Are all ICUs running out of ratio now?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi all.  I was just wanting to get a feel for how other states and hospitals are running their ICUs these days.

I work in a community hospital that is hybrid ICU/PCU.  When I worked in ICU at another hospital a few years ago, the ratio was 2:1 or 1:1.  Period.  Now that I’m in this smaller hospital, we are all over the place.  It’s not uncommon to have 2 ICU plus another PCU or MS.  I had 3 ICU recently.  I know COVID has changed a lot of things, but I HATE life how it is right now at this hospital.  Plus never having a CNA to help most of the time makes it sooo much worse.
 

So tell me.  Is there no longer such a thing as 2:1 or 1:1 assignments?  I know I need to get back to a bigger hospital to have a shot, but I’m just trying to gauge the odds of finding a happy ICU home again that doesn’t make me work myself into an early grave.

 

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Specializes in Dialysis.

The larger hospital ICUs are all over the place as well, just from reading here, other sites, and discussion with others who work in them

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Specializes in PCCN.

Not ICU, but imcu/pcu and we are getting 7 pts a piece days eves and nights

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Specializes in OB-Gyn/Primary Care/Ambulatory Leadership.

Welcome to nursing during a pandemic. We're all in survival mode right now.

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.

In my small ICU out of my last five shifts I had three patients three nights and I'm charge almost every night I work. The other night I was working with a new grad who just hit her six month mark and three travelers. Good luck, hope you can find something better, I'm not sure it's out there right now. 

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Specializes in ER, Pre-Op, PACU.

I don’t work in the ICU but can say the pandemic has changed things drastically in nursing (even if they were already going that way). I know once upon a time we were never allowed to work beyond 16 hours. Now we are working sometimes 24 hour shifts between regular shifts and on call (which isn’t on call anymore but holding admitted patients)….and unfortunately I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

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Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
4 hours ago, speedynurse said:

Now we are working sometimes 24 hour shifts between regular shifts and on call (which isn’t on call anymore but holding admitted patients)….and unfortunately I don’t see that changing anytime soon.

Holy crap that sounds awful! I guess I'll be thankful that my hospital is still sticking to 16 hours max. I was mandated for the full 16 hours last weekend and if I had to work another eight hours on top of it I would have been concerned for the safety of my patients. As it is after 16 hours I'm sometimes concerned for my own safety driving home. That seems incredibly unsafe, I hope that practice is discontinued soon!

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Specializes in ER, Pre-Op, PACU.
51 minutes ago, JBMmom said:

Holy crap that sounds awful! I guess I'll be thankful that my hospital is still sticking to 16 hours max. I was mandated for the full 16 hours last weekend and if I had to work another eight hours on top of it I would have been concerned for the safety of my patients. As it is after 16 hours I'm sometimes concerned for my own safety driving home. That seems incredibly unsafe, I hope that practice is discontinued soon!

My guess is that it can continue because it is called “on call” even though it’s really not on call but staying all night. I keep telling myself it’s still better than the ER ?

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Specializes in Community Health, Med/Surg, ICU Stepdown.
10 hours ago, speedynurse said:

Now we are working sometimes 24 hour shifts between regular shifts and on call

OMG! I didn't know that was legal. How much time off do you get after a 24 hour shift before you have to come back? That sounds so rough. As does getting mandated =/

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Specializes in ER, Pre-Op, PACU.
11 hours ago, LibraNurse27 said:

OMG! I didn't know that was legal. How much time off do you get after a 24 hour shift before you have to come back? That sounds so rough. As does getting mandated =/

My guess is if we go home an hour or two or is it’s called “on call” then it can be seen as “acceptable”. One way or the other though, we are awake for 24 hours ?

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Specializes in retired LTC.

Hey!! Even truck drivers aren't permitted those kind of crazy hours!

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