Layoffs?

Anyone else out there facing a potential layoff? Management has asked staff at my facility to volunteer to reduce FTEs before being forced to do so

What are FTE's?

We are forced to take call when the census is low

Yeah, if you are talking about the "BIG B" then I'm going to say that if they are having such a hard time, why do they keep trying to recruit me back when there's a hiring freeze?

That is exactly who I am talking about. If they stop advertising "Do you have a ______ doctor?" That might help.

What are FTE's?

We are forced to take call when the census is low

FTE is Full Time Equivalents.

That is exactly who I am talking about. If they stop advertising "Do you have a ______ doctor?" That might help.

I heard that management is taking a paycut over there and they are implementing some new way of paying nurses for OT. I'll get the details from my buddies that are suffering over there.

Hiring freeze at my facility, open positions are not being filled, no bonuses, no holiday party (not even a cake in the cafeteria? Way to stomp on morale), wage freeze effective immediately, capital expenditures frozen.

That is exactly who I am talking about. If they stop advertising "Do you have a ______ doctor?" That might help.

You think they could have a more upbeat commerical instead of the one that sounds like impending doom. Wonder what's gonna happen at our hospital but it doesn't seem like they are cutting much. OT is still readily availabe.

Hiring freeze at my facility, open positions are not being filled, no bonuses, no holiday party (not even a cake in the cafeteria? Way to stomp on morale), wage freeze effective immediately, capital expenditures frozen.

no cake? bummer....It is sure to get much worse.I work in a county run facility.We have a hiring freeze and open positions will not be filled,dept. heads are not getting their raises although we rank and file will get our cost of living.Even scarier-we are often running out of supplies-both patient care and food stuff. We took a (lowest bidder) contract with an outside laundry-they send back linens and towels still dirty. The public is calling for the county to bring in a private managment firm.It stinks to pick up the local paper and read that people object to your benefits package and think you should have fewer paid days off and no pension plan..No one seems concerned about the needs of the residents at this point.We all might be eating Little Friskies...Bless Mr Obama-he sure inherited a stinking pile of dung...

As if we should work for free and not have benefits or a pension while the people who are complaining probably have both....

Very slow in my neck of the woods. Census is way down, no agency hours, very few travel nurse positions across the US.

Sending people home mid shifts to keep payroll as low as possible.

Some surrounding hospitals laying off staff.

It is a scary time for everyone. No one is safe.

Agency gigs only being scheduled in 4 hour shifts.

WOW...agency decreased to 4 hour shifts?? This is so scary! I just hope all of us here in AN remain safe...

no cake? bummer....It is sure to get much worse.I work in a county run facility.We have a hiring freeze and open positions will not be filled,dept. heads are not getting their raises although we rank and file will get our cost of living.Even scarier-we are often running out of supplies-both patient care and food stuff. We took a (lowest bidder) contract with an outside laundry-they send back linens and towels still dirty. The public is calling for the county to bring in a private managment firm.It stinks to pick up the local paper and read that people object to your benefits package and think you should have fewer paid days off and no pension plan..No one seems concerned about the needs of the residents at this point.We all might be eating Little Friskies...Bless Mr Obama-he sure inherited a stinking pile of dung...

My facility is placing a freeze on 'non-essential' positions (don't know what that means), and yes, we are dealing with low bid contracts as well. The urine cups we give patients for samples are shaped like test tubes, cannot stand independently, so, they spill over in the lab bag (now, what sense is that to give a person who has to take this from home to the hospital??). There was a political cartoon with President Bush taking off into the sunset on a horse, Obama and Biden sitting neck deep in a pile of dung, and Biden shouting to get a recount...

It does seem times are tough in many areas of the country.

I think that the wages of the upper management should be frozen during hard times. Also, why do you need an assistant manager along with the Nurse Manager in a small unit? It is neccessary to think about safety of the patients. Allow enough nursing staff at the bedside. CNAs, Patient care techs are needed. They provide care at the bedside. In places like ambulatory surgery, endoscopy...there are more people than needed at times. Why three people should be behind the desk to answer the phone?

There are always ups and downs in the economy. Everything goes in cycles.

Putmetosleep, I am also in Minnesota, at a facility who asked staff to voluntarily reduce FTE... maybe we are at the same hospital? I am a little nervous about what may be to come, particularly since I am a recent hire. It's a scary thought to realize my job is not much more secure than those in other industries. I'm trying my best to stay positive, but the idea of a layoff has been hanging over my head.