Floating all the time, very low census

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.

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

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.

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:

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!!

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).

I live in Minneapolis

: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.

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.

Black cat :chuckle

Ah, winter is over and all the chest pains are gone :chuckle My girlfriend works CCU and says they always have a nice lul between really cold weather and hot weather.

I hate to float I am sure we are amusing to those poor kiddies on the peds floors though :chuckle