Current Psych hospital staffing

[MountainmistRN]

I have looked at many of the postings and was interested to learn what the current staffing is for behavioral health or psych inpatient setting. I have seen a couple of years back that the staffing ratio to patient was changing. Did a travel assignment in WY in 2005 and you had from 6-7 patients, and think it was 3 MHTs. Then I worked for a hospital in MO and on nights you may have over 25 patients with 2 RNs, 2 MHTs this was late 2006. Now I am seeing on the evening shift at a state hospital in KY where there may be 2 RNs, an LPN and 4-5 MHTs. The state hospital has a combination of schioaffective, active delusional, ones sent from the jail who are causing a problem and those with major behavioral problems that mean they are out of control and violent.

I am simply curious to know how it is in other parts of the country. Already read how PSI is buying out hospitals in Texas and the staffing has been cutback. I already know that I will be leaving this area very soon, getting too old for this now and life is too short. So please tell me how it is for your pack of the country. Be great to hear if there was a place where patient care and staffing actual happened.

Thanks :loveya:

[irish123]

I have 1RN, 1LPN, 3MHT for 26-32pts. I work in New York in inpatient psych. If you find that place where pt care and staffing happen, please let me know! LOL :wink2:

[twinkerrs]

I am doing clinicals right now at an inpatient psych hospital and there are 2 rns, 1lpn, and 2mht for 28 patients and the floor I am on seems to be nothing but schizophrenics and maybe a bipolar.

[MountainmistRN]

Sounds like the psych inpatient is no better than the med/surg setting. The only reason I saw 2 RN and 3 MHTs in WY is the maximum patients was 16. Sure that this has changed now. This was back in June of 2006.

[MountainmistRN]

What state are you working in? Like I said the last time I saw a low patient to nurse was in WY and that was two years ago. I also know that there is not much of a demand for travel RNs for psych. Had to change my area in order to travel where I would like to go instead of having to accept whatever is out there. Do know that in NC the state hospitals have had to use travel RNs due to some problems they had back a few years ago. Not sure if they are still using travelers at this date.