STAFFING LEVELS ON AN ACUTE MENTAL HEALTH IN PATIENT UNIT

[BABS]

My facility has a total of seven in-patient psychiatric units ( 3 twenty bed adult units, 2 eighteen bed adult units, 1 eighteen bed geriatric unit and 1 sixteen bed adolescent unit ).I am interested in how similar facilities determine safe staffing levels. Also any info on staffing patterns that are currently in use and working well would be helpful. Hope someone can help!!!!

[dkain167]

I will soon be managing a 25 be adult psych unit and 20 bed Dual Diagnosis Unit. - My current pattern calls for a 1:4 ratio- I keep 2 nurses on at all times.-Of coorifice -acuity -plays a large part of staffing- Suicide specials 1:1's - We also send people to court for our comittment hearings. I try to keep a good male/female mix (but sometimes that's difficult. we do have security 24hrs/day.

[dmnurss]

Originally posted by BABS:

My facility has a total of seven in-patient psychiatric units ( 3 twenty bed adult units, 2 eighteen bed adult units, 1 eighteen bed geriatric unit and 1 sixteen bed adolescent unit ).I am interested in how similar facilities determine safe staffing levels. Also any info on staffing patterns that are currently in use and working well would be helpful. Hope someone can help!!!!

In psych it is hard to determine a ratio that is comparable because of the various roles that nurses have on different units. We have one nurse to 15-20 patients, but basically the nurses do meds and Dr. orders - there are mental health workers who work directly with the patients doing groups etc. What are your roles like - and what ancillary staff do you have?