Nurse to patient ratio

rnhooch · Jan 23, 2014

1 nurse and 1tech to 5-7 patients. We have unit secretaries on days during the week. Charge takes patients.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 24, 2014

Nurse-patient ratio is 1:6 max. Average census is 15-20, can go up to 24. Usually 1-2 techs for the unit, with additional staffing as needed based on census, acuity and 1:1s. Unit secretary on weekdays. Charge may or may not take patients. If charge isn't taking patients, charge handles all transfers and discharges.

SunnyRose · Jan 25, 2014

Up to 16 acute kid patients (ranging from age 4-17) per nurse. 3 techs for 24 pts. Unit has 30 beds. Sometimes have a dedicated unit secretary, and do our own admissions and discharges.

Admits have so much paperwork and are so time-consuming, and we have 2-4 every day. I end up staying very late to finish paperwork, get orders, and do charting. Wish I had fewer pts, because I love working with the kids, but feel so swamped. Very frustrating for a newbie 3 months on the job.

I only get into the milieu for assessments, meds, and crisis situations. I got into nursing to work in mental health, but I am so stressed and exhausted right now. Hope it gets better as I gain experience because I really do love my job and my coworkers.

Cackalacky · Jan 28, 2014

Wow! I want to work where you guys work! I did about 5 months in psych, 3 months as a tech and 2 as a nurse. I really did enjoy it, but had to let the job go for personal reasons.

I worked night shift on 30 bed units. I was the only nurse and the amount of techs would vary depending on the acuity of the unit. If I needed help, I had to call the nurse from another unit (who also had 30 pts) or the supervising nurse (who was usually trying to handle staffing and other "fires" on other units.) As a new grad, I was terrified, but it definitely didn't scare me from the Psych world. During the day, the children units had two nurses and a lot of units had 2 nurses due to evaluations, doctor's orders and the care patients needed, but not all had 2. I will say though, during the day we were very grateful for the LPN who passed meds around the clock to all 30 patients.

I'm ready to get back in there and do some psych! I will definitely be asking about the ratio thanks to this post! Things you learn as you grow.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 28, 2014

Wow! I want to work where you guys work! I did about 5 months in psych, 3 months as a tech and 2 as a nurse. I really did enjoy it, but had to let the job go for personal reasons.
I worked night shift on 30 bed units. I was the only nurse and the amount of techs would vary depending on the acuity of the unit. If I needed help, I had to call the nurse from another unit (who also had 30 pts) or the supervising nurse (who was usually trying to handle staffing and other "fires" on other units.) As a new grad, I was terrified, but it definitely didn't scare me from the Psych world. During the day, the children units had two nurses and a lot of units had 2 nurses due to evaluations, doctor's orders and the care patients needed, but not all had 2. I will say though, during the day we were very grateful for the LPN who passed meds around the clock to all 30 patients.
I'm ready to get back in there and do some psych! I will definitely be asking about the ratio thanks to this post! Things you learn as you grow.

I can tell by your avatar that you're in SC.

I can't speak for the others, but I'm in CA, the land of nurse-to-patient ratios :) This doesn't mean they can't and won't try to abuse us, but we have a lot more protection on our side.

There are also a lot of unions here...now for these, my jury is still out. I'm not obligated to join the union where I work but I do get protection from them. And from what I've seen of them in action, they appear to have more positives than negatives to them.

Cackalacky · Jan 28, 2014

I'm from SC but currently practicing in a state out west while my husband is in school. I do miss SC... I worked as a secretary at an acute psych facility in SC and I don't remember the ratios being too awful! At least no one openly complained.

Thanks for the information, Meriwhen! If I knew Cali was the land of patient ratios, I would have definitely pushed a little harder for my husband to go to Grad school there! haha

Umberlee · Jan 29, 2014

Two nurses for up to 16 patients, but if a nurse calls off and no one will cover then the nurse will have to run the wing alone. We really need a float person during the day. It's not so unmanageable at night. As it is now, the call-offs are insane. I'm very glad I just work relief. I would never work a regular schedule the way things are now.

At night (when I usually work), we have one security personnel who floats between buildings (there are two buildings set up the same way for a total in-hospital cap of 32 patients) until 3am, sometimes an extra staff til 1am, then after 3 there are just two mental health workers per building. We also have one admissions staff who works through the night. During the day there are a couple more mental health workers because there are more frequently separate milieus, codes, etc. What really sucks is if we need a separate milieu during the night, which seems to happen All. The. Time. We basically have to take shifts watching the person. We have had a spate recently of a lot of manic bipolar 1s who just won't sleep and are setting each other off all night.