Layoffs in Overstaffed Twin Cities Hospitals?

U.S.A. Minnesota

Published

I work at a large twin cities area hospital, and was hired over the summer. They are now in a hiring freeze, and I know other hospitals here are as well. There are so many nurses that the MNA and hospital is asking if people want to voluntarily reduce their hours, and there are mandatory and staffing LOAs right and left. The current census is nowhere near what is was predicted to be when I was hired. I am one of the newest nurses at my hospital, and am concerned about job security!! How protected am I by the union? My worry is that if the current measures being taken to reduce the number of staff don't work, that layoffs are going to happen. And since I at the bottom of the seniority list, that I would be one of the first to go. Is anyone else going through the same thing at their facility? Is this a valid concern? Or am I overreacting?

Specializes in OB (with a history of cardiac).
Why are the hospital census so low? It isn't as if people don't get sick or get in accidents when the economy is down. Does any one know what is causing the census to drop?

Consider also that health insurance sucks, and many people just flat out don't have it, so they're deterred from getting the help they need. And of course it's like dominoes: lose job--> lose bennies/income-->no health bennies/income=no money for help. :banghead::o

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Specializes in Orthopaedics/Med-Surg.

North Memorial laid off a bunch of RNs yesterday, including some of my nursing school friends... last to be hired, first to go. I feel so badly for them, some had worked there for years prior in other positions so they would get hired as RNs once done with school. I feel incredibly fortunate to still have a job (for now), and promised myself to never complain about it again. At least I have one.

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When did your nursing school friends start work at North Memorial? I am worried about my job. I work at a different hospital.

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Specializes in Orthopaedics/Med-Surg.

They were hired this past spring/summer, as new grads.

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Specializes in ER.

I was laid off from North, actually I was bumped because ED didn't cut positions so RN's from other units were allowed to bump in, ED trained or not I guess. Got to love the fricken Union.

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Preaching to the choir, but here's an interesting article from yesterday's Star Tribune, where someone finallly addresses how hard the recession is hitting the healthcare industry, particularly nurses:

http://www.startribune.com/business/38730897.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ

Lola

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But I said this earlier, I economic crisis usually don't last forever. But what went up must come down, it is a historical fact. There are quite a few areas that needed to be cut, but there are other markets emerging. I think the Green Market will have a huge boost.

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Specializes in Orthopaedics/Med-Surg.

I saw that article as well, and was glad to see the issue getting some public attention, and that they put some real faces to it instead of just talking about it. Even last year, it was tough for many people (including myself) to get jobs (hospital jobs, at least), and the teachers at my school never addressed that... they just assured us that if we were having trouble finding a job, that in the fall things would pick up... unfortunately, that's when the layoffs and hiring freezes began. Oh, and I also remembering one of them saying in May, before graduation, that "everyone that wants a job now has one already," which was, I'm sorry, a big lie. Truth is, quite a few of us had been searching since winter/spring, and hadn't gotten anything yet. The healthcare industry downturn was beginning, but didn't hit full force till a few months later. There was an elephant in the room that my teachers were refusing to discuss, but now they won't have a choice because the main subject of the article graduated with me. I really wish that our instructors had been more honest with us last year, and had been willing to discuss the difficulties their students were having. It wasn't their fault we couldn't find jobs, but it would have been nice if they had acknowledged that fact.

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hey sam,

i totally agree with you! i remember asking the DON at MCTC about job prospects, and she seemed suprised that i asked. it's a huge elephant in the room.

out of curiosity, what school did you go to?

lola

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Seniority language also acts to help people to have priority for recall from layoff..

In solidarity...

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In my hospital we have shut down an entire floor and laid off some nurses, and it seems we may even have a new round of layoffs if our census does not pick up, we had some fresh grads let go before they even finished oreintation.

In my unit we have been overstaffed due to low census and people have been getting MLOAs. We sometimes have 5 or 6 a shift! People are really starting to stress out and if things don't pick up soon then more layoffs are to follow. We can't help but wonder where all our patients went.

Just wondering how everyone else is doing..

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Specializes in LTC.

I'm a Dec '08 grad. I've put in probably 20 applications and had one interview (in a LTC facility, not a hospital). I recently accepted a part-time position at the LTC facility I've been working at as a CNA. I was really hoping for a full-time job in acute care, but I don't think that's going to happenin this job market. At least I can gain some experience while I wait for the job market to improve.

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