Number of patients you care for?

[winter_green]

Being an RN in CA, we are fortunate we have nurse-patient ratios. I wonder how other RNs in other states handle their patient load, and what number patients they have to care for? Any one care to share what unit you work for and the average number of patients you are assigned to care for a shift??

[Flo., BSN, RN]

I work ortho. We have a RN to pt ratio of 5:1. On an average shift I have 3 admits and discharges. So usually a total of 8 pts a shift. Some days more, some less.

I think 4:1 would be ideal for my floor. It is just down right dangerous to have 5 fresh post ops. The pts do not receive a level of care that I feel is safe. Management says that we would not be profitable if they staffed us 4:1. To make matters worse the CNAs are 15:1.

You just have to prioritize and then repriortize and realize that it will not kill a pt not to get a bed bath or linen changes today.

[Double-Helix, BSN, RN]

PICU- 1:2 is standard. 1:3 if it's really busy or if the kids aren't as sick.

[honeykrown, MSN, NP]

Medsurg: 7 max with no admit. Most nights i get 4-5

[Sun0408, ASN, RN]

ICU max of 2.. When I was on a regular floor our max was 7. The shift didn't matter, the max was still the same.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

Depends on the hospital. I worked as an aide/tech at two different hospitals...one was an internal med/telemetry floor and the ratio was 1:8 Another was med-surg (renal/plastics) and the ratio was 1:5-6. As an RN I work on a progressive care unit and the ratio is 1:4, sometimes 5 if we are short-staffed.

[nurse_autumn]

I have 24. LTC :)

[prettyinblu]

I work in a rehab hospital and as an LPN the normal use to be 1:6 with room for admissions and it was the same for RNs but within the past 2years they don't allow LPNs to do admissions so now LPNs 1:7(mostly 8 max) and RNs 1:6(short staffed 7) it was much better for RNs and LPNs when we were staffed better. There has been an increase in med errors and alot of nurses gave notice because its becoming worse.

[soapaddictOH]

When I work in ER 3-4 and sometimes 1-2 hallway patients. When I work in SICU 1-2.

[JDZ344]

Depends on the type of ward, anything from 1:1 to 1:14.

[maelstrom143]

In GA, I worked at an awesome hospital, used to be 1:5 in PCU, 1:6 in M/S, w/float to the ER 1:5 (I really loved that ER!).

Now in FL, I cover PCU 1:5 (1:4 if acuity is higher and patients on drips), M/S 1:6 (1:7 if shortstaffed) I had 1:8 on M/S ID last year, but that was due to sick nurse, no shows, bad start to the shift. It worked out, but very, very busy.

[cometnurse]

Oncology floor. RN ratio 1:3 on day and eves, 1:4-5 on nights. Sometimes less depending on the acuity of the patient. We use the acuity classification system to determine staffing needs.