nurse patient ratio

[trmr]

I am just wondering how many patients do you take care of on average during your shift? I am working an 8 hour night shift tonight on a med/surg floor. I have 2 acutes, 1 skilled swing (COPD'er here for therapy ), and 6 private pays ( the ones that live here ). How many patients are the rest of you responsible for? Do you think what I have is too many or just right? Just being nosy...thanks

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

I work on a skilled rehab unit and typically care for 10 to 15 patients per shift. I have had patient loads as small as 7, and as large as 17.

[RNBelle]

i work postpartum. our max per nurse is 8. a good night is if i have 8 postpartum and/or antepartum and they are behaving themselves. a bad night is when the hospital is full and i end up with 2 postpartums and 6 med-surg pts that are high acuity.

[SewHeather]

i work postpartum. our max per nurse is 8. a good night is if i have 8 postpartum and/or antepartum and they are behaving themselves. a bad night is when the hospital is full and i end up with 2 postpartums and 6 med-surg pts that are high acuity.

You have 8 post partum patients?!?!? Please tell me you are incorporating the infant in that count. On our MB unit we care for 4 couplets on average and 5 if it's packed and short staffed. I can't imagine that I would be able to give decent care with 8 couplets, much less ever get all my charting done by 7am. Wow, my hat's off to you. What hospital do you work at by the way?

[stripedsock]

I work in a PCU at a small hospital (around 100-beds) in a bad part of town. Our nurse:patient ratio is typically 1:5 if we have Med-Surg or Tele pts in our mix, but 1:4 if all pts are PCU status. We also have a CNAs on staff who help out with vitals, etc. Our CNAs take 10 pts each.

[GrumpyRN63, ADN, RN]

4-5 on days, 5-6 on eves,7-8 on nocs/ pca's take 6 on days, 8 on eve's, 10 on nocs /unit is Oncology, lg urban teaching hospital