Floating all the time, very low census

kjschulke · May 6, 2004

I work in a 16 bed PICU that tends to have a fluctuating census, so we also have gone through periods of floating. To help with retention and morale, our hospital has gone to a "no floating" policy, which means that individual units take more responsibility for adequate staffing. This means calling your own staff, including administrative nurses to ask if anyone is willing to help. In cases where minimum safe-staffing levels are not met, the hospital nursing supervisor can mandate a float from another area of the hospital. When our unit is overstaffed, we have the option of floating voluntarily or staying home unpaid or using accrued vacation time. Some of our nurses have cross-trained in other areas so they have a second area where they feel at home. I think this has helped morale in general.

Havin' A Party!, ASN, RN · May 6, 2004

Local hospital has closed one floor of med /surg unit for the summer. Reason given: low census.

ARmickie · May 6, 2004

I overheard a nurse from a local hospital tell a friend a few days ago that there were a total of 16 pts in the entire hospital that day... :uhoh21: At first, I was shocked, but then I remembered the rep this hospital has a "Band Aid Center"... I have no idea of what they are doing about the staff there.

Trauma Columnist · May 6, 2004

Where do you guys live??? Our level one (550 beds) has been running at peak capacity with hours of bed waits in the ER for the last year!!!! No floating here - that's for sure....

P_RN, ADN, RN · May 6, 2004

Gosh we had to wait hours for DH to get a monitored bed just last month. Wonder if this is a regional thing. What part of the country are y'all in that has low census?

ktwlpn, LPN · May 6, 2004

I work in a 16 bed CCU and are census has been incredibly low this year, to a point where the unit was closed for a while. Are there any of you that are experiencing a low census period. It is becoming very disheartening for all of us at work, after all if I wanted to be in the float pool I would. :rotfl:

Be glad that you still have a job-you could be sent home and made to use up all of your earned time off...Look at the glass as half full......

nursemary9, BSN, RN · May 6, 2004

Hi

I work at a level 1 trauma center in Chicago--we are JAM-PACKED!!

The last few weeks have been so heavy!! One patient leaves & the next is practically on the way up!! I work on a Med-Surg Floor, but it is the same on the Units!!

memphispanda, RN · May 6, 2004

We are packed too. Almost always have them stacked up in the ER waiting for beds. We have even gotten a certificate of need approved to open new beds (of course that will take a while since they have to build the rooms).

CCURN · May 7, 2004

I live in Minneapolis

Blackcat99 · May 7, 2004

:chuckle The best known cure for the low census blues is to become a correctional nurse. Correctional nurses never worry about having a low census.

CCURN · May 8, 2004

I almost nearly applied for another job, but you made me laugh and for that I am grateful. I will give it a few more weeks, and see what happens, but I see no career advancement if you are always floating. It does me no good.

I will be patient.