Pros and Cons of Regional Floating

[rxgolfer]

I was offered a regional floating position. This honestly sounds exciting to me, however I get excited about new things in general really. I have other options (e.g. full time staff position) however the high base pay, drive pay, housing/food allowance, accumulating lots of Marriott points sounds for great since i'm single with lots of loans. Does anyone have experience being a regional floater? What are the cons? I know I will be working in high demand rural areas, but as long as I am able to LIVE in a nice city I think i'll be okay (which is what i'm planning on doing). If anyone has done this before, please tell me your story I would like to know!

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[ArtificallyFlavored]

Most of the floaters I've met enjoy floating and most of them voluntarily chose floating over staff positions. I don't know which chain you'll be working for but it's likely you'll get paid for driving time determined by online directions, not by the actual time driven. It's still a good deal, though, getting paid pharmacist hours to sit and drive (on top of gas reimbursement). Personally, I think it takes a load off being a floater since you just worry about the problems that arise for that day. A con would be if you're driving long distances all the time, you won't have as much free time in the week. I would say enjoy the floating while you're single - it will be harder once you start a family.

 

[SoylentGreen]

I would do it if I didn't have small kids. The cons are lots of travel, if that is a con, having to deal with ****ty stores (****ty stores tend to need floaters more), and you will be the first one to be blamed or at least suspecte if anything goes wrong (missing controls etc).

 

[Gombrich12]

Have you ever floated long distances before? I really don't see the appeal of this. You won't be able to make plans with friends when you're in the middle of nowhere. After your shift is over you will go to one of the two restaurants in town and then to sit in your hotel room. Sounds depressing.

 

[zelman]

Hotel rooms are depressing? Clearly you've never seen Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. I'd be goofing around with my bellhop, Rob Schneider, every day.

 

[rxgolfer]

Have you ever floated long distances before? I really don't see the appeal of this. You won't be able to make plans with friends when you're in the middle of nowhere. After your shift is over you will go to one of the two restaurants in town and then to sit in your hotel room. Sounds depressing.

True true, that is always a possibility. I was actually thinking about buying groceries and just bringing home lunch/dinner as well to save money. (Though I wouldn't know if my hotel room would have a fridge/kitchen.) Maybe I would have to just bring a portable stove and cook in the park like a hobo lol. I honestly don't see many friends during the weekday anyways. Life now consists of rotations, gym, then library to study for boards. If anything, during the weekday I'll go to dinner or make a quick trip to get frozen yogurt every now and then with friends. Besides, I figure many of my shifts will be 12 hours long. That means working 3-4 days a week. Depending on when I work next, I could have 3-6 days off enjoying myself in the city. That's the way I see it. Thanks for all the input, this is exactly what I wanted to hear. The good and the bad. But if I don't enjoy it I can probably switch to district floating or staff in a year anyways. Honestly the only reason for taking the regional float position was for the higher base pay and Marriott points WITH still the option of living in a nicer area that I get to enjoy on my days off.

 

[SoylentGreen]

True true, that is always a possibility. I was actually thinking about buying groceries and just bringing home lunch/dinner as well to save money. (Though I wouldn't know if my hotel room would have a fridge/kitchen.) Maybe I would have to just bring a portable stove and cook in the park like a hobo lol. I honestly don't see many friends during the weekday anyways. Life now consists of rotations, gym, then library to study for boards. If anything, during the weekday I'll go to dinner or make a quick trip to get frozen yogurt every now and then with friends. Besides, I figure many of my shifts will be 12 hours long. That means working 3-4 days a week. Depending on when I work next, I could have 3-6 days off enjoying myself in the city. That's the way I see it. Thanks for all the input, this is exactly what I wanted to hear. The good and the bad. But if I don't enjoy it I can probably switch to district floating or staff in a year anyways. Honestly the only reason for taking the regional float position was for the higher base pay and Marriott points WITH still the option of living in a nicer area that I get to enjoy on my days off.

Cooking meals should not be an issue as you will probably be comped for your meals. I see you're still a student, since you're on rotations - floating has another advantage for you in that you'll see how they do things at a lot of stores instead of thinking that the way they do things at the store you get hired at, which is possibly completely wrong, is the way it is. You also get a chance, as a newb, to network and make a reputation - which means more contacts if you need to look for a job if you're good, or everybody in the region knowing you suck if you aren't.

You can probably get a schedule with a lot of days off to go to the city whether you're floating or not. I get 6 days off as a staff pharmacist, but I usually spend some of them working somewhere else. If anything, a full time floater would probably have less flexibility, since they need floaters when and where they need them.

 

[RealityRx]

Does anyone have experience being a regional floater? What are the cons?

About ten years ago I worked for CVS all over NY, covering overnight weeks. I learned so much about life during that time, and I wouldn't trade those years for anything. If you're single and outgoing, its probably the best way to start a career. Do it!

(Just really, really be careful driving in bad weather and when you are tired.)

 

[Momus]

I wouldn't want to be one.

1. Commute time = waste of life, precious sleep time/lolligagging/whatever you enjoy of doing
2. No guarantee hours, schedulers tend to fu3k up a lot and give you less than 40h, high base pay is chit
3. Hotel room + TV is depressing, occasional hooker is expensive, get a FWB near the area
4. You are only needed when someone is sick, having an emergency, or taking a vacation
   
5. Your schedule WILL change in the last minute and fu3k up your other plans
6. Floater rph is expendable, bottom of the totem pole

The only way I will become a floater is if I bang the scheduler.

 

[Sparda29]

Hotel rooms are depressing? Clearly you've never seen Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. I'd be goofing around with my bellhop, Rob Schneider, every day.

That's the Plaza Hotel in NYC. Won't be the same at a random hotel in the middle of Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, etc.

 

[zelman]

That's the Plaza Hotel in NYC. Won't be the same at a random hotel in the middle of Montana, Idaho, New Mexico, etc.

Dunston checks in, then. I'm definitely very serious.