Originally Posted by trekjudy 
I have read the thread about new grads entering ICU without any med/surg exp. But what about starting out on an ICU step down unit? I was a nursing assistant for 7 years and the last year in ICU as an aide.
I was offered a job in the ICU step down unit and this hospital only allows you to have 2 pts at the most, very rare to have 3 pts.
But I have an interview with another hospital stepdown unit and was told you get 4-5 pts. Is this safe or unheard of? How many pts should a stepdown icu NURSE EXPECT TO GET?
Any thoughts or experiences are welcomed:smilecoffeecup:
I think it depends on the state and the hospital. Step down is also called transitional care or intermediate care. I work on a blended unit in California and we have 3 or 4 patients/RN. If the acuity level is high, then we would have 3 patients. If it is lower, we would take 4 patients. At night time, the nurses take 5 patients. These are considered safe ratios for California. Hope that helps.
new grad starting icu step down unit
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