Patient Ratios and Region

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I was curious to find out what your typical Med-Surg ratios are during day and night and what state you are in. I know there was another post a year or two ago about ratios but I don't think it asked the state. I ask because my new employee orientation training has had mostly nurses from other areas. A few of the facilitators came from other areas as well. It seems to be a trend that certain regions have higher ratios overall. Also seems the new grad experience was much "harsher" too. One facilitator has been a nurse for a long time and was a Police officer and homicide detective before nursing and said that was nothing compared to how brutal nursing was. He also said his first year as a new grad was hell and he had a high patient ratio, that when he moved here and they warned him what our ratios might be that he was shocked with how "low" the ratios were.

I know ICU is a smaller ratio, usually 1:2 and that seems to be pretty common everywhere but I am amazed at some of the ratios I read here. I have only been on the other side of healthcare since living in my current state and I have been in two healthcare companies and seen their ratios. Which are pretty similar and the nurses rarely have what you are told you CAN have. Only times I have seen them have the "max" amount we are told of is if it's a new admission towards the end of shift.

So anyway, I was just curious if there seems to be any correlation between the ratios and the part of the country you are in.

BOOYARN

119 Posts

what are your ratios and location?

BOOYARN

119 Posts

here in Miami, FL I work for a union med surg tele mix... are max is 6 during day and 7 at night

in this area i have worked at many HCA facilities that give you nine as a norm..in tele med surg mix floor as well and once was asked to take 10

Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

One facility that has 2 hospitals locally is 3-4 during the day per policy (never saw more then 3 unless an admit came at end of shift) and up to 5 at night.

Another hospital that is 2 hospitals locally is 4-5 during day and 5-6 at night.(per policy) I have never seen more then 4 patients during day and I didn't do night clinicals at this facility. I now have a night shift job and we had 3 patients. (preceptor and I) This was a Peds floor that will take adult surgery short stay overflow (under 48 hrs) there was only 6 patients total which only 1 was a peds so each nurse had 3 on the night shift.

This is in CO

Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.

Ive had as many as 8. Least was 4. I work nights on Medical

Kansas.

Sugarcoma, RN

410 Posts

Specializes in Trauma/Tele/Surgery/SICU.

Trauma/Surgery/Tele floor in MI. Nights 6-11, Days 4-8 and once I had 9. Most came from SI. No maximum. If a bed was empty you were getting the patient no matter how many nurses you had.

kool-aide, RN

594 Posts

Specializes in Cardiac.

4-5 on days. 5-6 on nights. Indiana

Tait, MSN, RN

2,140 Posts

Specializes in Acute Care Cardiac, Education, Prof Practice.
4-5 on days. 5-6 on nights. Indiana

Same here on average. Complex Med-Surg (walkie talkie cardiac to whipples to high level geriatric) Georgia.

Specializes in Peds Hem, Onc, Med/Surg.

Med Surg in Northeast Florida Day was 6pts (One CNA for every 12 pts) and for nights its was 6 to 8/9 (one CNA for everyone and they double as the unit secretary), and we are one of the only ones that have this ratio. I know where my friend works she can have anywhere up to 8 during the day shift without an aide if they are not considered total care patients.

0402

355 Posts

4-5 on days and 5 on nights (very, very rarely we will get 6 on nights). Med/ surg with geriatrics "specialty." In DC.

Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

5:1 day/evening, 6-7:1 at night for med/surg. The acute rehab unit at night has a ratio of 7-8:1 at night (same 5:1 ratio during the day/evening). I am in New Hampshire.

Ayvah, RN

722 Posts

Specializes in Med Surg, Specialty.

6:1 days, med surg IL. Nights 7-8

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