Floating related to age

The other thread got me to thinking....

We are looking at floating related to age. Currently if you are 55 or over with 10 consecutive years you are exempt from floating. [this also exempts you from call]

Many older nurses transfer to our rehab unit because "most" of the pts are more stable, they spend half the day with PT etc. So most of the rehab nurse do not float. But, we have a couple 60+ nurses that do not fit this criteria.

Is it fair to make the 2 or 3 other nurses float all the time, or do we exempt the whole unit from floating? We are going back to see how many nurses {hospital wide} we have over 60 to see if exempting all of them from floating is feasible.

It's very tricky trying to show appreciation to our older nurses without causing hard feelings from thsoe that will continue to float.

Any thought????
So is it related more to age or more to years of employment? Seems odd to not make them float just because of age

Yeah, sounds like a weird way to decide who floats... I don't think it's fair at all.

What if the nurse doesn't want her to age to be known!? Then she has to float because she won't announce that she's 65?

It started as more of a perk, 10 years AND over 55....but there have been at least 2 formal requests for exeption from floating due to EXTREME anxiety to float out of thier comfort zone in the rehab unit. The rehab unit is where our nurses tend to go before they are ready to retire.We are trying to decide if just exempting everyone over 60/65 [or whatever age we decide] from floating period. We are trying to show our appreciation to our older nures [for that family feel].

We are trying to show our appreciation to our older nures [for that family feel].

Doesn't sound very fair and I'd imagine those who are continually getting floated due to not being of age or years experience will be disgruntled at some point. Plus, there are a lot of questions with this float process, like what about the nurses who are of age and have more than 10 years nursing experience, but just not consecutively? Or those who've been nursing for more than 10 years, but are not over 55? Do these two types not deserve some "perks"? On a side note (sort of), a friend of mine once managed a rehab unit where staff was being pulled often. She put in place a new rule that certified nurses (they had to be certified in rehab nursing) would be excused from floating. By doing this, she effectively motivated her staff to become certified, and increased the number of certified nurses she had on the unit. This was also great for the hospital as they were pursuing magnet status at the time.

I think using age as a guideline for being floated is ridiculous. Everyone should be required to float, or make your unit a closed one.

I think the policy is unfair and sounds like ageism. I understand that it was meant to be a benefit to the elder nurses, but work benefits should not be determined by age, race, religion, gender, etc.

At almost 62, I'm all for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But I have hating floating since I was 32 also! As the per diem in our unit, I get floated first But they can only float me twice in 6 weeks and then others have to go.

Quote from lovelylpnDoesn't sound very fair and I'd imagine those who are continually getting floated due to not being of age or years experience will be disgruntled at some point. Plus, there are a lot of questions with this float process, like what about the nurses who are of age and have more than 10 years nursing experience, but just not consecutively? Or those who've been nursing for more than 10 years, but are not over 55? Do these two types not deserve some "perks"? On a side note (sort of), a friend of mine once managed a rehab unit where staff was being pulled often. She put in place a new rule that certified nurses (they had to be certified in rehab nursing) would be excused from floating. By doing this, she effectively motivated her staff to become certified, and increased the number of certified nurses she had on the unit. This was also great for the hospital as they were pursuing magnet status at the time.

Sounds totally unfair to me. I'm not sure what their age has to do with anything.

That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. Is it even legal? If I had to float because of my age, I think this would be discriminitory. No I dont think it is ok or even remotely fair. I think soon you'll find yourself with no young nurses. No one is going to put up with that. I hope all the young floaters get together and quit. This must be a joke.