Hospital breaking CA nurse ratio laws?

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Specializes in ICU, ED, PICC.

Alrighty, I have a question!

I am a nursing student (graduating this May, yay!) and I have done a lot of my clinicals in our nearby somewhat rural hospital. When doing my preceptorship, I noticed that the nurses were taking on 5 patients (the max allowed on a med-surg floor in CA), but then were covering for 1 LVN patient on top of that. Isn't covering a patient still technically having a patient? I looked at the CNA (California Nurses' Association) website for an answer, and this is what I found:

"No RN can be assigned responsibility for more patients than the specific ratio at any time, under any circumstances, based on patient acuity and scope of practice laws. An LVN cannot be assigned overall responsibility for a patient." http://www.nationalnursesunited.org/page/-/files/pdf/ratios/basics-unit-0704.pdf

So does that mean my local hospital is breaking CA ratio laws? And what can I do as a nursing student to help this situation? Or should I just back off and not do anything and leave it up to the nurses who work there? (I'm also applying for jobs at this hospital)

I know I brought it up with my preceptor at one point because she kept complaining about it and I did this research for her, but she said she doesn't have the time to take care of it/doesn't know how to.

EDIT: This hospital has CNA for their nurses

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Peds ICU.

Long story short, many facilities break California ratio laws in one way or another, including my own. They can get away with it because the state under Schwartzenegger's administation hasn't investigated complaints or enforced the law.

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the (registered) nurses union can say what they want but the law talks about "licensed nurses" providing direct patient care and says that lvns/lpts can account for up to 50% of the licensed nurses on most units. the law on mandatory ratios also says that nurses may help provide care beyond their patient assignments, if the tasks are specific and time-limited (e.g. assessments outside the lvn/lpt scope of practice). cna and the largest healthcare union (representing lvns/lpts) seiu-uhw quarreled about this issue while the law was being debated and while some would prefer an all rn staff, the law specifically recognizes that lvns/lpts can have a role in direct patient care.

licensed psychiatric technician

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