Nurse Patient Ratio

Nurses Safety

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  1. WHAT IS THE NURSE PATIENT RATIO ON A MEDICALL UNIT

    • 0
      5 OR LESS
    • 1
      6 OR LESS
    • 1
      7 OR LESS
    • 0
      8 OR MORE

2 members have participated

I AM A NEW GRADUATE RN WITH GREAT CONCERN ABOUT THE NURSE PATIENT RATIO AT THE FACILITY WHERE I AM EMPLOYED. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS THE AVERAGE NURSE PATIENT RATIO FOR A MEDICAL UNIT.

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

For WHICH medical unit?

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Most places I've worked in my 8 years as a nurse involved on medical-surgical units... the ratio is usually 1:6.

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Medical floor 9 on 3-11, maybe 10 or 11 or more on nights.

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7-3, 3-11, and 11-7 shifts... as well as the 12 hour day and night shifts... the ratio is 1:6 where I've experienced nursing on med-surg units... that's anywhere from CA to WA state to Louisiana.

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.

Hi

I work a med/surg/oncology unit. I work the night shift,8 hrs.

On nights, we have 1:6-7.

Days and PM's is 1:5-6.

This was good until about 2 months ago, when it seems like our accuity has gotten higher. The last 3-4 weeks, have been murder!! Tonight, I have 6 patients, each and every one is a complete care patient.

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I know you are not talking about LTC setting but FYI the ratio is more like 28-1 nurses (RN or LPN), with the CNA ratio being 10-13 to 1.

deb

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I never saw the poll, but my vote wasn't counted. Where I work the medical floor has 9 patients on evenings and 10 or 11 or more on nights.

Did someone not like that figure?

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Specializes in Hospice, Critical Care.

My hospital's ratio on the medical surgical floors is 1:6 on daylight although it could go as high as 1:8. After 11PM it is 1:9.

Oddly enough our Telemetry ratio is the same as our med-surg -- 1:6 except it doesn't drop at night. Seems wrong to me. These nurses are running cardioactive and vasoactive drips, must be ACLS trained and have taken a critical care course yet their ratio is no different than a medical surgical floor.

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Medical floor on 3-11 is 9, the surgical floor is 7, ortho-neuro is 8, on tele I have had 6, though if there wasn't enough staff, I suppose it could go higher. They will float anyone to the tele floor, even agency LPN's as well as RN's, and they are not required to have ACLS or critical care class which I think is unsafe.

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.

Hi

I work a Med/Surg/Onc. unit . We have 34 beds.

I work night shift. We are 1 RN:7 patients maximum (tho, usually less).

Days & PM's 1RN: maximum 6pts.

We usually have 2 CNA's at night and 3 on Day shift.

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:nurse: i work in LTC i have 50 patients to 1 nurse.............so unfair.
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