tired of being pulled at work!!!!

flaerman · Oct 20, 2004

Talk to your nurse manager and/or director about being the only pulled all the time. I work in an ER and when our census drops our techs get pulled to floors sometimes. What we do in our dept and in our CDU is to have a "Pull Book", this will keep track of who was pulled and when so that everyone get their fair share of being pulled. Going pool will not stop you from being either, most units when someone is pulled will hit the pool staff first. Just a suggestion............ flaerman

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Oct 20, 2004

May I suggest that you try looking at being pulled to different departments as a learning opportunity? Personally, I've always loved to float.....it keeps me from getting bored and forces me to learn new skills, which makes me not only more valuable to my employer but more marketable should I ever decide to go elsewhere. Even as a CNA, I floated a lot, and that helped me immeasurably when I graduated from nursing school and came back to that hospital as an RN.

Just my $0.02 worth. :)

mattsmom81 · Oct 20, 2004

Unfortunately pulling/floating is something nurses put up with too, as well as CNA's. Trouble with CNA work is it is seen as fairly generic and most facilities insist their aides float as needed. when I was a tech/CNA during nursing school, I was expected to go everywhere and I just did the best I could. When I was a supervisor our CNA's were expected to be flexible. So..you can try to put your foot down but realize it may not work out the way you want. Good luck.

lifeisbeautiful · Oct 20, 2004

I can feel your frustration. I am a RN and I absolutely hate being pulled to a different floor. Some people enjoy the challenge, I don't. I love the area where I work and am comfortable with it. Work can be difficult enough, why do people have to make it harder? I agree with the other responses, though. Talk to your nurse manager and explain how you feel. Tell her you just love the ortho floor and don't mind being pulled once in awhile, but you think it would only be fair to have the other CNAs rotate. If they can't work with you, I would sign up for the float pool. At least you will have a say with your hours. Good Luck!

ava'smomRN · Oct 22, 2004

thanks alll! i have decided to just deal with it.... dont want to but i am a cna on every floor that i float to and afterall i love my job and that doesnt change no matter where i float, i just hate leaving my comfort zone. i however will go pool in the future becuase i am gonna need the flexibility. bye now:)

PHTLS · Oct 22, 2004

I like being floated to different wards. I go to work to work. When I was younger, yeah, I probably would have objected to being pulled, but that was the old me. The old me would finish passing out meds/treatment and bs at the nurses station.

RN92 · Oct 22, 2004

There are three ways to look at it. #1. You're an easy target because you dont complain as much as the others would. #2. You are seen as an employee who they can count on/trust to pitch in when they need someone. (this is a good thing). #3. You have upset someone in charge and they are retalliating against you (lets hope not). Talk with your nurse manager and find out which one it is...this will determine which route to take.

rn-jane · Oct 23, 2004

i work per diem with full time hours. I get paid very well but i'm always the first one to get pulled. I love working on my sdu but i have friends on every unit, so when i ever have a question or problem i always have a buddy on the other end of the line. Whenever i go to another unit i don't whine(they don't want to hear how you rather be somewher else) not matter how long you've been in nursing there is always more to learn. :)

ava'smomRN · Oct 24, 2004

assumptions, assumptions, are evil!

ADS RN · Oct 24, 2004

As a new RN I had to float to areas where I wasn't all that confident or at home. The problem was they expected you to be familar with their unit as soon as you got there. I felt like a fish out of water and was afraid I was going to do something to hurt someone. I've worked in private duty and I know there's some similairity but you only have 1 person in a new environment and that was fine. Maybe floating wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't been so new,

mattsmom81 · Oct 24, 2004

Today floating is a problem, in my experience, because you will likely get dumped on. If good policies are in place and good peole who won't do this, is need NOT be a problem....but things being as they are...no, I don't like floating either. Specially as a nurse if I don't know the unit or staff. Too much liability. Remember OP as a CNA you have little liability...you are working under the nurses' licenses. I know this doesn't speak to to your discomfort and I can definitely relate to that.(((HUGS)))