What is the maximum number of patients per nurse?

[Info(RN)matics]

Worst Case Scenario:

1. What is the maximum number of patients per nurse on your Medical/Surgical floor?
   
2. Which shift?
   
3. Which state?
   
4. How often do you find yourself in such a situation?
   

Background:

When our nurses explained to our DON that it was not only unrealistic, but also unsafe for one nurse to take care of 12+ patients with minimal help on the night shift, he said that we were much better off than many other hospitals. Is that true?

[Aleksandarcox]

So to be clear. Our ratio at day is 20:1 and at night 30:1.

And we do everything. Change diapers, sheets, pajamas, wash patients, transfer patients, manually (by hand) transfer patients from one bed to another, which is very hard. We prepare and give I.V. I.M. per os therapy, and all other things from care to therapy. And we do all hard physical work too.

[HyperSaurus, RN, BSN]

On night shift, we could either take up to 13 (rare, 10 was typically the max) as part of an RN + LPN team, or up to 6 (also rare, but becoming increasingly common, with the 6th being an admit sometime overnight) as primary RN. We don't have any aides. I was from a ?36? bed medical/oncology with tele unit.

On days, they would have up to 7 (rarely 8) with an RN + LPN team, or up to 4 as primary RN. Still no aides.

I moved to NICU, with a max of 5 very stable infants with RN + LPN team, or max of 3 as primary RN, assuming acuity allowed for it.

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

I work in Neurology. 3 of us work on 60 patients at day and two at night. Some 30 of those 60 are really bad and in most cases had bad strokes and can't move. I work in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We work 12 hours shifts.

12/24;12/48.

How are ratios for other departments, like ICU?

[Aleksandarcox]

ICU is one of the best departments to work in my surrounding. Ratio is 1:5-7.

[ICULINDA]

ICU ratio 1:2 or 1:1.

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[Aleksandarcox]

I know that's how it should be, but that's situation in my country.

[ICULINDA]

ICU is one of the best departments to work in my surrounding. Ratio is 1:5-7.

Wow, that ratio for ICU seems dangerous and overwhelming. How do you do it?

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[Aleksandarcox]

Well, it will be all clear to you if I say that that is one of the easiest departments for work. Compared to others where are immobile patients like Neurology, Traumatology, Oncology. In Traumatology ratio is 10:1 at day, and 15:1 at night. And all patients are immobile. I hope I made it clear. :)

We simply are 300% efficient. You just run, run, and run... that's how we do it. It is very, very hard and when I get home I'm dead... I just go to bed and sleep.

I'm in Neurology btw. If I was in ICU It would be much easier for me. Much smaller place, with more workers and less patients.

[Aleksandarcox]

This is how our hospitals look like

[MECO28, BSN, RN]

I will never complain about staffing again ever. 20 patients!!!!???!!! How often are you expected to check on them?

[Penelope_Pitstop, BSN, RN]

If I was in ICU It would be much easier for me. Much smaller place, with more workers and less patients.

But aren't those patients much sicker? And probably immobile as well?

[Aleksandarcox]

@MECO28

You are expected to always be somewhere around them.