On Being Floated

I was recently floated again for one day to another unit in our hospital. I hate being floated!

One of the main reasons why I dislike working in another unit is the change of environment. Although I was oriented a bit at the beginning of the shift, I was still unsure where to find things. It would take me almost a minute just to find what I was looking for, when in my own ward, I could have found it in seconds.

Another thing, my ID won’t allow me to get into the medication and store rooms (these rooms needed ID bar codes for you to get in). So I had to ask the other  staff nurses to lend me their IDs each time I have to go to these rooms. The staff were nice though, and they tried not to show their annoyance 🙂

The new faces I worked with was another pressure. Although they were quite nice and friendly to me, I still didn’t know their character, so I had to be careful speaking to them. I was not in my comfort zone and I was not sure whether my comments would be acceptable or not.

The cases that were given to me were the light ones, according to the staff. But being unfamiliar with all the terminologies, and medications, I often had to look up meanings and drug indications before I get into the patient’s room. That took time, of course.

The difference in routines was also a factor. When I would start checking the computer system for fresh orders and morning medications in my own unit at the start of the shift, they would start differently in another unit. When I would get a partner to do vital signs for all the patients in our unit, they would have another style in another unit.

I know that there also some good points that can be gained on being floated (getting to meet new people, widening your experience and knowledge in another field), but I still believe that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. First of all, patient safety should be a major concern. When a nurse is unfamiliar of his/her workplace, mistakes are most likely. Second, The stress on the part of the nurse is just too much.

I knew that my floating has helped answer the unit’s shortage of nurses. But I also knew that some nurses who were off on that day in that unit would love to work overtime if offered. Floating a nurse is a cost-cutting measure of a hospital, to avoid paying overtimes to the nurses who work on that unit. But how much would it cost the hospital if a medical error occur? Maybe more.

I know nurses who like being floated, but that is if they are paid overtime. That means they are paid for the extra effort and extra risks involved.

Well, I can only talk so much here. I know that it’s a hospital system that’s difficult to bend.