[nursecompassion]

At my facility is it one nurse or one aide to 15 residents.
At night for example (we have four halls and one alzheimers unit) there are usually two aides and one nurse for each hall.
Two halls can house up to 24 residents, the alzheimers 16, one hall 42 and one 36. Anyway altoghether it should equal about 142 beds.
Night shift aides usually have 8 r each to bath, dress in am.
Bkfst is served between 7a-730a.
THe aides on 5-1 have up to 8 r. The aides on 6-2 have 6-8 residents. THis all depends on the showers and all. However beds still have to be changed, etc.
At night the shift I work we have three bedchecks, as well as turning r, and anwering call lights (depending if it is a skilled hall you will have more lights), cleaning, laying out linens, clothes, etc.
STart at 4:30 and on our hall night shift work together getting r bathe,dressed, and up. Bathing means full baths, face, hands,back, arms, pericare, etc. Usually ends up with 15min per resident however some take longer or less time.
you have to learn to work fast and be very good at what you do and like it.
Some aides may not like their jobs and don't care thus the r suffers. They may "forget" to do a bedcheck or only give a partial bath, or dress them in non matching outfits.

long anwer hugh? jules

[imagin916]

We do not have a nurse to patient ratio, there are many nights (in the ER) that we have about 10-12, with the average around 8. Acuity is not taken into consideration. I am really scared for my license some nights, and I am really considering leaving. Anyone else in ER have this many patients on a regular basis?

[cheerfuldoer]

Originally posted by zacarias
The ratio is about 4:1 on the Gen Med floor I work on. We do take acuity in mind and sometimes we only have three patients.

Where can I sign up to work at your hospital?

[pie123]

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[Spidey's mom]

We have implemented the CA ratios and we still use acuity.

So, I don't have more than 6 patients. Usually only 3 or 4.

Still have a problem with the break and lunch nurse.

Lots of bugs to work out . . .. . that's the problem with mandation of any kind . . no flexibility.

steph

[rollingstone]

4:1 at University Medical Center in Tucson.

[ernurse2244]

I primarily work ER and it's up to me to call when I need help (solo nurse here). We have 5 beds, I take care of all five, plus triage whoever is in the waiting room based on my own opinion of whether or not the patients are getting good care (5 + patients with common colds, no problem, 2 cardiacs, I need help). I pulled a shift on Med/Surg a couple of nights ago, I had 4 patients, one getting blood, the LPN had 8 patients, we had a CNA to help with vital signs, baths, etc. With the paper work saved for the night RN, I would have liked another nurse...not my choice, though.

[Loribabble]

I work on a small observation unit in a major trauma hospital - we only have 7 beds overnight, 2 RN's and a MA/CNA until 1 am. AND they have to be low accuity....(not total care pts)....aslo we are closed weekends (Sat from 1500) and major holidays. I am sooooo blessed!

[terrina]

4 pts to 1 RN/LPN on med surg floor; 8 pts to 1 RN/CNA on same lfloor days and pms.....and still running from start to shift finish

[fedupnurse]

Busy regional referral center combined ICU/CCU. If we are full, it is not uncommon to have several nurses with 3 patients each. Patient acuity is measured once a day and only up to the # of beds we have. SO when we start full, transfer 10 out and get 10 in, the new hits aren't classified. We had a nurse pulled the other night and the supervisor cited state regs for the unit the nurse was pulled to. Funny how they don't count our acuity!!!! Is there anyone here who thinks a patient with doppler only blood pressures and is on 2 pressors to maintain that low BP is safe to be 1:3?????
NJ's state regs state staffing by acuity for a unit like mine. It further states at least 1:3 with the ability to go to 1:2 or 1:1 based on acuity. Acuity is left up to the individual hospital to define. In my opinion, ratios are not the be all and end all but they are a wonderful place to start. If the ratio is a maximum patient load of 1:2 in ICU then at least that doppler only BP patient has a fighting chance and the other patient in the assignment won't be ignored like the other 2 were that night. By the way, that nurse with that assignment had to transfer one out and got a train wreck in.
Most State Departments of Health have web sites and you can find the regulations for hospitals and nursing homes on them. I am one of sevral people who have routinely contacted the DOH and nothing has been done.
Administrators tend to be penny wise and pound foolish. They don't understand that turnover of staff and increased length of stay are costing them millions!!! Both situations could be greatly improved with better staffing and safe nurse to patient ratios!!