pt/nurse ratio

Unfortunately, yes, this can be the norm; and even worse.

A ratio of 1 nurse to 30 patients is very normal in LTC, and very manageable if you manage your time extremely well. Remember that you'll be dealing with stable geriatric patients who have predictable outcomes. These people do not require daily, time-consuming assessments. You are basically giving oral meds, injections, fingersticks, pain patches, breathing treatments, wound dressings, topical creams, and a few other simple skills.

Some LTC nurses are legally responsible for anywhere from 40 to 85 patients. Therefore, having only 30 patients seems like a really decent deal to me. However, you cannot expect to provide hospital-style nursing to these patients, because you will not have the time or resources. This is the reality of LTC. Good luck!