Sign off/low census policy???? Is this an issue????????

[ronurse99]

Hi everyone,

I am just curious to hear how other hospitals respond to a low census day? What they look at? If they do on call? If it is paid? Basically any input you can tell me about what is done on a low census day at your location. Also what are your shifts.... all 12 hour shifts? all 8 hour shifts? or mixture of 8 and 12s? Thanks in advance.

[NurseCard, ADN]

We are put on call for the shift, and given, I think a dollar an hour,

while on call. We do 12 hour shifts.

[Sour Lemon]

We are canceled for the most part. Occasionally, people are put on call but it's volentary. I am per diem, so I have no PTO to cover my missed shifts. When I worked full time, I did have PTO as an option.

[ruralnurse84]

Ours is voluntary per our contract. Most of the time for night shift we don't have enough people scheduled to go low census, but we can go on call and we get $4/hr if on call. If we get called in, then that shift we work is time and a half. These are 12 hour shifts. Day shift is a little different because they have more staff so some will request low census and get it vs being on call. PTO can be used if on call or low censused.

[K+MgSO4, BSN]

I find thos fascinating.....I work at a major metro public hospital in Australia. Up until 5 years ago we used to do planned closures over Christmas and Easter, now we just churn through the waiting list.

Most days we operate at 104% capacity, with most of our flex beds open at least for the morning shift until we discharge people so we can get ED cleared and PACU. We have data on our activity, over winter gen med admissions go up, general trauma and emergency plastics cases goes down, then over summer gen med slows down and trauma, plastics and ortho go up.

I know in private sector if a surgeon cannot fill his theatre list the week before it is cancelled and the slot offered to other surgeons, and med wards can just pull from the public hospitals.

[Buckeye.nurse]

We have a mixture of 8 and 12 hour shifts on my unit. It is very, very rare (only once or twice a year) that someone gets a low census day outside major holidays. We would first float someone to cover a need on another unit. Everyone has a float date and a low census date in the book. We float/stay home based on date, and if two people have the same date seniority comes into play.

On holidays, we only go by seniority, and give nurses the option to stay home starting with the most senior.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

We have a cancellation policy. Generally OT is cancelled first, then requests, then registry, then PRN.

If they still need to cancel staff after all that, they rotate the cancellations so the same FT/PT staff don't get cancelled repeatedly. But it usually never gets as far as that.

[mmc51264, BSN, MSN, RN]

12 hour shifts We can be put on call for $2/hr. We may be called in to work on our own unit or to any unit that has needs. I have been called in to float to another unit. Once I was called in, the charge nurse wanted to float a nurse that had been working the floor for half the shift and I take her pts. I told her that was SO unfair! Float me to the other unit. We do not have a cancel policy. On call means you can be called in at any time. In an hour or 11 hours (never happens).

[FolksBtrippin, BSN, RN]

We have call offs in this order. Requests. Per diems. Over time. Extra shift. Part time and full time rns on a rotating basis.

It's mostly 12s. A few 8s.

[xoemmylouox, ASN, RN]

We work mostly 12's. We do 7-7 shifts primarily. We can get called in until 3. After that we are considered free and clear. We get a WHOPPING $2/hour. I find that to be insulting. My time is worth more than that

I often refuse to be put on call. If there is no one else they can force you on call. If they attempt to call you in, and you don't answer or come in, it counts as an absence. They are supposed to put you on call by 6. Last Christmas Eve I was cancelled as I was pulling into our parking garage around 6:30pm. I was pretty upset to say the least. I volunteered to be called in one day last month. I was called that morning and confirmed they needed me. 2 hours before shift time they tried to put me on call. I refused. I said cancel me all together or I'm coming in for the bonus pay that was promised to me. Needless to say staffing was mad at me, but I went in and got the bonus pay that had been promised.

I've now gone PRN at this facility to a long list of reasons. No one else will stand up for you if you won't stand up for you.