[Jaaaman]

Hello. I am a new member to this board. I've been working in a rehab hospital for the last 4 months. I've become a little discouraged with the nurse to patient ratio (some nights it has been 15:1). I don't feel like adequate assessments and nursing care can be done with nurse to patient ratio's like this. I'm thinking about going back to the general hospital I worked at before this. I'm just wondering if this is the norm for rehab nursing? p.s. I am a fairly new LVN (graduated last December) Its possible I'm still trying to find my niche.

[Allison S.]

I work in pediatric rehab in Massachusetts. Our ratio is 4-5 patients per nurse during the day and 7-8 at night. Our acuity is relatively high for a rehab because of our location. At our adult facility, I think the ratios are worse. I can't imagine doing what you are doing.

[Jaydenc]

Our unit currently staffs 3 LVN's to 18 patients with 4 CNA's and an RN charge nurse. Though our acuity sometimes exhibits ICU acuity. Nursing is becoming more difficult throughout the years. Good luck.

[CashewLPN]

hmm.... depending on the facility, your acuity, and about 17000 other factors...
sometimes ratios in rehab are horrible, as our patients are considered 'sub-acute' in the realm of categories.... wheras we all know, a 'sub acute' can go 'critical' in a matter of instants...
best of luck...
--Cashew

[redshiloh]

What type of rehab medicine? I work spinal cord injury and our ratios on days and eves are 3-4 to one and on nights 6-7 to one. Rehab medicine is a line of work that's tough on the body.

[Chaya]

On my cardiopulmonary unit the ratio is about 6 pts per nurse days, 8-9 on eves and about twice that on nights.

[kae rn]

Where I work I am responsible for 6-7 patients during the day with the help of a LPN or aide. At night it is somewhere around 4 and covering a LPN caring for 5. Not bad, the acuity is high at times.

[yeyirn]

Hi! Our lone PediaCare Nurse is resigning from her present post this month, together with the 2 other nurses, I am tasked to replace her....

Honestly, I'm a bit hesitant to accept it because of the idea of doing all things all over again....since I'm a pediatric ICU nurse for the past three years of stay in this institution, plus another three years of stay in the ward.. But to spare myself from the 'burned out' ambiance in the ICU., I accepted the new assignment.

Sigh!!!I'd like to go to other country, I have pending applications to both the UK and US......but until now I'm still waiting....

Thanks for reading my notes...

yeyirn

[nlhrn]

I have been a Rehab RN since Jan. 1990 and the ratios have really changed. it used to be no more then 10:1 on nights and 5:1 on days now it is 7:1 on days and up to 15:1 on nights. And this is all primary nursing,not team. We have 2 assistants at nite when we are lucky. And as we all know the acuity has changed for the worse,,it is rare to even get a true "rehab" patient now a days!!

Even with all this said,,I wouldn't do med-surg (floor) nursing for anything!!! They may have less patients but they have it much,much worse then us,,in our facility anyway!! Best of luck in whatever you do!!!

[mom and nurse]

NLHRN I'm curious that you said "Even with all this said,,I wouldn't do med-surg (floor) nursing for anything!!! They may have less patients but they have it much,much worse then us,,in our facility anyway!! "
__________________

NLHRN (or any other rehab folks) - I'm a senior nursing student about to do my senior practicum at a Rehab facility (brain, spinal cord, etc). I loved the tour they gave me of the place. Doesn't rehab nursing involve a lot of med surg? The nurses in rehab seemed happier than the ones I remember on the med surg floor of the hospital that I did my clinicals at. Why are those of you who are rehab nurses doing rehab instead of med surg? Those of you who have done both....what's the difference between the two?