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Oncology Patient Ratios



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Oct 02, 2008 03:41 AM

Oncology Patient Ratios


Hi all,

I have looked at many posts on the site with this subject and cannot find a specific answer. So here is my question...
I work in an acute care inpatient hospital. I am a night shift nurse in the Oncology unit. I am trying to compare my unit with other units with the same patient population. We do not have BMT but we do hang chemo on both days and nights.

Our staffing has been recently changed and not necessarily for the better of the patients. Also does anyone have articles about oncology staffing specifically? According to our p & p we are to be staffed based on acuity but all I ever hear about is the number of patients.

OK so here is the specific criteria I am trying to get answered.
Inpatient only, oncology with non tele med surg overflow, no bone marrow transplant, chemo is hung, we also have day stay patients for chemotherapy treatment as well.

Anyone with that same criteria please share your staffing guidelines so that we can continue to provide excellent care to our beloved patients.
Thank you.


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22 Comments
No. 1
Old Oct 02, 2008, 01:46 PM

Default Re: Oncology Patient Ratios
I'm on a BMT floor, and we have 1:2 nurse patient ratio, plus a charge nurse who doesn't take an assignment, and generally 1-2 aids.

From what I hear, the other oncology floors are generally 1:4 patients. This is on nights.
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No. 2
from skygirlhil
Old Oct 03, 2008, 12:17 AM

Default Re: Oncology Patient Ratios
Blondy,

May I ask where you work? Or in what state? Thanks!
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No. 3
Old Oct 03, 2008, 05:15 PM

Default Re: Oncology Patient Ratios
ONS (Oncology Nursing Society) does have guidelines you may want to check.
ons.org
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No. 4
from rissa2007
Old Oct 04, 2008, 01:23 AM

Default Re: Oncology Patient Ratios
i work on the same type of floor (oncology with nontele med srug overflow). we have 2 nurses one cna and our assignment ranges from 6-9 patients
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No. 5
from iluvivt
Old Oct 04, 2008, 03:24 AM

Default Re: Oncology Patient Ratios
Another reason other states should follow California lead and mandate safe staffing ratios. Here in California it was getting horrid before the safe staffing ratios law and nurses were leaving the hospital settings in droves b/c the workload was oppressive and unsafe and nurses here were really at the end of their collective ropes.
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No. 6
Old Nov 12, 2008, 02:50 PM

Default Re: Oncology Patient Ratios
I used to work on an Oncology floor in NC. It was.. no tele, no BMT. And each nurse had 6-7 patients days OR nights. CNA's had approx. 12 patients each. But then we had a "chemo nurse" who's job for the shift was to give everyone's chemo.
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No. 7
from debbieGa
Old Nov 12, 2008, 02:55 PM

Default Re: Oncology Patient Ratios
I work on a Peds Heme/Onc floor in Florida. We staff 4 to 1 unless we have chemo and higher accuity pts then it is 3 to 1. We also have a BMTU and that is staffed 2 to 1.
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No. 8
from cafecreme
Old Dec 04, 2008, 10:26 PM

Default Re: Oncology Patient Ratios
I don't understand how you could get your paperwork done or computer charting done, let alone give decent or even barely acceptable nursing care for 6 patients.
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No. 9
Old Dec 05, 2008, 06:06 AM

Default Re: Oncology Patient Ratios
It's 6-8 patients where I work, days or nights. It's too many patients.
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