How does your facility handle low census?

SCRN1 · Dec 11, 2006

The PRN nurses are called off first since they don't get paid if they don't work. If no PRN nurses are scheduled that shift, they rotate the other nurses. They can use their PTO if they still want to get paid.

At the hospital I used to work, if you got called off, you were off that entire shift and not on call in case they started filling back up. Where I work now, I haven't exactly been told we are on call if called off (because I haven't been called off yet) but I have heard of someone who was called off. So, she & her husband decided to go out-to-eat. As soon as their food arrived, she got a call telling her to come on in.

snowfreeze, BSN, RN · Dec 11, 2006

I work on a busy unit, if the census is down we take fewer patients each and most of the time this unit gets numerous admissions so it evens out by the end of the shift, daylight is 4 patients and evenings and nights is 5. If the census drops considerably during a shift we are offered PTO if anyone wants to go home. If you take this option you may also have to stay if the census goes up before the end of the shift. If no one wants to go home they call someone off from the oncoming shift, this rarely happens. Anyone on overtime hours of course goes home first. I am usually quite flexible and find the facility is flexible also when I need a schedule change at the last minute.

I once worked at a facility that closed a few years after I quit, we had to take time off without pay there as we had all used up our vacation time.

twotrees2 · Dec 18, 2006

We take turns taking "availability" call if the census drops below staffing guidelines. We get paid one hour for every 8 we are on availability.
Most of the time, the decision to cut staff is made every 4 hours, (1100, 1500, 1900, etc.) but it can happen at any time of day.
You have to be within an hour call back time if off, an can use vacation time to make up your time lost.
How are other facilities handling low census?

well lets see - short staffing us - bringing more heavy residents in that we cant care for adequately - once in a while if they think state might have an issue ( ie threat by family to call) they have the bosses - DON etc work a few hours to help. sad but they refuse to call agancy. so basically they dont handle it just leave us to fend for ourselves

mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 18, 2006

Usually you get floated to another floor. You can sometimes offer to stay on the floor as a tech if the techs are short handed. If you are simply not needed in the facility, then you are called off and paid 1/2 your normal pay for your time off - you can make up any difference w/PTO if necessary. If they call you back in, it's 1 1/2 times you pay from the moment they call you back in, not when you clock in. You are expected to be back in the facility w/in 1 hour of when they call you back. It can be voluntary but if there are not takers for the call off(s), then the it goes by the date of the last call off.

For those of us that live far away----we never get called off because of the 1 hour rule.

AuntieRN · Dec 18, 2006

I am not exactly sure how the whole thing works where I am as I just started in my RN role and have yet to be called off in this capacity..but...I know as a tech...I was put on call one night...got $1/hr to be on call and then got called in 1 1/2 hrs after start of shift and got pd straight time. Now from what I hear from the other nurses....we can either get floated to another floor if they need help, get put on call if there is a chance our floor may need help, can be put as a nurse tech somewheres as they are always short...or just take 12 hours PTO time. They try to call staff who are in OT first to see if they want off, if not then they hit the flex staff. But once called off...(different then being put on call) they can not call you and make you come in. Our head nurse and nurse manager are awesome though about helping us out if we need help or run into trouble.

hica19 · Dec 18, 2006

Yea I was wondering about this also. If a floor gets overstaffed and an oncoming staff member gets called asking if they want to take a holiday. What does this really mean? Does one still get paid?