Working as a new nurse with less seniority..Help!!!!!!!!!!

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 10, 2008

It's a very common practice to cancel staff when the census is low. The fairer places will keep a list so that they aren't cancelling the same handful of people all the time. Other places have a floating agreement where units with low census will send their extra nurse(s) to units that are very short. It isn't really fair to send someone who hasn't really gotten their feet under them on their own unit to another unit where they aren't likely to get much of the support they'd need from the already swamped staff there. In fact many units have a policy that nurses don't float until they've worked independently for six months or more. So let's say that your unit is really quiet and there are two extra nurses, you with your limited experience, and me with 14 years of varied experience. The dialysis unit is short staffed and there's an agreement in place between your unit and theirs. One person will float and one will be cancelled. I'm sure you can figure out which will be which, and why.

Other units sometimes will keep the nurses on and give them some opportunities to develop their skills. The new nurse would be paired with an experienced nurse and the new nurse would have a more complex assignment than usual with back-up from the experienced nurse, who would also provide a resource for the other nurses on the shift and help out wherever necessary. This doesn't happen all that often though.

Nurseismade RN · Jul 10, 2008

Hi everyone, I am a new grad and has anyone experience of being called from work saying that your shift is cancel because of low patient census? That is kind of sad you know, because you want to learn and work, and as a less senior nurse you get to experience that. Some of my coworkers said that they had the same experience when they started like not only work being cancelled but also a lot of floating and now they have been working for 15+++ years. Also, in our unit Med/Surg, our census is unpredictable, low census now but an hour later it would be full again on our unit. Also, our manager tries to schedule as many nurses in one shift which they dont need and as a result the new nurses end up being cancelled. It is just sad. Being cancelled and floated to other unit. Is that the same with other hospitals or facility? Any advise........ Thanks

my hospital will send a nurse home if census is low...but you get paid for 4 hours. We also have to float sometimes. The good thing is that they try to divi this so that one person or person with less seniority is not floated all the time. I actually floated for the first time after 4 months as new grad and I liked it....lets just say it was refreshing:D

what does suck though is trying to get vacation dates.....I am always denied because someone with seniority has already picked the date.

jessi1106, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2008

No advise but....I guess we all have different experiences as new RNs.

My hospital is always negative beds - never low census.

I worry about being mandated to stay over my shift....last time was in May.

Hope that your policy is "fair", and that you are not usually being called off due to lower senority.

Good luck to you.

Imafloat, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2008

In our unit we get called off if the census is low. The charge usually asks who is there if anyone wants to go home. If there are no volunteers, there is a list with everyone's name on it and they go down the list in order. We also get floated, but the list is shorter, if you work on the unit 15 years, you go off the float list. I don't mind paying my dues, these things are hospital policy and I know they aren't personal. I have been on my unit almost 2 years and I saw one person go home because of low census, it rarely happens.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Jul 13, 2008

i've always worked in big teaching hospitals. not much chance of being involuntary cancelled for low census, but we did get floated a lot and oftentimes that was basd on seniority. in one job, though, we often got mandated to stay over the next shift -- also based on seniority. so after i worked a 12 hour shift (7p-7a) they forced me to stay for an 8 hour day shift. and i was supposed to be back at 7p. that was a nasty shift!

suanna · Jul 13, 2008

... In fact many units have a policy that nurses don't float until they've worked independently for six months or more. ...

We have that policy and I for one hate it. It we are in a period if fairly high turnover the senior staff get floated all the time, leaving the newbies on thier own with no back-up. They get thier time in but are so stressed from being on thier own they leave- more newbies- more floating for the senior staff. In addition, I am much better at the job I do every day than I am floating to a forign unit. So the patients on my unit get short changed constantly with inexperienced staff, the patients I'm caring for get sub-par care, and the new nurses get no support and guidance. Tell me again why this policy is so good? Let the new nurses take thier turn to float- there is as much to learn there as there is here for them and it's only fair to take your turn if floating is part of the job.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jul 13, 2008

Oh, I hear you. We're also in a period of rapid turnover and have been for nearly 18 months. (Draw your own conclusions!) There are 9 full time positions posted for our unit, or rather reposted, the same 9 positions that were posted last month and the month before... But we were not floating until just last week. Our previous manager stood her ground and said that since no other unit ever sends us nurses (nor do they take our patients when they're ready for transfer), we would not be sending nurses to other units. Our current manager politely informed us that we will be floating, and everyone will take their turn. And it doesn't matter if we've got 10 people on overtime, if NICU needs one of our nurses, they will get one (or more). And because of how NICU staffs their unit, we won't be on the receiving end... because they will NEVER have an extra nurse. So when the time comes, the person whose last float date is the farthest in the past will be the one to go. Except the newbs, of course.

Leng27RN,BSN · Jul 15, 2008

Thank you so much for all the replies. I am really okay with floating rather than be cancelled. I guess that comes with work and as my other co workers said they have experienced the same thing when they were new and as their seniority went up, they were never cancelled as much as before. I love nursing!!!! It is hard work but a definitely great and fulfilling job.

chinBSN_RN · Jul 17, 2008

Not all hospitals are like that, we maintain a pull list and cancellations. Senior or not if it is your time you will go. If your hospital has a suggestion box, write to your CEO or CNO. You don't have to disclose your name,:) Do not be scared, you are as valuable as a nurse with 30 years of experience.

Leng27RN,BSN · Jul 17, 2008

I think they already raised that during the union meeting but no change, i feel so sad about that... :crying2:

I just have to accept that fact i guess...and the longer i stay the higher my seniority becomes.

chinBSN_RN · Jul 17, 2008

I wonder if your senior nurses said the same thing 15 years ago?:nuke: