What is your Nurse to Patient Ratio

You are so right. One of our charge nurse assigns new admits simply by number, while another looks at the acuity of the new pt vs. the load the nurse has already. That is the only safe and beneficial way to assign. I always try to schedule with latter charge for obvious reasons

I work on a busy medical ward, specializing in GI/detox. We work as RN/LPN teams. On a good day it is 8:2, and on a regular day it is 10-13:2. I recently finished school in December with a maximum ratio of 4:1, so transitioning straight into this was quite an eye-opener!

I would like to see a report computwe generated that gives you the assessment of the shift goig off on each patient you are assisgned. The off going nurse could add in an area specifically for changes and updates, any calls to MD and new orders. The next entry in assessment ....if nothing changed could have a button so to speak that the nurse could hit and that assessment charted. The program could include a way to make changes in an instant so the next report would reflect that. Programing doe this would save alot of time, improve accuracy and make more to for nurses to be a the pts bedside.. If we are to update healthcare lets make it nore accurate and quicker charting of information and continuing care for each shift. Sorry if I am a little off the tract of the thread but I wanted to state my idea so that maybe IT people would put on their thinking caps in that realm. Thats for (listening) reading this posy.


TuTonka

We have a 5:1 ratio with no techs and no unit clerk.

Are you kidding me 6:1 if you are lucky, 7:1 is our normal. No PCTs or CNAs.

I work nite shift we have 6-8pts some have high acuity they don't look at that. Day shift has 4-6 with 3ptca's and a unit clerk.

We use a nursing acuity index where patients are rated, from 1-5 on their accuity (a typical pt with few or no complications is a 3). On the day shift an RN can take 12 points, RN/LPN team 22, RN/NA team 16, and an RN/LPN/NA team 25. Teams can take a few more points on the night shift.

Officially 7:1 on nocs with an aid for every 11-18 (yes, they staff that tight) patients. Even the Charge may have 7:1, and I have seen 6:1 for 2 nurses with no aid or secretary. This is a CHS facility for anyone who cares.

Ayrman

I'm a CNA, but the nurses on eve/nights I work with have no more than 6. Plus CNA's and unit secretary (nights only one for the whole hospital). It's a Surg/Ortho floor.

I work days and it is 7:1 with the occasional 8:1, with an aide usually paired up with the nurse. Nights are also 7:1 and 8:1. The 'powers that be' are willing to sacrifice care over money. When I was I hired almost a year ago, I was told that the ratio would be 5-6:1.