Burn nurse:patient ratio..?

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Specializes in ICU, Emergency Department.

I'm just curious, as I'm a nursing student and I feel I may be interested in burn nursing in the future, what the nurse-patient ratio is like on your units? I'm sorry if this question has been asked and answered already, I couldn't find any clear cut answers.

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Hello

Not burn nurse yet, but @ our BICU (Hopkins Bayview, Baltimore) it is 1:2 and 1:4 for more stable patients.. Hope that helps.

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Specializes in Trauma/Burn ICU.

1:1, 1:2 in the ICU (rarely 2 nurses to 1 patient if super critical), 1:2, 1:3 in our attached 6-bed floor-status unit (sometimes 1:4 with a tech if short-staffed).

Mike in Michigan

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.

1:1 for the ICU patients 1:2 for HDU and 1:5 for stable rehab patients.

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Our BICU staffs one nurse to two patients. If the patient is pediatric, the staffing ration is 1:1.

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I urge you all to check this safe staffing site as an extension of American Nurses Association;

http://www.safestaffingsaveslives.org/default.aspx

I have some questions about it myself, but I urge you to take the poll and back the ANA and any other organization that is working toward nurse/patient ratios that will not burn out nurses and risk patient care.

I am currently working (Kansas)acute med/surg on nights 7pm to 7am (which really means I'm in half an hour early and clock out half an hour later due to change of shift report, and my patient ratios have been as high as 1:7.

If our patient ration goes down to 1:4 we have to do total care, including CNA stuff and unit secretary things; entering orders, admits, prepping rooms, etc.

Because we have a unit secretary who spends much more time playing video games than she does inputting orders and doing her job, we have been penalized by only having her onboard until midnight any given night.

ICU and PCU is 1:1

Post surgery is dependent upon patient stability and is a low ratio.

At this point, I would welcome only 5 patients!

Again,,put your questions to the ANA, read the specifics, take the survey/poll and support legislation that favors treating nurses well.

The federal government is doing lots of studies on why they lose so many hospital nurses each year, and why so many leave the field altogether,,,let them know exactly why!

If anyone else knows of any other nurse organization that is working to protect from nurse burnout and provide for patient safety, please post it!

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