floated outside of your expertise is dangerous and wrong. hmmm. . .why don't you go to dialysis tomorrow? or cath lab? I mean, we are all nurses, right? what's the difference?? lol

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Good for you!

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You can do whatever you want. However, it is far easier for them to find a nurse that will float than to try to work with you.

It was the right thing to do.

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.
You can do whatever you want. However, it is far easier for them to find a nurse that will float than to try to work with you.

First I applaud your courage for refusing to float to an area that was not safe.

I think you were offended by the above quote, but that poster was absolutely correct. Any time you refuse an assignment you risk your job. It's a matter of weighing your options, doing the right thing, then accepting the consequences.

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I'm sorry for you. So much of nursing is scary. Anytime you float to a new unit it is scary. You will and can stay in your safe unit. You can stay safe and secure as you see newer grads, and co-workers, go on to different and vaired careers. Move into charge nursing, work in out-patient surgeries, clinics, etc., you will be all safe and secure in your unit until it change, closes, and only nurses who have had experience in different units or GASP even have worked pediatrics will be asked to stay on and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Honestly I understand your fears, but this was a pediatric unit. Not the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. You won't believe how much you can grow, how many fears you can overcome, how much you can learn, if you say, I'm scared, but I'm willing to try.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I completely agree with you. I'd rather risk a job than my license. I work med/surg, although primarily it is surg. We have occasionally had patients 12-17 s/p appy and some nurses refuse to take care of them. I don't mind them so much as their orders are similar to my regular patients. I was pretty ****** at the parents who left their 12 year old saying, "Now just go to sleep and don't bother your nurse (me) she's busy. We'll be back in the morning" :down: I proceeded to tell him he could call whenever he needed me and sat outside his room to chart all night in case he was afraid to call me. Seriously parents *****!? He just had surgery he is in a strange place, the last thing I want is you putting fear into him about calling for help.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatrics.
I'm sorry for you. So much of nursing is scary. Anytime you float to a new unit it is scary. You will and can stay in your safe unit. You can stay safe and secure as you see newer grads, and co-workers, go on to different and vaired careers. Move into charge nursing, work in out-patient surgeries, clinics, etc., you will be all safe and secure in your unit until it change, closes, and only nurses who have had experience in different units or GASP even have worked pediatrics will be asked to stay on and don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Honestly I understand your fears, but this was a pediatric unit. Not the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. You won't believe how much you can grow, how many fears you can overcome, how much you can learn, if you say, I'm scared, but I'm willing to try.

There is a way and a time to learn and grow. Taking care of other people's sick children is not the time to learn on the job. You can kill a kid in pediatrics just as easily as you can in PICU if you don't know what you are doing. OP absolutely did the right thing.

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