staffing on nights

On our 60 bed unit with 2 Rn's, 1-LPN and 3-4 CNA's, The Rn's and LPN do paper work, makes out assignments, assists with care, (ie) pulling residents up in bed, turning, and code browns, give PRN meds and a PRN nebulizer tx here and there until medication time at 0500. We have 2 G-tubes also, a few straight catheterizations for PVR's a couple of tx's that are done when we give the residents their meds. Nothing major, just ointment applications. Some times we work with 1 Rn and an LPN until 0600 when another licensed person comes in to assist with meds. If that person doesn't come in, then we split that extra med cart have a cart and a half to do. Having three licensed on for the entire shift really helps in emergency situations. Our nurse practicioner comes in at 0600 and she is a God send, Too bad she's leaving next week. It's pretty much low keyed though, but other nights it seems like you never stop. And when an emergency occurs, it throws you all off so that you're behind with everything and then have to stay over to finish up. We usually get OT when it happens. As far as the supervisor, he/she does the staffing, makes rounds and collects the 24 hour report from each unit, assists in emergencies, gives inservices, checks narcotics once a week on each unit with a licensed and makes rounds with the DON once a month.

Actually I was there for two night shifts.... not to "judge" but to get the information I need to make a wise decision. How else am I to know what goes on? Geez! Folks complain that a DON "doesn't know what it's like" and then when she tries to find out, that's not welcome either! I am sincerely trying to find out, by going into work during the night and asking here how it is at your facilities! Don't shoot me for that! Oh, and actually, one of the nights I went in I was helping to do the recaps for the next month's orders.

How many licensed nurses on nights for how many beds? Do you have a supervisor as well? Thanks!

The reason I ask is that we have 90 beds, usually a census of 80, and I have two charge nurses, one supervisor and five nursing assistants. I am trying to cut back to two charge nurses, no supervisor, and am getting a lot of resistance. Our facility is very low key, a couple G tubes, nothing else complicated. They have no treatments and do no resident care, other than checking if an alarm goes off or helping turn residents. I came in on 2 11-7 shifts and saw very little action.

Hi,

I'm still in school taking pre-requisites to some day become a nurse.

Interesting to read how many nurses are on duty at night. Actually I thought it was mandatory to have a 1:6 nurse to patient ratio at all times. This sounds scary to me. You never know what can or will happen.

Am I wrong in my thinking?

Please let me know.

Thanks,
D

We are a 48 bed hospital based skilled nursing unit. Our night shift staffing is currently 4 nurses (either RN or LPN) and 3 aides. We do two routine med passes (sometimes there's an oddly timed med, too) and treatments. After reading all these responses... I'm thankful for what we have!