A safe nurse to pt ratio?

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I'm currently working MedSurg and have interviewed for a psych RN position in Florida. I would like to ask what is a normal or safe nurse to patient ratio for psychiatric nursing?

Specializes in Behavioral Health.

I work at a UHS facility on a 35 bed adult unit. Usually there are two nurses for 35 patients--3 nurses per 35 patients on a good day when staffing doesn't suck.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
okay, well then let's use the word "average"...if anyone reading this is a psych RN, how many patients do you have a day, on average?

I average 4-5 patients. But I am also in California where there are mandated staffing ratios. When I didn't work in California, I would have 8-16 patients.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
There's no single, arbitrary "safe" ratio. Like nearly every other kind of nursing, the "safety" of an assignment/ratio depends on many variables -- the acuity of the clients, the skill and expertise of the staff members, the physical environment, etc., etc., etc.

True that.

And that definitely can be said for any specialty, actually. Not just psych.

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My old unit was 1 nurse 8 patients, 31 beds, 3 to 4 nurse's on, 3 techs/1 additional if acute, and 1 PCT.

Current unit 2 to 3 nurse's ration varies on how many patients have. Max number is 20 so 3 nurse's on 1 take 7 1 take 7 1 take 6. Then 2 techs and 1 PCT.

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