FINALLY a lower ratio

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I'm so happy I had to share... Our manager finally got the CNO to approve a lower patient: nurse ratio. We went from 10:1 to 7:1. I know most of you think that 10:1 is insane to begin with (so do I) but this is our 3rd manager in the year that I've been here, and the 1st one that appears to have any clue what it is to work the floor. I think she just made some new BFFs! :balloons: :lol2: :monkeydance:

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Specializes in ER, Occupational Health, Cardiology.

Good luck with this. Just keep an eye open for calling off people because of low census, and then admitting a bunch of pts, and you have the same old, same old.:nono: It can be a risky business, but you have to continue to be proactive for yourselves and your patients.:nurse:

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Specializes in Med/Surg.
Good luck with this. Just keep an eye open for calling off people because of low census, and then admitting a bunch of pts, and you have the same old, same old.:nono: It can be a risky business, but you have to continue to be proactive for yourselves and your patients.:nurse:

Thanks, Bigsyis. I was actually commenting on this myself to a coworker this morning. I don't care anymore how much of a witch others think I am, I will be the one who throws an absolute fit and refuses to take more than 7!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

The issue will be,, well this patient might leave today anyway. Or,, this one is being transferred pretty soon anyway. Then noone leaves until after your shift ends and you have had 10 again all afternoon. Good luck,, i hope you are able to keep them to their word.

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Coming from California I got REAL spoiled with just 5 patients. The problem was, the hospital is not obligated to give you a CNA so guess what? And then when we had "team" nursing with LVN's, I had to do all their IVPB's, pushes, assessments and co sign THEIR charting as well. So it all depends on the hospital and how they feel about that.

I agree that census was also a large factor at many hospitals that I worked at thru my agency. I wish staffing was based on patient ACUITY as well. It's so much easier to take care of 5 "walky talky's" if you have no CNA then 5 complex patients with a CNA....plus an LVN.....I mean really....WTH?????

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

I figured that we were going to have to fight to make sure that they stuck to this number, and of course I was right. The last two nights we have had to call our manager at home and have her speak to the house supervisor whom was trying to give us more than our seven apiece. Both of the sups have been like "That's just the number we are shooting for, it's not set in stone", or last night it was "We're short everywhere so you guys are going to have to take your share of admits". Thankfully this manager answers her phone when we call and immediately was like "transfer me through to the sup" when we told her what was going on.

I'm starting to believe her spiel about leading by example and sticking up for her nurses. Scary, huh. :rolleyes:

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The issue will be,, well this patient might leave today anyway. Or,, this one is being transferred pretty soon anyway.
Oh that brings back memories of the many times where I was told I would have 5 patients. Sometime after I started report they would casually mention that there were two more BUT one was going home in two hours and another to be transfered"sometime this evening so they really don't count". OK if the person falls out of bed or codes they are not really my patient right? Then whose responsibility are they might I ask? Don't even get me started about the times when I had 5-6 at the beginning of the shift, all went home and were quickly replaced by 5-6 more. According to managment math that is 5 or 6 patients, according to my math it is 10-12.:trout:
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Specializes in ER, Occupational Health, Cardiology.
Oh that brings back memories of the many times where I was told I would have 5 patients. Sometime after I started report they would casually mention that there were two more BUT one was going home in two hours and another to be transfered"sometime this evening so they really don't count". OK if the person falls out of bed or codes they are not really my patient right? Then whose responsibility are they might I ask? Don't even get me started about the times when I had 5-6 at the beginning of the shift, all went home and were quickly replaced by 5-6 more. According to managment math that is 5 or 6 patients, according to my math it is 10-12.:trout:

My experience exactly, as a baby LPN on a Cardiac Floor! The Sups seemed to count the beds, not the number of pts that moved through them during a shift!:angryfire

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