A nurse arrives at work and is told to float in the pediatric intensive care unit for an 8-hour shift because the unit is understaffed and needs additional nurses to care for the patients. The nurse should initially:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse should initially report to the PICU and identify tasks that can be performed safely. Floating is an acceptable legal practice used by hospitals to solve their understaffing problems. Legally, a nurse cannot refuse to float unless a union contract guarantees that nurses can work only in a specified area or the nurse can prove the lack of knowledge for the performance of assigned tasks. The nurse should set priorities and identify potential areas of harm to patients.

A Nurse Arrives at Work and Is Told to Float