How Does Your Hospital Decide Who is Called Off for Low Census?

[flashpoint]

This is an issue that is new to us. We normally staff with just two nurses, so no one is ever told to stay home or on call because of low census.

In the past few months, days that statistically are busier than other days have been staffed with three nurses. This is great when we are actually busy, but often we are not.

Management announced that on shifts where there are three nurses, one nurse will be told to stay home because of low census. They will not be on call. The person who will be told to stay home will be determined by "the needs and situation of the individual employee." I asked what this means and was told that nurses with another source of income will be put on low census first. There are two nurses on my shift that don't have another full-time or part-time job. I am one of them. It was explained to me that since I am married and my husband has a good job, that I will be the first to be called off. The other nurse who doesn't have another job was told the same thing.

Really? Because I only have one job, it is assumed that I can take the missing hours easier than someone else?

Every other place I have worked that did low census made everyone take turns. I sort of feel like I am expected to follow different rules because I am married and don't have two jobs.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

That's terrible! On my unit, we take turns, just a simple, alphabetical rotation. For example, I got a stay-home day yesterday, so I drop to the bottom of the list. UNLESS I volunteer, it won't be my turn again for a long time.

[Mulan]

Where are you? In the south? lol

I wouldn't let that fly.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

In order of called off first:

Volunteers (those who are willing to go/stay home)

Registry staff

Staff who'd be getting OT if they worked

Per-Diem/PRN staff

If after going through all four categories they still need to cancel more staff, they rotate through the staff roster so everyone has their turn being called off.

Unfortunately, I don't think it technically counts as discrimination as the nurse is not being discriminated based on being a protected class (well, one could argue she's being discriminted against based on her marital status, but it'd be on the nurse in question to prove it).

That doesn't mean it's not dirty pool, though.

[Mulan]

Sounds like discrimination to me.

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Sounds like discrimination to me.

Yeah, last I looked that was illegal.

[miranda819, BSN]

Ours goes by dates. I was called off last week, so I go to the bottom of the list. It all just depends on who you work with, when it will be your turn. The one with the oldest called off date is the one that gets cancelled. You can say you want to be cancelled until you are blue in the face, but if your not on the top of that list, you are not cancelled.

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

It varies at my hospital, but it seems pretty fair for the most part. Sometimes, they'll take requests to be canceled. Other times, they refuse requests and cancel people in overtime or per diems instead. LVNs may also get cut, as they try to limit LVNs to one on each unit.

Other than that, we rotate.

I've never heard of a policy like the one at your hospital. It sounds grossly unfair.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

That policy is absolutely ridiculous! I would fight it or start looking for a job elsewhere.

[DragonPurr]

Quite frankly, I'd call a lawyer. Sounds a little fishy. I can't see how that would be legal, but I'd check to be sure.

[PureLifeRN]

I would tell them my husband unexpectedly lost his job and I am now the sole income earner for the family. I guess that's why people are so secretive about their home life at work! They can't discriminate on what they don't know....

[cassie77775]

Ours goes by dates. We are a huge unit though usually staffed with min of 8 nurses most days. There is a list of each nurse and who was called off last, u have the chance to refuse unless u will be in overtime, but if everyone else refuses, then you have to accept it.