What are your benefits as a float pool nurse at your hospital?

jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B · Dec 13, 2014

If you are a nurse who likes to mix it up a bit, then floating is not altogether a bad thing. However, to ask for extra pay for the hours worked not in your home unit may be an option. However, if one is uncomfortable with a specialty, (or you have a specialty and they want you to work somewhere else) a cross training orientation could also be a good thing, especially if one has absolutely no experience in a unit to which they are floated to.

Be careful of being set up. Facilities can and do decide that since their regular nurses are not playing ball, they will be called off if their own unit is slow, and agency nurses can come in to fill in where needed. Also, prns who they do not have to provide benefits to. Most of the time, that costs less than what a seasoned nurse makes on straight time.

It is a sad, sad day when one has to figure out the motivation of a facility. But you can be rest assured that it has to do with money, doing a ton for next to nothing in return (and there's hundreds of other nurses who will GLADLY take your place). And that is will be the nurse who, as they are thrown under the bus and run over-- "we'll show you--ungrateful, privileged, demanding nurses!!" They will try and say you are fortunate to HAVE a job, that they are doing y'all a "favor" by cross training you to be a more varied nurse with multitudes of experiences.....you get what I mean.

Some nurses love to float for the variety. Others not so much. But be rest assured that those who love to float and do it without issue will have some other trumped up reason on why it is not working.

Bottom line, sounds to me as if they are making way for the nurses who will settle for less pay, keep their mouths shut, and do as they are told without question.

AmeliasAunt · Dec 14, 2014

I have been doing float pool since May of this year and I love it. After working on a telemetry floor for six years and, unfortunately, leaving under less than desirable circumstances, I wonder why I didn't do float sooner. Yes, the extra money is nice and I have learned a lot by working between all the different floors of the hospital, but my favorite part is NOT being a part of a unit. Because of my past experiences and learning just how disposable you are in the eyes of the manager and co-workers, even after giving your all and then some, I have no desire to be a permanent part of a unit again. Give me my assignment and leave me alone!

tarotale · Dec 14, 2014

At our system flat pool/resource gets paid twice the department rn base pay. Ya twice.

aellisrn · Dec 14, 2014

I have been doing float pool since May of this year and I love it. After working on a telemetry floor for six years and, unfortunately, leaving under less than desirable circumstances, I wonder why I didn't do float sooner. Yes, the extra money is nice and I have learned a lot by working between all the different floors of the hospital, but my favorite part is NOT being a part of a unit. Because of my past experiences and learning just how disposable you are in the eyes of the manager and co-workers, even after giving your all and then some, I have no desire to be a permanent part of a unit again. Give me my assignment and leave me alone!

Another reason I love floating just as the poster I quoted said... Not being part of a unit, means not getting caught up in all the drama and politics of a unit as well. Even though sometimes you get "dumped" on as a float nurse, you always have the ability to say "only 12 hours" and you can go home and leave the bad patients behind and not have to deal with the same patients the next day.

AJJKRN · Dec 14, 2014

As some others have said: NOT being part of the floor politics, probably a different Pt assignment every shift, a wide variety of exposure/experience/learning opportunities, getting to pick your own schedule (we still have to work so many weekend shifts but we pick on our terms), and yeah, the differential is nice but we don't get paid the differential if we're called off and use paid leave, vacation time, or are clocked in for non-Pt care. Plus my manager is phenomenal. If I can, I will be a float nurse til I drop! Or get a doctorate :cool:

Twinmom06, ASN, APN · Dec 14, 2014

our float pool makes an extra $3.50 per hour. No other benefits.

RainMom · Dec 15, 2014

At our system flat pool/resource gets paid twice the department rn base pay. Ya twice.

Where do I sign up?

Mandy0728 · Dec 21, 2014

I'm currently in nursing school & also work as a float aide at our hospital. At first I wasn't excited, because I thought I wanted a home unit. I enjoy it because I've gotten to work on every unit. However, as an aide it sometimes gets old when we have to sit in on 1:1's often or be beeper aide. As an RN, you usually get a floor assignment & are rarely beeper. Our float nurses only make $1 extra an hour, but I'm definitely going to apply when I graduate! The good thing is, the float supervisor is already my boss now...

dudette10, MSN, RN · Dec 21, 2014

At our system flat pool/resource gets paid twice the department rn base pay. Ya twice.

For float pools that make only a few dollars more, I would suspect they get benefits, such as sick time accrual, PTO, and health insurance. For the float pool nurses who make A LOT more than staff, they most likely don't get any benefits at all.

I'm in the latter group, with no benefits. If I get cancelled or want time off, I just don't get paid. I'm not guaranteed hours and I don't get time and a half for holidays. I'm not eligible for the clinical ladder, either.