When a nurse floats to your unit........

NeuroICURN · Jul 26, 2004

Well, since we have 7 ICUs, our ICU RNs only float to other ICUs. However, because we have several ICU SSTs (float pool), regular staff gets floated very rarely.

So, what we do is we try to give the person an assignment that they are capable of handling. By that, I mean we don't give them a fresh aneurysm coiling or clipping....or some assignment that is TRULY a neuro specialty. We try to give them something that they have probably worked with before, or at least an assignment that is somewhat stable. It's not fair to them (or the patient for that matter) to give them an assignment that they are not prepared to handle. Also, we're ALWAYS willing to answer questions and teach the people that come in there.

Now, when I got floated, I went over to the CVICU and they extended the same courtesy. They actually had a cardiac pt. that had neuro issues, so they were glad to turf that to me :chuckle and the other pt. was a pretty stable CABG. He had chest tubes and a swan, but we have those all the time too. Also, the charge RN and the other RNs were great about helping out when I had questions with which MD to call, protocols, etc.

Let's face it...that's the way it should be!!! You may get a kinda crappy assignment, but was it because that was the appropriate patient population for someone who's not a normal staff person there? I try to look at it like that.

KailuaNurse · Jul 26, 2004

We usually try to give people who are floating very nice assignments and similar to what they would tend to get on their regular unit. For those NICU nurses who come to the PICU, we usually try to give them a baby rather than the 15 year old. For the most part whenever i hae floated things have worked out okay.

Jamesdotter · Jul 26, 2004

ALWAYS show the float or new agency where the bathroom is!!

daraowl · Jul 26, 2004

Kinda makes you wish you worked in a closed unit doesn't it?

Closed units don't always work. When they are in a jam they (Nursing Supervisor) pull into their "Closed unit". But they have the "right " to refuse to come out and help other units that need help. As a Clinical Director I have always made sure that who ever is pulled into my unit gets a lighter load and plenty of help and Thanks.

RN4NICU, LPN, LVN · Jul 26, 2004

Closed units don't always work. When they are in a jam they (Nursing Supervisor) pull into their "Closed unit". But they have the "right " to refuse to come out and help other units that need help. As a Clinical Director I have always made sure that who ever is pulled into my unit gets a lighter load and plenty of help and Thanks.

That's not really a closed unit

Truly closed units have mandatory on-call for the "in a jam" situations. No one floats in - no one floats out. I think that it is fair. Most nurses would not mind dividing up the call shifts (in a large unit, it would be relatively infrequent) if it meant never having to float. They would also have to be willing to take a mandatory "low census day" when we were overstaffed. Again, not a problem. Per diems are low-censused first and are willing to pick up extra shifts and take call along with staff. I think closed units are wonderful, but administration hates them - even though they are better for the patient. NICUs are very specialized. Not every nurse is able to work in one (many would prefer to never do so) and nurses that are used to the NICU and don't have experience elsewhere are put in a horrible situation when they are expected to take on a full patient load with a patient population they are not accustomed to.

My experience working in OR was similar - no one floats in & no one floats out - there is just too much specialization in place for someone to be able to come in and have to hit the ground running.

jschut, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2004

I work in LTC and for first shift the DON actually had to post a sign that nurses helping to cover vacations and days off, would get center hall, because 2 day nurses would actually try to "beat each other in" (get to work first) in order to get that particular hall because it is easier than the other two.

It got to be quite an issue.

One nurse was fired recently and the other has recently resigned, so we won't have THAT problem anymore! It was so childish and petty....! :rolleyes:

Tweety, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2004

We usually divide up the assignments as fair as possible by acuity, but don't give problem patients to floats. But if we give them too many easy patients that means other nurses are having too high of an acuity assignment and that's not right either.

I try to welcome floats, give them a tour if they haven't been there before, and let them know I'm here for them, and there is plenty of support and they aren't on their own.

Nothing worse than a float with a chip on their shoulder. I've been known to give tude right back and nip it in the bud. "If you're going to keep that negative attitude, then you may leave right now, I'd rather be short staffed than work with you." Fortunately, I've only had to use that line twice, they quickly got over themselves and we had a good night. (Thank goodness they didn't call my bluff. LOL!)

SmilingBluEyes · Jul 26, 2004

NEVER dump on a float. you never know, when you have an opening they may come work for you.....they me be damn good and you would love to have them...

happened on my unit. I always treat floats, travelers and agency people like the gold they are. Where would we be without them?

leslie :-D · Jul 26, 2004

NEVER dump on a float. you never know, when you have an opening they may come work for you.....they me be damn good and you would love to have them...
happened on my unit. I always treat floats, travelers and agency people like the gold they are. Where would we be without them?

totally agree.

BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN · Jul 27, 2004

We treat our floats pretty darn good! They get a nice assignment, we always make sure they get out on lunch, we help with meds, etc. Now, one would think that they would REMEMBER that when we float to them, but it seems to slip their minds. Actually, I hate floating to the nursery more than peds or PICU...EWWWW.

Floats with a 'tude...that is my favorite! We had a peds floor nurse come down to us and she had three kids, one in each room. She says to me...geez, can you never give me kids in the same room, and I said, gee, can you ever give us at least 2 kids in one room when we come up to you instead of 6 in 6 different rooms? She shut up pretty darn quick and took a quick exit out of the conference room! :rolleyes:

tommycher · Jul 27, 2004

On our tele unit, we always treat floats like one of the "family", but we all know that floating down to MCH is miserable, they act superior and rude, barely speaking to us. One day we put a suggestion in the box that in order to save the hospital money, and to improve employee relations, MCH nurses should be utilized as floats more often instead of agency. Strangely enough, it started happening, and we treated them like we would want to be treated. It has helped so much. At the end of the shift they actually have been heard to say, "Thank you for being so nice to me." Now, when I float to them, they know me and the day goes so much faster and friendlier!!!

flashpoint · Jul 27, 2004

I end up floating quite a bit and they are very good to me. I normally work ICU, but if there are no paitents, I either float to Med/Surg or ER. In ER, I run my butt off, but love every minute of it. On M/S, they try to give me a lighter assignement since I have the potential to be pulled back to ICU or ER. I do a lot of vitals, assessments, HS cares...it's kind of fun because I get to do all of the little things that the nurses with full assignments don't have time for! If there is a patient who is a bit more critical and really should be in ICU or has the potential to crump, I usually try to take them, since I have a good chance of ending up with them anyway if they transfer to ICU.