Census W curve

Yesterday the ward was full during the morning shift. The ward manager (NO) was in-charge, admin staff was on-duty, I and SN O took the teams near and far from the nursing stations respectively, with SEN S and SEN MY as our respective runners. Thanks to the converted single rooms and 1 adult patient in a double room, I had 8 patients. Unfortunately for SN O, her side was full-house, and even had new admissions taking over the rooms vacated by the discharged cases. This is similar to my previous experience here and here. It was crazy busy for SN O yesterday. As she puts it, "NO as in-charge, SEN MY as runner, I wouldn't want to work with this type of lousy combination next time". At the end of our shift, there were still new paediatric patients awaiting for rooms, so the sister-on-duty spoke with the adult patient and arranged for her to be transferred to another ward. Thereafter, a few of the paediatric patients awaiting for rooms could be transferred over.

There were many discharges yesterday evening and this morning. SSN Y was in-charge, I and SN O took the teams near and far from the nursing stations respectively, and only 1 runner HCA K. When I arrived for duty this afternoon, the total census was 10 patients. My side started with 5 patients. Near the start of the shift, one patient was transferred to SN O's side because of their request for a single room. Towards the end of my shift, there was a new admission on my side. Thus, for most of today, I had only 4 patients, all in stable conditions. SN O started with 5 patients, had 1 transfer case from me, 1 new admissions mid-afternoon, 1 discharge and then near the end of the shift another case transferred from another ward. Thus total census at the end of our shift today was 12. I had time for tea, dinner and even chat with my preceptor SSN Y.

According to my preceptor that's the way the census is for paediatric ward. It can swing suddenly between busy and relaxing and vice-versa. Such an extreme W shaped curve. Hmm, it reminds me of the stock market :-P