[JustaPatient]

at the hospital i am a patient it depends on the ward.

most i am not sure because i have never asked

a couple of weeks ago i had some plastic bone put in my face and (for reasons i am not sure of) was put on the transplant ward. kids waiting for transplants and post transplant. the ratio in the day was 2 patients to 1 nurse. unless one was oreienting then it was 2:2. at night it was between 4-6 patients to one nurse. unless you get the nursing super (which i did one night) and then it is still 2:1.

By the way this is a pediatric hospital

[SoCalif1979]

When I work on hospital floors the ratio cant get up to 6 patients to 1 nurse even is sub acute and med-surg units! I work registry, so the "problem and High maintenance" patients often all get sent to the registry nurse at the same time. This increases the load of the registry nurse and decreases time spent with the patient who really needs it.

When I work long term rehab, psych, and skilled nursing facilities, the ratio can easily be 40 patients to one nurse. The average is around 30 to 1. I refuse to work at facilities with a 40 to 1 ratio, the high ratios are scary enough. Tube feedings, Narcotics and Cardiac meds cannot be given within the scheduled times, special needs often are overlooked or short cuts are necessary and sad. I've stayed to complete the job right, and the facility will refuse to pay me. I just refuse to return to those facilities. The sad thing is that these facilities burn through staff and only the ones who don't care about the patients stay.

[SoCalif1979]

The average ratio for a registry nurse on hospital floors of 6 patients to 1 nurse in during the day shift. Staff nurses will often have half of that depending on the census. Advice: never be a demanding patient - the facility will you give the short end of the stick in a way that will make it difficult for you prove or take litigary action.

Skilled nursing facilities make promises to families who expect individual and specialized care. Again with 30:1 patient/nurse ratio and 10:3 patient to aide ratio this isn't going to happen. Even at the higher end facilities. Being a conscientious nurse is very challenging. I like to feel good about a day's work so I'm very cautious about where I work.

[SoCalif1979]

Originally Posted by hlfpnt

Most days I feel like I'm nursing the tasks & not the pts.

In skilled nursing rehab, psych, and long term rehab with a 30:1 patient to nurse ratio, on an eight hour shift, the average time spent with each patient during a shift is about 20 to 25 min. This is decreased if there is an admission or an incident like a fall or other injury or emergency illness occurs. This is a generous estimate not including time taken for documentation, reports, and charting (again with a smooth shift meaning no incidents or admissions). Each patient probably gets about 15 minutes.

I hate being rushed with patient care.

[SoCalif1979]

Originally Posted by luvmy2angels

55 bed unit, upon hire I was told there were 5 nurses per station (2 stations, meaning 10 nurses), which would be about 5 patients per nurse. In reality there were only 2 nurses per station so about 13-15 patients per nurse. THis was in an acute care setting so to me the nurse to patient ratio sucked!! I didn't stay at this place very long!!

GOOD FOR YOU! The more nurses that put up with dangerous understaffing the less likely the facilities are to correct this problem! I refuse to be put in dangerous situations like that. Nobody is going to look after your license but you! When something goes terribly wrong at facilities like these it all comes down on the nurse. I've seen that happen to a colleague.

[luvpeplrn]

I work on a 24 bed Med-Surge Floor. The nurse to patient ratio is 1:8 (at the most) for me anyway, I refuse to take anymore than that. Sometimes we get a med nurse if the acuity is high, and we always get an Aide, but most of the time it is an RN and an Aide for 1/2 the floor. I think that this is too much to expect, but there are not a lot of options for work where I live.

[SoCalif1979]

I just worked at a wonderful facility tonight! It was skilled nursing and long term care. The cleanest place I have ever been to! The patient to nurse ratio was 12:1. The patients were happy and pleasant because the nurses had time to give them. I actually felt like I was nursing the patients and not the tasks. In facilities where the ratio is outrageous, the patients are alway angry feel neglected, the nurse just doesn't have a chance before he/she walks through the door. You can really see a positive difference when the ratios are lower. Can't these facilities see that happy positive patients are more prone to healing than pist off angry ones who lose hope?

[TRUENURSE84]

i work in 27 beded ward (med -surg) our ratio is 6-5:1 depending on the census some time we can get 2-3pt to 1nurse

[NurseConnieLPN]

What type of facility do you work at? a Long term Care facility
How many beds? 82
How many nurses per bed?
How many nurses per patient/resident? when full? about 37 to 42.. we're talking MED nurses..
How many aides per bed?
How many aides per patient/resident? about 14.5
Are you satisfied with staffing levels at your facility?NOOOOOO
If not, do you think this impacts patient/resident health? not enough time with the patients and work loads can be AWFUL
How much time do you estimate you actually spend directly with each of your patients/residents per shift? about 5 min.. SOMEtimes 10

[southerngirl67]

At our hospital, it is 1:5-6 usually with 1-2 cna's and one unit secretary 7-3
with 1 cna and a secretary 3-11. 11-7 has 1 cna. The same number of nurses with each shift