Low Census-what's up?!

[mom35]

Something odd is going on at my hospital. I work on a (formerly busy) med/surge floor but lately they are cancelling nurses and putting them on call left and right. We usually work 4 12 hour shifts per week but lately many of us are lucky to get 2 nights per week. Our census is eerily low. This time last year we were packed, all rooms full and it usually doesn't slow down until Spring. So I feel like something ominous is approaching. Could this be from the new healthcare? I know that the doctor that is the main driving admitter to our hospital is always complaining about the new healthcare and he has really dropped back on admitting. This is killing the nursing staff financially-I am very worried! Anyone else with the same at their hospital?

[JBudd, MSN]

We've gone from boarding ED pts for 12-24 hours, to almost no pts at night; some of our critical care beds are closed, as well as some Medsurg. While its nice not to have to do so many admits in the ED, plenty of nurses are getting sent home.

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

Low census here too. So far no lay offs. Just fewer hrs for everybody.

I almost wish they'd lay off, only because NONE of us are getting a full paycheck. We're all hoping things will get better.

Human beings are such weird animals. All the evidence indicates we're going to be living on 2/3 income for the forseeable future. Yet all of the nurses where I work, are hanging onto the hope things will change.

[microkate]

They're all going to our rehab facility. Seriously, we've been getting 2-4 admissions a night. We're turning over rooms as fast as they leave, and our office keeps hiring more on-call nurses.

[dirtyhippiegirl, BSN, RN]

Our hospital is bulging. We're slow this week but were at max capacity the last two weeks. We're still seeing a lot of elective surgeries on my unit. Is this "nationwide" low census a real phenomena or are many hospitals using ACA to justify what they've always wanted to do -- and cut nursing staff?

No problem here. Our ED is hopping all night and we routinely board floor pts and ICU pts for 1-2 shifts before we can get them out of the ED.

[Rise Against]

Yeah has been extremely slow off and on for the past month or two. Just this last week we have been completely full. Seems like it is picking up but has been very irregular. Very hard to judge. Normally our hospital is at capacity by now

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

I've said this in various threads, that you need to realize health care trends are global. Governments are cutting health care and education all over. The US, Canada, Australia, England. Although in reality, more nurses are required to safely provide care, cuts and layoffs are going to continue for years.

Traditional hospital based nursing jobs will be a thing of the past. Instead, community based care is where health care is headed. Acute care and emergency care is very expensive and unsustainable for an aging population. Couple this with the recent recession and Obama Care (less profit for health care organizations), resulting in fewer positions everywhere.

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

I've said this in various threads, that you need to realize health care trends are global. Governments are cutting health care and education all over. The US, Canada, Australia, England. Although in reality, more nurses are required to safely provide care, cuts and layoffs are going to continue for years.

Traditional hospital based nursing jobs will be a thing of the past. Instead, community based care is where health care is headed. Acute care and emergency care is very expensive and unsustainable for an aging population. Couple this with the recent recession and Obama Care (less profit for health care organizations), resulting in fewer positions everywhere.

I totally agree. Shrinking Medicare reimbursements, more stringent Medicare requirements, and threats of accusations of Medicare fraud, make providers reticent nowadays to admit elderly patients into the hospital (especially if they just got out of the hospital within the past 30 days or there is no bullet-proof reason for admitting them). I have seen this trend in our ER. Formerly, elderly Medicare patients would be admitted right and left to our medical-surgical unit. Not so anymore. The providers are very picky as to whom they admit. If there is any possibility of the patient being treated in the community, this is what they choose over an admission.

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

Would gladly send some of our ER patients to your hospitals as we often have to leave them in the waiting room for 12-18 hours anyway. :)

[CrossCountryRN2008]

It is Medicare doughnut hole season. Medicare patients know what it is. It is horrible but it is what it is