Cardiac Nurses please help!!

[heartlover07]

My question is, what is a good ratio for patients in a cardiac stepdown unit? I just interviewed for a position on a unit that sounds like it is perfect for me because I want to work in the cath lab eventually. It is a cardiac post-procedure unit (caths, EPS., etc.) This floor is also being renovated to add a CCU unit which I will eventually float into. The nurse manager told me that the ratio ranges from 1:3 to 1:5 and can vary throughout the day due to rapid admits and discharges. She said that if we were in the CCU it would be no more than 1:3, but in the post procedure area it could go as high as 5. Does anyone know if this is too high? I would like to take the job, especially for the experience, but don't want to get in over my head!

Thanks a million for any input!

[Praise,RN]

1:4-5 seems about right depending upon stability of the patient. This can becoming overwheling however at any time....

Remember: know your limitations (protect your license)

Praise, RN,BSN

[cvryder]

We'd all like to have 1:3 but that doesn't work out in the usual realm of things. I've worked on cardiac units with 1:4 all the way to 1:6, which included (but mostly weren't) post-stent and 24-hr post-CABG patients. Depending on the layout of the unit, it can work very well or very poorly. At the moment I'm on a PCU which is supposed to be 1:4 but is usually 1:5, and the drips we have are usually heparin or renal dose dopamine. Cardiac drips go to CCU here, and they don't do many caths because they don't do interventions (which I think is only proper). It can be extremely busy with rapid turnover, which is why I think the ratio is too high.