Is your NICU slow or busy?

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.

Our NICU has had a LOW census for about 2 months now. Is your NICU slow or busy right now? As soon as we get a few new babies, a few go home. I'm surprised at how long this has lasted. How long has your NICU been with a low census? (if it has happened)

Do the summer months tend to be slow?

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Specializes in nicu, transition.

our NICU can hold 12 and has been 10 to 12 the past 2 months. Usually it is around 3 or 4 patients. So in our small little NICU, we are busy.

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
our NICU can hold 12 and has been 10 to 12 the past 2 months. Usually it is around 3 or 4 patients. So in our small little NICU, we are busy.

Wow, I thought my unit was small when we can have up to 23 babies...we have 10-12 lately. I'm used to 38 where I used to work.

Do you ever get cancelled due to low census? Luckily, we can't be cancelled...it's in our union contract...Thank God!

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Specializes in nicu, transition.

yeah, we are small. That is why I am starting at a bigger hospital which has a 48 bed NICU and will be expanding to a 72 early next year. I just am not getting enough exposure to learn where I am at. Yes, we do get cancelled but of course, it is the per diem, then the part timers who go before the full timers. We do have the option to floating to Nursery. :icon_roll

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We've been in the 70s lately. Waaaaayyyy too busy if you ask me.

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
yeah, we are small. That is why I am starting at a bigger hospital which has a 48 bed NICU and will be expanding to a 72 early next year. I just am not getting enough exposure to learn where I am at. Yes, we do get cancelled but of course, it is the per diem, then the part timers who go before the full timers. We do have the option to floating to Nursery. :icon_roll

i'm per diem, and i'm so glad they can't cancel any staff!!

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
We've been in the 70s lately. Waaaaayyyy too busy if you ask me.

Could you send some babies my way? Where do you live?

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Could you send some babies my way? Where do you live?

I was going to ask if you could send some nurses our way...;)

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
I was going to ask if you could send some nurses our way...;)

Well, luckily I'm not getting cancelled, like i mentioned. But I still feel uncomfortable when we're slow. We have a great float policy, too...so I should count my blessings i guess.

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
We've been in the 70s lately. Waaaaayyyy too busy if you ask me.

Do you ever have an assignment with more than 3 babies...i'm serious...so don't laugh;)

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Do you ever have an assignment with more than 3 babies...i'm serious...so don't laugh;)

I had 4 the other night. We usually have 3 or less (thanks to the ratio laws of course). The problem is our acuity is really high too. We have a lot of 1:1s and 1:2s.

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Specializes in NICU, Telephone Triage.
I had 4 the other night. We usually have 3 or less (thanks to the ratio laws of course). The problem is our acuity is really high too. We have a lot of 1:1s and 1:2s.

3 is enough for me.

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