How is the floor/hospital census lately?

[rn undisclosed name]

I work in a medium to large size community hospital and we are literally busting at the seams. Putting patients in areas where we don't typically house patients. Opening up units that were previously closed. There are no beds in the ICU.

My hospital is offering incentives for staff to work extra shifts and are actually offering double what they normally offer. It is insane. I have been doing nursing for almost 7 years and have never seen anything like this. I have also worked at 5 different hospitals and was actually at my current hospital last holiday season and it was not like this.

Earlier this year we were closing units because there was not enough patients and we were being told not to come in due to a lack of patients. Sometimes this happened 2-3 times a pay period. We did a restructuring of staff as well because we thought that things were changing and there would be less inpatients.

I'm just wondering how things are throughout the US and why this is happening. I thought maybe because it is near the end of the year and people have deductibles they want to use but the admitting dx of my patients does not support that. Only one pt had surgery that you could say was elective.

BTW I work on a cardiac unit (tele/step down).

[Altra, BSN, RN]

In my region of the country an increase in admissions during the winter is typical: flu, pneumonia, injuries from falls and accidents, etc. Holidays also bring an increase in psychiatric and substance-abuse related admissions. And, I have to say it, an increase in staff absences because of holiday activities can lead to closure of beds, increasing census in other better-staffed units.

[blondy2061h, MSN, RN]

We're a tertiary care center that only takes patients from referrals. We don't have an ER. We constantly have a waiting list for patients to be transferred to us from other hospitals for specialized care. Due to this, we never very rarely have empty beds. We occasionally have patients in clinics for extended time waiting for a bed to be available.

[That Guy, BSN, RN, EMT-B]

We had 4 beds left in our hospital the other day when I left...all ICU. Tis the season for respiratory cases!

[netglow, ASN, RN]

Insurance plan year ending.

People prefer not to take time off work for needed medical care - so they do it just before and during holidays and use that time to recoup. I don't know anybody in the corporate world who takes vacation/sickdays. Taking vacation/sickdays in the corp. world puts you at risk for layoff in this economy.

People know that next years insurance benes changes will cause increase in out of pocket costs - want to get things checked now, and if that requires tx, then do it this plan year.

Hospitals have cut back on nursing staff and are not prepared for anything.

[MJB2010]

We have been VERY full lately. A lot of people are doing elective surgeries this time of year to use up their deductible and we have a big flu outbreak right now, too. Nice to have them all mixed together, fresh post op and flu. Way to go bed department!

[tokmom, BSN, RN]

Ours is unaturally low at this time. It doesn't help that two surgeons are out on medical leave themselves. I heard our flu season hasn't hit yet. I'm sure in a month or so we will be turning people away and every room will be isolation!

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

We are a large public access hospital in the southeast. We are busting at the seams. No icu, tele or step down beds. Limited med/ surg. Flu and respiratory complaints.

[Nursetastic]

People at my hospital are getting flexed, put on call, or straight cancelled. 45 bed ICU/Stepdown had a total of 14 patients when I left work Saturday. All OT is being denied.

[wooh, BSN, RN]

Tis the season for snot and coughing...Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Census full but still they're coming...Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Don we now our protective apparel... Fa la la, la la la, la la la la.

So our lungs don't face such peril... Fa la la la la la la la laaaa....

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I work at a specialty rehab hospital. Census is unusually high and has been this way for the past six weeks. However, we're short-staffed because of multiple call-offs combined with employees taking time off during this season.

In past years census has plummeted to bare-bones levels during the holidays. This year seems to be a major exception to past trends.

[kool-aide, RN]

My hospital is stuffed! Full of resp pts, and LOTS of elective surgeries.