Low Census

Id suggest looking for another job if you can't afford to not have guaranteed hours. Medicare has/is making a lot of changes, reducing everyone's census Im sure. Or, maybe you could find another PRN job (do both prn positions), which maybe could help fill in the gaps. Good luck!

I'd find a second PRN. Home health will take you on in a heartbeat. I detest HH but it's a job.

Things have only been this bad since the end of last year. I worked as a night shift crisis/continuous care hospice LPN for many years. My first job was through an agency and I averaged 3-4 nights per week. My second job was with a hospice company full time so I was guaranteed 36 hours per week no matter what (even during the winter when things slow down). Towards the end of my working for the hospice company (beginning of this year), some really scary changes started to happen because of Medicare cutbacks. Our poor PRN's were lucky to work TWO nights per MONTH! We also COMPLETELY stopped using agency nurses. Even us full-timer's would have to sometimes go to the hospice house and work as a cna if the census was low. Medicare is making it harder to qualify as a hospice patient, and are recommending the family provide a lot of the care we were doing which means we stay only 2-3 days instead of until the end. I recommend you either add another PRN position, or work for a hospice company full-time. HOSPICE is my HEART but as with any other job, budget issues can make it unbearable.

Unfortunately for you, low census in hospice is a good thing in theory, right? But I would be second-guessing having that as an only job. Now, if you had my job (med-surg), I say head for the beach! :) I absolutely adore low census. But for some reason, they haven't cancelled me lately.:cautious:hmmmm.....Wonder if someone has stolen my first-cancellation spot:cautious:

Thank you so much for the input everyone!! This was so unusual for me since I just started work and now I'm sitting on the sidelines. Wow two nights a month!? I definitely came at a wrong time too since medicare isn't allowing aftt, dementia, and debility as primary diagnoses. So im sure that's contributing alot to our low census. I call every week to see if there's an opening for me and each time there isn't, it's been a bummer. However I definitely plan on staying since I love the atmosphere of our workplace. I wasn't looking forward to the thought of going through another job hunt but looks like that's gonna be the case to occupy the extra time I have!

LYNDAA nope not when it's too many days of being off! Although it'll probably be a good thing down the line

Agreed about new Medicare regs reducing census.

AFTT and debility are about 20% of our diagnoses. Very difficult now to get these folks in Hospice, even with multiple co-morbidities.

For lack of better word hospice tends to be feast or famine and there is a lot of competition with new companies sprouting up.

Most nurses that do PRN (anywhere) have at least 2 places to work. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.