Nursing Nightmare - Whats's the most number of patients you cared for by yourself?

Med-surg - 8, with 2 crashing. Ugh...I will NOT go back to that.

Mother/baby - 11 (5 moms, 6 babies - one set of 36wk twins)

The charge nurse in the newborn nursery is responsible for giving report on all the newborns in-house, though we may not ever see the baby. However, we're responsible for catching and following up w/ any problems that arise (the couplet nurse lets us know). The most babies I've ever given report on was 52. THAT was a bad, bad night.

60 in LTC. Keep in mind there are 8 tube feeders, 16 fingersticks at 4&9 pm plus coverage--3 out of 16 get 70/30 at 4 pm plus regular coverage and 11 out of 16 get Lantus at HS plus regular coverage. All kinds of meds. No treatments but you still have to chart, talk to MDs, write up labs & new orders, admissions, hang the tubes, talk to families and deal with all the usual crap that happens. You know..the wandering patients and families that dont understand how you don't stay in the patients room for more than 5 minutes because theres 59 others to take care of. And on Subacute Rehab in the LTC I had 30 BY MYSELF. Keep in mind..ALL treatments (hip replacement dsg changes or new amputees), ALL meds, assessments on all patients, MD phone calls, charting, I&Os, IV therapy & piggyback ABT. Usually 6 diabetics. EVERYONE NEEDS PAIN MEDICINE. And the terrible thing about this place.. the people actually need to be educated. I mean Im not saying you don't educate all patients, but most of these people are going home and they want to know why they are getting certain things and if it will be something they will take at home. You have to spend time with these people and give emotional support as needed. After a shift with 30 patients like that, I feel liek I got beat over the head with a sledgehammer followed by being hit head on by an 18 wheeler. Can't wait to finish school so I can go into the hospital and get away from this 60 patient thing.