Summer lull?

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Specializes in Emergency.

My er usually mellows during the summer as a lot folks leave on vacation around here. However we have seen a dramatic increase in pts over the past couple of weeks. We staff to handle 150 pt/day but have been seeing over 180/day past few weeks. Luckily (?), the overall hospital census is down, so no bed wait for admissions.

I'm thinking it's the heat. Or possibly BP's fault in some

way. Could be our turkey sandwiches bringing 'em in. I don't know, just like seeing butts on beds. Job security.

Anyone else seeing weird census changes this summer?

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We've been busier than I remember in the past, however being one of two level 1's in the NW Ohio area, it's to be expected.

That being said, our census has necessitated opening not one but two additional units and staffing accordingly by pulling from everywhere to do so... it's been heck, but amen to "job security". Love the OT, too ;)

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Specializes in multispecialty ICU, SICU including CV.

My boss has said that for the last 20 years she's been a manager she has had a conversation with staff about floating. In my area (upper midwest), the hospital census is usually down, it seems. She attributes it to lots of docs going on vacation and not admitting patients for surgery, and patients leaving on vacations too. Maybe all our patients are going to your hospitals...who knows.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

We're vacillating wildly between being overrun and being nearly empty. I got called off for an entire 12 last Saturday -- wacky, that never happens. But our census usually picks up in the summer when people are more apt to be out and about and pull some "stupid human tricks," as I call them. :) More traumas.

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Specializes in Peds Homecare.

"I got called off for an entire 12 last Saturday -- wacky, that never happens." You must have been happy to have an extra summer saturday off!

'

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Kinda ... I didn't really get to go do anything, because I kept checking in every couple of hours, and they could have called me in at any point. But that's okay, I didn't mind hanging out at home with my Pugs and relaxing. :)

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Specializes in Surgical/MedSurg/Oncology/Hospice.

Our small (just under 200 beds) hospital has seen a sharp increase in admits in the past few weeks, our unit is 42 beds, primarily surgical with some med-surg. The scary thing is that last week we had six attempted suicide pts admitted over a few days time... these almost never come to our unit, but the other floors were full and there were multiple attempted suicide admits on the other floors as well. In my opinion, the fact that the unemployment benefits for hundreds of thousands of people in this area ran out a few weeks ago may have something to do with it.:uhoh3:

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Specializes in CVICU.

Usually in the summer I get put on low census 2-4 shifts per month. This summer I haven't been on call at all and we're usually working short. It sucks. I was really looking forward to the surprise vacation nights with the kids, and it hasn't happened.

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Specializes in ICU,OR,PACU,ER.

You are experiencing a lull because all your patients are summering in my ER on Martha"s Vineyard. Please put a return address on your folks so we can send them back to the correct point of origin when they are done here. Have a great summer, where ever you are.....

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Specializes in Float pool for 14 months.

Awwww. I miss going to Martha's Vineyard every summer. I miss being a kid. Now I am an ED nurse @ a very busy one in NY. I will switch with you!!!! Lol. I haven't seen a lull here. It seems like all the crazies come out of the woodwork in the heat and humidity.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept.

Our ED census has been somewhat odd. It has been low, which has been really odd for my region and isn't normal for my region (north-central FL). I've heard that it's not normal for this time of the year. I'm new since I just graduated. I'm just waiting for the ball to drop. Everyone seems to think that it's related to the heat. I'm not sure. But there have been nights where we have had no one in the waiting room for a few hours. I have a feeling things will pick back up once the students come back into town and the football season gets kicked back up again. Who knows...it's just been odd this summer.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/Critical Care Nursing.

Wow, my feet sure would appreciate a lull in my DEM! I work in Detroit and with warm weather comes morons with guns shooting each other, or the motorcyclists being speed demons because they couldn't ride all winter. A couple of weeks ago we had a few straight days that were >90degrees and with Detroit being such a low income area, most people don't have any air conditioning and come in "because its too hot at home" lol, but we did have two patients two days in a row with core body temps >108 degrees! :eek:

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