Hi everyone! I come from California where we have a maximum number of 5 patients for every RN. Can a Montana nurse please tell me what your average patient load is? I don't think Montana has any nurse/patient ratio, so I am curious to hear how many you can take care of on any given shift.Thanks in advance!Vicky
nord11 37 Posts Specializes in ICU/CCU, Med-Surg, ER, Home-Health, Corr. Has 22 years experience. Mar 6, 2009 I work at a critical access hospital (25 beds). It can be anywhere from 3-8. Depends on what is going on in the hospital. If we have our ICU open, OB's, busy ER, you may end up with more than that. If you can't find someone to come in and help, you are just up the creek. Things are very disorganized here so it makes your job more difficult. Most of us stick together here which helps keep the management from dumping 8 pt's on us (8 pt's here would not work at all).
kjfreeman 17 Posts Specializes in Ortho, Plastics, Surgical, OR. Has 6 years experience. Mar 15, 2009 3-8! i thought we as nurses were past this...that is crazy to have 8 pts per 1 nurse! i feel as though i am a very organized and good nurse but that number makes me a little nervous. my hat is off to ya'll! after all you gotta do what you gotta do. does the hospital just need to hire more nurses or is that ok with administration? hang in there!!!!!
nord11 37 Posts Specializes in ICU/CCU, Med-Surg, ER, Home-Health, Corr. Has 22 years experience. Mar 16, 2009 Where I am, if administration had there way - we nurses would get paid less and have more pt's. Our new interim DON made it known that she was going to change things and we would have 1:8 as a ratio. A Few of the doc's raised as much hell as they could for us and it got put on the back burner for now. It will happen though, just a matter of time. I pretty much let them know that I would not do it - it would be too unsafe. It's part of the reason that I am moving - to Arizona that is.
kjfreeman 17 Posts Specializes in Ortho, Plastics, Surgical, OR. Has 6 years experience. Mar 20, 2009 wiking,good for you! that is just madness....i wonder if your DON has ever worked as a floor nurse and had a 8:1 ratio? it is a wonder that the hospital still has staff.
erichRN 68 Posts Specializes in geriatrics, telemetry, ICU, admin. Mar 29, 2009 I have taken care of 12 in a med surg unit on the night shift. Interesting and the shift goes by fast. I'm in CA now on a DOU floor with 1:4 day and night. Pretty cool.
kjfreeman 17 Posts Specializes in Ortho, Plastics, Surgical, OR. Has 6 years experience. May 4, 2009 that is awesome! good for you!
JeneraterRN 256 Posts Specializes in OB, Med/Surg, Ortho, ICU. Has 3 years experience. May 2, 2011 Hey there, welcome to our great state. Our ratios in our hospital are not so bad, five is usually max. I've had more in a dire emergency but that is seldom. Four is pretty average.
libbyjeanne 110 Posts Specializes in med-surg. May 14, 2011 Med surg- 5:1 on nights, 4:1 on days.PCU- 3:1ICU- 2:1
kbdavis 33 Posts Specializes in PCU, Critical Care, Respiratory,. Has 19 years experience. Dec 11, 2011 When I grad Nursing school in the 90s. I had 15 patients.
