The first week of my first contract started out a little rocky. Understanding that the Unit I was working for was already severely short staffed and travel nurses are allotted one day for hospital orientation and one day floor orientation, I knew that I was going to have to learn the ropes quick.
The hardest part of my transition was learning the flow of the unit. In a single day, I was jumping from pre-op, to procedure room, to recovery with no logical rhythm or pattern and this made learning very difficult at first. My first 2 days felt like I was being pulled in 100 directions, unable to complete a single task without being interrupted or pulled away.
By the 3rd day on the unit, I was staffed as a floor nurse (no preceptor) and given a full days assignment. For me, this made a huge difference. I was assigned specific patients to pre-op, other patients to procedure, and a few to recover. I still felt like I was being pulled in every direction, but I was finally able to complete tasks from start to finish. I was able to learn a flow that worked for me and start to feel comfortable and confident in my job.
The remainder of the week went smooth. I came in, got my assignment, and got to work.
This coming Monday, I am being asked to float to the Day Surgery Pre-op and work as their IV nurse. This request is “off contract” and I am required to inform my Travel Agency/Recruiter of any assignment outside of my agreed upon unit (my particular contract states “No Floating”). Having texted my recruiter with the news, I look forward to adding this to my Travelers resume!
(Stay tuned for an update on how Floating “off contract” works and any benefits or downfalls I experienced! )
1 Week Down, 7 Weeks To Go!
