Average nurse/patient ratio?

[annak92]

I am looking into getting started in my career in psych, moving from an ICU. Where I interviewed, they told me I would have 14 patients. Is this normal? I know the ratio would be much higher than I'm used to, I just want to make sure this facility isn't putting more on its nurses than it should before I sign up.

[ghalles]

Orlando Florida, some days I have 17, so I just don't do my paperwork becausI also have to admit and discharge patients. One-on-one time with patients, hah! Most of my time is trying to keep the patients from fighting us or each other. Some nurses at my facility say they get up to 24 at times, I know night shift at my last detox had up to 40 as the only RN. I'm not happy with it, I had up to 8 in Indiana. 

[meeep, BSN, RN]

Highly recommend looking for an inpatient position at a teaching hospital. Ratios will be much safer than freestanding facilities. We staff by acuity so sometimes I have 1-2 patients but a normal assignment is 3 patients per RN. We have an admission/discharge nurse, group nurse, and charge nurse who do not carry a patient assignment, so we have a ton of resources. Having security on site can't be beat either - I know a lot of freestanding facilities do not have security. We typically have 2-4 techs who do vitals, meal trays, and safety checks. One of the really nice things about a teaching hospital is we always have attendings and residents on site, so obtaining orders for your patients (should you need something) in a timely manner is a cinch!

[JenRN119]

I'm in an inpatient facility in New York; I work on an adolescent unit. I have had up to 24 or 25 patients. Yes, I have Mental Health workers, but I need another nurse!  Yesterday I had 18, but it was so stressful I started looking at job postings today. It seems unsafe and that nurses aren't respected if they think they only need nurse for so many patients.

[Tenebrae, BSN, RN]

These ratios are mental (pardon the pun)

Average day 3:1, short staffed say 4-5:1

[lookingforanswers]

I work inpatient acute psych and my ratio is 8-9. Competitors in the area offering similar services have average ratios as low as 6 and high as 12.

[Avaloner]

It is difficult to provide a proper answer since there are many variables - the type of patients you are caring for, the amount of work expected by the facility, environmental factors and availability of support staff are all important considerations when discussing nurse to patient ratios. 1:14 sound like an awful lot though and just properly assessing each patient and writing good reports would take a big chunk from the work day. 

[Mill]

Louisiana- LPN here! I work at an Inpatient/ detox Rehab facility with count of 76 beds including , males, females and detox clients. My question is , " does anyone know the nurse-  patient -,ratio? " I work 12hr shifts as a night shift nurse. We had 3 nurses at night but they cut a night nurse out of the budget. So, 1 nurse has to assume 15- 26 max females and detox patients which can range from 4- 15 detox clients or more. We rotate every other month so 1 nurse does not get burned out on one cart. The other nurse assumes male cart which ranges from 28- 40 males. If someone calls in, my now new DON stated, " to not expect her nor the ADON to come in leaving one nurse in the building and  NOT utilizing agency." Not gonna happen with me!! My DON stated, " we can have 1 nurse in the building. " Respectfully I said, no mam, in policy and procedure binder states 2 nurses should be in the building." Mind you, we are the admtting nurses. We do everything an RN should be doing- Assessing.  Is it right to care for 60+ patients with two techs including detox clients and residential clients who have Hx. Of seizures, Cows/ CIWA charting and residential clients who has a Pmhx htn or worse d/t noncompliance of medication 💊 at home, some psych who are schizophrenic,  bipolar, and deals with depression, with 1 nurse. We are considered a 24hr facility,  so admits come all times. I'm curious.. thanks, your Louisiana nurse-,LPN

[dizzycarrot, BSN, RN]

Depends a lot on the state and facility honestly. 6-7 per nurse where I am right now for in-patient psych.

[SarahMaria, MSN, RN]

Currently, in the psych ED, we have 6-7 patients each.  Previous job in correctional psych was 18-23 each.