Report from a Traveling Float Nurse in the COVID Unit

An RN on the front lines tells us what it’s been like and how her choice to float played a role.

Cara B. is one intrepid traveling nurse. She is a talented Med-Surg RN who has been floating to a busy COVID unit in Washington. She graciously answered a few of our questions about her work during the pandemic. She told us why she likes floating to other units and how being a float nurse has affected her nursing career.

My primary specialty is Med-Surg/Tele. I also work Med-Surg/Float and Orthopedics. Those have been my main focus for about 12 years.

In my current assignment I’m in the Med-Surg Float pool, primarily in COVID units and as a COVID Resource Nurse. I’ve also worked in Rehab Trauma, Tele, Neuro, Ortho/Surgical, ER and ICU nursing.

I love the freedom, the flexibility, the separation from politics/drama in a perm position, the financial ability to pay off debt and prepare for our family’s future. My days off are like a vacation -- exploring and hiking.

I love being a nurse so I can help people and provide care when they or their family need it. COVID has not changed my outlook. If anything, our patients need us more.

Busy. High attention to detail. Time consuming - sometimes spending up to two hours in one room, in order to cluster care and minimize PPE waste. As far as I’m concerned, things at my current assignment ran smoothly. The morale was not really different than it would be in a regular unit. The hospital took great care to make sure we were educated on protocols and step-by-step safety measures (changes did happen sometimes daily). Patients were often scared, especially with no contact from family, and were appreciative of our care.

Probably my first 90-year-old patient with COVID, who recovered. She was soooo sick, but a fighter. She made the news as the first 90-year-old to beat COVID. When I cared for her, she was pretty ill. Initially, the outcome seemed bleak. So when I heard that she had made a full recovery -- my heart was happy.

Hospital protocol has been an evolving process. I feel like we have calmed down a bit since the early days of the pandemic. It has become more of a norm to have a patient admitted with r/o COVID or +. We have started integrating patients throughout the hospital, instead of only having a strict COVID unit.

Keep an open mind. Take one day at a time. Listen. Show compassion. Be prepared and don't panic. Don’t believe everything you hear - educate yourself.

Yes. I actually prefer float pool positions. You get great experience and an opportunity to gain new skills. If you like learning and feeling challenged, floating certainly breaks up the monotony. How has your ability to float affected your career?

Overall . It adds new skills and opens up more career options. Being versatile is never a bad thing.

My experience with floating has been good, but everyone has their own comfort level. Floating isn't for the faint of heart. It is important to be able to hold your own, and definitely know when to ask for help.

Absolutely.

To this day as a nurse I never hate going into work. I love being able to care for and educate people about their health. To hold their hand in tough times. Laugh or cry with them. I have had many patients whose stories have impacted my life in such a positive way, which is a bonus of the job.