System float?

[carebear01, BSN, RN]

I’m thinking about leaving my current floor (inpatient rehab) to do system float (float to six hospitals within our system, all about 30-45 mins from my house). I have been in rehab for three years, but prior to that I worked Med-surg/trauma floor for over a decade. My main reason for wanting to leave is that I need a more flexible schedule. I would do system float for a year or two before I transition to a position doing clinical documentation or case management. 

Clinical wise, I know that I can handle it. I have a good base of experience having also being pulled to many different floors before I came to rehab. But, am I going to be treated horribly each time I float? To you float nurses/system float nurses, do you like what you do? Does the flexibility outweigh some of the negative aspects of the job? Any tips?

[JBMmom, MSN, NP]

I'm not in my hospital's float pool but many of my friends are and they love it. They say the every day change in working on different floors keeps them from getting bored and they don't have to worry about the day to day unit stuff that people get wrapped up in. Sounds like a good opportunity for you, hope that you like the new position!

[carebear01, BSN, RN]

2 hours ago, JBMmom said:

I'm not in my hospital's float pool but many of my friends are and they love it. They say the every day change in working on different floors keeps them from getting bored and they don't have to worry about the day to day unit stuff that people get wrapped up in. Sounds like a good opportunity for you, hope that you like the new position!

Thank you for your feedback! I definitely look forward to avoiding all the unit politics. I just want to go in and do my job.

[Closed Account 12345]

I've only worked where float nurses were embraced and welcomed because we were happy to have them - same for agency! I wonder if you could talk to some float nurses within your system to ask about their experiences. 

[TheMoonisMyLantern, ADN, LPN, RN]

Every unit I've worked on float nurses were usually given less acute and more desirable assignments since they were a guest on our floor and were helping us out. I always want floaters to feel relief, not dread, when they get pulled to the unit that I work on.

Travelers on the other hand, when they are new to the unit or the facility seem to get crappy assignments which I don't think is right, but it seems to be pretty widespread since a lot of the travelers I've spoken to have reported being treated that way.

I hope you are treated well, I think it would be a pretty fun job getting to go to the different facilities within your hospital's system.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I was float for a large system with 6 hospitals as well. I found that the way I was treated, depended on the culture of the unit. Very few units welcomed me. I was pretty much invisible. Sometimes got the worst assignments. As THE float nurse, I was frequently pulled to another unit after 4 hours. Imagine that nightmare.

The nursing assistants would test me... in order to get away with as little work as possible.

I was very flexible... but going to a new unit in a new hospital all the time is a challenge for anybody.

Best wishes.

 

[carebear01, BSN, RN]

8 hours ago, Been there,done that said:

I was float for a large system with 6 hospitals as well. I found that the way I was treated, depended on the culture of the unit. Very few units welcomed me. I was pretty much invisible. Sometimes got the worst assignments. As THE float nurse, I was frequently pulled to another unit after 4 hours. Imagine that nightmare.

The nursing assistants would test me... in order to get away with as little work as possible.

I was very flexible... but going to a new unit in a new hospital all the time is a challenge for anybody.

Best wishes.

 

Thank you for your perspective on being a float! The issues you listed would definitely wear on me day after day. Ugh, so many decisions to take into consideration.