I work in a 14 bed ICU which includes CCU, SICU & MICU on the night shift 7pm to 7am 3 days a week. I am a nurse for more than a dozen years however I am at my facility for a year and a half. UNION RULE any RN working at the facility more than 12 years does not float. Guess what there are only two of us who float and we usually don't work on the same nights. Our patient staff ratio is 3 to 1. When I float to telemetry the ratio is 8 to 1. HELP!!!!!!!!!!
Vote out the union.. Then everyone would float on a rotation.
WR,,, three commas for Becca
My friend.... run away!!!!!!!!!!!!
I work in an MICU that has 12 beds, our ratio is 2 to 1 and quite often 1 to 1... some really bad cases, and sometimes not. We rarely have to float because we have just enough staff to cover what we have. When there's a call out, we wind up in the weeds!
I live in Florida, and as far as I'm concerned, thank God we don't have a union. I feel like unions cause a drain on our economy. I might add that I work for a faith based organization, if that means anything in the world of business... but we are, for the most part, treated fairly, and the institution in return gets loyal workers. Most of the really good nurses have been here for more than 20 years.
It aint shangri la, but it sounds like it's a far cry from what you are dealing with. Find a better home.
That was my first thought too Tracy. But I have to remember some people can't leave. Sounds like this might be an older nurse..12 years in the field . Maybe leaving is an option.
WR,,, three commas for Becca
Can't or wont leave? Aren't you a traveller who also happens to have a few years under her belt?
After 18 years of being quite content, a divorce forced me into setting out on my own...(I never even payed bills without consulting the other half!). Don't get me wrong, the road was long and hard, but I now live in a very comfortable situation with my daughter, and she is attending one of the best schools in the S.E.
Life may throw you a curve ball, but you don't have to strike out. There is always a way.
I am a traveller. My point was that there may not be another hospital to work in. The poster might have children in school, elderly parents, or other commitments that require her to be where she is.
My kids have been gone since 1996 .Semper Fi. I didn't start traveling until 2000.. It's not something that is entered into lightly..IMHO.. Takes some research and planning..Leaving a home unattended in Maine isnt' always easy. Mail etc and bills all of that..
I agree everyone has choices. That's it .. It's their choice. My response was more to get rid of the union as a solution. Of course there are many solutions to each problem..
WR,,, three commas for Becca
Actually leaving was my first gut response but I had to temper that urge.. I always let others do the dirty work if I can....lollll
WR,,, three commas for Becca
Yes, I am an older nurse actually 49 years old. I was a manager for the past 10years. I held a position as an Assistant Director of Nursing in a 579 bed hospital for 2 years before going back to bedside nursing. I have been a critical care nurse on the night shift since May 2003 and I have finally found what I like to do. With the exception of floating.
I am thinking of traveling once my daughter starts college. I want to keep my home as a base, but how do you handle that? I was thinking of having someone trustworthy person live here and take care of the lawn, etc, while I would be gone. Also, from what I can see from traveling jobs advertised, most are for medsurg or ICU, with at least one year specialized experience. My background is community and ambulatory care.(12 years) I am thinking of taking a job in the hospital on a medsurg floor, or ICU (if I can get a good orientation), to get the required experince. Do you think this would be the right way to go about it. Itchin to travel.
At our facility if there is not an ICU patient the nurse may have to float to the medical/surgical unit. I was wondering if there is anyone who has a policy on this. The charge nurse wants to give that ICU floating nurse up to 7 patients, but the catch is if ICU gets an admit that nurse has to then go to ICU and care for that patient and the charge nurse takes over her patients. I as a supervisor would love to see a policy. I believe that the ICU nurse should either be the Charge Nurse or only have to take 4 patients. HELPPPPPPPPPPP
In our CCU/CVICU if we float a nurse to an other unit, before we do that we will call and see if some one who is not working will take call for $2.00 an hour. This way the nurse does not get pulled back to the unit and the floor is not put in a bind. If an CCU patient comes in we call the in the call nurse.
By the way our ICU, CCU only takes 3 patients and the CVICU only takes one patient if within 18 hours and only 2 patients if greater than 18 hours post op, or what clinical situation allows.
I work in a union facilty that has addressed the floating issue thru our contract. Critical care ares are a closed unit. This means that we can not be floated to other areas. Our hospital has 2 ICU's. One is surgical (open hearts) and the other is cardiac (and everything else!) Rn's are floated to the other unit on a basis of rotation. We keep a book on the unit and when you are floated you sign your name and the date. This way everyone takes turns. We do float to other areas only if they ask us and we agree. Usually to the ER or tele floors. It sure beats using up all your vacation time to cover low census days. Other areas in the unit that are considered closed are OB and ER. Teles only float to tele areas. My suggestion is that you need to work with the union and hospital for the sake of patients and nurses to come up with something that works for the parties involved. While most people don't like to float this option has helped. We also have a critical care float pool that floats between both units. These people are reg staff are paid $4/hr more because they like to float and they go between both units to cover the staffing needs. Hope this helps.
