[Joanne1033]

I think you will do great. I started on a telemetry unit as a new grad...with 3 other new grads starting at the same time......we are now just into month 5 and all doing well. So, i am sure your experience will be more helpful than you are giving it credit. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the change.

[ohiorn_78]

I wouldn't take that workload if you want to provide appropriate and safe patient care. I work on a cardiac step-down unit right now that staffs 1:4 most of the time and that is a bit much the majority of the time. A good nurse to patient ratio would be 1:3, in my opinion.

Our unit takes patients with drips and also pre and post-op CABG. Post cath pts. can vagal and go down hill very quickly without warning then your ACLS kicks in. That is way too much when you have other pts. in the same kind of status as that one or worse. Post-op CABG pts. are a tremendous responsibilty and things could go wrong within seconds.

Don't risk your license or your health by taking on too big of a responsibility. Good luck with your decision!!

[Praise,RN]

1:4-5 seems about right depending upon stability of the patient. This can becoming overwheling however at any time....

Remember: know your limitations (protect your license)

Praise, RN,BSN

[cvryder]

We'd all like to have 1:3 but that doesn't work out in the usual realm of things. I've worked on cardiac units with 1:4 all the way to 1:6, which included (but mostly weren't) post-stent and 24-hr post-CABG patients. Depending on the layout of the unit, it can work very well or very poorly. At the moment I'm on a PCU which is supposed to be 1:4 but is usually 1:5, and the drips we have are usually heparin or renal dose dopamine. Cardiac drips go to CCU here, and they don't do many caths because they don't do interventions (which I think is only proper). It can be extremely busy with rapid turnover, which is why I think the ratio is too high.