NYC- common Nurse to patient ratio's

[fawnsternurse]

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I recently spoke with a recruiter in this area and was told that 12 patients to one nurse was a common ratio in the Northern NJ and NYC area. IS this true?

If so this is awful!

And they wonder why the nursing shortage!

Can you someone please address this and tell me this is not so?

(med surg)

I passed this info on to the nurses I work with and they were furious to hear this.

[neeniebean]

I work on a telemetry unit in Nassau cty. On average, i have about 7 patients per night (there's really no difference b/w day/night ratios-depends on the available staffing). On the worst night, i can have 9, on the best night 6. Having 9 on a tele unit is ridiculous and should be illegal, imo.

[Peds4LifeRN]

"That's an interesting--and accurate--observation: A co-worker expressed a similar sentiment, stating that the RN is coordinating the patient's care throughout the hospital and has to know a bit about everyone else's duties, e.g., contact Pharm for a missing med, remind the doc to renew the wrist restraints, inform the respiratory therapist that an ABG is due, let the unit clerk know that the new arrival hasn't been entered on the computer, and--my personal favorite--reminding the MD and Anesthesiologist that surgery is scheduled for 6 a.m., but there is NO consent-to-surgery in the chart. I am fortunate that the colleagues in my workplace are terrific people and coordinating these things is not (too) much of a burden, but I've heard horror stories of places where the other Depts get nasty when you're just doing what you're supposed to do by alerting them to outstanding items....."

I work in Long Beach, Ca as a pediatric nurse. Our nurse to patient ratio is 1:4... I find myself doing all of these activities at work every single day!! I'm planning on moving to NYC soon... Eeek. Sounds kind of stressful with 12 patients. Is there any regulation on peds ratios?