Switching units

I’ve been feeling like it’s time to try something different. I work in a community hospital on a medical unit (we have two med surg units, one is focused more on medical, one more focused on surgical but we do overlap patient types sometimes)

With hospital changes with covid, we merged into one unit and created a covid unit (non critical care need) and have been bouncing metered the two mixing up staff. I’ve been getting several surgical things. NG tubes, things that would more be on the surgical side and I’ve been enjoying them. I’ll pull a surgical nurse for diagnosis specific questions or assessments I’m unfamiliar with, but much of the tasks are similar between units.

I'm currently dayshift, but I do some flip flopping and pick up on nights sometimes. Not particular on which 7-7 shift I work.

any advice? There’s currently a part time night shift available (I need full time) and suspecting a night shifter might go part time in a couple months. Should I contact the manager or the charge nurse to put a bug in their ear? I’m very interested in moving over there for a bit of change in patient diagnoses, learning something new, but don’t want a drastic change in settings.

[Sweetheart2005, ASN]

I’ve been on the unit for five years.

If you need full-time I wouldn't go anywhere till there's a FT job open. To many things can happen, especially now with C19. I don't think it would hurt to mention to the Surg head nurse you're interested in moving there, WHEN a FT position comes up. I'm sure they've noticed you seem to be interested and engaged with the surgical patients.

[EDNURSE20, BSN]

I agree. Talk to the charge nurse about your interest, but don’t move units till you can get full time hours. I’m the mean time take this time to learn as much as you can and get to know the surg nurses.

Does your hospital have full time float pool opportunities where you could work in both units?

[Jedrnurse, BSN, RN]

26 minutes ago, FacultyRN said:

Does your hospital have full time float pool opportunities where you could work in both units?

Wouldn't float pool staff be more likely to be laid off than unit-based staff nurses? (Just thinking of the current lay-off trends...)

[Sweetheart2005, ASN]

2 hours ago, Jedrnurse said:

Wouldn't float pool staff be more likely to be laid off than unit-based staff nurses? (Just thinking of the current lay-off trends...)

sometimes they Are down staffed more often, but I know one of they day float pool asked them to call someone else off and they let her work.

2 hours ago, FacultyRN said:

Does your hospital have full time float pool opportunities where you could work in both units?

Good thought. they do, but they are also pulled to our inpatient rehab and do 1:1 sitting for psych and fall risk patients. I’m not interested in doing any of that. Tend to already be on the medical unit most of their shifts. I saw a spot for this, and briefly thought maybe, but considering above. I also do not want this manager of that staff. She was basically fired from prior management position and given this one (at least from what I hear). What I’ve seen I don’t see good management.

43 minutes ago, Sweetheart2005 said:

I also do not want this manager of that staff. She was basically fired from prior management position and given this one (at least from what I hear). What I’ve seen I don’t see good management.

There's a good benefit of your long employment at same place... You know the helpful scoop! 🙂