Info needed on patient:nurse ratios

U.S.A. Missouri

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Specializes in keeping all options open right now..

I have been searching for information regarding patient to nurse ratios in Missouri and have so far haven't found anything. I quickly looked through the MO Board of Nursing website and turned up nothing. There usually are different ratios allowed for acute care facilities (and the individual units) as opposed to long term/skilled nursing facilities (or is it just my wishful thinking?:o) This is a subject that has recently been talked about quite a bit where I work, and no one seems to know exactly what the 'rules' are or even if anything exists formally or not.

Any ideas on where to look, or even if such things exist? Thank you, everyone, in advance!:)

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg.

I've never heard anything about a set nurse:patient ratio in Missouri.

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Specializes in Med-surg, ER, agency, rehab, oc health..

No rules exist in MO reguarding staffing ratios. However standard ratios are 6-8 patients per nurse med surg at nights. And about the same during the day but with a free charge. During rough times or in some situations you may get 10:1. PCU is usually 4:1 but can go 6:1. ICU is 2:1 no cnas though. But I have had assignments through my agency that the hospital gave me 13 patients on a medsurg floor. For LTC there is no staffing requirement except fire code. There needs to be X number of warm bodies in the building in case of fire to move the residents. That can be 1 Nurse, 1 CNA and 1 housekeeper. So your milage may vary.

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Specializes in tele, oncology.

I've had as many as 13 pts working ortho rehab as an agency nurse to as few as 3 working step-down (pulled @ the hospital I now work at).

As far as I'm aware, in MO there are no set max ratios, in hospitals at least.

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Specializes in keeping all options open right now..

Thanks for the replies. It is about what I expected. :scrying: I was hoping there was a limit written down somewhere in really really small print.

The pt:nurse ratio on the unit I currently work on increases daily. (it is up to ten or eleven patients per nurse most shifts.) In addition to the stress levels rising, the age-old catch 22 presents itself. As more patients get added to the assignments, more staff quits or transfers to other units, forcing more patients to be added to the assignments, and so on. Of course, we are being told this is 'temporary' and the already exhausted staff is now being asked to pick up one or two more shifts per week to 'get us through this difficult time'.

As a newer nurse (

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hi mnemonicfanatic

i hope things have gotten better for you regarding the ratios. what area of missouri do you work?

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