[cassioo]

if they did all take the same management course and learned it correctly then:
All managers should do evaluations the same
Schedules shouldn't be a problem no one night on one off one on one off
All those "bonus" tasks would always be done with inservices always on time.
no bickering between staff
everyone gets lunch on time
no favorites

can't we all just get along

[pattin13]

I do not see why floating to another floor is a problem. After all an ICU nurse is a nurse. Vitals, med administration is the same. Why would a nurse not want to help out a fellow nurse on a unit that is short and needs a hand. Maybe that is really what has happened to our profession, we have turned into a bunch of people who have a personal agenda. So sad

[Anonymous]

Let's make an analogy here.. A wife can cook a meal for her husband pretty easily. And she probably would love doing that being a good cook and all.. She could do this for 10 years maybe.. Always cooking for the two of them.. Then all of a sudden she has to cook for four families with two kids each. Now she has to cook for 16 people.. Big difference..

Have you read this whole thread. .I don't believe it's about nursing NOT helping each other it's about whether they are capable of helping. It's about quality of care. And I have seen a vent doesn't mean I can take care of that patient. Why would I expect a nurse who is used to taking care of 1-2 patients to be able to take care of 6-8.

When ICU nurses floated to our M/S floor they did tasks. Such as re copying MAR's, hanging some antibiotics, doing blood sugars. Please don't say we are all nurses. I can't do half or even one third of the specialities out there.

I probably couldn't even do M/S anymore even though I did it for 15 years.

WR,,, three commas for Becca

Many of the meds are different on a M/S floor as opposed to ICU.. Not many of the patients take P.O. meds in most ICU's..

[cassioo]

I bet M/S and ICU nurses don't mix much pit either or titrate the rate for a good contraction pattern.

I don't mind going to help on another unit (we just went closed July 1st) but the big complaint many nurses had when getting pulled is that they got the worst assignments..who knows if it was the worst or just seemed the worst since it's not something they are used to. If I'm in the hospital I'd prefer my nurse be the one who knows what's going on around them and knows my doc and what they want.

A nurse isn't a nurse isn't a nurse. Just like you can't say a teacher is a teacher. My physics teacher father couldn't teach my English teacher mother's comp class or vice versa. Commercial pilots might fly crop dusters but they are probably better in a big plane. Gee I could go on and on.

[Anonymous]

Great analogies Cass. Thanks


WR,,, three commas for Becca

[WenRN]

When I was in ICU, we called it "floating" and I hated it. I got soooo burned out from the ACF that I transf. to Home Health.

[westsidegypsy]

An immediate supervisor responded to my question, when I was putting in for a transfer from a tele floor to the ED, why the particular hospital I was working for didn't pay more for critical area; "each person has their own perception of stress"; and the example she gave me was "would you be more or less stressed working in Rehab vs working in the ED?" Well, I love ED, and would hate Rehab, therefore if I had to go to a job I hated - that would give me alot of stress! Anyway, the point is, it would be stressful to float both directions, ie., ICU to floor vs Floor to ICU. This comment has helped me to understand other's stress from a floor that I wouldn't traditionally consider stressful. Capice?

[Newton]

My hospital is attempting to develop a policy re: being pulled to other units, generally it is the ICU and TCU nurses being pulled. When we are pulled to the ED we are assigned 2 rooms and have full responsibility for whatever patient may show up. I would like to see if other's have a policy or a general guideline,,,,,,,,,,thanks

[1mg.epi]

Some places have policies that you must be trained to be pulled to 2-3 places. some places do not have policies, but just because a policy is not in place does not mean they can not allocate human resources to areas of need. If you are getting pulled to areas you do not feel trained, then you need to get trained. And request the training in writing. A good way is by email. It has a date/time stamp when sent.

One nice thing, here where I work you get $3.00 hr extra for pull pay if you are pulled to a department that is not like the one you work in. i.e. ICU to ER gets it. From one floor to another does not.

[GrandmaLoriRN]

Boy o boy, sombody opened up a can of worms here, didn't they. I'll put my two cents in for what it's worth.
I am an ICU nurse, have been for more years than I care to remember. But, I have also worked other floors as well...tele, m/s, ltc and even case mgmt for a short time. I don't like being floated to other floors, I am sure nobody does. I can understand for the "good of the hospital" and all that crap. My problem is they float our icu nurses and leave registry to work the unit because they can't find registry to work the floors. That is what aggravates most of the ICU nurses I work with.
I find it easy to identify the problem but can't seem to come up with a solution. Hire more nurses??? They just aren't out there. Pay more?? Not enough for me. I took the charge nurse position so I wouldn't have to float. It's true that going to the floors is like visiting another planet. I don't know where things are, I have trouble caring for 6 patients because I am so used to doing complete assessments q 1-2 hours and I just don't have that time luxury with 6 patients. I have tried in the past to reduce the time and care for 6 "more healthy" patients but I can't. I give all the credit to m/s and tele nurses. And, sad but true...we (ICU floats) do get the worst patients.
It comes down to the way we work. It is beating a dead horse I know, but previous posts about specialties and working other areas are correct. I could no longer deliver a baby and give pitocin than a l&d nurse could manage a balloon pump.
It doesn't make us bad nurses or uppity or anything...we are just ICU nurses and to make us float out of our comfort zone is just aking for trouble---for staff and for patients.

One more thought for the RN student in Michigan...All the classes in leadership and management aren't going to help when it comes right down to it. That other nurse was correct...either you have it or you don't. You just can't teach common sense. Oh, but I wish you could!!