Jesus Loves The Children

What is a flex nurse? Also referred to as a “float pool” nurse, this nurse generally has at least one year of nursing experience and assists the hospital with staffing needs by working in an area that is short-staffed. To determine if this role is the right fit for you, it is important to consider the function and reality of what a flex nurse is required to do. 

1. If your personality is such that you get bored quickly, flex nursing may be the right role for you. You won’t know where you will be working until the day before, or more likely, the morning of your shift. For some, this can cause a lot of anxiety. While for others, this can be an exciting challenge. If you find comfort in knowing exactly where you will be and when, flex nursing may not be right for you. If the thought of meeting new co-workers, caring for patients with various medical and surgical conditions and learning new skills sounds exciting, flex nursing may be a perfect fit. This leads us to our next tip. 

2. Gain insight to various medical and surgical specialties. In adult med-surg nursing you may be required to float between specialties such as orthopedics, neurology, oncology, cardiology and observation to name a few. You may be required to float to the ICU usually to assist other staff nurses since this is a specialty you would need specific training for. The same goes for floating to the emergency department. If you work in the ICU you may be required to float between the different critical care units such as cardiac, neuro, surgical and trauma. If you work in pediatrics you may be required to float between med-surg or acute care,  PICU, the ED and the NICU. If learning about various specialties sounds exciting, flex nursing may be right for you. 

3. One thought to consider is that you won’t know where everything is located. Supplies, equipment, and special procedure/treatment locations needed for the patient population you are caring for. This will require you to reach out to the staff on the floor to ask for assistance. Many hospitals attempt to assist nurses floating to their unit by creating a “tip sheet” with access codes to supplies and equipment and may also include special instructions for certain medical or surgical conditions and physician preferences. While this can be frustrating at times, it can also strengthen your communication skills and require you to delegate and manage your time wisely. 

4. Working as a flex nurse might make it more challenging to find your “work bestie”. While you may have close friends you work with, you may not work in the same area with those friends on a regular basis. This may also cause anxiety when you are in high-stress situations and need someone to talk with. Getting to know other flex nurses can help, as you both have similar perspectives and can commiserate together. On the flip side, not working with the same people can also help with not getting sucked into unit politics and drama. If leaving the drama behind sounds enticing, flex nursing could work for you. 

5. As a nurse you are always learning. Evidence-based practice, protocols, supplies and equipment change often. Therefore, you are obligated to adapt and learn new skills to continue to provide safe care. If you feel that you need additional training in a particular area you are required to float to, reach out to your management team. Hospitals want to provide safe care and so do you. Requesting additional education will show that you are committed to providing excellent care. If you see yourself as a lifelong learner, joining the flex team can be a great option for you. 

Flex nursing can make you more marketable, well-rounded and knowledgeable. Consider these tips when deciding if flex nursing is right for you. 

Bonus tip! Generally, flex nurses have more control over their schedule as they are not competing with other nurses on a specific unit. Since the hospital census ebbs and flows, the demand for flex nurses constantly changes. Depending on the hospital team and management, you may be able to choose your schedule and perhaps request a block schedule. You may also have a higher probability of getting certain holidays off. 

I hope these tips help you decide if flex nursing is a role that you can fit into!