Unit Census and Holiday?

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Dec 18, 2006

I'm new, but I saw a low census a couple of days before and a day after Thanksgiving, that was it! Then it's been chock-full ever since. People who have worked here longer say that some years it's low again several days before and just after Christmas, but some years they're full.

Seems to depend on how badly some people want out of the hospital for holidays, or how badly they (or their families) want someone else to take care of them :uhoh3:

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 19, 2006

many units empty out and do not start to fill up until december 23rd, or 24th around here. what generally happens on your unit? some ltc facilities here have the reputation of dumping difficult patients during the holiday season, what happens in your area?

no one chooses to have their heart surgery the week of christmas, but there are the inevitable emergency surgeries including ruptured aneurysms and transplants. and then there are the folks who are still too sick from their surgery weeks ago to leave the icu. some years our census is wayyyyy low, and others we're bursting at the seams!

veronica butterfly, ADN, RN · Dec 26, 2006

Many units empty out and do not start to fill up until December 23rd, or 24th around here. What generally happens on your unit? Some LTC facilities here have the reputation of dumping difficult patients during the holiday season, what happens in your area?

I just got home from fri through mon Christmas weekend. Very low census on Friday and Saturday. Many patients wanted to go home for Christmas and docs d/c'd them. Most nurses and aides "low-needed" for the weekend. Those of us left had a whole wing to ourselves and the aides were running ragged from hall to hall. The people being admitted through ED or from nsg homes were extremely sick pts--they desperately wanted to be home for the holidays and waited to seek medical attention until they were very sick. Also a couple folks d/c'd on Friday and probably shouldn't have been came right back.

Crazy weekend, felt bad leaving the night shift nurses coming on... Yikes....

gitterbug · Dec 29, 2006

Ruby,

I know real emergencies happen at Christmas. I guess my question was did your unit empty out as many patients as possible? Where you busy with really sick LTC patients who needed to be admitted or did you feel that a facility "dumped" difficult patient(S)?

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 29, 2006

ruby,
i know real emergencies happen at christmas. i guess my question was did your unit empty out as many patients as possible? where you busy with really sick ltc patients who needed to be admitted or did you feel that a facility "dumped" difficult patient(s)?

this year, i really don't know. i've been off for months with a serious illness.

gitterbug · Dec 29, 2006

Ruby,

Hope you feel better soon.

Ruby Vee, BSN · Dec 29, 2006

ruby,
hope you feel better soon.

thanks -- i'm doing much better. i'm stronger than i was before, and will be back full time at work again soon!

wmsclan · Dec 29, 2006

work in a 39 bed med-surg/renal unit. on sunday, christmas eve had 22 pts. on christmas day were down to 18, but went back to work today and had 35 pts on the floor.

Moranguinho · Jan 8, 2007

I work at a public hospital in Brazil. Generally my unit empties out. But the incredible is: some families leave their patients in the hospital up to the end of the holiday so they can happyly enjoy it by themselves, with no complicated relative to take care of. After the holiday, they come to our unit and ask for their discharge. Umbelievable!