Attention all 50 states: what is your nursing ratio? please post!

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I am in California where there are slim to none in nursing jobs for new grads. I am highly considering leaving the state but am scared to venture out of California's nice nursing rations. What is the nursing ratio in your state??

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Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.

I'm an oncology nurse (Portland Oregon) and the nursing ratio for my unit is 4 patients to one nurse, very rarely does it exceed 4 patients. However this does not include the fact that I may have to chart on 7 during my shift: example, 2 discharges and one admit.

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Specializes in EMS, ER, GI, PCU/Telemetry.

i'm in south florida on PCU/telemetry.

days is 7-1, nights is 9-1.

bad.

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Specializes in CCU, ICU, ED, Home Health.

It can vary from hospital to hospital but in my ED day shift ratios are 1-3 if you have a trauma room and 1-5 for the rest of the ED including fast track in after 11p it goes to 1-5, then 1-7 after 3a. Hopefully things slow down after 3a so not all the beds are full, but we often have patients we are holding either because there are not enough beds in the hospital or they will increase the nurse-patient ratios in the ED so that the floors will not have to increase their ratios if they are short a nurse. Then if we have a nurse call out and can't cover the shift our ratios will increase for hte duration of the uncovered shift.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Oncology, Medsurge.
i'm in south florida on PCU/telemetry.

days is 7-1, nights is 9-1.

bad.

OMG!!!! I did Telemetry with 4-5 patients at most, this is insanity!!!!!

Whatever you do, plan on not having a heart attack when visiting the Keys!

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I am in a Pediatric ED...the ration ranges from 1:3-1:10 in the rapid treatment area.

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Rural comprehensive med-surg that treats everything from peds to vents, telemetry and geriatrics. In Ohio, days 5-7:1.

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I'm in southwestern PA, on a post-surgical/telemetry unit and our daylight and evening ratio is 5:1 (not counting admissions and discharges). I work nights only and our ratio is 7:1. It's very unsafe. Our unit manager has changed the ratio's twice in the past 7-8 months and "claims" that she cannot change them back due to the budget. Yet most of the full-time nurses get about 10 hours of overtime a week because we just run like crazy during our shifts and don't even get to sit down to chart until the 8 hour shift is over and we've given report to the next shift.

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Specializes in LTC, Subacute Rehab.

California - I know acute care is what, 1:5 medsurg, 1:4 tele, 1:2 ICU? I'm in short-term rehab, and on a full census, we're 1:12 (but again, not acute). I've been the only nurse for 14 patients on low census before (and had 2 discharges and 2 admits!).

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Specializes in Plastic surgery and Med/surg.

Texas.....Days is 4-5:1 and nights used to be as many as 7:1, but they have taken some of the rooms to make surgical rooms, so now nights is 5:1 and no tech. Day shift gets a tech, but they leave at 3:00pm. This is a post-op surgical floor with some mix of medical at times.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.

I am in Michigan. Detroit area. I work ICU so the ratio is 1:1 or 1:2 depending on how sick the patient is.

I am not sure about the med surg ratio at my current hospital.

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Specializes in ICU, M/S,Nurse Supervisor, CNS.

I'm in Virginia and I work in ICU where the ratio is 2:1 (or 3:1 when we're short-staffed)unless the patient is really critical, then it becomes 1:1. When I worked med-surg, the ratio at the hospitals where I worked were 6-7:1 on days and evenings, and 7-9:1 (sometimes 10) on night shift. The stepdown units are 4:1 at all times unless of course they are short-staffed and unable to cover the hole.

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