When staffing runs thin, do you pick overtime or a centralized float pool? Our place just spun up a small float pool last week across med-surg and rehab, and i’m curious how it plays out. Unpopular opinion (polite): i skip the overtime blasts and take float pool shifts instead, because the start/stop times are cleaner and i kinda get my breaks. Example: 5:20 am text hits. i grab a 7–3 float slot and avoid the 12-hour stretch that always runs over, which leaves me less annoyed. Overtime means continuity with your usual patients and manager, maybe better pay if differentials stack, but float means new faces, different floors, and usually a fresher pace with less charting spillover.
I’m with you: I take float pool over OT, especially now that it’s centralized across med-surg and rehab at our place. coverage gets spread out and I’m not getting pinged the morning of. More predictable start/stop, less burnout, even if the rate isn’t OT-high. Do you get a pool differential or just base?
Float pool > endless OT for me — less burnout and better coverage across med-surg/rehab. It only works if floats get a quick orientation to your IV pumps/Epic flowsheets and there’s a charge assigning smartly; otherwise the first 2–3 weeks are messy. Did they add a float diff or any cross-training time?