well they closed down a floor of the hospital

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well last week they closed down a floor at my hospital for lack of patients. we are being called off and cancelled because the other floors have to accomidate nurses from the floor that was closed. i don't mind being called off. it shows how bad the ecomony is. how are things at your hospital?

Specializes in Community Health, Med-Surg, Home Health.
Well...at least we work in an industry that isn't doomed when the economy takes a downturn....another big plant is closing here in South GA (Cooper Tire). Merck closed about 1-2 years ago. Hundreds of people permanently out of high paying factory jobs....Many of whom do not have any immediate options. At least in the medical field, there are options (however undesirable they may seem with night/weekend hours, etc) should your current job disappear. I am thankful for that at least.

Depending on the location, nursing is also being hit hard by the recession. Many posters on this site are saying that facilities are not hiring new grads, agency work is drying out and some hospitals are in fact, laying off. Most facilities save the direct care staff for last, but unfortunately, even nursing is not recession proof.

We have one unit that has been closed since Thanksgiving. Our census is so low right now I doubt it will reopen until well after New Year's. This is the longest slump we've had since I can remember.

Specializes in Acute Mental Health.

What do you all think of going into Corrections? I've been thinking about it after reading this thread and my thoughts are leaning towards prisons being overcrowded and inmates needing care. Do you all think that this might be one place where lay offs might not reach?

I'm hoping to graduate this coming May and am seriously thinking about going into Corrections. What are your thoughts?

In our hospital we see a large drop in census during the holidays, the supervisors however try to keep every floor with at least 8 pt, even if they are off service, so that no one closes. We are the level 1 trauma center in the city so we stay stedy even during the holidays however. There has been a decrease in the amount of elective admissions, I credit that to the economy. They are discussing not giving raises next year as well as this years being smaller then previous years. It stinks but at least I have a job!

Specializes in Respiratory / Tele.

My hospital is the same way, I also think the census was low because of the holidays, and as far as the economy is concerned more people are unemployed meaning less people with insurance. I also had all my extra days for the month cancelled and my work calls before each shift asking if I would like to take the day off. I only have a 24hr/week position. Hopefully things will get better in 2009 or I'm going to need to find a second job.

Specializes in School Nursing, Pedi., Critical Care.
What do you all think of going into Corrections? I've been thinking about it after reading this thread and my thoughts are leaning towards prisons being overcrowded and inmates needing care. Do you all think that this might be one place where lay offs might not reach?

I'm hoping to graduate this coming May and am seriously thinking about going into Corrections. What are your thoughts?

I worked inpatient corrections for a while and I actually really liked it. You get trained on safety so you learn not to wear your stethoscope around your neck, leave NOTHING at the bedside, etc.. The prisoners were actually nice. Every once in a while I would get a really strange inmate but it made the job interesting!:clown:

The holidays is one reason the census are low. However, the economy may cause the effect to become bigger. Current article posted today could of been written by the hospital that I work at. I am a new nurse, just over one year and I am scared. I have three children and my husband loss his major job this fall. He is working a part time job just for some type of income. So if I lose my job, we will become homeless. http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081227/meltdown_hospitals.html

Specializes in Ortho, Case Management, blabla.

We have two sections of the floor that makes up our unit. "North" and "Main." We generally have a 35 patient capacity between the two. The census is so low right now that we cleared "Main" out and are just using the "North" section (which is all semi-privates, but they're all practically functioning as privates for now). Bad for the bottom line, good for the patients because they all get privates haha.

We generally are at full capacity (35) but right now we only have 8 patients total. The place is just dead. Every patient there is a trauma of some sort thanks to the recent icy weather. No elective stuff being done over the holidays.

As a matter of fact I got excused absences this weekend due to it. I'm on call until 3pm tomorrow but I seriously doubt they will need me. I don't really care, I have plenty of PTO to burn!

Specializes in ob/gyn med /surg.

thank you all for your awesome comments !! i enjoyed reading everyon's point of view !! the floor is still closed down and we are expecting it to open for new years .. lots of party people will be in town and the hospital should wild as usual on new years and new years eve. last year was crazy and we had so many pancreatitis pt's and etoh related illness. it wil be interesting to see who shows up this year !! i send thanks to you all !!

Specializes in Geriatrics, Home Health.

I interviewed at a hospital that gets very slow from mid-November to December 31. It happens for 2 reasons: a large seasonal population leaving, and year-rounders running out of HSA or HHA funds.

What do you all think of going into Corrections? I've been thinking about it after reading this thread and my thoughts are leaning towards prisons being overcrowded and inmates needing care. Do you all think that this might be one place where lay offs might not reach?

I'm hoping to graduate this coming May and am seriously thinking about going into Corrections. What are your thoughts?

The economy will have an affect on corrections. My guess is crime will go up!:mad: Criminals getting desperate, heck even regular people becoming desperate and looking for other options.:zzzzz I'm sure the prison industry will be doing much better than the auto industry.

Specializes in Acute Mental Health.
The economy will have an affect on corrections. My guess is crime will go up!:mad: Criminals getting desperate, heck even regular people becoming desperate and looking for other options.:zzzzz I'm sure the prison industry will be doing much better than the auto industry.

That is exactly what I'm thinking....... Can't imagine the census going down ever, especially in this downward spiral the economy seems to be taking.

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