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FLOAT NURSE · 10 min read

What Is a Float Pool Nurse? The Complete Guide to Float Nursing, PRN and Pay

By The LOL Nurse Team ·

Illustrated header for a guide to what a float pool nurse is, with stickers of a pool float, a hospital map, a stethoscope and a coffee mug

A float pool nurse is a registered nurse who does not belong to one unit but instead "floats" to whichever unit in a hospital or health system needs extra help on a given shift. One day a float nurse might work on med-surg, the next on telemetry and the next in the ER. Float pool nurses fill staffing gaps from call-outs, busy days and vacancies, which makes them some of the most flexible, adaptable and valued nurses in any hospital.

This guide covers what float pool nursing is, what float nurses do, types of float pools, float pool vs travel vs PRN nursing, what PRN and per diem mean, float pool pay, pros and cons, whether nurses can refuse to float, how to become a float pool nurse and tips for thriving on a new unit every shift.

In this guide

What is a float pool nurse?

Hospitals staff each unit based on how many patients they expect, but real life does not always cooperate. Nurses call out sick, patients arrive in waves and units have open positions. The float pool is a team of nurses employed by the hospital (not an agency) who are trained to work on several different units and are assigned each shift wherever the need is greatest.

A float pool nurse is sometimes called a float nurse, floating nurse, flex nurse or resource pool nurse. Float nurses are different from staff nurses who occasionally get "floated" off their home unit. For float pool nurses, floating is the job.

What does a float nurse do?

Float nurses do the same core work as any bedside RN on the unit they are assigned to that day:

  • Take a patient assignment on the unit that needs help
  • Assess patients, give medications, manage IVs and care for wounds
  • Admit, transfer and discharge patients
  • Adapt quickly to each unit's routines, supply rooms, workflows and charting
  • Work with different teams every shift, including charge nurses, providers and techs
  • Help during surges, such as a busy ER, a flu season or a unit short several nurses
  • Serve as a resource in some roles, starting IVs, helping with admissions or supporting new nurses without taking a full assignment

Float nurses typically work only on units where they have been oriented and validated as competent.

Float pool nurse walking down a hospital hallway past unit signs, carrying a stethoscope and a clipboard

Types of float pools

Type Where you float
Med-surg float pool General medical, surgical, orthopedic and other adult inpatient units
Progressive care or telemetry float pool Telemetry, step-down and med-surg units
Critical care float pool Different ICUs (medical, surgical, cardiac, neuro), and often step-down and ER
Specialty float pools Pediatric, maternal-child (L&D, postpartum, nursery) or perioperative units
System or enterprise float pool Several hospitals within one health system, sometimes called "internal travel"

Many hospitals group similar units into clusters so float nurses only go to units that match their skills, such as a critical care cluster or a women's and children's cluster.

Float pool vs travel vs PRN nursing

  Float pool nurse Travel nurse PRN (per diem) nurse
Employer The hospital or health system Usually a staffing agency The hospital, or sometimes an agency
Units Several units, changing shift to shift Usually one unit per contract One unit or several, depending on the role
Schedule Full-time or part-time, set hours Contracts, often about 13 weeks As needed, with minimum shift requirements
Benefits Usually full benefits Through the agency, varies Often limited or none, with a higher hourly rate
Location Stays home Moves for each contract Stays home

Read more in our complete guide to travel nurses.

What does PRN mean in nursing?

PRN comes from the Latin phrase pro re nata, meaning "as needed." In nursing, it has two common meanings:

  • PRN medications: medications ordered to be given as needed, such as pain or nausea medication, rather than on a fixed schedule
  • PRN nurses: nurses who work as needed rather than on a fixed full-time schedule

Per diem (Latin for "per day") means the same thing as PRN when it comes to jobs. A per diem nurse picks up shifts when the hospital needs them and when it fits their life. Most PRN jobs require a minimum number of shifts, such as a few shifts a month and some weekends and holidays. PRN nurses usually earn a higher hourly rate in exchange for fewer or no benefits.

Some float pool nurses are PRN, while others are full-time or part-time employees with benefits.

How much do float pool nurses make?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish a separate salary for float pool or PRN nurses, because it groups them with all registered nurses. The median annual wage for registered nurses was $97,550 in May 2025, according to the BLS.

Many hospitals pay float pool nurses a float differential on top of their base rate to reward flexibility, and PRN nurses usually earn a higher hourly rate than staff nurses. Pay also depends on location, experience, the units you cover (critical care float pools often pay more), shift differentials and certification.

Float pool nursing pros and cons

Pros Cons
Never bored, with a new unit and new patients often Always adjusting to new routines and supply rooms
Broad skills across many specialties Less time to master one specialty deeply
Often higher pay through float differentials May get tougher assignments on short-staffed units
Less involved in unit politics and drama Can feel like you do not have a "home" team
Great way to try specialties before choosing one Not knowing where you will work until the shift starts
Builds a big network across the hospital Usually requires experience before you can join

Can nurses refuse to float?

This is one of the most common questions nurses ask. The answer depends on the situation, the hospital's policy, any union contract and state law. In general:

  • Floating is usually part of the job. Most hospital policies expect staff nurses to float when needed, and for float pool nurses, floating is the job itself.
  • Competence matters. The American Nurses Association's Code of Ethics says nurses are accountable for their practice and should accept only assignments they are competent to perform. Many hospitals only float nurses to units where they have been oriented, or to "like" units with similar patients.
  • Some states have rules. California, for example, requires that nurses be oriented and have their competency validated before being assigned to a unit.
  • Speak up the right way. Nurses who feel unsafe with an assignment can talk with the charge nurse or house supervisor, ask for a different assignment or a helper, and document concerns as their facility and contract allow. Many union contracts include an "assignment despite objection" form.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check your hospital policy, union contract and state board of nursing for rules that apply to you.

How to become a float pool nurse

  1. Earn a nursing degree (ADN or BSN) and pass the NCLEX-RN.
  2. Get experience. Most float pools want at least one to two years of acute care experience, often in med-surg, telemetry or the ICU. (See our med-surg and telemetry guides.)
  3. Get BLS and ACLS certified, plus PALS for pediatric float pools.
  4. Complete float pool orientation on each unit you will cover, with competency validation.
  5. Consider certification in your main area, such as the CMSRN, PCCN or CCRN, which many hospitals reward with a pay differential.
  • Resource nurse: an experienced nurse, often from the float pool, who helps across units without a full patient assignment, starting difficult IVs, helping with admissions and supporting busy teams.
  • Rapid response nurse: usually an ICU-trained nurse who responds anywhere in the hospital when a patient's condition suddenly worsens, helping stabilize them or move them to a higher level of care.
  • House supervisor: the nurse in charge of the whole hospital during a shift, managing staffing, bed flow, emergencies and deciding where float nurses go.

Tips for floating to a new unit

  • Introduce yourself to the charge nurse and the techs right away.
  • Ask where the essentials are: the code cart, supply room, med room and linen.
  • Learn the unit's routines, like when vitals, blood sugars and labs are done.
  • Keep a pocket guide or notebook with each unit's quirks, phone numbers and door codes.
  • Ask questions early. It is always better to ask than to guess.
  • Be the helper you wish you had. Float nurses who answer call lights and offer help get invited back.

Float pool nurse getting a warm welcome and handoff from a charge nurse at a new unit's nurses station

Gifts for float pool nurses

Float nurse mug
Made for floaters
Float Nurse Mug

For the one constant in a float nurse's day: coffee, no matter which unit you land on. $15.99

Shop now →

Since float nurses work everywhere, gifts from our med-surg, ICU and ER collections are great picks too.

Float nurse humor

  • "Where am I today? Let's find out together."
  • "I know where the supply room is on 11 units. Ask me anything."
  • "Float nurse: fluent in every unit's charting shortcuts, and none of their door codes."
  • "My home unit is wherever the coffee is."
  • "Me: 'Where's the code cart?' Every unit: 'Same place as always.'"
  • "I don't have a unit. I have a territory."

Frequently asked questions

What is a float pool nurse?

A float pool nurse is a registered nurse who works on whichever unit in a hospital or health system needs extra help on a given shift, instead of being assigned to one home unit.

What is the difference between a float nurse and a travel nurse?

Float pool nurses are usually employed by the hospital and work on several units close to home. Travel nurses usually work through an agency on temporary contracts, often about 13 weeks, and move to different cities for each assignment.

What does PRN mean in nursing?

PRN comes from the Latin pro re nata, meaning "as needed." It describes medications given as needed and nurses who work as needed rather than on a fixed schedule. Per diem means the same thing for jobs.

Do float pool nurses get paid more?

Often, yes. Many hospitals pay a float differential on top of the base rate, and PRN nurses usually earn a higher hourly rate in exchange for fewer or no benefits.

Can nurses refuse to float?

It depends on hospital policy, union contracts and state law. Floating is usually part of the job, but nurses should only accept assignments they are competent to perform and can raise safety concerns with the charge nurse or house supervisor.

Can new grads work in the float pool?

Most float pools require one to two years of acute care experience, though some hospitals have float pool residency programs for new graduates.

What is a resource nurse?

A resource nurse is an experienced nurse who helps across units without a full patient assignment, such as starting IVs, helping with admissions and supporting busy teams.

How much do float pool nurses make?

BLS does not report float pool nurse pay separately. Registered nurses overall earned a median of $97,550 in May 2025. Float nurses often earn a differential on top of their base rate.

Exploring other specialties? See our full guide to nurse specialties and the types of nurses.

Celebrate the float nurses in your life

For Nurses Week or the float nurse who saved your short-staffed shift.

Shop the Float Pool Collection →

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