Our census is very low, canceled right and left

[inthesouthrn]

Hello everyone! I just joined the forum and wanted to pose some questions.

Here's my situation. I live in southeastern North Carolina, and I've been working at a local hospital, a usually busy one located near an interstate, for the past 2 and a half years. In that time up until this May or so, I have been enjoying 40 to 48 hours with lots of overtime and a REALLY nice paycheck. Then around May, our census started plummeting. We get our shifts canceled all the time. My vacation time, along with everyone else's has reduced to not much of anything...some people have none left due to this canceling. I have been canceled for the second time this week.

I thought there was a nursing shortage! Where are the patients? Along with that, I feel our floor has hired too many RNs and now I only get 36 hours a week, IF I'm NOT canceled, which is rare now.

I'm really starting to worry. I have never seen such a thing. I was considering becoming a travel nurse, but I'm not sure if even THEY can find as much work as they would like during this time.

How are things in your neck of the woods? I work on a medical floor, but this has affected our entire hospital. I thought I'd NEVER have to worry about a job being a nurse. I've been an RN for 15 years.

I know the economy is bad, but people STILL get sick. Tell me how things are in your area? Should I be worried?

Thank you.

[medicrnohio, RN]

Our census has been pretty low lately too. I suspect things will pick up as the fall/winter illnesses and injuries start coming in. I know that many of the nurses on my unit are also running out of PTO time.

[rn4babies63]

At our hospital where I work labor and delivery, our census has plummeted also. About 18 months ago, extra nurses were hired because we were understaffed most of the time. Now, the newer nurse are cancelled almost daily. I'm not hugely affected because mandation is by seniority and I am pretty high up in seniority. The low census rotation list starts by seniority for voluntary cancellation. If no one wants to be off that night then the lower seniority nurses get mandated first. I feel really bad for the new girls because they are losing alot of time. And, because it's occuring so frequently right now, most of the higer seniority nurses aren't taking low census because they probably have recently or don't want to use up all their PTO hours. On the other hand, the other hospital that I also work L&D is paying premium wages all the time because they are so busy and so desperate for help. So, usually what I lose at hospital #1, I can make up for at hospital #2. It stinks working 2 jobs but you gotta do what you gotta do!

[inthesouthrn]

At our hospital where I work labor and delivery, our census has plummeted also. About 18 months ago, extra nurses were hired because we were understaffed most of the time. Now, the newer nurse are cancelled almost daily. I'm not hugely affected because mandation is by seniority and I am pretty high up in seniority. The low census rotation list starts by seniority for voluntary cancellation. If no one wants to be off that night then the lower seniority nurses get mandated first. I feel really bad for the new girls because they are losing alot of time. And, because it's occuring so frequently right now, most of the higer seniority nurses aren't taking low census because they probably have recently or don't want to use up all their PTO hours. On the other hand, the other hospital that I also work L&D is paying premium wages all the time because they are so busy and so desperate for help. So, usually what I lose at hospital #1, I can make up for at hospital #2. It stinks working 2 jobs but you gotta do what you gotta do!

We are canceled by turn. We just write the names in the book for whoever is canceled and go by that. We don't go by seniority. I have more seniority that half of who is on the floor. We have a lot of nurses that just graduated last year on our floor. When I first started, we had half the floor in travel nurses. Now there is none. We are canceling 2 and 3 nurses per shift and your turn comes around mighty fast. I'm thinking about applying for a per diem position at another hosital. But I hate to do that, but may just have to if THEY even have an opening.

[Dolce, RN]

All of the hospitals in my area have a low census, too. I think it is probably an effect of the downturn in the economy. Elective surgeries and procedures are down. Its scary because for years we have been touting a nursing shortage and so we have a lot of people going into this career thinking they will always have a job. I don't know if that is true anymore.

[ohmeowzer RN, RN]

we had a low census lately.. thats why i had to pick up another job ( which i dislike, and dread going there ) one day a week .. we had only 12 patients out of a 35 bed unit on sunday when i left.....

i am not sure what is going on either....

where my sister works the hospital is always full .. she is a 52 bed unit and they always are busting at the seams..... so i am not sure

do you think it's the ecomony?

[Dolce, RN]

Well, its not quite flu season either so that may effect things when that gets into full swing. Also, I would hope that end-of-the year surgeries would increase as people try to get those in before their deductibles start over on the 1st of January.

[RNfaster]

My hospital wants to cut overtime for nurses as it has been hurting their budget. I'm guessing they will need to hire more nurses to cover in those areas. I haven't seen nurses being sent home lately.

[mama_d, BSN, RN]

We always tend to run lower in July and August...but that's carried over. I think we're starting to pick back up again, but who can say for sure? I'm just hoping that we'll be back into full swing when flu season starts. My son's pediatrician told me when he got his shot last week to anticipate a worse than normal flu season b/c nearly every time they reformulate the shot as drastically as they did this year, she's seen alot of cases. Only a financially challenged nurse would hope for a bad flu season.....

[vivere]

I am with you, 100%. When I get called off, It is a great deal of money, because I make a great salary, so I also have used up nearly all of my vacation. God forbid I should get sick! When we know the census is zero in ICU, we try to anticipate it and call out, because we cannot afford to go without the pay. I have picked up a lot of per diem shifts at another hospital. I have cut out my gym membership and am looking at what else I can stop. People are always going to get sick, but more will stay at home until it is nearly too late instead of getting early treatment. It will probably be a very busy winter. Our census has been down for a few months. I am hopeful that it will now start to pick up.

[NsgChica]

Some of the units in our hospital are experiencing the same phenomenon. Our ccu has been calling nsgs off left and right due to low census. One of the full-time nsgs there, only worked 12hrs in a two week period due to low census. I work in a busy CVICU and we also have been slow. Dolce, you made a great point about percieved security in the so called nursing shortage. With the economy the way that it is...I am not so sure anymore....

[uscstu4lfe]

i just became eligible for "low census" call off and I absolutley love it! It's like an unexpected present. I'm the first to take it. Sure, you don't get paid for that shift but it's so nice to stay at home and just rest! Some people really want to work for the money, but I am always more than happy to take low census. This week alone, I got low census my 1st night, I got sent home early on my 2nd, and tonight (my 3rd), there's a good chance they'll call me and ask if I want low census. I forgot to mention... at my hospital low census is completely optional... we are union and our contract says that we are not to be forced to take it if we don't want to, only if we want to take it... so that's a nice option as well!