[skyblue5454]

Originally Posted by fedupnurse

For those of you who do work in units that use acuity, how do you measure the acuity factor? Is it strictly by nuring judgement or is there an "objective" system you use??

As an RN on on a 28 bed medical telemetry unit we are in the process of developing an objective acuity assessment tool. To be honest I'm not sure that is really what nurses want. By implementing an acuity tool to determine staffing one nurse might have 4 patients while another nurse might have 6 patients depending on the level of acuity.

[phyrenrain]

We have a "grid." Not many are happy with it, and it's not always followed. More often than not the already-strapped staffing grid is reduced....

[lady_jezebel]

Med-surg ortho floor with medicine overflow: never more than 4 patients on day shift. If acuity is high, only 3 patients. If very, very challenging, charge nurse also helps.

[skyblue5454]

Originally Posted by skyblue5454

As an RN on on a 28 bed medical telemetry unit we are in the process of developing an objective acuity assessment tool. To be honest I'm not sure that is really what nurses want. By implementing an acuity tool to determine staffing one nurse might have 4 patients while another nurse might have 6 patients depending on the level of acuity.

addendum:03/16/04
I have spent many hours scanning the internet trying to find an example of an acuity assessment tool. I have found many refeferences to such but not seen the actual thing. California and New York who have mandated nurse/pt ratios should have some sort of tool since it is mentioned in both states laws pertaining to staffing.How about it California and NY nurses?

[cat2953]

I work 2300 to 0730 nurse/patient ratio averages 9 to 1 and this is in the Mid West if any body is interested.

Cat:hatparty:

[rck213]

There are no mandated ratios for NY except for critical care

If there were I would still be working in a hospital

[AlexanderRN]

Originally Posted by lakelady45

I had the question of what the state regs. are for aides to patient ratio and no one either knows or hasn't answered me yet. I am a CNA at a Mo. veterans home and 99% of the time we are trying to care for 12 to13 residents who are all on the total care unit, plus trying to do 5to6 baths on our side of the hall. Can someone please find out what the ratio is suppose to be acording to state and let me know? Thank-You

I am a RN at hospital in NC. Our CNA take half of the 33 beds up to the whole 33 beds. I feel sorry for them, we are understaffed as well, but we try to help each other out.

[Mary Austin]

Originally Posted by phyrenrain

We have a "grid." Not many are happy with it, and it's not always followed. More often than not the already-strapped staffing grid is reduced....

Ah yes, the GRID system....it never accounts for the involved care we give patients. It is a body count, ratio of patients to nurse. We are always short staffed on day shift and afternoon shift. (ORTHO unit) On Night shift we each get 7 patients and work like crazy without a CNA. It doesn't take into account the obese, nasty, demanding and confused patients. Once I had 7 and a total knee patient got out of bed in the dark, fell and broke the hip and the femur with a spiral fracture around the prosthetic knee. It was awful. The problem? Short staffed according to the grid. Of course the hospital ended up paying for her next surgery and SNF stay afterwards. She was not confused but was "dreaming the place was on fire!" The family intended to sue.

When the amount of money shelled out for lawsuits outweigh the profits then and only then will we see improved staffing on hospital units. It always boils down to profit.

[RN-PA]

Our hospital is in the process of considering going for Magnet status. The amount of money I've heard that goes into applying for and attaning that status could be used to make our working conditions better and lowering the nurse-to-patient ratio.

Fortunately, I'm on a hospital-wide Retention/Recruitment committee, and I plan to make a stink about it at our next meeting in August.

[ann5366]

Originally Posted by VIRGO NURSE

I am a LPN and I work in LTC. I have 40-42 residents to take care with g-tubes, foleys, IV's and major wounds. There has been times I Have had 1 cna!!!!!!!!
So the two of us are turning and positioning, changing bed linens and answering call bells. This is outrageous!
I've lost more good cna's becuase of this.
There should be a ratio of nurses to patients. Not only for my liscense but for the care and well being of the ill.

I too work in LTC in Va and we carry 30 patients with 10 of them being skilled, usually we have 4 CNA's, but alot of these LTC residents are total care. I think it's borderline dangerous because call lights cannot always be answered in a timely manner.