What is the nurse to patient ratio in your facility?

miz_cece · May 3, 2006

120 bed hospital

Usually no more than 6 patients apiece

My unit has only 18 beds, usually 3 licensed, sometimes 4. never more than 2 aides.

Depends on the acuity or admit/discharge of that day, if none, then usually works fine. Am not sure about exact amount of time w/each patient.

luvmy2angels · May 3, 2006

55 bed unit, upon hire I was told there were 5 nurses per station (2 stations, meaning 10 nurses), which would be about 5 patients per nurse. In reality there were only 2 nurses per station so about 13-15 patients per nurse. THis was in an acute care setting so to me the nurse to patient ratio sucked!! I didn't stay at this place very long!!

coolmalenurse · May 6, 2006

about 15 to 1

PeachPie · May 7, 2006

Do they include administrative nurses, or strictly bedside nurses?

ms_kitty_fantastico · May 8, 2006

I work in a large hospital in Melbourne, Australia. We have approx 750 in patients and thousands of out patients.

I work in cardiothoracics, we have 24 pt in our ward. AM and PM shifts have 8 RN's and night duty have 4 RN's. Our ratio in the day is 1:4. We are pretty lucky because we do get to spend a lot of time with our patients and we need it, their illness and pretty in depth as we do main lobectomy and cardiac bipass surgery.

We dont have any aids, it is the nurses responably to do all care. The only help we get is PSA(pt service attendant) to take pt to xray etc and they clean the ward. As nurses we assist in physio (with the physio), we do hygiene, medications, making beds, communicate with dr, perform procedures (bloodtaking, NG tubes, IDC etc) etc. Its hard work but good work.

Karen06 · May 8, 2006

I'm starting in the ICU and the ratio is 1:2. But the norm throughtout the hospital is 1:5-6. Whoever said they had 13-15 patients, I would be terrified!!!

brsharky · May 18, 2006

26 bed unit, SCI Rehab and Medical (probably closest to medical floor or LTC)

Generally 5-6 RNs on day shift with 4-6 NAs and 0-1 LPN

Evenings usually has 3-4 RNs, 0-1 LPN and 3-4 NAs

Night shift usually has 2-3 RNs, 0 LPN and 2-3 NAs

Our census is rarely at capacity. For example we had 6 RNs, 1 LPN and 3 NAs on today and 19 patients.

The rest of the hospital, about 144 beds, tries to stay at a 1:5 ratio but is more commonly 1:8. The Critical Care areas use a 1:2 (max) ratio

beautifulb · May 18, 2006

We have about 140 beds ~ give or take. For all 3 shifts we have 1 nurse to 6 pt's. The PCAs have no more than 10, at least on night shift. On the other shifts they have more PCAs. 6 pt's at night is definetly good but sometimes I could have 4 pts and have a terrible night. I work on an ortho/oncology floor but we take all kind of medical and sometimes surgical pt's. (acute care). We don't staff for acuity which I wish we would.

jenmlee · May 18, 2006

I work in float and each area has different nurse:patient ratios. In the ICU's it's 1:2 with no aides except the SICU/burn unit which has 2 for 20pts but only take 5 each (those most critical); ortho/neuro 1:6 RN and aide; gen surg 1:5 RN 1:6 aide, tele 1:4 RN 1:5 aide; gen med 1:4 RN 1:7-8 aide; geriatrics 1:5 RN 1:6 aide and 1-2 LPN with 12 pts each. That's day shift (7a-7p). The night shift (7p-7a) has one extra pt. The ratios have much improved since I first started 5 years ago. The day shift had as many as 8-9 pts and the night shift had as many as 10-12 pts. The largest unit is gen surg with 47 beds.

I'm am very satisfied with the ratios as they are today. I don't really know how much time is spent with my patients but I know it's quite a bit of time when they know who I am without looking at their board.

PDX RN · Jun 21, 2006

28 bed unit

1:4 nurse to patient ratio

~3 aids

glenwood · Jun 24, 2006

My first job in 1986 was on the night shift and a surgical floor. We had 10 to 13 patiens each and no nurses aids. It was horrible. I then worked agency for a long time in chicago. The nightshift in some good hospitals would have 8 patients, in others up to 12. In new york I was in a perdiem float pool and we would have 8 to 10 pathients on night wit nurses aids. This was ok. Everything I hear is that it has been getting steadily worse and nurses tell me they get 10 patients on days.